Sum is greater than its parts
The ThinkPad X1 tablet features add- ons that claim to give it an edge, but may end up weighing it down.
IS IT a tablet? A laptop? Projector? The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet tries to be whatever you want it to be. True to ThinkPad tradition, the X1 comes in a sleek black matte design, and when unboxed, it is full of surprises. I wasn’t completely thrilled with some of those surprises but let me come clean by admitting that I am not really a fan of hybrid laptops. These hybrid devices throw me off course a little. Nonetheless, I found myself liking some things the X1 had to offer.
At first impression, the tablet is easy to carry and being so lightweight ( at just 0.77kg it is superlight), the tablet will appeal to anyone who has to lug their device around with them 24/ 7 – students, business people and the like.
It’s apparently super hardy as well. After all, ThinkPads are the only laptops used on the International Space Station ( I looked it up). It seems a given they would be made of sterner stuff. Lenovo claims it has MIL- STD- 810G military certification – that is, it can withstand a drop or two. Suffice to say I took their word for it and didn’t test that bit out.
In terms of looks, the X1 is pretty basic – black magnesium and plastic, with red trimmings – it’s neat enough in terms of design, but the tablet comes with a kickstand so you see the indentations which spoil the overall look a little. Design- wise I’d say the X1 is more functional and business- like, than elegant or cool.
The X1 comes with one USB 3.0 port, USB Type- C port for charging, a mini display port and a headphone jack. There’s also an almost- secret microSD port ( hidden behind the kickstand). The tablet also has a pair of side- facing speakers, which I wasn’t particularly fond of. Although the sound is balanced enough, it just didn’t seem loud enough for me. I kept turning the levels up or looking for my headphones so I would get a clearer experience.
In terms of textures and colours, however, I found the visuals great. There were also good levels of contrast and brightness – I didn’t have to adjust them much at all.
It also had a great battery life ( thanks to its productivity module add- on which gives extended life), and using the keyboard was a cinch.
I used the device mostly for wordprocessing, checking e- mails, updating social media posts, watching movie trailers and listening to music. The X1 worked just fine and I was happy with the performace. I did, however, have some problems when it came to the convertible nature of the device.
Modular add ons
The review unit came with a few extra add- ons – a productivity module, keyboard and ThinkPad stylus ( as well as holders for the pen). I had a lot of problems piecing everything together and storing them. Almost immediately I didn’t like the fact that I had to assemble and disassemble according to different tasks or requirements.
Lenovo claims its unique docking and configuration make this easy peasy. Sure, some may like the idea of customising their device according to what they need, but I found the task cumbersome.
Yes, the modules do “snap into place” but I was more than a little confused when I first had to put everything together. There’s a magnetic latch to help you along the way, and once you get the hang of it, I guess it’s easy enough. You can choose to use the tablet on its own, attach the keyboard or productivity module. There’s also a presenter module which sounds really cool and allows you to project stuff, but our review unit sadly didn’t come with it.
To rest everything properly on your work station, lap or wherever it is you choose to work, you’ll have to unlock the metal kickstand on the back of the tablet. Now this hinge is very solid and you might worry that you’re going to rip it off the tablet when you first try and pull it into place. Don’t fret – it’s designed that way. It is so solid you can adjust the angle to exactly how you like it. The tablet can also totally stand on its own with just the kickstand out, which means you have a lot of flexibility with the keyboard ( you don’t have to balance it).
Once it’s out though, and you need to reposition the tablet elsewhere, you might find it a tad tedious getting a good grasp of the device as the kickstand gets in the way. The keyboard add- on may also detach along the way, especially if you only hold on to the tablet.
The stylus pen for sketching or taking notes is another nifty inclusion. Lenovo also has something called WRITEit technology, which allows you to use your own handwriting to key in information. However, I wasn’t able to test this out ( sadly!) because try as I might, I couldn’t find the elusive AAAA batteries needed to power the stylus up! For crying out loud, I didn’t even know quadruple A batteries existed. In fact, no one I knew ( not even the Mr DIY store clerk) had any idea where to find one. And Google suggested I dismantle a 9V battery which I wasn’t about to attempt. I crochet in my spare time, I don’t mess around with carbon- zincs and alkalines.
The productivity module was great. It gave the tablet extra battery life, and there were more ports to play with, including HDMI. The keyboard also attaches to this module.
The keyboard, by the way, was perfect for me – keys were well spaced out even though the board was super small and typing was efficient and hardly made any sound at all. The touchpad, though small, was good enough for me. I hardly used the trackpointer, but some people like it, I guess. The keyboard can also be backlit, a feature which I am fond of ( you can enable it by holding down function key and hitting the space bar).