Can't decide on what Tablet to buy......Need Suggestions

[WanderingTraveler]

I suggest you wait not for Haswell, but for those new Atoms -I think they're called Silvermont - before you make your purchase. If they can give them the same battery life boost that Haswell did to the Core series, goodbye RT.

 

[lkbig]

I don't know if this will help but the Lenovo helix might be worth a look.

 

[cre8tivspirit]

Are there any plans that anyone has heard of about the Thinkpad Tablet 2 getting any upgrades or changes?

 

[jlzimmerman]

I would recommend you just go and test out all the options. I purchased a Surface Pro (64Gb) yesterday and so far it is excellent. I did look at the Envy x2 Convertible, and while I liked it I wanted something that still stayed true as a tablet with a laptop option. I thought the Envy x2 screen was just too big for what I wanted. If you like the idea of having a tablet with a larger screen then definitely check it out. The other thing I did not like about it was the screen resolution. It is pretty weak, IMO. Out of the dozens of laptops and tablets on display at BestBuy, only two or three matched the superb screen of the Surface Pro, and they were at least $1000 or higher. Even the Surface RT had better resolution than most of the laptops on display. Yes, I understand the “well that’s because it is a ten inch screen with same resolution” argument, but when your viewing distance to your tablet is about two feet, it doesn’t matter that it only has a 10” screen (using the videophile calculation of 1.5 to 2 feet of viewing distance per every 10” of screen width).

Purchasing the Surface Pro was a gamble considering version 2 is just around the corner, but I was tired of waiting. We’ve been waiting for months regarding the next round and it could still be well into Q1 or Q2 of 2014 before the next versions are available for consumers. If the next version does come out in a couple months I’ll just sell it on eBay and upgrade. I’ll take a bit of a loss, but it’ll be worth it because this tablet is incredible.

Whatever you do, compare and think about what you’re really getting out of it. People whine about the Surface Pro price, but my purchase of the Surface Pro at $799 was easy considering my wife and I paid $499 for the 16Gb 4th Gen iPad. The Surface is twice what the iPad is, with more options.

 

[MDak280]

Are there any plans that anyone has heard of about the Thinkpad Tablet 2 getting any upgrades or changes?

Are you asking about a new Thinkpad Tablet model, or updates to the current TPT2? If you're asking about updates, I'm 99% sure that Windows 8.1 will be free to upgrade to, and I think you can download the 8.1 preview as well. Other than that, no clue.

About a new model, we haven't heard anything but I wouldn't be surprised if Lenovo comes out with a Thinkpad Tablet 3 around November-January. I would expect it to come with a stylus and digitizer like the current Thinkpad Tablets. We might see improved screen resolution but I think the real difference will be that it will use Intel's new Atom processor or just an improved processor in general (that HOPEFULLY retains the great battery life of the current Atom processor).

That's just what I would expect. However, since this is Lenovo we're talking, don't expect a pocket friendly price tag to go along with this device.

I'm just speculating here. But I do expect a whole new wave of Windows 8 tablets to come when Intel releases their new processors, around the end of this year. So the question you need to answer is, can you wait and will you be willing to pay the MSRP? Or do you need a tablet now and don't want to spend as much?

I personally do not want to wait and do not want to spend a lot on a tablet (not now, anyways). I don't need amazing performance so I'm getting a Thinkpad Tablet 2 next week. Since I'm only 16 and I don't have a real job, $450 is already a lot of money but I think it's reasonable for what I'm getting. In the next year or two when I do have a real job I'll get something better.

It really all depends on you and what you need. Good luck!

 

[jhguth]

Windows 8.1 preview works well now on the Tablet 2. A few updates ago it was a little sluggish, but 8.1 preview is at the point now where I see no reason not to upgrade your Thinkpad Tablet 2. Occasionally I will have to hold down the power button to restart it, there seems to be occasional lock up on the lock screen, but in general the latest updates to 8.1 have made it run fine on the Tablet 2.

 

[cre8tivspirit]

Thanks for all the input. It really does help in the decision making process when you can get a lot of different feedback. And for the young guys who provided input, keep it up. Your opinions on these tables and such bring a lot of value to these discussions. I'm going to go with the Thinkpad Tablet but I am going to wait and see if there is a new version announced. If there is cool, and if not, that's cool too. Again, thanks for all the help in deciding.

 

[garak0410]

Unfortunately though, the RT doesn't appear to have to stylus capabilities and that is a definite requirement for me.

Then invest in the PRO. Serious, the stylus, if you need it, it pretty impressive. I find myself taking notes in OneNote all the time. You can even note "on top" of Office Documents (like Excel). It is worth the cost but do know, you may yearn for more batter life. Keep it charged and ready to go.

 

[garak0410]

I'm a huge OneNote user so the digitized stylus is important. I was leaning towards the Thinkpad Tablet but haven't really found anyone using it for a really good review and it soesn't seem to be in any of the stores I've visited to get a chance to actually play with it a bit.

I think the "palm rejection" comment rings true. Not sure if the Thinkpad 2 has it.

 

[jhguth]

It does in OneNote, the Thinkpad Tablet 2 has a true digitizer. If you read launch reviews they will criticize it because driver support at the time was very poor, and pressure sensitivity didn't really work now. Drivers have since been updated and pressure sensitivity and everything works just fine with the stylus.

I still miss the eraser end on the stylus with the Thinkpad x61t, but other than that its a good stylus.