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

Nexus 10

The Nexus 10 uses a micro-USB port to charge it, and that is obviously not a very efficient way to charge a powerful, high-end tablet. Charging the Nexus 10 overnight will not be a problem, but if you're in a hurry, you're in trouble.

Why might the Nexus 10 be the next top Android tablet? Well, maybe because it has a beautiful screen, with a display sharper than most tablets, and is probably the most comfortable 10-inch tablet to hold in your hand. It's durable enough to survive a drop from a few feet away. It is also the very first Android tablet to run 4.2, which brings with it a ton of new features.

The Nexus 10 has an incrediblely sharp screen display, it is light, convenient, durable, and of course, has the fastest processor of any Android tablet so far. Google's new features are improving and much more diverse.

Though the Nexus 10 might not be better than the newest generations of the iPad, it is still one of the top tablets on the market. If you don't plan on owning an Apple product/device, then the Nexus 10 should be one of your first priorities.



Design

The Nexus 10 is an excellently designed 10-inch tablet, and only weighing in at 1.33 pounds. Due to its light weight and its rounded edges, the Nexus 10 doesn't dig into your palms when your holding it. The back feels grippy and comfortable to hold, and as a bonus, also acts like protection for the Nexus 10 itself.

On the left side of the device is the headphone jack and micro-USB charging port. And, on the left corner is is the power/lock button and volume buttons. Lastly, on the right edge, is the micro-HDMI port, with a Pogo Pin charger on the bottom edge.

Along the top of the tablet's back is a textured strip, which is also removable. Sitting in the center of the textured strip is a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera, next to an LED flash and a mic. And on the front, in the middle of the top bezel sits the 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera and a light sensor. Of course, smack in the middle back of the Nexus 10 is the Nexus logo.

Hardware

-1.7 GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 CPU

-Mali T-604 graphics processor

-2GB of RAM

-support for 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), MIMO Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and NFC

-Gyroscope, barometer, accelerometer, digtal compass

Screen

The Nexus 10's PLS display is the best by far on any Android tablet and its amazing to look at. Truthfully, it is difficult to see a difference between the Nexus 10's beautiful display and the new iPad's 2048x1536-pixel Retina Display. Images are sharp on both tablets, and it can be hard to distinguish which one is clearer dispite the fact that the Nexus 10's display is a 2560x1600-pixel resolution.



Performance

The Nexus 10 is the fastest Android tablet so far. Navigating menus and opening apps shouldn't be a problem for you, and keeping up the constant speed of its performance and its high-resolution display shows the power of its Exynos processor.

Screen responsiveness has been built to be incredibly accurate and sharp. Pages and slides scroll by as you swipe and taps are almost never accidentally misread. Typing is also much more accurate than other tablets, including the iPad. Because of its size, the Nexus 10 gives your fingers more freedom.

The tablet charges by using a micro-USB port, and though it charges fine, its very, very slow. The charger has a hard time keeping up charging enough battery for you to play certain graphic-intense games, like Riptide GP and/or N.O.V.A. 3.

Conclusion

The Nexus 10 is an incredible Android tablet, even though it does has some troublesome issues, such as using a micro-USB port for charging. You'll probably want an iPad instead, but if you're going for Android, this could be perfect for you. Though you might want to get an Asus Transformer Infinity instead, the Nexus 10 is still superior in design, comfort and performance.

Sony Vaio Tap 20

Pros: A good battery inside a 20-inch all-in-one touch screen to make the Sony Vaio Tap 20. The company has given birth to both a new PC and tablet with great potential in tech savvy homes.

Cons: The touch screen can have some frustrating drag, and Sony made a few mistakes among some otherwise reasonable sacrifices for portability and price.

Bottom Line: A compelling experiment in tablet-desktop hybridization, the Sony Vaio Tap 20 is a great fit for home tech enthusiasts willing to try something new and different.

For a 20-inch all-in-one touch-screen desktop with no optical drive and a low-voltage Core i5 chip, $999 seems like a lot to ask for. This new Sony device just might be the most unique Windows 8 launch PC.

The Tap 20 measures 19.75 inches wide, 12.3 inches high, and at its thickest point of its back panel, 1.5 inches. It weighs just under 11.25 pounds.

The display itself is covered in glass, but the body is all soft, rounded plastic, with grippy indents. You probably wouldn't carry this big thing around in a backpack or a briefcase, but the average adult can easily carry this around with little difficulty. And while 11.25 pounds is almost 8 times the weight of an iPad, its not so heavy that it is uncomfortable to sit on your lap for an extended period.

When you set it down on a table or on your lap, the touch screen is probably the easiest way to interact with the Tap 20. The touch screen feels as responsive as that of a smartphone. You also might notice a slight drag on your fingers in apps that require continuous contact, such as air hockey or doodling. The drag isn't bad enough to spoil the entire experience, but it can be frustrating.

Low voltage translates to slower performance, and that is reflected in the Core i5's 1.7 GHz core clock speed. Standard voltage third generation Core i5 mobile CPUs start at 2.5 GHz. The lower voltage, which also improves the speed of the embedded Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics processor, improves the Tap 20's battery life, and also limits heat output. Despite its low-voltage, the Tap 20 gives outstanding performance running standard Windows applications.


Review by © 2012 Andy Chin

© 2012 Sony Corporation 

Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 Modular Tablet

     It is a 0.6 inch (15mm) thick device powered by an Intel Core i7 with 4GB RAM and a 64GB SSD. It features a 10.1 inch 1920 x 1200 pixel IPS display with a ten point capacity multitouch layer. Other features include WiFi a/g/n. Bluetooth 3.0, and 3G/4G LTE radios along with dual cameras, NFC and fingerprint reader. There is also a SIM slot, headphone jack, mini HDMI output, and two USB 3.0 ports on the right side of the UltraNote. It is the modular design that make this new device unique in its own way.
     
There is an ASUS Transformer-like keyboard dock which includes an additional battery, SD card slot, Ethernet connecter, VGA output, and two additional USB 3.0 slots. The Kupa Ultranote Tablet weighs a surprisingly light weight of 760 grams, or 1.67 pounds only.



Review by © 2012 Andy Chin