Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

Remember the ThinkPad Tablet that came out way back in the fall of 2011? Some people liked it, some people didn't, and the ThinkPad Tablet sold with many mixed reviews. A little less than an year and a half later, Lenovo released the ThinkPad Tablet 2, in the form of a 10.1 inch, Windows 8 OS, and it's also much lighter, its weight reduced by 0.28 pounds (1.58 down to 1.3). The battery life for the Tablet 2 lasts more than 10 hours, with the original ThinkPad Tablet at only about 8 hours.



The new ThinkPad 2 has a soft, rubber-ish feel to it, and the Tablet 2 has a slate-like feel, which is good. The ThinkPad 2 is very comfortable to hold in your hands, especially because of its rubbery surface and the rounded edges and corners. In my opinion (and probably in yours, too), the ThinkPad 2 is much more comfortable to hold, due to its soft edges, unlike other rectangular tablets, such as the first iPad. The ThinkPad 2 also includes a full-size 2.0 USB port. The ThinkPad 2 is charged using a micro-USB port.

The tablet also includes a headphone jack, pen slot, dock, HDMI output, volume button and the lock/power button. Fortunately, 4G LTE is available in the US, only with AT&T. But if you're in another country, it's HSPA+, which isn't as greate as LTE (obviously).
The ThinkPad 2 also has two incredible cameras. The front camera is a 2 mega-pixel camera used mainly for self-portraits and video chatting, while the camera on the back is an 8 mega-pixel camera, the standard for modern smartphones.

Like most other tablets, the ThinkPad 2 has a resolution of 1366 x 768. Though the pixel count might not be as impressive as other tablets, the IPS display still make it an enjoyable sight. One problem, though, the ThinkPad 2 can become extremely difficult to distinguish what's one the screen in direct sunlight outside.

Device Specs:
Device Type: Tablet

Operating System (OS): Windows 8, 8 Pro

Dimensions: 10.34 x 6.48 x 0.39 inches

Screen Size: 10.1 inches

Resolution: 1366 x 768

Pixel Density: 155 ppi

Battery: 25 days on stand-by

System Chip: Intel Atom Z2760

Processor: Dual-Core 1800 Mhz

GPU: Intel Integrated HD SGX545

RAM: 2GB (2048 M)

Max Built-in Storage: 64GB

Camera: 8 MP, 2MP

Recording Resolution: 1080p HD

iPad Mini Announced!

Apple had a little more to share today at San Jose, California during its media event. The Cupertino tech giant finally announced the long-rumored iPad Mini. The company has also unveiled the upgraded iPad 4, a mere six months before the third generation iPad came out.

As for the iPad Mini, the device boasts a 7.9-inch 1024x768 IPS display and measures 7.2 mm in thickness. The wi-fi only version goes on sale November 2nd for 16 GB at $330, a 32GB model at $330, and a 64GB version selling at $530.

The 4G LTE model will hit the shelves on November 16th starting at $460. Those looking for larger storage capacity can take a look at the 32GB and the 64GB models.

The iPad Mini contains a 1GHz dual-core A5 processor, a front-facing HD camera for FaceTime, and a 5-megapixel camera on its backside. Apple claims the iPad Mini will have a battery life of 10 hours. Preorders begin Friday, October 26.

The new iPad Mini will be available beginning November 2nd at $500 for a 16GB WiFi model and a 4G LTE version at $630. Supported carriers include AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

For comparison, the Nexus 7 running Android 4.1 sells for $199 at its lowest point. It has better hardware like a 1.3 GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, and a higher resolution 1280x800 HD IPS display.

Review by © 2012 Andy Chin

© 2012 Apple Inc.