Lenovo ThinkPad X61

These days, tablet PC convertible show as more than a blip on the radar screen. They have been widely adopted in vertical markets, and students adopt. Lenovo (formerly IBM) has long been a leader in the convertible tablet PC space. In the ThinkPad X61 Tablet ($ 1934 direct) Lenovo continues to merge the design of its cherished X-Series ultra (see ThinkPad X60s) with tablet functionality. With the best keyboard industry, very good performance evaluations, and a robust design, the X61 Tablet Wins Editors' Choice Award to put next to Lenovo a precedent in this space, the ThinkPad X41 Tablet.

While it is clear that the convertible tablets are gathering strength, penetration has not been the level of some of the most popular portable. It could be that consumers have not yet grasped the idea of using a scanner pen on a laptop. Perhaps that the price premium is put off potential customers. And maybe the fact that two of the top three suppliers laptop, Dell and Apple, have not officially announced any tablet PC with their own limited their growth. In either, Lenovo has made significant progress with the ThinkPad X61 Tablet, which makes the adjustment easy for many compressed be converted.

Lenovo tablet overall design has not changed since the ThinkPad X41 Tablet first launched in 2005. The magnesium-alloy frame and supported the black-ID arrivals are not different from those in the rest of the ThinkPad. The framework guard against wear and conservative black base lets people know that this machine business. The X41 Tablet is one of the lightest tablets around, but recently, competition was increasingly fierce. The X61-66 Wh extended battery increases the weight to 4.4 pounds. Meanwhile, the Fujitsu Lifebook T2010 is able to keep things under 4 pounds with its 93-Wh extended battery. The choice of a 4-battery and $ 50 savings can get the X61 Tablet less than 4 pounds, but it lets you terribly short battery life. On the other hand, the HP Compaq 2710p (3.9 pounds) can get away with its 44-Wh battery, because it uses very low power components.

The trend in laptops east to widescreens, even on tables. Lenovo, however, holds firm with the X61 standard screen. You have a choice for the screen resolution-1024-by-768. (Lenovo used to offer a resolution SXGA (1400-by-1050) on the non-ultra compressed, but the font size is too small to read.) Standard 12-inch screen is preferable for writers like me Because there is less vertical scroll. The T2010 Fujitsu, HP Compaq 2710p, and Gateway 120x C-12-inch widescreens are optimized for multimedia tasks, while the standard X61-screen is oriented office work. The matte screen on the X61 Tablet compensates for much of the glare from lighting directed on the screen. However, the intensity of light shining screen of the Fujitsu T2010 is ideal for color-rich projects, but does little to reduce glare.

Hands down, the ThinkPad X61 Tablet offers the best experience typing in the company. His full-size keyboard is unmatched, and the TrackPoint pointing stick technology is unique. The HP 2710p is close, but pointing his stick is too steep for my taste. The Fujitsu T2010 meet a pointing stick, but its keyboard is unsatisfactory resistance by the X61 Tablet keyboard. Rotating the screen to write on these tablets convertible makes them more equal. Much of the writing experience depends on the operating system, all of the above tablets load Windows Vista Business, which has an interface optimized tablet "built on each of them, handwriting recognition is excellent and can be further improved by Vista Tablet PC Pen demand for training. The pen-on-screen and feel the sensation of scanner pen in your hand what the tablets are distinguished from each other. Writing on the X61, as on most tablets, a light stroke. You do not have to press as hard as when you write on a piece of paper, so your hands do not tire as quickly. The pen scanner has a rubber grip amid increasing the level of comfort, even if I hold the pen was a little more girth, like the one found on the Motion Computing LE1700.

Regarding the characteristics, the only thing missing on the ThinkPad X61 Tablet is a built-in optical drive. But all convertible tablet is a compromise: either you want the lightest possible, or opt for a more heavy with the ability to watch DVDs and install the software. For example, the bridge approaches 120x C-5 pounds thanks to the double-layer DVD. Lenovo offers a 2-pound docking station ($ 200), which has built in optical drive, but an additional year would strain the shoulders. As an alternative, the HP 2710p of the docking station is much lighter (1.5 pounds) and also includes a dual-layer DVD. Like the Fujitsu T2010, the X61 Tablet has three USB ports and a FireWire port, but it also adds mobile broadband. You can choose between the HSDPA Cingular and Verizon's EV-DO services, as indicated by the antenna bump at the top of the screen.

I'm still scratching their heads, wondering if I'll ever see a sub-4-pound convertible tablet with a standard voltage processor. The ThinkPad X61 Tablet charge a low voltage 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 CPU. It could be worse: You can use an ultra-low voltage (ULV) processor as those found on the T2010 Fujitsu, HP 2710p, and the gateway C-120x. Even with 2 GB of RAM, processors ULV have a difficult time to follow with Windows Vista. Over time, Vista valuable space hogs and slow down your system. You can get away with a ULV processor running Windows XP, Microsoft, but you will spend a day. However, the L7500 is a good choice if you want the best of both worlds: the performance and battery life. If you do not mind the weight, Fujitsu Lifebook T4210, Portable Toshiba Gateway M400 and M285-E, with their Core 2 Duo T7000 series CPU, you can get the power you need on a shelf, but there are a price to pay battery life.

What do you get with low-voltage processors is everyday battery. The X61 Tablet managed to rack up 5 hours and 17 minutes on MobileMark 2007, thanks to its low voltage processor and 66-Wh battery. However, Fujitsu and HP tablets have the potential for battery life more because of their low-power processors. The HP 2710p reached 4 hours 45 minutes on MobileMark 2007-an astonishing feat with its smaller, 44-Wh battery.

Despite an impressive series of convertible tablet-namely entries HP, Fujitsu, Gateway and Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet is standing in competition with its robust, key components, and a large keyboard and writing. You could say that the battery must be in the range 7 hours, on-line drawings are needed, and an integrated optical drive could be added. Finally, someone else will step in May and make a compressed better if Lenovo does not take the initiative. At present, the design time-honoured that the X61 has inherited is still the winning formula for the best tablet on the market.