Engadget’s tablet buyer’s guide: spring 2013 edition

DNP Engadget's tablet buyer's guide spring 2013 edition

Much like bears, tablet designers are coming out of hibernation: there have been a handful of noteworthy models reaching the wild after a few months of silence. Most of these are the Windows 8- and RT-based tablets that didn't quite make the cut for the holidays, and we're launching our 2013 spring tablet buyer's guide with a dedicated Windows section to accommodate a distinct and rapidly filling category. Just be careful before you commit to a purchase, wherever your allegiances lie: Mobile World Congress brought us tablets that haven't quite shipped yet, like the FonePad and Galaxy Note 8.0. (We've included a heads-up in those situations where waiting a few weeks, or months, may be wisest.) As chaotic as spring can be, our guide might just provide some kind of stability if you're shopping for your next slate.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 review

DNP Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 review

Before we talk about the ThinkPad Tablet 2, Lenovo's new Windows 8 hybrid, we need to talk about the original ThinkPad Tablet, the one that came out in fall of 2011 to mixed reviews. It was an okay device, when push came to shove, with useful features like a full-size USB port, 1080p output and pen support -- a rarity on Android tablets. But the tablet itself was bulky, performance was sluggish, battery life was mediocre and there weren't even that many Android apps designed to be used with a pen. It was a concept that didn't totally work -- at least not with that OS -- and indeed, Lenovo's long since discontinued it.

Fast-forward to the present, and the ThinkPad Tablet's been resurrected in the form of a 10.1-inch Windows 8 device, one that starts at $579 and can be used with an optional keyboard dock. It's a much lighter product, at 1.3 pounds (down from 1.58), and although it uses a heavier-duty Atom processor, battery life is said to top out at about 10 hours. (The original lasted eight in our usual test.) Like the OG version, it allows for pen input on select models, but of course, Windows comes ready-made with a larger selection of apps where a pen might actually be useful. So is the second time a charm? In a word, yes.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 goes on sale, may arrive in January

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 at Computex 2012

Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet 2 has been an elusive beast. We heard about pricing in October with promises that it would arrive the same month, but it was held back at the last moment with few progress updates since. Patience, it turns out, is a virtue: the Windows 8 tablet has returned, ready for sale. The promised $649 starting price offers a 64GB WiFi version; spending $30 more adds a pen input and digitizer screen for frequent note-takers, while a $729 version loads Windows 8 Pro for the corporate crowd. No one's likely to put it on their last-minute gift shopping list, though. Lenovo estimates a delivery date of January 7th, which won't be much consolation to recipients short of an IOU.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Source: Lenovo

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 priced at $649 and up, still on track to ship this month

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 priced at $649 and up, still on track to ship this month

Back when Lenovo formally announced the ThinkPad Tablet 2, it shared almost everything there was to know about its new Windows 8 slate: specs, an approximate shipping date and details on the optional accessories. The one thing Lenovo didn't reveal? The price. Well, you can rest easy now because the company just announced the tablet will start at $649, making it slightly more expensive than other Atom-powered slates running Windows 8. (To be fair, it does offer NFC and pen input, so perhaps we can all agree to call it even.) As a quick refresher, other key specs include a 10.1-inch (1,366 x 768) IPS display, a 10-hour battery, dual 2MP / 8MP cameras and optional 3G / 4G connectivity, with AT&T's LTE network being the spectrum of choice in the US. You'll also be able to buy it with an optional keyboard and a dock with three USB ports, HDMI-out and an Ethernet jack. That's all coming soon, so hopefully our full review won't be too far off either.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 priced at $649 and up, still on track to ship this month

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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 priced at $649 and up, still on track to ship this month originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 8 RT tablets to sell for $300 less than Intel-based counterparts, says Lenovo exec

Windows 8 RT tablets to sell for $300 less than Intel-based counterparts, says Lenovo exec

Microsoft and its OEM partners haven't been particularly forthcoming on how much the first round of Windows 8 tablets are going to cost, but one Lenovo executive just gave us a hint. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, David Schmoock, Senior VP of Lenovo's North American division, said that full-on Windows 8 tablets would ring up between $600 and $700, noting that ARM-based Windows RT slates would sell for $200 to $300 less. "RT will play in consumer and retail at very aggressive price points," he said. This echoes previous reports that suggested Microsoft would introduce the Surface with a competitive $200 price tag. The Lenovo VP didn't reveal any specific prices, of course, but his estimates would put the ThinkPad Tablet 2 somewhere between $300 and $500. Schmoock also commented on Ultrabook sales, stating that he didn't think Intel would meet its lofty saturation goals: 40 percent of the market by the end of 2012. "They'll be a lot bigger than they are now," he admitted, "but I don't know if it will get all the way up to 40 percent."

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Windows 8 RT tablets to sell for $300 less than Intel-based counterparts, says Lenovo exec originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 02:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 official: Windows 8, NFC and a fingerprint reader, arrives in October

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 official Windows 8, NFC, a fingerprint reader and an optional keyboard

If you've been paying attention, you not only knew Lenovo was readying a ThinkPad-branded Windows 8 tablet, but you probably already noticed all the leaked specs, too. Indeed, we first saw this thing all the way back at Computex, where Lenovo gave us a fairly hands-off peek, taking care to conceal most of the device's specs. Later, it turned up in the FCC and in official documents, letting us know the slate would actually be arriving quite soon.

And here it is! As we previously reported, this is a 10-inch slate running Windows 8 and an Intel Atom processor. And yes, it will replace the current ThinkPad Tablet, which runs Android. Other key specs include a 1,366 x 768 IPS display, a 10-hour battery, optional 3G / 4G, micro-HDMI output and a pair of 2MP / 8MP cameras. For the most part, that cellular connection will take the form of HSPA+ but in the US, at least, the tablet will be available on AT&T's LTE network. And, as we learned in more recent leaks, this 9.8mm-thick tablet makes room for an NFC radio, along with a fingerprint reader and a pen, which can be stowed in a slot on the tablet. Additionally, it will be sold alongside an optional keyboard, as well as a dock with three USB ports, HDMI-out and an Ethernet jack.

The one thing we don't know? The price. So far, Lenovo is only saying the tablet will be available in October, when Windows 8 starts shipping. For now, we've got a mix of glossy press shots for your viewing pleasure, along with some hands-on photos we took in advance of tonight's announcement.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 official: Windows 8, NFC and a fingerprint reader, arrives in October

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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 official: Windows 8, NFC and a fingerprint reader, arrives in October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 specs tip NFC, keyboard dock, uninspired name

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Back in June at Computex, we got to spend a little quality time with Lenovo's forthcoming Windows 8 tablet -- not too long after, the FCC got to play around a similarly specked device, as well. Now, courtesy of some leaked info, we're seeing a slate from the company that looks awfully familiar. According to the spec sheet, which compares the product head-to-head with Apple's iPad, the Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 will feature a 10.1-inch 1,366 x 768 IPS display, in excess of 10 hours of battery life and two cameras, including an eight megapixel one on the rear. Also on board is NFC and a fingerprint reader, all packed into a 9.8mm body. Oh, and in keeping with the Lenovo's businessy focus, we've also got a glimpse of a very ThinkPad-looking keyboard dock, complete with the customary pointing stick. Check that out after the break.

Continue reading Leaked Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 specs tip NFC, keyboard dock, uninspired name

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Leaked Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 specs tip NFC, keyboard dock, uninspired name originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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