Lenovo has made the bold statement that customers don't want slate PCs.
CNet reports that, despite updating its tablet line of PCs, adding Intel's Core i5 and i7 CPUs to the mix, Lenovo has said it will not be bringing a slate PC to the market because customers don't want them. Lenovo asked a wide range of customers about slate PCs and found that people were too attached to their keyboards to think about ditching them for a slate PC.
“We of course build plastic mock-ups that we show (to customers). We had a slate form factor. The feedback was that for (our) customers it will not work because of the need to have (a physical) keyboard,” Mika Majapuro, senior worldwide product marketing manager at Lenovo, said in an interview with CNet. Majapuro goes on to say that he found the response from customers nothing short of amazing:
"It was amazing to me. At first I didn't want to believe (our customers) but the keyboard was such a big need for them."
According to CNet, Lenovo didn't just ask professionals and businesses, they also quizzed high school students about their desires for a slate PC. However, their reaction was much the same; they needed a keyboard.
"These were 14-year-old kids, who, I thought, would be most willing to try a virtual keyboard but they said no, we want the physical (built-in) keyboard," said Majapuro.
The news comes at a time when several companies (HP and Apple) have already announced slate PCs and others are rumored to launch slates later this year.
Would you buy a Lenovo slate PC? Let us know in the comments below.
That is what I would want it for.
screens and it works perfectly. The digital keys will be nearly the same size and they are as senative
as a real keyboard. I love the idea of not haveing an extra keyboard and haveing it built in is just
awsome. It seems like whenever something different comes along people hesitate for awhile before they
even want to try it. Try it and i assure you it's easy to adapt to.
Using multi-keys (shift + key for example) on a keyboard instead of a screen means that your finger has somewhere secure to rest (textured, indented key), whilst the rest of your hand moves about, thus reducing the chance of your finger sliding away and resulting in a error.
Also keyboards are far, far greater for touch typing and speed typing. Not only that, a virtual keyboard doesn't give you the haptic perception you get with a proper physical keyboard. It's this haptic perception which allows people to type 50+wpm (that, and a lot of practice!)
With tha,. t you really don`t need a keyboard. It has to be rugged, I`m a commercial construction contractor.
I want it to do a couple of things well...
1. Fast boot so i can take notes on the fly.
2. rotate to portrait and function as an e-reader. I`m an avid reader,
it's unthinkable not to have some form of novel or reference material nearby.
3. enough horsepower to do multi-media and spreadsheet/word processing efficently.
4. Be about the dimensions of the e-books I`ve been seeing.
5. Bluetooth for the times you do want a keyboard and mouse, and sync-ing with my cell-phone and wire-less stereo/mic headset.
That's what I'm looking for in a portable.
Yes, unlike the over sized iTouch...er... I mean iPad a slate PC would be a MUCH better option for media and surfing the net.
We asked OUR customers who are used to laptops and buy laptops if they would buy something thats not a laptop.
iPad / Slates are for folks who don't have laptops and don't want or don't have the lifestyle spend their time sitting in front of a laptop.
Appears lenovo doesn't care to expand their market to non-laptop users and this is what apple is after. Apple did the same with the iPhone, made a "smartphone" for all the folks who didn't already own smartphones. And this was a vast majority of the market.
For me (a laptop user) I will likely have an iPad floating around.
Instant ON anywhere and anytime I am in the house is compelling. But I also need it to be able to print to a network printer (a recipe, directions, etc). Dunno if this will be available (it isn't on my iTouch).
I've been very happy with my x200. As enzo said, I too perfer a convertible. It's a slate when I want it to be and a laptop when I don't.
try. This perception that a physical keyboard is a must is retarted, it's for those who have mental
blocks about change.