Review
Roderick Scott 0

If you are in the market for any Windows product (PC, tablet, or hybrid), you have choice between several manufacturers like Dell, HP, ASUS, and Acer to name a few.  But like Highlander there can only be one.  One that covers all bases and puts out great (not good products) on a more regular basis.  That one for us here at TGSB is Lenovo.  They are synonymous w/ great Windows products.  This is nothing new.

But what is different is there approach behind the ThinkPad 8.  The iPad mini-sized Windows tablet.  You might say there have been other Windows tablets on the market what's so special about this one?  Starting at $399.99 and running the Windows 8.1, where does this fit into the world of the tablet market?   All of those questions and more will be answered below.

Buy It Here

thinkpad8 press stock

Display

The ThinkPad 8 sports an 8.3inch IPS display w/ 1920 x1200 resolution.  With great accurate, coloring and superb viewing angles that's pretty good in direct sunlight.  So for all of your mobile viewing needs, this thing looks marvelous.  Ideal for reading, using Office, or just web browsing on-the-go.  While it does lack stylus support which would've been great, this is still a great screen to utilize Windows.  

Performance/Battery Life

 
The ThinkPad 8 I used is powered by a 1.46GHz Intel Atom CPU, 2GB of RAM, & 32GB of storage.  During my several months w/ it, I had absolutely zero issues in lag.  Ideal for emails, browsing the web, & productivity but not quite made for Photoshop processing.   You would require something w/ a bit more power to pull that off.  The only limitations I saw was the few seconds it took to change screen orientations but other than that, smooth as butter.  
 

The ThinkPad 8 is not for Photoshop or movie editing but still powerful.  

 
On the battery side of things, it was only decent.  Lenovo suggests 8-hours of juice while I got only just above 6 hours of constant heavy usage.  Not terrible but not great either.  Especially when you have the tablets like the Nexus 7 giving you almost 10 hours, the iPad mini offering around 12 hours, and the Surface Pro 3 giving you at least 9 hours of juice.   Just to put the ThinkPad's battery life in perspective. 

Cameras

Lenovo made sure to equip this Windows tablet w/ the necessary tools for photos, video, & video calling.   They equipped it w/ an 8MP rear-facing shooter and a 2MP shooter on the front.  The rear shooter has smartphone-like features w/ auto-focus + LED flash on-board.  This puts the ThinkPad steps above your average tablet camera but alas its still a tablet camera though.  

Software (Windows 8.1)

Lenovo made sure that this tablet was running the latest in Windows w/ version 8.1 Pro.  It works the same as it did for the Surface Pro 3 although the ThinkPad does unfortunately lack stylus support which would've been a winning feature on a tablet this.  For a more detailed look at our thoughts on Windows 8.1 Pro, stop by our Surface Pro 3 review.

Thinkpad 8 review grade

For those who desire programs over apps on a tablet.  

TG 2 Cents

The ThinkPad 8 is a true tablet for the enterprise crowd.  Another stellar job by Lenovo on the design + functionality.  This is more so ideal for those who want to get things done.  More for productivity than gaming + media.  As a tablet, it is the perfect size of being not too big or not too small at 8.3inches.  While it doesn't pack the power of the Surface Pro 3, it does pack enough to handle the majority of tasks you would do on it.  At the end of the day, this is a Windows-powered iPad mini but offering more power w/ less battery life.  
 

To Buy Or Not To Buy

 
While its actually sold out on Lenovo's site, you can still acquire one through many other outlets like Amazon, Best Buy, & others for around $430.  This is directed at those who prefer the power and agility of Windows as an OS over Android or iOS.  Those within the enterprise world will enjoy it as it is quite the productivity tool on the go.  For everyone else, look elsewhere like the Nexus 7 & iPad mini/Air. 
Tags:
Categories: Must Reads Review

Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.