While the rest of the industry is busy making larger and larger tablets, some Windows 8 tablet makers are downsizing. The results are promising.
Putting full-bore Windows 8 on an 8-inch tablet that weighs less than a pound is no easy feat. But with the ThinkPad 8, Lenovo has crammed an awful lot of computer into a tiny, unobtrusive package – just 5.2 x 8.8 x 0.35 inches in size, and a bit over 14 ounces in heft.
The ThinkPad 8 uses the new third-generation Intel Atom CPU running at 1.46GHz. Two gigabytes of RAM are installed, and a 64GB SSD (upgradable to 128GB) is standard. The real standout, though, is the screen. With native resolution of an extra-wide 1920 x 1200 pixels, it packs more pixels into 8.3 inches of screen real estate than many laptops with more than twice the display surface area. The screen is impressively bright, and the 10-finger touchscreen is responsive, making this a beautiful tablet for watching media or playing a few games.
What else you might do with the ThinkPad 8 is the bigger question. And it's a challenge that's already endemic to the 8-inch Windows tablet space on the whole. The stark reality of Windows – outside of the reviled, tile-based Start screen – means that extreme pointing precision is required to do just about anything. On a screen with a resolution this fine-grained, that's a tough order to fill while jabbing away at the display with your fat ham fingers.
While you can get around its limitations by syncing up a wireless keyboard and mouse, the ThinkPad 8 is largely self-contained and clearly designed for ad hoc use on the fly. Connectivity is limited to a Micro USB 3.0/2.0 port, a MicroSD card slot, and a Micro HDMI port for video output. (Fair warning: You'll need a third-party adapter if you want to attach much of anything via the USB connection.) Two cameras are also installed: A front-facing 2-megapixel lens, and a rear-facing 8-megapixel lens with flash.
