ThinkPad 8 Tablet With Intel Bay Trail Starts at $400

By Jane McEntegart
published

Alongside the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Lenovo today debuted a new ThinkPad tablet dubbed the ThinkPad 8.

The ThinkPad 8 offers three unique modes: Desktop, Tablet, and Tent. As you can probably imagine, Tablet Mode is the device by itself, while Desktop Mode requires an optional (i.e., not included) keyboard base. Tent Mode also requires an accessory, Lenovo's Quickshot Cover.

 

The ThinkPad 8 comes equipped with Intel's Z3770 (Bay Trail) quad-core CPU clocked to 2.4 GHz and Intel HD Graphics, with 2 GB of RAM, up to 128 GB of SSD storage, and an 8.3-inch 1920 x 1200 FHD display with 10-point multi-touch. Then there are the usual bells and whistles: WiFi, optionally 4G/3G, rear- and front-facing cameras (8-megapixel and 2-megapixel, respectively). There's also MicroUSB 3.0, MicroSD, MicroHDMI, and MicroSIM (for 3G models).

Pricing will start at $399 when the device becomes available later this month.

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Jane McEntegart
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • lunyone
    I'm assuming this comes with Windows 8/8.1? Unless I missed it somewhere in the article.....
    Reply
  • babosadaltonica
    Not for me. I like big monitors and real estate to have the occasional two windows open at once. Also games are pretty hampered on a tablet. Not a big tablet fan, as you can tell. Why get a tablet+laptop/desktop when you can just have one? I think a laptop is best for most people in terms of cost efficiency and fulfilling needs. I just built a desktop since the small laptop screen was getting lame and I wanted to play real games.
    Reply
  • vladx
    It's a WinRT device not Win 8.1, still worth it IMHO.
    Reply
  • timon_tablet
    ThinkPad 8 is no inbuilt GPS

    Retina 1920x1080 is not worth for an 8-inch device, which just leads battery-runtime shorter
    Reply
  • timon_tablet
    Windows device's inbuilt GNSS problem ---- Windows Location API & NMEA --- Incompatible

    Windows 7 launched over 4 years, however, the two most major maps providers did not provide any app support the Windows Location API, like Google Earth and Nokia Maps OEM licensees (including Streets and Trips), especially Google, sometimes in worldwide's many places just Google Earth/satellitic maps is useful, especially non-cities zone.

    The industry's all-purpose standard is with NMEA serial data stream and not a way like the Windows Locator Service. The WLS's information way makes itself difficult to share to other systems, is incompatible.
    As yet, at the x86 Windows as we seen of all these external GPS mouses are with the NMEA serial data stream and a virtual COM port, NO Windows GNSS mouse you saw, 4 years!
    MS's Vista, Bing, WP, WinRT, these are not successful marker, but the Windows Location API is much worse. Mr. Ballmer Should earlier retire in 2005, not by the time 2014.

    But, the PC makers should not be tied a death by MS.

    For a GNSS module (BCM4752/BCM47521) no limited to be just a way designable to a Windows sensor API, PC makers can take a flexible design to do it able to be switched dual modes between the NMEA 0183 specs and the Windows location sensor.
    It is almost no new parts added on, just new firmware, drivers and a new design.

    The design should make an inbuilt GNSS module switchable in between dual working modes:
    Mode 1 = an inbuilt USB-based GPS receiver (NMEA 0183)
    Mode 2 = an inbuilt Windows GNSS sensor (Windows Location API)
    In such a way, you can easier utilize all of the GPS software --- NMEA 0183 specs and Windows Location API.

    Also, Can we ask PC markers to offer a update to make up Windows tablet the WLS Sensor changed into an inbuilt USB-based GPS receiver? (That to displace off the old Windows GNSS Sensor way)
    For an inbuilt USB GPS receiver is still able to work for the Windows Location API via software, it is just similar to an external GPS. Well then, no problem, never mind of the Windows Location API.

    Reply
  • lostgamer_03
    Great to see the tablet market is developing in the right direction. A full fledged PC in such a tiny enclosure ís becoming more and more compelling to me, not only talking of this particular tablet. There has been a lot of great developments in 2013, I'm looking forward to see where it's all heading.
    Reply
  • ZolaIII
    The Atoms Z3770 clock spead is a 1.46 GHz & a maximum turbo frequency is 2.39 GHz!
    Pricing is absurd & Intel can't compete with Arm in price because it's Silver Mont is still 10x A15 sized on silicon!
    Gpu is ¼ of HD 4000 & it performance is similar to Adreno 320 - 33% slower then Adreno 330 or 25% slower then tegra4.
    Fpu performance is not that much higher than S800 or tagra4, alu performance is much better bat the complete
    MMC sosolution is much worse than competing Arm SoCs FPGAs or DSPs so you won't benefit much from Atoms alu performance. Compared to referent tagra4 tablet for $200 this is a clear loser. Compared to Apples A7 soc makes Atom even bigger loser.
    Reply
  • DanielsJT
    It's a Windows 8.1 device, not RT. Runs full version of Windows. Basically, a business-oriented version of their Miix 2 tablet.
    Reply
  • Zach Baker
    ZolaIII, can you back that up with references?
    Reply
  • asterisx
    I have the thinkpad tablet 2 10" device. Its a really cool device. Windows 8.1 shins on the tablet. This is everything greater than tablet 2 minus the screen size. Btw, bay trail is a very capable processor. You will be amazed by its performance.
    Reply