Lenovo Puts a New Spin on the ThinkPad Tablet PC

November 14, 2006

Lenovo today announced the ThinkPad X60 Tablet, a new convertible tablet PC marking a technology trifecta for innovation, portability and performance — with two new screen choices and other innovative Lenovo features, such as dynamic screen rotation. The ThinkPad X60 Tablet offers new, combined MultiView/MultiTouch screen features in a convertible tablet PC, giving users the power to compute more naturally, whether working in the field or in the office.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet's new 12-inch MultiView indoor/outdoor, anti-reflective/anti-glare display, dramatically helps increase viewability in multiple environments. This screen choice comes combined with the new MultiTouch feature that allows users to move the cursor with their pen or finger, making interaction with the ThinkPad Tablet PC a natural fit.

The MultiView/MultiTouch screen combination along with the ThinkPad X60 Tablet's standard 170 degree viewing angle provides excellent usability for the healthcare professional recording patient information in a hospital, the real estate agent taking notes in a home or the sports coach reviewing statistics at a game. The ThinkPad X60 Tablet also gives users sharp, crisp images with more vibrant color when they choose to add a new, high-resolution SXGA+ screen.

According to IDC, convertible tablet PC unit shipments will reach more than one million this year and more than four million by 2010. With more industries relying on tablet PCs, Lenovo tablet customers have included mobile professionals in fields such as healthcare, insurance, real estate, government, education and sales.

"A recent campus-wide survey revealed that over 90 percent of the student body believes that computer technology enhances his or her learning experience," said Philip Lombardi, director of academic computing and media services at Bryant University. "Of the students surveyed, we discovered that more students would prefer to use a tablet over a traditional notebook PC because of its light weight and ease of use in taking notes. In the past year, a group of first year psychology majors have been using Lenovo Tablet PCs to administer surveys and collect data as part of a pilot program. Our goal is to extend this technology to more students in various majors to provide them with a PC solution that best complements their academic experience."

The ThinkPad X60 Tablets come equipped with Lenovo’s patent-pending Active Rotate function. With Active Rotate, the screen immediately orients to the user, no matter which direction it turns. The ThinkPad X60 Tablet's design also focuses on improving more traditional tablet features like navigational tools and the pen. Now a redesigned navigational dial lets users move easily in four directions, and it even remaps keys so "up" is always "up" as the user changes orientation with Active Rotate. Also, a new, more natural and durable pen resumes from suspend mode automatically when a user removes it from its cradle. An enhanced digital microphone repositioned on the front bezel enables accurate voice recognition and rounds out the ThinkPad X60 Tablet's sensory improvements.

"The Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet PC marries the best aspects of notebooks and pen-based devices," said Peter Hortensius, senior vice president, Notebook Business Unit, Lenovo. "With new screen options, hardware capabilities and an improved sensory experience interacting with the Tablet, the new Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet is packed with the innovation our customers want."

The ThinkPad X60 Tablet's design also includes greater performance with more memory, a larger hard drive and longer battery life than Lenovo's previous Tablet PC. The ThinkPad X60 Tablet also prepares people for the next generation of wireless connectivity with select models offering 802.11n technology as well as an embedded WWAN card. ThinkPad X60 Tablet users are also ready for the next operating system with many ThinkPad X60 Tablet models shipped Windows Vista Capable and some Vista Premium Ready.

Pricing for the ThinkPad X60 Tablet starts at $1,799. The ThinkPad X60 Tablet will be available for shipping in early December with select models available immediately for pre-ordering.

Source: Lenovo