Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2: Windows 8 Slate Review

Lenovo's first ThinkPad tablet was a bit of a disappointment to be candid. Even the best Android Honeycomb tablets were severely lacking on a number of fronts, back in the day. What was the use of a business tablet that couldn't run business apps? Well, forget all that. The ThinkPad Tablet 2 is a real business tablet, and one that actually feels like a ThinkPad--albeit one that has a detachable keyboard. It runs Windows; not Windows RT, not Android, not Windows XP, but real Windows 8 (or Windows 8 Pro). It has a gorgeous 10.1-inch 1366x768 LED IPS multitouch screen, an optional active digitizer stylus, optional mobile broadband, and ThinkPad good looks (if you're into that). Its optional keyboard dock is not really a dock and not really optional, but we'll get to that in just a bit. 

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 As Tested Specifications & Features

Operating System	Windows 8 Pro, 32-bit, no media, English
Display	10.1-inch IPS (1366 X 768) Wide View Angle IPS screen, LED Backlit Capacitive 5 Finger Touch
Graphics	Integrated Intel HD SGX545
Processor	Intel Atom processor Z2760 (1.8GHz dual core with Hyper-Threading)
Memory	2GB L2DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz
Internal Storage	64GB eMMC Flash Storage
Wireless Connectivity	802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.0 Optional Gobi 4000 LTE/HSPA+ mobile broadband
Multimedia	dual .5W stereo speakers 3.5mm mic/headphone combo jack dual integrated/noise reduction array microphones 2MP 720p front-facing video webcam 8MP rear-facing camera with LED flash
Ports and Expansion	microUSB (charge only) USB 2.0 Docking connector Stereo headphone/microphone combo jack micro-SIM microSD card slot mini-HDMI Proprietary dock connector
System Weight	1.3 pounds
System Dimensions	10.1 x 6.9 x 0.34 inches
Battery	2 cell (30Whr) Li-polymer battery
Extras	GPS, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass
Accessories	Bluetooth keyboard w/ stand, $120 ThinkPad 2 Desktop Dock w/ 3 USB 2, HDMI, Ethernet, and 65W AC adapter, $100
Price	$730 as configured (Windows 8 Pro w/ stylus); $850 w/ keyboard

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The ThinkPad Tablet 2's Atom Z2760 processor is dual-core and hyper-threaded, but it's still an Atom processor. Add in just 2GB of DDR2LP (low-powered) at 800MHz and it's obvious this computer isn't going to be breaking any land speed records--not while running desktop Windows. But the purpose of Atom is not to be the fastest; the purpose of Atom is to be good enough to run Windows while sipping power. If you want fast, get a Core processor. The ThinkPad Tablet 2 isn't supposed to be a speed demon; it's supposed to be a tablet for business users, one with an emphasis on productivity--and with the keyboard dock, it's obvious that's not just lip service.

We'll go in-depth on the ThinkPad Tablet 2's design, user experience, and performance over the next few pages, but first, here's Dave's video review of the ThinkPad Tablet 2 in action:

So, the ThinkPad Tablet 2 is a tablet that thinks it's a ThinkPad laptop. Is it good enough to be a ThinkPad? Is it even good enough to be a good tablet? Let's find out...