ThinkPad x200 Tablet PC with Multitouch — First Impressions
I admit I opened up a can of worms when I voiced my opinion that a slate form is required for multitouch on a notebook to provide much benefit. The folks at Lenovo were listening and sent me the ThinkPad x200 Tablet PC to prove it. The x200 they sent me is the convertible notebook / Tablet PC that has a dual digitizer. The active digitizer works with the included pen for writing on the screen and the capacitive touch digitizer lets you work directly on the screen with fingertips. I’ve only had the x200 in my hands (literally) for a few hours but I feel safe to say it is the best Tablet PC I have used to date.
The quick impressions that follow are off the top of my head, and will soon be followed with a video showing more of the x200. The full specs of the device as provided to me (thanks Lenovo) are as follows:
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo L9600, 2.13 GHz
- OS: Windows 7 Professional 32-bit
- RAM: 4 GB (only 3 GB usable with 32-bit)
- HDD: 128 GB SSD
- DISPLAY: 12.1-inch, 1280×800, Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD
- Webcam: yes. I assume 2 MP, not detailed in the docs
- Security: Fingerprint sensor, ThinkVantage TPM
- Ports/ switches: VGA out, Ethernet, 3 USB, ExpressCard, Multi-format media card, audio in, audio out, modem, pen silo, wireless on/off
- DIMENSIONS: 295×228x26.5 mm, 11.61×8.97×1.04 inches
- WEIGHT: 1.58 kg, 3.5 lbs
- Webcam:
The x200 is a true convertible Tablet PC with a swivel screen that locks into slate mode. The device can be configured to auto-rotate from landscape to portrait when swiveled, and also to magically rotate when the device is flipped around. This is done via an accelerometer. The pen lives in a silo on the side of the notebook, and pushing it causes it to pop out.
While the x200 is a very good Tablet PC, using the multitouch features in slate mode rocks. Having the slate in my hands and interacting on the screen with my fingertips is very comfortable and intuitive. Lenovo has very sophisticated multitouch enabled, with up to four touches detected simultaneously. The x200 takes full benefit of the touch features in Windows 7, and is a joy to use in slate mode.
I will be putting the x200 through some vigorous usage scenarios, and will no doubt have plenty to share in the future. I have snapped some photos in the meanwhile, so enjoy the x200. I sure am.
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- ThinkPad x200
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- Trackpoint, no trackpad
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- Left side
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- Right side
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- Bottom
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- Screen buttons
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- Buttons portrait orientation
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- Portrait orientation
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- Portrait closeup
So this looks like a good replacement for my x61t.
Sounds ok
Some questions come to mind.
1) veiwing angle? (is it a Hydis? )
2) does it use the new Wacom multitouch that is on the Fujitsu? (as am sort of partial to that company)
of course you may not know these unless you Asked Lenovo yourself.
but it’s ugly and fat. ugly because the battery sticks out the back, where an 8-cell looks like a tumor. even lenovo know that, most of their p.r. pictures and videos are done with the battery removed to show a ‘clean’ line with no protrusion. *sigh*
the x200t uses the new wacom digitizer (pen at 256 levels and 2-finger multitouch with current drivers).
Are you sure about that? GottaBeMobile reports that it has an N-Trig digitizer, and HotHardware shows that its sibling, the T400s, has the N-Trig capacitive screen in the Device Manager.
Interestingly, the Device Manager on this one shows a WACOM with 2-finger touch. This is contrary to the T400s I have here. That explains why I couldn’t get 4-finger touch to work.
I have to say welcome to the club. My x200t doesn’t have the SSD but other than that it’s about the same. I think that its one of the best laptop’s I’ve used in a long while.
I carry my x200t and Viliv x70 everywhere and they take up little room in my bag and both get approx 5 hrs of run time
oh I’ve only the Pen and Touch not true multi-touch (I guess I need to learn to read.)
I’m really interested in seeing if you think multi touch in Win7 really adds any functionality, and how you end up using it.
Lenovo reps confirm that the digitizer is N-Trig.
Nope, confirmed with Lenovo the x200 tablet has the WACOM 2 finger touch digitizer. Interestingly, it appears this eval unit may also have integrated 3G. Don’t see the modem in the Device Manager, however. Hmm.
Could it be that the T400s has N-Trig and the x200 has Wacom? That would explain the different numbers of concurrent touch points (4 vs. 2), and makes sense because N-Trig wasn’t as hot with their stylus tech, right? Isn’t Wacom still using a dual digitizer switching solution?
Confirmed with Lenovo that is the case.
Despite how unclear Lenovo might have been about this initially, it seems like an impressive and pragmatic approach by the company. N-Trig’s multitouch implementation is probably more mature than Wacom, but during Win7 beta testing the reports were that they had lost pen/ink support in their beta drivers (is this still the case?). So N-Trig on the T400s makes sense, as it is not a tablet and inking is therefore less important.
But inking is vital to the X200 as a convertible tablet, so you go with Wacom even though their driver/firmware is less mature and doesn’t support as many fingers yet. My question is: how similar is the Wacom capacitive implementation to other capacitive digitizers on the market?
1. is the screen “hard” glass like the XT, Touchsmart, iPhone, etc.?
2. is this actually 2 digitizers switching on/off depending on pen detection, like previous active/passive Wacom solutions for the X60t and X61t?
3. Is the stylus pressure sensitivity coming from a spring-loaded pen tip like in Wacom’s active digitizer, or is it purely capacitive?
I just hope they are getting getting rid of the non-glass, friction-rich, scratchable, grid-dotted resistive surface of the previous X60t and X61t “multitouch” models (I have one). If so I’d seriously consider an upgrade.
What I would love to know is whether it is practical to type on the onscreen keyboard in W7 on this machine, so that it could be used in tight spaces.
Thanks.
Yes and I’ll be showing that on a video soon. The keyboard is not big enough for touch typing, of course, but it works well for tapping.
James, the Windows 7 on-screen keyboard is resizable so you should be able to make it almost as large as the physical keyboard on the device.
You can resize the keyboard which is very handy. I only use it in slate mode in portrait so it can only go so wide.
Of course, sorry
I tested it on my tablet in landscape mode without thinking.
BTW, are you really up posting at 6am? If so either:
a) Your internet addiction is worse than most
b) Your work ethic is stronger than most
c) The time that appears next to each post is not Houston time.
d) All of the above.
Guilty as charged, today I am working at 6 am. I’ll knock off early, though.
You write “The pen lives in a silo on the side of the notebook, and pushing it causes it to pop out”. Really?
What kind of a review is this? The pen was always there since time immemorial and pushing it always popped it. Can’t believe the juvenile writing.
First of all it’s not a review, it’s a first impressions. Secondly just because you know how the pen is stored doesn’t mean everyone will. It doesn’t hurt to reiterate these things from time to time, epecially as there hasn’t been much tablet news for the last year.
There’s no need to be so rude.
Agreed Srini,
The amount of mindless redundant information peddled by journalists, who are often paid by the word, is a scourge on the world.
But that’s what they teach in writing school.
Pad pad pad pad. Pad pad pad pad. Pad pad pad pad.
Engadget is one of the worst offenders.
zOMG T-Mobile has the same phone that Verizon has! All my readers just have to know that Nokia phone number 43976zmiq891 has T-Mo and Verizon! Story of the decade! Newsflash!
But seriously, find me a journalist who doesn’t pad. And I’ll point out the flying pig soaring in the sky above him. Then get into my spaceship and fly to Alpha Centauri for a day trip.
Conspiracy theory #
Do you think it’s possible this whole multitouch craze with the Tablet PC’s is from a concerted effort by Microsoft to get the jump on Apple who they MUST hate at this point?
Cuz this is getting kinda silly. : )
why there is no perfect notebook or netbook!
great tablet, great multi touch but on 1.4Ghz!!
oops! I went to lenovo before reading the specs here!
but only 1.4 and 1.8Ghz are available on lenovo site!
I was seriously considering the first iteration of the x200 last year but decided to buy a 2730p instead. I don’t regret my decision (the 2730p is a great machine except for a few fit and finish problems) but I probably would have gone with Lenovo if they had touch at the time.
I have this on my Dell XT2. It is nice and works very well. I would be interested to see it on the X200T as the X61T sucked when they offered it.
Follow up, would be interesting to compare the X200 to the Dell XT2
I ordered one of these. The 1.4Ghz ULV U9400 is a good choice (albeit not that powerful ) for a tablet I think.
After fits and starts i’m hopping that the multitouch (Wacom apparently) is possibly ready for primetime.
We shall see.
As JK has pointed out it’s futile trying to find a use for new tech when it’s probably a better idea to start with a need then proceed forward.
(unfortunately i’m getting one just cuz it’s cool) : )
Do you have any artist-type apps where you can test the pen pressure sensitivity?
Word is that it’s only 15 levels for the pen. I can live with 256 levels, but 15 would be outright unbearable and not make much sense just to add multi-touch.
Any Idea when the X200t with Enhanced Multitouch will be available in the rest of the world?
I am looking at the Lenovo site for Canada and it still shows that the “ThinkPad X200 Tablet with Multi-Touch Screen” is only available with ” 12.1″ WideView MultiTouch + MultiView LED backlit WXGA panel”.
MultiTouch + MultiView – 1 finger input – $ 1990 USD -old & bad
Enhanced MultiTouch – 2 finger input – $ 1689 USD -New better
This is just a stupid business model. What makes is even more stupid is that both are manufactured at the same location in China.
I am very interested in the CPU speed quoted above (i.e. Intel Core 2 Duo L9600, 2.13 GHz). You can’t purchase an X200 off the shelf with more than a Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 (1.86GHz, 6MB L2, 1066MHz).
Is this new CPU speed something they are going to offer soon (and possibly others like Toshiba has with 2.8+GHz?)
There are two reasons I have not taken Lenovo more seriously,
-No options for the highest CPU speed available and the
-Lack of a “touch pad” for mouse input.
I am an engineer and am looking for a Tablet for crunching numbers while at the same time for hand annotating lab reports, drawings, schematic’s, etc.
BTW I would do anything for a larger and higher res screen than the 12″ 1280×768 stuff out there. I want a 15+” 1600×1200 screen for doing cad and simulation work while also being able to annotate things with the precision and ease of the Wacom pen input.
Now that would be the ultimate. Who cares if it is a little bulkier. People carry 15″ laptops around all day and don’t complain. I think the marketing guys have it all wrong and they have a very limited understanding of those of us in the engineering world who would know what to do with such a product- get results- and fast! After all pen on paper is the fastest thing an engineer can do to capture his ideas, etc. But then he is relegated to the clumsy interface of the mouse to translate it into something the computer can use- or scanning it in which is just apicutre and still takes a significant amount of time- when he gets around to it- if ever…
This thing should be marketed (among other things) for it’s ability to enhance an engineers productivity in his research and lab work that all used to be done in lab notebooks… so arcane!
I can even find my research, 6 years now after I started using a tablet pc- since the Tablet Pc made going to paperless all the more easy to do. It has easily preserved 100’s of thousands of dollars in research- by making it readily accessible- instead of the file cabinet with it’s arcane paper and antiquated filing system. Now that is what you call a statement of justification.