ThinkPads follow into tablets?

[ThinkPad560X]

Ive seen alot of tablets nowadays "like the iPad" and people are upgrading to these over basic laptops. Will ThinkPads follow into this and just make keyboard docks and never again see a basic old ThinkPad? To me this looks like a true laptop replacement and the keyboard would be the dock much like the ThinkPad X series with the ultrabase & drivebay slot. http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEy ... 97d040.jpg

I know lenovo made one called ThinkPad Tablet that runs a android OS. http://cdn-static.zdnet.com/i/story/62/ ... d-case.jpg

[Ibthink]

Lenovo will bring ThinkPad Tablets on the market, namely the ThinkPad Tablet 2 (10,1", HD IPS screen, Intel Atom) and the not-yet announced ThinkPad Helix (11,6", FHD IPS screen, Intel Core CPUs). Both run Windows 8 Pro. The Tablet 2 is more the mid-range model and the Helix is the high-end product.

[ThinkPad560X]

And would this replace all standard laptops? It seems that it would.

[Ibthink]

No, clearly not. These are just additions. Maybe Helix will replace X230 Tablet, but the entire line of ThinkPad Notebooks will remain the same until Haswell, only the X230 Tablet seems to be discontinued soon.

[QWERTY Andreas]

No, clearly not. These are just additions. Maybe Helix will replace X230 Tablet, but the entire line of ThinkPad Notebooks will remain the same until Haswell, only the X230 Tablet seems to be discontinued soon.

I dont think the Helix will replace the X230T.. The X230T have a lot of different qualities, from the helix.

[Ibthink]

Yes, but there are many signs that the X230 Tablet is going to "End Of Life". It does not get Windows 8.

[bill bolton]

I dont think the Helix will replace the X230T.. The X230T have a lot of different qualities, from the helix.

Lenovo is not selling the X230T with a Win 8 pre-load, it has continued with a Win 7 preload only. Apparently the X230T platform does not comply with some aspect or other of the Microsoft requirements for branding as a Win 8 laptop, and to therfore carry a Win 8 sticker.

Its clear enough that there needs to be a ThinkPad tablet that is capable of being Win 8 branded, and equally clear that its not going to be the X230T.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[pianowizard]

Ive seen alot of tablets nowadays "like the iPad" and people are upgrading to these over basic laptops.

Most people are buying iPads and Android tablets to complement their laptops, not to replace their laptops.

Will ThinkPads follow into this and just make keyboard docks and never again see a basic old ThinkPad? To me this looks like a true laptop replacement and the keyboard would be the dock much like the ThinkPad X series with the ultrabase & drivebay slot.

I predict (and hope) that an increasing number of laptops, including Thinkpads, will have touchscreens and detachable keyboards. They will run regular Windows (not Windows RT) and have all the ports found on traditional laptops so that when their keyboards are attached, they function just like regular laptops. But when the users want to use them as slate tablets, they can just remove the keyboard. I have been using slate tablets for about one and a half years now. When the iPad first came out, I thought it was a silly idea but now I think slates are more convenient than laptops in many situations.