Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet means serious business

Posted on May 12, 2012 by admin

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet Review

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet caused a bit of a buzz when it was first announced and when it hit the shelves. It’s from Lenovo’s business and enterprise line and as tablet PC reviews have pointed out, the slate is also business-centric. A lot of things make this tablet stand out from the Android crowd so we’re taking a closer look at it to see just what makes this tablet different.

Size. Okay, it’s the first thing many tablet PC comparisons noticed and it’s the first thing you’d notice if you place the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet next to a Galaxy Tab or an iPad: the size. It’s chunky at 10. 3 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches and it has weird proportions. Don’t let that turn you off though, since tablet PCs with full USB port are typically chunkier than their more streamlined counterparts.

Specs. Since this is built for business, you can expect it to have enough juice to take care of most things you can throw at it. The ThinkPad Tablet has a 1 GB dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2, 1 GB of RAM, and 10.1-inch multi-touch IPS Gorilla Glass display (1280 x 800). It comes in three different storage sizes, the highest capacity at 64 GB plus 2 GB of free cloud storage. Its battery can crank out power for up to 8 hours, it has a front (2 MP) and rear camera (5 MP), and has an assortment of sensors built in.

Input/Output and Connectivity. As mentioned, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet has a full USB port, along with an SD slot, a mini-HDMI port (1080p capable), and headphone and mic jacks. This comes with a stylus and an optional folio keyboard. Connectivity-wise, it has Wi-Fi, 3G, and Bluetooth. If you haven’t quite gotten used to a keyboard- and mouse-less experience, you can get the dock and use a Bluetooth mouse and you’re all set. The pen input isn’t so bad to have around too.

Software. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet runs with Android 3.1 Honeycomb and it comes built in with widgets. You can download your apps directly from the Android Market. In a corporate setting, IT departments can set up their own to serve as their internal app stores.

Security. Since this slate is made for business use, it is designed to take security seriously. Internal and external storage is encrypted, along with email. IT departments can also impose restrictions to company tablets and remotely wipe the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet should it be stolen or misplaced. Other security measures are preloaded, including McAfee Anti-Malware.

At any rate, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet means business, and more so once it receives the Android Ice Cream Sandwich update. Stay tuned for more tablet PC news and updates.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet: The Slate in a Suit

Posted on May 12, 2012 by admin

Lenovo ThinkPad tablet

According to Engadget, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet accessory, the optional folio keyboard “could set it apart from the masses” and it’s an opinion shared by many tablet PC reviews. There are many things that set this slate apart from the competition, and today we’re taking a closer look at it. Read on to know more about this business-centric tablet.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet means business

Specs-wise, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is similar to the consumer-centric IdeaPad K1, as it is armed with the same 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor, a 10.1-in IPS display with 1280 x 800 resolution, a battery that can supply juice enough for 8.7 hours of use, 1 GB of RAM, and internal storage of up to 64 GB (it also comes with 16 and 32 GB variations). It also has a USB port, as well as a 1080p capable mini-HDMI port, and a 3-in1 card reader. Additionally, it is equipped with a 2 MP front camera, a 5 MP rear camera, together with sensors like A-GPS and accelerometer.

Lenovo has an entire line dedicated for use in business and enterprise, including the tablet in question. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is equipped with features specifically designed for business use, including additional security features and though tablet PC news have long reported that this will be marketed for the bigger companies, it won’t stop the regular consumer from picking one up.

ThinkPad vs. Convertible Tablets

It comes with Android 3.1 Honeycomb and since it comes with a Bluetooth, a USB port, and a folio keyboard too, so you can pretty much use it as a convertible tablet PC. Some tablet PC comparison sites have even gone ahead and compared the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet to the Eee Transformer. The former also comes with a built in stylus and a preloaded note-taking program.

Another thing that sets the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet apart from other slates is its security features. Both internal and external storage devices are encrypted, as well as emails. It’s preloaded with McAfee anti-malware, additional user authentication, and can be remotely wiped in case of loss or theft. IT departments can also restrict certain applications from being downloaded and certain features from being used.

All things considered, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is a solid slate for enterprise purposes, but it will work even for personal and home use as well.

What you get out of Windows 7 for tablets

Posted on May 12, 2012 by admin

Windows 7 for tablets

Compared to other more established or more popular mobile operating systems, Windows 7 for tablets offers a different sort of user experience. It offers the power and capabilities of Windows 7, quite literally at your fingertips. What does this have to offer and how is it different from other operating systems? Let’s check it out.

The Difference

The most notable difference between Windows 7 for tablets and the other mobile operating systems is that it wasn’t designed for tablet PCs in mind. The OS requires a different processor architecture (one that you would normally find in a desktop, laptop or netbook) so you can’t simply take a tablet made for Android and install Windows 7 in it. iOS and Android, the two most popular mobile operating systems for tablet PCs and smartphones are made specifically for ARM processors, which are basically SoCs (system-on-a-chip) with GPU, RAM, and other components built in. Windows 7, on the other hand, supports Intel and AMD chips.

Aside from the processor difference, Windows 7 for tablets also has a different set of minimum hardware requirements: 1 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of free disk space, among others. As you will notice, Windows tablets have larger storage drives compared to iOS and Android tablets – with some featuring as large as 320 GB HDDs. Other Windows tablets are equipped with solid state drives (SSDs) and while technical specs vary from model to model, the hardware is generally comparable to that of netbooks.

Familiarity with Windows 7 for tablets

What’s the general upside to using a Windows 7 tablet? Well, for one thing, there’s a big chance you’re already familiar with it and thus the only thing you’d need to learn is using touch input as the OS has built in support. If you don’t plan on abandoning traditional input methods (keyboard and mouse) though, then you’d be pleased to know that there’s a wide variety of Windows 7 tablets with USB ports. Some are even designed to be convertible (with a keyboard dock) or hybrid tablets (with a keyboard built in). What else can you get out of Windows 7 for tablets? Windows applications and Microsoft Office are two things that immediately come to mind.

At any rate, the Windows tablet is pretty cool especially for corpo applications since it is mobile, powerful, and versatile. Microsoft is working on its predecessor, Windows 8, and we’ll see how that fares against the competition. Early tablet PC reviews have high hopes though if some tablet PC news reports are to be believed, it’s still some months before we see it.

Hope for open source: Linux for tablets

Posted on May 12, 2012 by admin

Linux Tablets

Yes, you read it right: there is hope for Linux for tablets and it may come sooner than you think. The Vivaldi Tablet is coming and it will come with a true open-source Linux operating system. First, what is Linux and what does it have to offer?

What is Linux for tablets?

If you aren’t all that geek-savvy and aren’t too familiar with Linux, then here are a few basics. There are over three hundred active Linux distributions, and each is a Unix-like operating system that works on top of a Linux kernel. Because of Linux’s free and open source nature, it has taken many forms and has been made to run on desktops, netbooks, tablet PCs, servers, laptops, and even mobile phones. Linux is also lightweight enough to be booted from a USB or CD, and its distributions come with free software applications bundled in. Android itself is based off the Linux kernel, though it can only be loosely called a Linux distribution.

Aside from having a lot of options from which to choose, Linux distributions are generally affordable (read: free), lightweight, and very customizable. If you search the web for Linux for tablets though, you’d find assorted results: hobbyists’ how-to’s on how to put Linux on a tablet, a few tablets that come with Linux operating systems, and tablet PC news about upcoming Linux tablets.

Where do I find Linux for tablets?

As mentioned, Linux has been implemented on tablets before, though it really hasn’t made as much of an impact as it did in netbooks in the past. There were tablets like the JooJoo tablet (previously known as the CrunchPad), Shogo Linux Tablet, and FrontPath’s ProGear, that were released with true open source Linux, but both have been discontinued and failed to make an impact. One recent implementation of Linux for tablets is on the Archos 101, which offers dual boot between Android and Linux Angstrom.

According to tablet PC comparison sites, another notable implementation we’ll soon see is on the Vivaldi Tablet (previously known as the Spark Tablet). It is reportedly powered by Mer Core, with the user interface supplied by KDE’s Plasma Active. What do you get out of this tablet PC? Well, it’s currently priced very reasonably at USD 265 (200 Euros) and it promises a truly open source platform. It may take a while before we see tablet PC reviews of the Vivaldi Tablet, but most sources indicate that it is indeed worth waiting for.

Samsung Galaxy Note: Straddling the line between phone and tablet PC

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

Samsung Galaxy Note:

The Samsung Galaxy Note has been the subject of some debate since it was first released last year. Its screen size, 5.3 inches, sparked the said debate as most deemed it as too big by smartphone standards, though at the same time, too small by tablet PC standards. It doesn’t help that the Note seems to be both at the same time, thus getting the “is it a tablet PC or a phone?” conundrum and several other questions. Will it go the same way the Dell Streak did? Or will it carve a whole new niche for gadgets? Let’s check it out.

Gadget Conundrum

We’ll just go ahead and say it: officially, the Samsung Galaxy Note is a smartphone. Its specs and features take it close to tablet PC territory though, as it comes with a 5.3 inch HD Super AMOLED screen (with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels), a 1.4 GHz dual core Exynos processor (in some variants, a 1.5 GHz dual core Snapdragon S3), 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of storage (expandable to 32 GB). It has a 2 megapixel front facing camera for video calling and an 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash. The rear cam can record 1080p video at 30 frames per second.

The Samsung Galaxy Note runs on Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread with TouchWiz UI 4.0. According to tablet PC news reports, the Note will be updated with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich soon, and it will bring some new features and functionality especially to the S Pen. The S Pen is basically a stylus designed to give you more control and precision in using the capacitive touchscreen. The Note’s S Pen accessory received some flak from tablet PC reviews, though others note that the stylus is pretty useful when taking quick notes and in taking and annotating screenshots.

The Goldilocks Analogy

Considering its specs and features, the Samsung Galaxy Note makes for a cool, albeit large phone. It’s bound to get cooler once it gets the Ice Cream Sandwich update, which according to sources will bring more support for the S Pen. Some tablet PC comparison sites are pessimistic about how the Note will perform in a very, very competitive market. Some even compared it to the Dell Streak, which with only 5 inches of screen real estate, failed to capture a decent tablet PC market share. According to experts, people simply didn’t want tablet PCs that small. Will the Note prove to be a game changer though?

Reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Note aren’t all bad though, as some people seem to like the Note’s middle ground size. It depends on how you look at it, really. It can be a diminutive tablet or an extra large phone and it can even be both, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to your preferences and needs. If you find yourself grappling with your tablet PC and typing less accurately on your smaller phone, then the Note may just hit your Goldilocks “just right” sweet spot.

Windows 8 for Tablets: A Checklist

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

Last February 29, Microsoft released the beta version of Windows 8 build 8250 to mere mortals (like us). Called the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, it shows what you can get out of the operating system once it officially hits the stores, and it’s a pretty good indicator of what features you can expect. Well, if you’re waiting for the dawn of Windows 8 for tablets, then here are a few details about it to tide you over until one such slate is released.

ARM support. Windows traditionally only support AMD and Intel chips, but Windows 8 for tablets won’t discriminate against ARM processors. According to tablet PC news, this should give us interesting ARM-based hardware after the OS is released. Tablet PC comparison sites note the Apple iPad and every other Android tablet in the market works on ARM-based hardware.

Additionally, ARM-based Windows 8 for tablets will come with the traditional desktop along with the new Metro UI. It will come with apps like Windows Explorer, Windows Live apps, and even Office, though everything else will be third-party Metro apps.

Metro interface. Much of what’s new in Windows 8 is centred on Metro, a smooth and dynamic interface. Some tablet PC reviews say that the new UI looks a little like Windows Phone 7. While Metro is optimized for touch input, Windows 8 for tablets will run smoothly even with the use of a mouse and keyboard.

Metro has also replaced the Start button (or the Start Orb). The lower left corner of a tablet will still have a hotspot you can still click, though sans the button.

Rumours. The rumours surrounding Windows 8 for tablets is basically about the devices themselves. Several tablet makers have expressed interest in making a tablet of their own running on Windows 8, including Samsung, HP, Dell, Nokia, and Asus. When we’ll get to see Windows 8 for tablets depends when Microsoft will release the OS.

Release. At the moment, the release date for the OS is pegged for late 2012, and we’ll probably see Windows 8 for tablets at the same time as the OS debuts on x86 PCs.

Here’s to hoping we get an update on the release date and other details. In the meantime, stay tuned.

Everything you need to know about Ice Cream Sandwich and Android 4 Tablets

Posted on April 2, 2012 by admin

Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream Sandwich, or v4.x if you want to get technical, is the latest addition to Google’s arsenal of Android mobile operating systems. Its predecessors, Android v2.3.x Gingerbread and v3.x Honeycomb were aimed at smartphones and tablets respectively, though the two versions caused quite a rift between the mobile devices’ operating systems. In an effort to remedy the fragmentation between the Android smartphones and tablets, Google developed and released v4.x Ice Cream Sandwich. What changes does new OS bring and what features can you expect from Android 4 tablets? Read on to find out.

Cool and Sweet: Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream Sandwich, or ICS, was based on Linux kernel 3.0.1 and first rolled out on Samsung’s smartphone Galaxy Nexus in October 19, 2011. According to tablet PC news, ICS brought around 3200 changes to Gingerbread and over 1200 changes to Honeycomb. This mobile operating system is one of the biggest overhauls to the Android OS since the project started, and it brought with it new features, functionalities, and optimizations to tablet PCs and smartphones alike.

What you can expect from Android 4 tablets?

According to tablet PC reviews, Android 4 tablets pack some very cool and very sweet new features. Let’s check them out.

Browser. Arguably, Honeycomb offered a lot of improvements in internet browsing on tablets, but according to tablet PC reviews, Android 4 tablets are equipped with web browsers more closely resembling Chrome. In addition to incognito and tabbed browsing, the new browser allows users to switch between mobile and desktop versions of a website. It also features Chrome sync, which lets users sync bookmarks across your handset, tablet PC and desktop browsers.

Data management. Included in ICS is an app that lets you tweak network activity called Data Management. It’ll also allow you to view an app’s data usage and set caps to avoid going over your data budget.

New user interface. Another feature from Honeycomb that was retained and improved was the UI. ICS features a sleek interface that you can enjoy not only on your tablet, but on your smartphone as well. The UI is further optimized with a multitasking icon that eliminates the need for physical keys, lets you view recent apps and switch between apps.

Android Beam. Android 4 tablets use NFC (near-field communication) technology to allow users to send different kinds of data (like apps, websites, videos, and maps, among other things) simply by tapping two 4.0 phones together.

Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? Verizon has released a list of tablets that will receive an ICS update, including Motorola’s Xoom and Droid tablets, as well as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 and 10.1. Other tablets already have the said update, including the Asus Transformer Prime and the Archos tablets (101 G9 and 80 G9). We’ll see more tablet PC comparison articles about it as soon as ICS rolls out to more tablets. In the meantime, stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: Android 4 Tablets, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Ice Cream Sandwich, Ice Cream Sandwich Android

BlackBerry Tablet OS: Facts and Features

Posted on March 23, 2012 by admin

BlackBerry Tablet OS

It seems like every device on the market today started with some rumour or other, and Research In Motion’s PlayBook is not an exception. Announced back in October 25, 2010, the BlackBerry PlayBook was unleashed into the market – and subsequently thrust into the tablet PC comparison wars in April 19 the next year. Despite less than favourable sales, the device’s operating system, called BlackBerry Tablet OS nevertheless stood out. How much do you know about this OS and what features can you expect from it? Read on to find out.

The Features

The BlackBerry Tablet OS is based on QNX Neutrino, a UNIX-like operating system with support for Adobe AIR and BlackBerry WebWorks. It also has full support for Java applications, and later updated to support Android apps as well. Tablet PC reviews were mixed when the tablet and accompanying OS was released, but they do note that the said OS has a couple of interesting features and applications, so let’s check some of them out.

Multitasking. The BlackBerry Tablet OS allows for true multitasking, a feat it can achieve though the base QNX OS’s flexibility. You can push it to do as many things as the 1 GB of RAM and dual core CPU will allow.

Support. As mentioned, the said operating system provides support for Java, Adobe Air, and WebWorks. It also supports Flash 10.1 as well as HTML5.

BlackBerry Bridge. This feature allows you to pair up your BlackBerry mobile to your PlayBook. In the past, this feature is the only way you can access your email, calendar and contacts on your PlayBook. Those have since been incorporated in BlackBerry Tablet OS v2.0.

Multiple Users. The PlayBook was designed for work and play – and RIM acknowledges that you may want to share your tablet PC on the ‘play’ part. The BlackBerry Tablet OS supports multiple users, and you can impose certain limitations to other users’ access.

Like Apple’s iOS, the BlackBerry Tablet OS is non-licensed to other manufacturers and is therefore exclusive to the PlayBook. At the moment, the RIM’s OS is on version 2.0, and tablet PC news reports note that the upcoming BlackBerry 10 will bridge the OS gap between BlackBerry phones and Playbooks.

Honeycomb and Android 3 tablets: Facts and Features

Posted on March 23, 2012 by admin

Android 3 Tablets

Many a tablet PC comparison have been written about Android 3 tablets and its competitors, but how much do you really know about this mobile operating system? Read on to know more about this tablet-centric OS.

V3.x Honeycomb Facts

After v2.x Froyo, Android came up with two updates: v2.3 Gingerbread and v3.x Honeycomb. The former is made specifically for use in smartphones, while the other is designed for use in tablet PCs. Honeycomb is actually the first and only tablet-only Android version, which debuted on the Motorola Xoom in February 24, 2011, and is based on Linux kernel 2.6.36. There are many Android 3 tablets that followed after the Xoom, with many slate makers picking up the OS. Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, Archos, LG, and Acer, among other manufacturers, came up with their tablet PC models running on various versions of Android 3.

Features

Like its predecessors, Honeycomb came with optimizations, additional support, and new features. Here are the most notable additions and features:

Support for Multi-Core Processors. According to many tablet PC news, this ushered in more flexibility for Honeycomb, as it can support both single- and multi-core processors.

Optimizations. Changes were made to the Browser to allow for tabbed browsing. This change was to capitalize on tablets’ bigger screen real estate. Additionally, Honeycomb also brought on bookmark syncing, form auto-fill, and private browsing. Multitasking was also made easier as the OS allows for switching between apps quickly and you can even check which apps are running at any given time.

UI changes. User interface changes were made to Email and Contacts. Both were changed to feature two columns so users can organize and find emails and contacts easily.

Action Bar and System Bar. The Action Bar, located at the top, allows users to access options, widgets, and content. The Notification Bar, on the other hand, is located at the bottom of the screen and allows users to check out notifications and Recent Apps. Both allow for better navigation and easy access to apps and other things.

Keyboard redesign and Cut-Copy-and-Paste. The keyboard in Android 3 tablets were redesigned so users can type more efficiently and accurately. It was further improved with additional options for special characters, and the Cut, Copy, and Paste options were also made easier as those options were made available on the Action Bar.

Android 3 tablets came with other features, and though its successor, v4.x Ice Cream Sandwich has already rolled out, many Android tablets still have Honeycomb. Some tablet PC reviews are still somewhat favourable to Android 3 tablets, as the said Android version is still used for a majority of tablets in the market.

Technorati Tags: Android 3 Tablets, Tablet PC Comparison, Tablet PC News, Tablet PC reviews

iPad 3: Should I upgrade my iPad 2?

Posted on March 15, 2012 by admin

iPad 3, upgrade from iPad 2?

Admit it, it’s been on your mind since the new iPad was announced last March 7. Well, there have been a lot of speculation around the iPad 3 and now that we do know a few things about it, you can at least make a preliminary tablet PC comparison between your iPad 2 and the upcoming Apple tablet.

What do we know about the iPad 3?

At the device’s announcement, some people got to try it out and check out its features. According to iPad news, the tablet PC has a Retina display, a 5 megapixel rear camera, and a dual core A5X processor. Let’s check each of them out.

The new processor is basically the same one as the iPad 2’s A5 (dual core that can churn out 800 MHz to 1 GHz), though the A5X is packaged with a quad-core graphics chip as well. This new chip gives the iPad 3 enough juice to output great graphics.

The Retina display has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels (a standard HDTV has 1920 x 1080), approximately 4 times as the resolution of the iPad 2. According to iPad review sites, the new display outputs crisper images, text, and videos. The iPad 3 handles high definition movies and video games quite well, so you’d probably be impressed if you watch often media or play games on your current slate.

Shutterbugs should also find the new camera impressive: it has been upgraded from the 0.7 megapixel camera of the iPad 2 to a 5 megapixel camera capable of recording video in 1080p. Other improvements include LTE (long-term evolution) technology, Wi-Fi sharing capability, and a better battery. The addition of LTE allows users to download at speeds of up to 42 Mbps, while Wi-Fi sharing allows users to turn their iPad 3 into a Wi-Fi hotspot. The iPad 3 also features a dictation function that lets users dictate their emails and documents.

So should you start looking for trade-in options?

Whether or not you should upgrade depends on your preferences. Do you like watching HD movies, playing video games, and recording video on your tablet PC? If so, then you may want to get the new iPad as soon as it hits the shelves. If you aren’t quite impressed with the new features though, then you’re probably better off sticking to your iPad 2 in the meantime.

The iPad 3 comes in 2 flavours, Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + LTE, and is slated for release in North America in March 16.

Technorati Tags: iPad 3, iPad News, iPad review