I don’t mean to go on and on about the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet PC…no, wait, I think I do :) After all, this will be the most expensive piece of computing equipment I’ll have ever bought!
Anyway, Warner Crocker from Gotta Be Mobile posted a couple of videos on the new multi-touch screen on the X200 which you can watch here:
Enjoy :)
After doing a lot of tablet PC research over the last few days, I have pretty much decided that I’ll be getting myself the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet PC.
[Source: Lenovo website]
What Research Did I Do?
In my opinion, the three best places to learn about tablet PCs in depth are:
Every time I want to learn more about any tablet PC, those are the three sites I visit first. Not only are the authors incredibly knowledgeable about tablet PCs (or mobile computing in general) they use tablet PCs as part of their day-to-day work so they bring a lot of real world experience to their reviews and opinions.
They’re also quick to recognize that your mileage may vary when it comes to using computers. They do this by comparing and contrasting their tablet PC preferences with the preferences of others and this makes for a much more well-rounded discussion.
Microsoft itself has recognized their contributions to the tablet PC space by making a number of them Windows Touch & Tablet PC MVPs (i.e. Most Valuable Professionals).
What’s particularly valuable about those sites, though, is that the official site authors and reviewers aren’t the only ones contributing. Gotta Be Mobile (GMB) and Tablet PC Review both have excellent discussion forums that I highly recommend.
What Have I Learnt So Far?
A lot; some of which I shared in my previous blog post (with specification data gathered from Tablet PC Review).
But, as a quick overview of my research, here are the reviews and discussions covering the ThinkPad X200 that I looked at.
From Tablet PC Review:
From Gotta Be Mobile:
From JK On the Run:
There were more articles and reviews that I looked at, of course, but those were the main ones.
But, What About Cost?
Ah, yes…cost. That’s the interesting thing because, even though I’m switching to a lower performance tablet PC when I move from the Toshiba Portege M750 to the Lenovo ThinkPad X200, the ThinkPad actually costs a little more (about A$250 more). Well, at least in my chosen configuration.
But that’s okay because, what I lose in processing power, I more than make up for in longer battery life (about double), a multi-touch screen, a special portable dock, and a better overall tablet PC experience. So, instead of getting a powerful workstation that is also a good tablet PC, I get a great tablet PC that isn’t all-powerful but still packs a real punch.
The only unfortunate thing, as far as cost is concerned, is my timing. That’s because, as part of the launch of multi-touch screens on the ThinkPad X200, Lenovo is giving lots of discounts if you order online from their site. Lenovo US, for example, is giving a 15% discount and is throwing in the X200 UltraBase (which is the portable dock mentioned above) for half price (US$100 instead of $200). Lenovo Australia, meanwhile, is giving 25% off for all ThinkPad purchases till midnight tonight and is extending your warranty from 1 to 3 years for just $1.
I, unfortunately, won’t be able to afford a tablet PC till November at the earliest. That means I’ll miss all the back-to-school and new-feature discounts and specials that will be offered over the next month or so. Indeed, I’ll be getting my tablet PC bang smack in the middle of the Christmas shopping season. The only way I’ll get lucky is if I am in time for a pre-Christmas sale offer, but I doubt that’ll happen. Oh well. It’s still worth it.
One Last Thing: Hands-on Experience
The one last thing I am hoping to do before finalizing my choice is getting some hands-on time with these tablet PCs. Unfortunately, that’ll be really hard to do here in Melbourne, Australia.
I know I can get my hands on an HP tablet PC (the tx2000 and possibly the 2710p) at a local HP reseller but I don’t know of any Lenovo or Fujitsu resellers that have tablet PCs on display. Finding out will involve lots more research and, hopefully, some help from the Tablet PC Review and GBM forums. I’m hoping something works out, though, and I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.
Now that I’ve narrowed my tablet PC options down to three – though I may add to this list over the next few months – I can start comparing them to each other.
My current options are:
Basic Specifications
Their basic specifications are similar. Though, as you can see in the summary below, the ThinkPad X200 edges the other two out slightly:
| Item | Lenovo ThinkPad X200 |
HP EliteBook 2730p |
Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 |
| Processor | Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz L9400 |
Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz L9400 |
Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz U9300 |
| RAM | 3GB | 3GB | 2GB |
| Hard drive | 160GB, 7200RPM |
120GB, 5400RPM |
120GB, 5400RPM |
| Graphics | GMA X4500 | GMA 4500MHD | GMA 4500 |
| Screen | 12.1" WXGA | 12.1" WXGA | 12.1" WXGA |
| Digitizer | Active, multi-touch, in/outdoor |
Active, anti-glare |
Active, in/outdoor |
| PCMark05 | 4,318 | 3,489 | 2,983 |
| 3DMark05 | 1,307 | 1,278 | 802 |
| Input | Trackpoint | Trackpoint, trackpad |
Trackpoint |
All of these specs were taken from Tablet PC Review, by the way, and they’re based on the specs of review units. You can, of course, customize these specs when you actually by the computer.
Comparing Keyboards
Moving beyond that, the next thing I always check on a laptop is its keyboard. This is because I do a lot of typing and constantly use keyboard shortcuts so having a great keyboard is crucial to both my productivity and sanity.
As a benchmark, this is what the Toshiba Satellite M750’s keyboard looks like (all photos from TabletPCReview.com):
Note the Control key in the bottom left hand corner. This is good because most keyboard shortcuts involve pressing that key and it irritates me when the Function key is in the left most one in the bottom row.
Also note the convenient location of the Page-Up and Page-Down keys next to the directional arrow keys on the bottom right hand corner.
The Home, End, Insert, and Delete keys on the top right hand corner aren’t at their optimal positions, I know, but their relative ordering isn’t terrible. Ultimately, that not-so-good location was the sacrifice I was willing to make in order to get this laptop.
Finally, the laptop uses a track pad (as opposed to a track point), which is something I like and am accustomed to.
Let’s now look at the Lenovo ThinkPad X200’s keyboard:
A number of things stand out. First, the Function key is at the bottom left hand corner. That’s not good, but survivable. On the other hand, even though they’re located on the top right hand corner, the placement of the Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page-Up, and Page-Down keys is beautiful!
That said, the one big adjustment I’d have to make if I got this tablet PC is switching from a trackpad to a trackpoint.
Next, let’s check out the HP EliteBook 2730p’s keyboard:
I like this one because its Control key is in the right place and it has both a track pad and track point. On the other hand, I hate this one because it’s Insert, Delete, etc. keys are very unfortunately placed.
Finally, here’s the Fujitsu LifeBook T2020’s keyboard:
The Control key is in the right place and the Page-Up and Page-Down keys are good, too. The Insert, Delete, etc. keys are survivable but we’re back to a track point instead of a track pad.
So, overall, my least favourite keyboard is that of HP 2730p. I really don’t like that they’ve placed the Home, End, etc. keys in a line on the top right hand corner. The Fujitsu T2020 and Toshiba M750’s keyboards, meanwhile, are both okay and I’d be fine with using them.
The keyboard that stands out, then, is that of the Lenovo X200. Yes, I’d have to use a track stick and, yes, I’d have to get used to the new placement of the Control key…but I did manage to get used to the latter on my previous keyboard so it won’t be the end of the world. On the other hand, I love how the Home, End, etc. keys are placed and this makes up for most of its other shortcomings.
Preliminary Conclusion
So my preliminary choice of tablet PC is the Lenovo ThinkPad X200. The added benefit of this is that the X200 is the only one with a multi-touch screen.
There is more to explore and examine – like cost, for example – but I’d say this was a good start.
A Quick Aside About Lenovo Design
By the way, Lenovo are generally praised for their excellent keyboards and, having used them on and off in the past, I tend to agree.
If you want to know more about Lenovo’s design ideas, be sure to check out their Design Matters blog.
Good posts to read are:
I haven’t written about my tablet PC obsession for a while but three recent events and two technology lifestyle trends are prompting me to do so now.
The trends have made me re-evaluate my reasons and primary selection criteria for getting a tablet PC. These trends are:
As for the three events:
What Does This All Mean?
Two things:
In short, my front runner tablet PC choices – and, in particular, the Toshiba M750 I was planning to get – are now no longer the ones I’m looking at.
Instead, I’m looking at one of these:
All three are less powerful than my previous choices (also, they don’t have optical drives) but, instead, they all have longer battery lives and they all weigh less. Oh, and they don’t cost as much, either.
Only the ThinkPad X200 has a multi-touch screen at this time but I’m sure the others will have one in time for the back-to-school or Christmas shopping seasons (particularly since HP is targeting the consumer market).
So, What Next?
My task now is to start the tablet PC comparison process once again and, over the next few months, keep an eye out for updates to these three systems.
Unfortunately, because these tablet PCs are very similar to each other (particularly the Lenovo and HP), it’ll be hard to choose among them.
Fortunately, all three are excellent and all come highly recommended. That means, regardless of which one I end up going for, I will be getting a great tablet PC.
Meanwhile, I’ll start the preliminary comparison process and will proceed to bore you with my ruminations and computing preferences :)
I first heard of Coke Studio late last year but, when I checked it out, I wasn’t particularly impressed with its first couple of episodes. It was good stuff, yes, and I did like the idea…it just wasn’t all that great.
Then came Season 2 and everything changed.
But Wait…What is Coke Studio?
For all you poor, lost souls who haven’t yet discovered the wonders of Coke Studio:
Coke Studio is a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. The program focuses on a fusion of the diverse musical influences in Pakistan, including eastern classical, folk, and contemporary popular music. The show provides a platform for renowned as well as upcoming and less mainstream artists, from various genres and regions, to collaborate musically in live studio recording sessions. [Source: Wikipedia]
Think of it as a combination of Later…with Jools Holland, MTV Unplugged, Live from Abbey Road, and the numerous musical collaborations you get to see at award shows like the Grammys.
Oh, and it’s produced by one of my favourite musician-producers, Rohail Hyatt (official site).
Okay, That Sounds Exciting (I think)…Where Do I Start?
Start on YouTube (see links and embedded videos below) by watching the videos that have been uploaded there (don’t forget to rate, comment, and favourite as you see fit). These are available both on the official Coke Studio channel as well as on other users’ channels.
Then visit the official site to download the audio and video of all the performances. Once you’ve been suitably blown away and you still want more (which you will), watch the behind-the-scenes videos for Season 2’s episodes, read the artists’ profiles, and contribute to the site.
And if you still haven’t had enough, check out the Coke Studios Facebook page and the songs from the show featured on Babelsongs (‘Great music translated’).
Let Your Journey Begin…
Start with these three videos.
‘Chal Diyay’ by Zeb & Haniya and Javed Bashir:
‘Aik Alif’ by Saieen Zahoor and Noori:
‘Husn-e-Haqiqi’ by Arieb Azhar":
You can thank me later.
Enjoy :)
Over the weekend Nadia and I watched Neill Blomkamp’s debut full-length feature film, District 9.
It’s a powerful and (sometimes) difficult movie to watch but it’s certainly worth the effort. And while there is lots that I can say about it, a number of others have already said it better, so I’m just going to recommend you read the following (all of which, unfortunately, have some spoilers):
What I will say, however, is that I seriously recommend you go watch it. It’s the best movie I’ve seen all year.
Oh, and for more general information about the film, check out its:
This video of Kseniya Simonova performing “Sand Animation” on Ukraine’s Got Talent is one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in a long time:
The phrase at the end is “You are always near: 1945″.
[Via Amanda Palmer]
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