Design

The S10 tablet is an attractive machine, featuring a black shell and white keyboard. It features a widescreen 10.1″ screen, and rounded corners which offer a softer look.

Both 4 and 8 cell batteries are available for the S10. Choosing the 4 cell will lead to a svelte computer, .8″ thick and weighing less than three pounds. The 8 cell will provide substantially longer life, but at the cost of looking a bit chunkier and increasing the weight.

Lenovo, which also produces the Thinkpad line for business, generally builds good quality laptop computers. This Ideapad feels like no exception, providing a solid feel, even when twisting the screen from laptop to tablet mode.

Usage

Using the S10 Tablet was largely a mixed bag. The computer is relatively snappy for a netbook, as it features one of Intel’s faster Atom processors. This, however, is only a mild recommendation, as even the fastest Atoms are much slower than most new CPU’s.

Generally the upside of Atom is spectacular battery life. This, however, did not hold as true with the Ideapad S10, because the 4 cell battery provides only a minimal amount of power. The computer struggled to run for 3 hours with the 4 cell, which is frustrating with a computer designed for portability. If you are comfortable with the added bulk, the 8 cell would largely rectify this situation.

Despite the downsides, Lenovo’s convertible netbook benefits from light weight, combined with a good-size screen. The Ideapad’s mulit-touch screen is 10.1″, which is noticeably larger than the 8.9″ screen on Asus’ similar-sized T91. This makes it easier to work on the computer, while the chassis is still small and light enough to be easy to carry around.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an inexpensive convertible tablet, the S10, at less than $500, is a reasonable choice. It combines a compact size and light weight with a fair-sized screen to make for a convenient travel companion. The caveat is relatively weak battery life, unless you give up some of the portability for a larger battery. As always with Atom-powered netbooks, you must also be aware of the computer’s performance limitations, as the processor is optimized for low-power consumption, rather than maximum speed.

If you’re interested in learning more about the S10, and checking out it’s current pricing, have a look at its page on Amazon.

Asus has been continually expanding its successful EeePC line. The T91 is the first Eee to take on the convertible tablet form factor.

Design

Click the image to see the T91 at Amazon

The T91 is an extremely compact, lightweight tablet. It features an 8.9″ touch screen display (1024×600 resolution), and the aforementioned convertible form factor, allowing it to function in either a traditional laptop or tablet style.

With this computer, Asus has crossed some interesting lines. Tablets have traditionally been more expensive, and largely relegated to the business realm. The T91, like most computers in the Eee line, features a low price (sub $500), and typical netbook components, just arranged as a tablet computer. This is a real boon for anyone put off from buying a tablet by their high prices.

In addition to price, the T91 has a real advantage over most tablets due to its low weight and small size. Most convertible tablets feature 12 inch screens, and weigh over 4 pounds. The T91 Eee weighs only a little over 2 pounds, and features a compact size befitting an 8.9 inch screen.

Although the small size and price are appealing, there are of course some tradeoffs. The screen on this Asus tablet is fairly good, but its small size and low resolution makes working on larger documents a real challenge – many web pages cannot even fit within the borders. The computer is powered by an Intel Atom CPU, the Z520, which helps keep down power consumption and cost, but offers just barely adequate performance. Outside of these two constraints, it’s a pleasure to use – but don’t expect it to replace an expensive, larger screened laptop.

Usage

Using the T91 is an interesting experience compared to many of the tablets on the market. The upsides include:

• Very light, you could carry it all day
• Convertible form-factor provides flexibility
• SSD makes some tasks fast

There are some downsides, however:

• The display is small
• The system overall is relatively slow

It is really nice having a tablet that is so light, and yet includes a hardware keyboard. On the other hand, it possesses the usual tradeoffs with which netbook buyers are quite familiar – a little screen and slow speed go with the small price. The presence of an SSD instead of a regular hard disk is another tradeoff. This does speed up startup/shutdown, along with opening programs. The downside is that you have a relatively small amount of storage space, although you can purchase memory cards to provide space for more media.

Battery Life

This system is rated at a 5 hour battery life by Asus. As is normal, this is somewhat optimistic, although Asus tends to provide more reliable estimates than most manufacturers. Your experience will vary based on the programs you’re running and screen brightness used, but you can expect 5 hours to be around the higher end of what you will achieve.

Conclusion

The Asus Eee PC T91 tablet is, as mentioned previously, a fairly unique combination of netbook and tablet. There are some competitors, but they are mostly being produced by less well-known names than Asus, the manufacturer of the original netbook. This tablet is not the right choice for someone looking to replace a powerful tablet or laptop computer. It is, however, a great option for someone looking for a very lightweight, yet flexible tablet PC. The T91 may also appeal to netbook buyers. If you are buying a netbook, but would like to experience some iPad-like surfing the web on your coach, using a touchscreen – this tablet could be the perfect fit.

To check prices or buy the T91 – check out it’s section on Amazon.

Design

The X200 is clearly a Thinkpad, inheriting the matte black style that lingers from its IBM days. Although not stunning in any way, it is a very professional look. The unit features the Thinkpad line’s usual sturdy build quality, which is a bonus on a convertible tablet. The single, small hinge convertibles use sometimes feels questionable, but this unit inspires confidence.

One quirk of this computer is the presence of only an eraser- sized pointing device, rather than the trackpad most laptops are equipped with. Located in the middle of the keyboard, this pointing method draws mixed reviews. It is closer to your fingers while typing, but unlike what most laptop users are accustomed to. Whether or not you appreciate this method, the X200’s ability to be run with a pointing device on the screen negates some of the potential drawbacks.

Usage

Using the Thinkpad X200 is a pleasant experience. The keyboard, like most Thinkpad units, is exceptional. The screen, at 12.1 inches and 1280 x 800 resolution, is fine, and is bright enough to be read outdoors. It is not a touchscreen, in that your fingers cannot operate the tablet, but the screen is compatible with a digital pen. This allows you to write or operate the tablet with a special, included pointing device.

Like most convertible 12.1″ tablets, the X200 has a little bit of weight, but it is not excessive for reasonable periods of use. If you will be carrying it the entire day, consider something lighter (Apple’s iPad would be the extreme), but for normal usage the weight should not be a problem.

Performance & Battery Life

The Thinkpad X200 has been available for some time, and equipped with various processors over that period. It utilizes different versions of Intel’s Core 2 Duo, which is not blazingly fast, but provides for solid performance, especially considering the compact dimensions of this machine.

It is possible to purchase the X200 with either a 4 or 8 cell battery. Lenovo advertises up to 10 hours on the larger battery, with the 4 cell running around half this amount. In tests, it appears the Lenovo may be a good 20% optimistic regarding lifetimes, but either number is a reasonable battery life for a modern laptop. Your usage scenario will dictate whether the larger or smaller capacity works best.

Conclusion

Lenovo’s X200 Thinkpad is an excellent 12.1″ convertible tablet. It provides reasonable performance, substantial battery life, pen-input capability, and does it all with the usual Thinkpad build quality and style. This is a machine firmly targeted at the business market, and an excellent choice for the salespeople and other professionals who consider a tablet computer a required piece for their day to day job.

To see X200 pricing – visit Amazon now.

So how does it stack up?

Design

Apple has stuck with its traditional, and successful, sleek industrial design. The iPad features an expensive looking aluminum backside, with the front covered by a big screen (although there is also a large bezel). Just like the iPhone, only one button is located on the front of the device, centered under the large screen. In addition to this, there are three buttons located around the edges of the computer, controlling on/off/sleep, volume, and a unique button that allows you to lock the screen rotation – more on that later.

The iPad weighs in at 1.5 pounds, and is roughly 9.5 x 7.5 x .5 inches. The thinness is noticeable, as it is significantly sleeker than any laptop you’ve used. At 1.5 pounds, it is also lighter than anything but the smallest netbook, although it feels fairly hefty compared to its size.

Overall, the iPad presents a striking design. It has a good feel, although carrying the tablet outside feels somewhat precarious – the sense is that if you dropped it, the consequences could be very bad.

Screen

The iPad’s screen is quite possibly the highlight of the device. Measuring 9.7″ diagonally, it is an LED backlit multi-touch display, using IPS technology to help increase the viewing angles to near 180 degrees. It runs at a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution.

Apple really hit a home-run with this part of the iPad. The screen is striking, exhibiting strong contrast, the ability to adjust from plenty bright to nice and dark for reading in bed, and a viewing angle better than anyone could expect. Additionally, the touch aspects of the device work beautifully, exhibiting none of the responsiveness problems plaguing some LCD’s .

Operating System

The iPad’s operating system is nearly identical to that of the iPhone. This is a dramatic departure from traditional Tablet PC’s, which generally feature a full-fledged Windows environment. Although the iPhone OS places serious limitations on the iPad, it is also the source of many of the tablet’s strengths.

The iPhone features a simplified operating system. It is easy to use, and eliminates many of the complexities, such as folder structures, present in a traditional OS. The system is very tightly controlled, with Apple only allowing “apps” that have passed its approval and are distributed through its store to be run on the device. This greatly lowers the possibility for a virus or other bad experience – but also places you at Apple’s mercy for determining what you can run on your own computer. It is a fair tradeoff for a new user, or someone looking for a lightweight, worry-free second device. If you are planning on more heavy duty use of the iPad, it could cause more problems.

The new iPhone OS 4.0 was announced just a short time after the iPad’s release. This upgrade will also be coming to Apple’s tablet, although not until the Fall of 2010. There are a number of new features, key among them support for a basic form of multitasking, that will add to the utility of the iPad. Until then, the ability to run more than one app at a time is not available.

Apps

Although traditional iPhone applications can be used on the new device, they have to be used in either a small window in the center of the screen, or dramatically scaled up, creating a pixely experience. Luckily, the huge developer base experienced in writing iPhone applications has been quick to start work on iPad apps. The problem is that these apps are often identical to their iPhone counterparts – only at twice the price.

In addition to iPhone ports, iPad-specific apps are beginning to be created. The device’s unique form-factor will likely lead to a host of unique ideas, but current releases likely provide only a hint of what is to come. This makes the app store a bit of a disappointment. Many applications improve on the iPhone’s functionality, for instance by providing a two-pane view, as in Apple’s official mail app. However, this is not exactly revolutionary computing. I fully expect the iPad’s app store to become just as compelling as that for the iPhone, but it’s not there yet, and there’s a real possibility it will forever be overpriced.

Battery Life

One of the absolute killer features for the iPad is its battery life. Teardowns of the tablet have shown that the majority of its internal space is filled with battery – likely necessary to power the large and bright screen, but also in order to provide an outstanding depletion time. Apple boasts of a 10 hour battery life, and it appears that this is a realistic number. Even when under fairly heavy use, connecting to Wi-Fi and using multimedia apps, the tablet turns in a battery life in the double digits. Demanding 3d games can pull the number down somewhat, but it still blows away almost every computer on the market.

Conclusion

The iPad is a really outstanding device. It allows for a new form of computing, perfect for sitting on the sofa and surfing the web, or consuming media. On the other hand, it is a first generation product. It suffers from less-developed software, and everyone knows generation two will be more powerful at a lower price. At $499, Apple hit a reasonable price point, but accessories, upgrades, and overly-expensive apps push the real cost of ownership higher.

In the end, the iPad will make some people very happy. If you want to have the latest and greatest, and will benefit from an extra computer for casual applications, now’s the time to buy. If you think it looks neat, but have a bit of patience, waiting a year may save you a bundle and buy a better tablet. Finally, if you’re a power user that can’t stand the iPhone’s limitations, then the iPad will sorely disappoint – it’s probably time to start looking at those Windows based tablets on the way.

It’s time to start reviewing these devices, because Apple’s iPad has reinvented the tablet, and brought unprecedented consumer interest along with it. This could really change the trajectory of the tablet computer industry, because they have not previously proven popular, largely relegated to niche business activities.

When we talk tablets, we’ll be talking about both plain tablets (of which the iPad is a good example), and convertible tablets. Convertibles sport the ability to function with a keyboard like a standard notebook computer, but the screen can be rotated around to also imitate a tablet style device. This adds to their versatility, but also their bulk.

Thanks for checking out the site – our first reviews should be up within the week!