eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
IT managers have been asking me about Lenovos next tablet PC for months. Now that the ThinkPad X60 Tablet has finally launched, I can report that my initial tests find the convertible notebook to be a worthy addition to the ThinkPad franchise.
Armed with Intels low-voltage Core Duo and Core Solo processors, the X60 Tablet has a starting weight of 3.8 pounds. With an eight-cell battery that is giving me more than 8 hours of battery life, the weight of my test unit is about 4.16 pounds.
The X60 Tablet can be configured with a number of firsts for a tablet PC. Those include a WWAN (wireless WAN) module, an SXGA+ touch-screen display and support for 802.11n wireless technology (which is still in draft release).
One of the most common usage scenarios for a tablet PC is out in the field, but end users often report difficulty in using tablets outdoors due to screen visibility issues. During tests, the X60 ThinkPad did a pretty good job of solving that problem with a MultiView outdoor display that has anti-reflective and anti-glare capabilities. I was able to use the test unit outdoors in fairly bright sunlight with no issues.
While the 802.11n wireless radio may not be a necessity, it—and extras like it—is likely to increase adoption of tablets within enterprises, especially given Microsofts decision to bundle Tablet PC capabilities into Vista rather than to release a separate Vista tablet operating system.
Senior Writer Anne Chen can be reached at [email protected].
WWWeb Resources
Vista view
What Vista will mean for the tablet:
www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/community/improvetabletpc.mspx
Lenovos plan
How Lenovo is positioning the X60 Tablet:
go.eweek.com/lenovox60tablet
Always connected
Intel explores the ultramobile market:
go.eweek.com/intelultramobile