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| Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 announced |
| By Thom Holwerda on 2012-08-09 13:12:12 |
| "It'll be a full x86 device - Lenovo calls a 'joint effort' with Intel and Microsoft - that clocks in at 1.3 pounds with a 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 display. It's billed to have 10-hour battery life, which would be impressive for a device only 9.8mm thick. The standard model is Wi-Fi-only, but there will also be carrier versions including one with AT&T's LTE connectivity." If you see a 1366x768 resolution on a 10.1" display, they blew it. |
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| RE[3]: Haha |
| By earksiinni on 2012-08-09 17:18:19 |
|
Don't get me wrong. I love trackpoints and I'm no fan of touch (I still have a dumbphone and I have no intention of switching from my trusty keyboard-controlled tiling window manager anytime soon), but I do appreciate me some fine irony. The comment about the trackpoint being for marketing purposes is dead on--what kind of ThinkPad wouldn't have a trackpoint? Or for that matter a stylus--isn't that so typically IBM-esque? Accordingly, what kind of ThinkPad really fits in with Microsoft's vision of Windows 8? None that I know of. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. |
 - Score: 4 |
| RE[2]: Comment by shmerl |
| By Nelson on 2012-08-09 18:03:22 |
|
Next you'll want a refund for the OS that runs on your microwave oven. Its one thing to want the freedom to install another OS, its another thing to demand a refund for an OS which was sold to Lenovo at a volume discounted rate. This steers into the realm of ridiculousness. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[4]: Haha |
| By Morgan on 2012-08-09 19:00:02 |
|
I fell in love with the trackpoint-style pointer on my very first laptop, a Texas Instruments 4000M that was a high school graduation present from my estranged father way back in 1995. I've never gotten used to the touchpad that has been on nearly every laptop I've had since then. Either it's way too big and interferes with typing despite supposed palm-sensing tech, or it's way too small to be of any use as a pointer. I've resorted to just leaving the touchpad turned off with this laptop and either using an external mouse or (in Linux) using keyboard commands to get around. Trying to type with it turned on is an exercise in frustration that makes me want to toss it against the wall. |
| - Score: 2 |
| Comment by Drumhellar |
| By Drumhellar on 2012-08-09 19:00:33 |
|
> If you see a 1366x768 resolution on a 10.1" display, they blew it. My laptop has a 15" display at that resolution. While I'd like it higher (Almost had it higher but didn't want to wait 3 weeks to get a higher-res version in the mail), it is perfectly usable, and doesn't look bad at all. While a higher DPI screen can look significantly better when presented side-by-side with more standard screen resolutions, the difference is less noticeable, and less important, when the lower DPI screen is viewed on it's own. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE: That is why I don't bother with tablets |
| By Morgan on 2012-08-09 19:05:41 |
| I think this is where the Asus Transformer gets it right: Fully functional tablet for when you don't need to type, with a very nice keyboard dock for when you do. When it's docked, you have nearly 20 hours of battery life and it's so seamless it actually feels like a laptop computer. My best friend has one and I have to say it's the closest I've come to wanting a 10-inch tablet, only because of the amazing dock. If it weren't for the price I'd use one instead of this laptop without a moment's hesitation. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[3]: Comment by shmerl |
| By Morgan on 2012-08-09 19:17:14 |
|
> Next you'll want a refund for the OS that runs on your microwave oven. You know very well it's not the same thing at all. Comparing hard-coded firmware to user-uninstallable software is misleading and beneath you. The rest of your statement has no legs to stand on. Microsoft's own EULA states that you can and should seek a refund if you don't agree with the terms of the EULA. If the hardware manufacturer won't comply, they still have to honor their own warranty and refund for a defective purchase. The only way they can avoid that would be to post the entire Microsoft OS EULA on their website or at the physical point of sale, and require you to agree to it before completing the purchase. If your take on it was the way the world worked, then every store in existence would just mark down all their products by a penny and say "we sold it to you at a discounted rate, therefore you are not eligible for a refund or exchange". The public wouldn't stand for that, and neither should computer purchasers. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[3]: Comment by shmerl |
| By shmerl on 2012-08-09 19:19:57 |
|
Tablet computer is not an appliance. It's a mulitpurpose universal computer device. Therefore your example is irrelevant. While the notion of many vendors to turn computers into appliances is known (that logic helps them to lock them up), users should resist such kind of logic as much as possible, especially when it comes to real multipurpose devices. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE: Comment by Drumhellar |
| By Morgan on 2012-08-09 19:24:00 |
| I do feel limited by the 1366x768 resolution on this 15 inch screen; I'd much prefer something like 1680x1050. But, on a 10 inch tablet I think 1366x768 would be acceptable. Once your screen gets that small, the benefit of higher resolution begins to taper off and there comes a point where you have to zoom everything just to make it readable. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[4]: Comment by shmerl |
| By Nelson on 2012-08-09 19:56:47 |
|
> You know very well it's not the same thing at all. Comparing hard-coded firmware to user-uninstallable software is misleading and beneath you. Tablets are absolutely an appliance. The experience is completed by the combination of hardware and software. They are decidedly not general purpose devices, and are not sold or advertised as such. > The rest of your statement has no legs to stand on. Microsoft's own EULA states that you can and should seek a refund if you don't agree with the terms of the EULA. If the hardware manufacturer won't comply, they still have to honor their own warranty and refund for a defective purchase. The only way they can avoid that would be to post the entire Microsoft OS EULA on their website or at the physical point of sale, and require you to agree to it before completing the purchase. If your take on it was the way the world worked, then every store in existence would just mark down all their products by a penny and say "we sold it to you at a discounted rate, therefore you are not eligible for a refund or exchange". The public wouldn't stand for that, and neither should computer purchasers. Maybe you wish for it to not have legs to stand on. True, after some legalese you may end up wringing a refund out of an OEM, but in the process you'll have spend potentially hundreds filing in a small claims court, weeks of your time, and receive something like a $100 dollar check. That's if they don't demand you return the entire device outright. So just because you legally can do something, doesn't mean it is reasonable or right to demand one. I believe the same argument is made for software patents, they're perfectly legal in the US too, but according to many, the exercise of that legal right is reprehensible. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE[4]: Comment by shmerl |
| By Nelson on 2012-08-09 19:57:49 |
| A tablet is not a general purpose device. Do you think you'd have luck asking Apple for a refund on an iPad for the cost of iOS? |
| - Score: 2 |
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