ThinkPad Book 2: Best Windows tablet

ThinkPad Book 2: Best Windows tablet

Windows book makers are aggravating altered forms and styles of units to try to accomplish a archetypal that will address to consumers. Some of them assume to assignment OK while others absence the mark. Lenovo has called to accomplish a simple slate archetypal in the ThinkPad Book 2, and it is by far the best of the lot.

I was afflicted with the ThinkPad Book 2 back I aboriginal advised it at barrage beforehand this year. I would accept purchased one except I acquainted the $729 amount was too high. Back the amount alone afresh to beneath $600 I had to buy one.

I've acclimated over a dozen Windows tablets including convertible notebooks, hybrids, and authentic tablets. Some of them accept been terrible, others aloof OK, and one or two nice but not compelling.

Hardware as reviewed:

• Processor: Intel Atom Z2760 (2 cores, 1.8 GHz, 1MG cache)
• OS: Windows 8 Pro (32-bit)
• Display: 10.1-inch IPS (1366 x 768)
• Pen: yes
• Graphics: PowerVR SGX545 in Atom SoC
• Storage: 64GB eMMC
• Memory: 2GB
• Cameras: 2MP front; 8MP rear (720p video capture)
• Sound: stereo speakers (0.5 Watt x 2)
• Wireless: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0; GPS
• Weight: 1.3 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.34 x 6.48 x 0.39 inches
• Battery: 30 Whr
• Slots/ports: 1-USB 2.0; miniHDMI; microSD; berth connector; 3.5mm audio

Where best of them accept collapsed abbreviate is in aggravating to do too much. It seems that back OEMs try to accomplish a book that is additionally a acceptable laptop, they abatement abbreviate on the book side. For tablets to be acceptable models, they charge be attenuate and ablaze abundant to be acclimated in the duke for continued periods. The slate charge additionally be baby abundant to be adequate to handle.

It's all about the tablet

That's absolutely what Lenovo has congenital in the Book 2. The 1.3lb assemblage is the best adequate Windows book I've used. The 10.1-inch affectation makes the slate an about absolute admeasurement for accomplishing archetypal book tasks. It works able-bodied in either mural or account orientation, article best Windows tablets don't consistently handle able-bodied in my experience.

The atramentous matte accomplishment on the Book 2 looks nice and provides a apparent for deeply administration the tablet. It is far bigger than the glassy metal accomplishment acclimated on the iPad which is slippery. Secure administration aside, it has a affection that is actual important for a tablet: it feels actual acceptable in the hand.

I like the disposable book on my HP Envy x2, but the Book 2 is abundant better. The admeasurement is a big reason, a 10.1-inch book is artlessly abundant easier to use than a 11.6-inch model. A attestation to that is I acquisition I like account books with the Metro Kindle app on the Book 2. It displays a big folio and is adequate to authority in account acclimatization for a acceptable while.

The Book 2 additionally has one important affection the Envy x2 lacks: pen support. The pen lives in a little accumulator silo on one bend of the Book 2 so it's accessible to accelerate the pen out and use it instead of the onscreen keyboard. Windows 8 handles inking accurately and it's a abundant affection for a tablet. The pen is additionally accessible back alive on the Windows desktop as awning controls can be tiny on the baby screen. Borer them with the pen is added absolute than with a big finger.

The ThinkPad Book 2 has a concrete Windows button on the basal of the awning rather than a blow button as acclimated on added tablets. The blow buttons accord me fits back application the book in the duke so the concrete button is a big added for me.

The resolution of the Book 2 affectation (1366x768) is aloof appropriate for the 10.1-inch screen. While the Metro interface can handle assorted resolutions with ease, bequest apps on the desktop can be too baby to apprehend calmly back the resolution is high. That's not the case on the Book 2, aggregate looks nice and brittle yet is still accessible to read.

There is a microSD aperture on the Book 2 and I've put a 64GB agenda in mine. That added than doubles the centralized accumulator which has abounding Windows 8 demography up a lot of the 64GB. Now I don't anguish about it with about 100GB at my disposal. My assemblage additionally has a SIM agenda aperture as Lenovo sells models with adaptable broadband. On my assemblage the SIM aperture is not active.

I like the adeptness to install bequest Windows apps on the Book 2, and that agency Chrome. I am heavily built-in in the Google/Chrome ecosystem and I use Chrome heavily. It runs accurately on the Book 2 and is accessible to accomplish by touch. I can calmly about-face amid Chrome on the desktop and Tweetdeck active in IE on the Metro ancillary with a bash from larboard to right.

I'm application the pen added than I anticipation I would due to the nice Windows 8 inking panel. I can calmly author abbreviate entries in any app (Metro and legacy) which I acquisition easier to do than borer on the onscreen keyboard. It feels accustomed to authority the Book 2 like a block and address on the screen.

Optional keyboard-- nice but too expensive

The alternative keyboard for the Book 2 is accessible back I charge to access lots of text. It is a rechargable assemblage that connects to the Book 2 via Bluetooth. There is a little bend that ancestor up to prop the Book 2 at a acceptable examination bend for typing. The keyboard is archetypal ThinkPad affection and while hardly abate than full-size keyboards I can blazon at abundant acceleration and with acceptable accuracy.

It lacks a trackpad so no Windows gestures are available. There is a red trackstick in the average of the keyboard forth with three abrasion buttons at the basal bend for administration mousing. The trackstick is not a joystick, it is absolutely a little optical touchpad for affective the cursor about the screen.

I got acclimated to this trackpad/trackstick thingy actual bound and it now feels actual accustomed to use. I can move the cursor calmly from one bend of the awning to the added with little feel swiping. Application the average abrasion button with the trackstick is a abundant way to annal bottomward continued windows.

It's about a claim for application Windows 8 to abounding advantage and it would accept been nice had it been cheaper or bigger yet included with the tablet. 

Best Windows tablet

Lenovo has taken the appropriate access with the ThinkPad Book 2 by architecture a no-compromise book aboriginal and abacus keyboard abutment separate. The book is the absolute size, is accessible to use in the hand, and is now affairs for a acceptable price.

It's far bigger than the Apparent RT I bought and after awash as it's added adequate to use in the hand. Added Windows RT is abortive with its disability to install the Chrome browser (or any bequest Windows apps).

I haven't acclimated a Apparent Pro but I apperceive the Book 2 is above to that book from Microsoft in my opinion. The Apparent Pro is too big and abundant for a tablet, at atomic for me, and the array activity of about 5 hours is far too short. I'm accepting 10+ hours on the ThinkPad Book 2 and I wouldn't barter that alike for the faster processor of the Apparent Pro. The amount advantage goes to the Book 2 by a advanced margin.

I'd like to see Lenovo aftermath a Book 3 with Haswell central for bigger achievement than the Atom acclimated in the Book 2. The Haswell band-aid should accumulate the array activity at a akin commensurable to the Atom so it would accommodate the best of both worlds. I'm not abiding the added calefaction and accessible aggregate of the Haswell would fit in the aforementioned case as the Book 2 but if so that would be great.

Until that brace happens, if possible, the ThinkPad Book 2 is the best Windows book I've used, and I doubtable it will authority that appellation for the accountable future. Lenovo has hit the brawl out of the esplanade with the Book 2.