August 8 marks the 20th-anniversary of the ThinkPad line, and to mark the occasion Lenovo introduced the device that it hopes will be able to take on Microsoft’s Surface: the ThinkPad Tablet 2.
Armed with a stylus — much like the upcoming Galaxy Note 10.1 — the ThinkPad Tablet 2 comes equipped with an Intel Atom Trail processor, a 10.1-inch touch display, a 3G or 4G radio, a full-size USB port, a microSD slot, and a mini-HDMI port. The tablet measures 0.39 inches and will weigh a reported 1.3 pounds. It will ship with Windows 8 Pro.
“This is the tablet that the industry has been waiting for,” Dilip Bhatia, vice president and general manager of Lenovo’s business unit, said to the press at a launch event. “Truly, this tablet is designed for professionals and designed for real life.”
But is this the tablet that industry has been waiting for? While Lenovo hasn’t yet released the tablet’s price, informed speculation by the tech-punditocracy put it near or even over the $1000 price point.
In addition, Lenovo hasn’t released any detailed information on the planned tablet’s processor. While Intel’s Atom Trail has been well reviewed for its TDP to clock speed ratio, it faces intense competition from ARM chips on the market.
The tablet certainly looks compelling, but Mr. Bhatia’s comments have yet to be proven.
