Lenovo X60 Tablet Here!

[kelvinq]

In case some of you missed it, the X60 Tablet is finally here. Besides the induction pen input, it also has the long awaited finger input.

Still no true multi-touch yet, and the Thinklight is taken away.

I'm surprised that it came out before Vista though.

Review:
http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.a ... +Tablet+PC

[Thinkpad760XD]

Thanks for the link.

[gunston]

thanks for sharing

[Lorem]

I'm so ready to order it. Does anyone know when they're shipping? Mid Dec?

[ewoktype]

Here is a review posted today:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3344

sxga+...i'm not sure what to say.

[pianowizard]

It indeed offers an SXGA+ option!!!!!! Wow, isn't this the world's first 12.1" display with such a high resolution?

[smvp6459]

No, Toshiba's tablet has SXGA and 12.1"

[somlaifischer]

and two long videos about the x60t
http://www.gottabemobile.com/

[pianowizard]

No, Toshiba's tablet has SXGA and 12.1"

SXGA is lower than SXGA+. Did you mean SXGA+?

[gzz]

amazing machine!!

[dyne]

It doesnt look like the SXGA+ has multiview, so it's not transreflective and isn't sunlight-readable

That blows

[RUSH2112]

Looks nice, but a bit bulky. It doesnt do all that much for me personally. Plus it only had the Core Duo, no Core 2 Duo yet.

However, I would like to see that resolution screen in the normal X60's.

[andreas74]

hmmm nice. now, i hope the X80-tablet will offer true multitouch , and ill buy it, in 3 years.
so i dont have to buy a lemur:)
http://www.jazzmutant.com/lemur_features.php

[pianowizard]

However, I would like to see that resolution screen in the normal X60's.

I totally agree!

[asiafish]

This looks terrific, though a bit too heavy for a machine with no optical drive (1/2 lb heavier than X41T).

For me the XGA with multitouch would be the one to get.

[makeitcount]

This looks terrific, though a bit too heavy for a machine with no optical drive (1/2 lb heavier than X41T).

For me the XGA with multitouch would be the one to get.

Why? just because you can use your fingers instead of the pen?

[kelvinq]

The product page of X60 Tablet is finally up!
Drool over it @
http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/notebooks/thin ... telet.html

Pre-orders are available now, but limited to US only.

[pianowizard]

Why? just because you can use your fingers instead of the pen?

I would rather reserve my fingers for picking my nose! Okay, just kidding.

[somlaifischer]

Why? just because you can use your fingers instead of the pen?

the http://www.tabletpcreview.com reviewer noted, that while in laptop mode, he constantly found himself reaching up for the screen instead of using the mouse, became a very natural way to interact with the computer. the pen is nice, but you need to pick it up, etc. also you have 10 fingers, and multi-touch applications should be available soon I believe, it would make a lot of sense.

Pen is great for writing, drawing, but fingers are great for interaction.

I am generally quite happy with the specs, I think this is far the best convertible available today.

Just will be hard to decide between the high res and the multi-touch....

[kelvinq]

also you have 10 fingers, and multi-touch applications should be available soon I believe, it would make a lot of sense.

Does that mean that the X60 Tablet really supports multi-touch? Note that I think Lenovo meant that you can use both the pen and your fingers when they said multi-touch. That's misleading to alot of people.

True multi-touch happens when you can use two or more touch points to perform metaphors like resizing windows and panning the screen.

Search "jeff han ted" for more details.

See also:
http://www.lenovoblogs.com/design/uncat ... /#comments

[somlaifischer]

I don't think they have applications for this, and their naming is indeed misleading, but like the accelerometer used originally to protect the hard drive did serve for a lot of new applications, like the automatic orientation, and like Toshiba's page flipping by tilting the tablet... And many have hacked this data in powerbooks as well to create some fun things.

So as the hardware is there, it should not take long to get its reading out and to start making new applications. The software side is aways easier

[kelvinq]

So as the hardware is there, it should not take long to get its reading out and to start making new applications. The software side is aways easier

I tried my best not to bring it up, but you did anyway.

Yes, software is *supposedly* easier. Even though IBM was the first one to build a gyroscope/acclerometer into their hdd, no api were ever released. Apple caught up and, guess what, somebody went to reverse engineer it.

So right now we have MacBooks using the accelerometer for application switching and motion sensing. Wow.

And, if we think about it, Apple has a user base that I think is barely one-fifth of that of Thinkpads, yet they get all the cool stuff.

So, while we may have Thinkpads implementing a multi-touch screen, when they will ever release more apis for us to play with is anyone's guess. I'm sure if this feature is on a MacBook now, users will be scrambling to crack it.

[somlaifischer]

i think we should rather bang on wacom's door for this, no? They probably deliver their closed drivers. Today this http://thinkwiki.org/wiki/Wacom_Serial_Tablet_PC_Stylus is available, I used it, worked.

Btw, data from the IBM accelerometer is available (sort of) partly released by an IBM researcher, if I remember correctly (check http://thinkwiki.org/wiki/Active_Protection_System )

[somlaifischer]

and this link form Tab is highly related, how Vista is preparing for the touch funcitonaility http://www.gottabemobile.com/AdaptiveMu ... kShow.aspx
So it seems to me MS and Wacom are working on this together... Its probably not Lenovo's competence.

[kelvinq]

I knew about the researcher from IBM. Sometimes I wonder:

If Lenovo were to build software for their users (through APIs) so that they can come out with innovative ways to use their products, wouldn't the increased sales outweight the cost of doing so?

I mean, offhand, I can think of some many interesting ways of using the accelerometer.

If Lenovo releases APIs for user to use the touchscreen for various purposes, esp.multi-touch gestures, it would be truly groundbreaking.

They have to understand the Lenovo-users are usually busy busy people with no time in hand to reverse engineer stuff.

*hides*

[Tab]

Does anyone know if Intel is pushing back its LV Core 2 Duo plans?

Two interesting articles about C2D/Santa Rosa chips:

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35699
"Apparently it allows extra performance without adding anything to the bill of materials (BOM) and also keeps to 35W for standard voltage, 17W for low voltage and 10W for ultra low voltage chips."

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/14 ... o_roadmap/
"Intel's plan to refresh its Core 2 Duo dual-core processor line in Q2 2007 appears to have been nudged back a quarter, if reports coming out of Asia detailing the chip giant's latest roadmaps are to be believed."

[Kenn]

No, Toshiba's tablet has SXGA and 12.1"

I've so been waiting for this moment! It's a shame we can't get finger-touch/transflective screen with SXGA+ too, but I guess there are tradeoffs with everything.

[andreas74]

I don't think they have applications for this, and their naming is indeed misleading...

well, now im confused. At first i was sure its just marketing-crap and it actually means pen or finger, not multiple fingers. So you guys say this thing actually CAN do multifinger-touch, but its just not supported yet on the software-side?? I really doubt it.
But it would be great, of course....
For musical applications, 'multi-finger-action' is the bomb!
Quite a few people would jump on this, both coders and users, if it really could do it. Look at the price of the lemur (link posted above) to get an idea...

[Tab]

My uninformed speculation is that since the touch technology can do 'palm rejection' it could detect multiple touches as input. The palm detection seems to be deciding what of the various pressures on the screen are input and what are not.

There might be some limitation in the way the touch sensor is implemented which prevents it from supporting multiple touches.

[Kenn]

My uninformed speculation is that since the touch technology can do 'palm rejection' it could detect multiple touches as input.

I wouldn't make that assumption based on "palm detection" alone. The standard notebook touchpad also does palm detection, but it seems like it does so by detecting slight and transitory signals. Also, touchpads can generally tell if a "small" or "large" area is activated without necessarily being able to simultaneously track discrete points (look at the Synaptics touchpad tray applet, or Apple's two-finger scroll mechanism).