Lenovo has new ultrabook details, Windows 8 tablet for ThinkPad at 20
New details about the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2.
- Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
During an event at New York's Museum of Modern Art, PC maker Lenovo has announced new details about upcoming laptops, as well as a new ThinkPad-branded Windows 8 tablet.
The event was to mark the ThinkPad brand's 20th anniversary. Originally IBM's PC line, Lenovo bought the brand in 2005. The three new products profiled have all been spotted before, at CES 2012or later in the year, including the flagship ThinkPad X1 Carbon ultrabook.
ThinkPad X1 Carbon
First spotted in May 2012, we've already given this 14-inch ultrabook an extensive hands-on look. It starts at $1,399, and our review configuration is $1,499 (with a mobile broadband modem). More-expensive builds, with faster processors and a 256GB SSD, cost up to $1,849. Of course, you get a lot of extra features that may help justify the higher price: Lenovo's industry-leading keyboard, a revamped glass touch pad that works better than any Windows touch pad I've tried, a suite of Lenovo-branded security and support apps, and IT-department-friendly features like Intel's vPro technology.
ThinkPad T430u
Previewed at CES 2012, this was to be the first ThinkPad ultrabook, but it looks like it will ship in August, right alongside the X1 Carbon. The look and feel keeps to ThinkPad tradition, with a matte-black finish and an island-style keyboard similar to what we've seen on the ThinkPad Edge line. The system weighs under 4 pounds and is 0.8 inch thick, hitting Intel's specs for a 14-inch ultrabook. It will start at $779, making it much more affordable than the X1 Carbon.
ThinkPad Tablet 2
Unlike the two ultrabooks, little has been seen or heard about the 10.1-inch ThinkPad Tablet 2 before now. Lenovo now says it will run Windows 8 and that "the multi-use tablet boasts differentiators that matter, including an optional digitizer and pen for precision input, 3G wireless with Lenovo Mobile Access pay-as-you-go plans, and 4G models, along with security features like a Fingerprint Reader, IT manageability technologies, and corporate-level service and support."
The ThinkPad Tablet 2 will run an upcoming version of Intel's Atom processor, along with Windows 8 Pro, and it will be 9.8mm thick and weigh 1.3 pounds. Lenovo says it will "be available when Windows 8 launches in October," but has not revealed a price yet.