I’ve posted a lot about Android tablets, but I haven’t really covered Lenovo’s two offerings. One, the IdeaPad K1, is out now and is targeted at the average user. Amazon currently has it for $479.99. The second, the ThinkPad Tablet, is due out on August 23rd and is targeted at business users. The two tablets share similar specs – Android 3.1, Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, 10.1″ 1280×800 screen, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, optional 3G, 1GB RAM, 16/32/64GB storage, 2MP front facing camera, 5MP rear facing camera, mini HDMI, etc. Fairly common specs for Android tablets these days.
But they’re not just the same tablet with different labels. The IdeaPad K1 includes a microSD slot, while the ThinkPad Tablet has a full size SD slot. The ThinkPad also has a full size USB port, like the Toshiba Thrive, as well as a microUSB port. The ThinkPad Tablet also includes a pressure sensitive stylus for pen-based input, and there is an available keyboard dock which includes the Lenovo TrackPoint device. While the IdeaPad K1 has a single button on the front, the ThinkPad Tablet has four – home, back, browser, and a screen orientation lock. The ThinkPad Tablet is also more angular and ‘serious’ looking than the more curved IdeaPad K1, I’m sure that’s intentional styling for the different markets.
The pre-loaded apps are also different, with the IdeaPad focused on games, music, and entertainment apps, while the ThinkPad gets down to business with more business oriented apps like Citrix Receiver and the FlexT9 advanced virtual keyboard. Both do include Documents To Go, Angry Birds HD, and Netflix however, so you can take a break from fun to work, or take a break from work for some fun.
The IdeaPad K1 is 10.4” x 7.4” x .5” and 1.65 pounds, while the ThinkPad Tablet is 10.3″ x 7.2″ x .57″ and weighs 1.64 pounds with WiFi or 1.67 pounds with 3G. So they’re very similar in size and weight.
