Lenovo introduced its updated line of ThinkPad business laptops today, including the ThinkPad X201 Tablet, a $1549 computer with a 12 .1 inch touchscreen display and a swivel so that you can use the PC either in laptop or tablet mode. But CNET reports that there’s one thing we won’t be seeing from Lenovo’s business division anytime soon: a tablet without a keyboard.
Sure, cutting the keyboard would let you make thinner and lighter devices that can be used with stylus input and/or on-screen keyboards. But ThinkPads are productivity machines first and foremost, whereas tablets like the upcoming iPad are designed for consuming media rather than creating it.
That’s not to say Lenovo is completely sour on the idea of tablets and slates altogether. The company’s consumer division recently launched the Ideapad S10-3t, a netbook with a 10 inch touchscreen display that can be folded over the keyboard for use in tablet mode. The upcoming Lenovo IdeaPad U1 also has a keyboard, but features a removable slate that can be used on its own. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the company eventually release the slate portion of the U1 if demand is high enough. After all, the company’s already invested in the R&D necessary to make the U1 usable without the keyboard.
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