CNET Editors' Take
October 10, 2012 10:16 AM PDT
Hands-on with the light-as-air Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx tablet
Do you remember the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid? I do. Back before the iPad or Windows 8 convertible devices were even a twinkle in a tech fetishist's eye, Lenovo dreamed up a tablet/laptop convertible with a detachable top screen. That product never emerged in the U.S., but since then a ton of tablet/keyboard hybrid devices have laid claim to the territory.
The professionally minded ThinkPad Tablet 2 is one of those devices, but the IdeaTab Lynx is consumer-targeted. What does that mean, exactly? In the case of the Lynx, a lower price: $599 for the tablet and $149 for the keyboard base, bringing the total package up to $748.
(Credit:
Lenovo)
The Lynx is an 11.6-inch Atom-based tablet, just like the ThinkPad Tablet 2. The Lynx on its own, without the dock, is 11.85 inches by 7.4 inches by 0.37 inch, and weighs 1.41 pounds (roughly the weight and thickness of the third-gen iPad). The Dock weighs another 1.45 pounds, bringing the whole package to 2.86 pounds, which for an 11-inch ultraportable isn't bad.
Unlike some Windows RT devices, the Lynx runs the full Windows 8 operating system using a new 1.8 GHz dual-core "Clovertrail" Intel Atom Z2760 processor, along with 2GB of memory and either 32 or 64GB of eMMC flash storage. The 11.6-inch IPS display has a 1,366x768-pixel resolution, the same as many 11- to 13-inch laptops, along with five-point capacitive multitouch. Micro-USB, Micro-HDMI, and a microSD card slot are the ports on the Lynx tablet itself, while the keyboard dock adds two USB 2.0 ports. The Lynx also has Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, stereo speakers, dual digital microphones, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and a Gyro sensor.
(Credit:
Dan Ackerman/CNET)
The real question is, how will the Lynx stand out? One answer might be its weight. Despite its 11.6-inch screen, the tablet felt shockingly light when we held it at Lenovo's launch event. Although Lenovo says it's 1.44 pounds, the Lynx's tablet portion is closer in feel to a Kindle than an iPad, but with a larger display than either.
The keyboard dock takes away from the Lynx's airiness, of course, although the two at least feel solidly linked when you use them together. The latch is so secure that you don't have to worry about accidentally dislodging the screen. We were also happy with the responsiveness of the Lynx's touchscreen, although we didn't get a chance to really challenge it during our five minute hands-on.
This isn't the first Atom-based Windows 8 tablet we've seen, and we expect it'll be far from the last. The $149 keyboard dock, which features a high-end Lenovo island-style keyboard and touch pad, could be one of the Lynx's difference-making features given its built-in battery: battery life claims are 8 hours without the dock, and 16 hours with.
Despite the catchy name, the Lynx's feather-light display may help it stick out. If other Windows 8 vendors also offer screens this svelte, though, Lenovo may have its work cut out to make the price and features pop in a crowded Windows 8 world.
The IdeaTab Lynx will be available starting in December.
