Windows 10 has yet to be released in its final form, but Lenovo is incorporating Microsoft's new OS into the ThinkPad 10, a business tablet with a full HD display, plenty of security options and accessories, and up to 10 hours of battery life. This 10-inch tablet, which will be powered by an Intel Atom processor, will be available in August starting at $499.
An update to last year's ThinkPad 10, the 2015 model will also come with a 1920 x 1200 display with 10-point touch. A stylus (the ThinkPad Pen Pro), is also included, but this year Lenovo has added the WRITEit app that makes it easy to scribble directly into form fields.
This year's model packs an updated Intel Atom Z8500 processor, or an optional Z8700 quad core SoC. The latter is the same as found in the Microsoft Surface 3, and should provide similar performance.
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The rear of the ThinkPad 10 sports a 5-megapixel camera, and the front houses a 1.2-MP webcam. The device comes standard with 2GB of RAM, which can be increased to 4GB, and consumers can choose from either 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage.
Ports include Micro-HDMI, microSD, and USB 3.0. The tablet will have 802.11ac Wi-Fi, as well as optional 3G or 4G LTE. Security features include dTPM encryption, a fingerprint reader and an optional Smart Card reader.
Lenovo estimates the ThinkPad 10 should last up to 10 hours on a charge; that runtime would be roughly an hour longer than last year's model, two hours longer than the Surface 3, and three hours more than the Asus T300.
With the same dimensions (10.1 x 7 x 0.35 inches) and roughly the same weight (1.36 pounds) as last year's model, the ThinkPad 10 is slightly smaller, but just as heavy as the Surface 3. Accessories include the ThinkPad 10 Folio Keyboard or Ultrabook Keyboard. While it will add about $120 to the overall cost, we suggest investing in a keyboard if you want to be truly productive.
Can Windows 10 help revive flagging tablet sales? Only time will tell, but the Lenovo ThinkPad 10 is as good a slate as any to showcase Microsoft's new OS.
