With the introduction of its first tablet computer, the ThinkPad X41 Convertible Tablet, IBM (NYSE: IBM) has hit a homerun. It's a convertible design that's a notebook and tablet in one, much like the recent offerings from HP, Toshiba and Fujitsu. It uses the same design where the screen rotates 180 degrees, folds down over the keyboard, and is used like a slate.
But it's smaller and lighter than any of the others. It weighs 3.5 pounds (about a pound lighter) and is only 1-1/8 inches thick. Like all of the X models there's no built-in optical drive; you need to plug in an accessory drive to its USB port. (Fujitsu's tablet has one built in, HP's does not.)
IBM pulled off a major design feat by keeping the appearance and functionality of its superb X-series without adding significant size or weight. In fact, without looking closely it could be mistaken for IBM's X41 ThinkPad; that's the company's smallest and lightest notebook ever, which I consider to be the best notebook without a built-in optical drive. This latest computer, the first new model to be introduced under Lenovo -- IBM PC Product's new owner -- is even better. That's a strong statement, but after using it for two weeks, it will be difficult to send it back.
IBM has never compromised its keyboards, unlike other ultra-compact notebooks, earning a well-deserved reputation for having the best keyboards in the industry. IBM's keyboard obsession began when it built typewriters, and it shows. The full-size keys have their signature over-center feel with a slightly audible clicking sound that no other company has been able to match. IBM has tailored the forces just right, so you feel like you're "playing" the keyboard, rather than fighting any resistance or mushiness and wondering if the strokes actually registered.
The 12-inch screen is extremely sharp with an anti-reflection coating. It has a wide viewing angle, necessary in a tablet that's used in different orientations. Below the screen are additional buttons, more than on competing models, that are used in tablet mode when the keyboard becomes inaccessible. There's a second on-off switch, a button that rotates the screen, scroll keys, a button that brings up a menu of functions normally activated by the function keys, enter and escape buttons, and a recessed button that's the Control-Alt-Delete trigger. There's a fingerprint reader for added security.
Like other ThinkPads, fit and finish are superb. It has a rugged black plastic body and a titanium-impregnated resin top. IBM ThinkPad notebooks have maintained a similar functionality and look since their inception, while many of the other brands' designs vary radically between models. That's because the others, like those from Dell and HP, rely on a variety of different manufacturers to do their designs. The result is that once you use a ThinkPad you'll feel right at home with a newer model. Hopefully this design approach will not change under Lenovo. While ownership has shifted, IBM says the entire ThinkPad team is intact, now working as Lenovo employees.
There's a slight downward slant to the keyboard surface so the front edge of the chassis lies low and close to the desk. This makes it more comfortable to use than other notebooks that sit high off the desk. The X41 Tablet uses a trackstick rather than a trackpad to move the cursor. (If you insist on a trackpad, I recommend the recently reviewed HP tc4200.)
The model I tested has a 1.50 GHz Intel Pentium M processor, WiFi (802.11b/g), 512MB of memory, and a 40GB hard drive with shock protection. It has most of the other ThinkPad features including individual volume and mute buttons, Bluetooth, IR and an access button to IBM help. There are two USB ports, a PC card slot, and an SD memory slot. The product sells for $1,899 from the company's site (www.thinkpad.com). That's about $100 more than a regular X41 comparably equipped. X41 models begin at $1,500.
I'm using the extended battery ($159) that adds about an inch in depth. It has rubber grips, making it convenient for carrying the computer and holding it in tablet mode. I've found battery life to be four and a half hours without any power conservation on and at full screen brightness. The normal battery lasts about three hours under similar conditions
The X41 Tablet eliminates any reason not to buy a tablet computer if you're purchasing a new notebook. It's there when you need it without intruding when you don't. You'll likely use the tablet when you want to take notes, create sketches and diagrams, peruse the Internet, read email, and work in confined spaces like a coach airplane seat.
In short, it's a superb computer, and currently the best of the convertibles.
Baker has developed and marketed consumer and computer products for Polaroid, Apple, Seiko and others. He is the holder of 30 patents and was named San Diego's Ernst & Young Consumer Products Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000. Send comments to phil.baker@sddt.com. Comments may be published as Letters to the Editor.
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