The Miix 310 tablet from Lenovo doesn't make you buy a keyboard
Unlike Microsoft's Surface line, the keyboard cover is included in this 10-inch Windows tablet.
- Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
Before the Microsoft Surface line, the idea of a Windows tablet with a snap-on keyboard was more of a novelty than anything practical. Since then, almost every PC maker has tried a version of this design, tackling the hybrid question by taking a tablet-first, laptop-second approach.
The Surface tablets have all suffered from a near-fatal flaw. The snap-on keyboard covers required to make them work as part-time laptops were sold separately, and at a very premium price, even on the lower-cost 10-inch Surface 3. That's one of the reasons we liked the Lenovo Miix 700 last year -- it looked and felt a lot like a Surface, but its sturdy magnetic keyboard cover came included with the system, not pitched as a sold-separately accessory.
The new Ideapad Miix 310 rolls back the idea a bit to a thicker, more laptop-like keyboard, but it's still included in the base price. It's closer in design to the Miix 2 from a couple of years ago, and when the tablet and keyboard halves are combined, it looks and feels like an ultraportable laptop rather than a tablet with a fancy magnetic cover. The keyboard connects with two magnetic teeth, and unlike some similar designs we've seen in the past, the tablet-to-keyboard hinge still allows for adjustable screen angles, making the whole thing feel even more laptop-like.
The Miix 310 runs an Intel Atom X5 processor and the 10.1-inch display can go up to full HD (1,920x1,080) resolution, with 2GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It will be available in June, starting at $229 in the US and €269 in Europe, which is approximately £208/AU$419. At a still-unknown extra cost, an optional 4G LTE antenna will be available, allowing for Wi-Fi-free Web-surfing anywhere.