Research Triangle Park, N.C. – Lenovo plans summertime availability of a 10.1-inch Windows 8 tablet that connects to a detachable folio case with built-in keyboard to turn it into a full-function laptop.
The Miix tablet, designed for entertainment and productivity, starts at $500 for the base Wi-Fi model, but a SIM card port is available for a version with 3G W-CDMA SIM card.
When bundled with keyboard, the package will be $549, a spokesperson said.
Features include 10.1-inch 16:9 1366×768-pixel touchscreen with IPS and five-point multitouch, which lets users interact with the screen with five fingers at once. It also comes with Intel Atom dual-core processor, 2GB LP-DDR2 memory, 64GB of embedded storage, 32GB micro-SD slot, and 10 hours of battery life, micro-HDMI port, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 1-megapixel webcam, and Microsoft Office 2013 software. It also features stereo speakers and, when equipped with 3G, it comes with GPS.
The tablet weighs about 550 grams (1.2 pounds) and is 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) thick.
“Users don’t want to choose between a laptop and a tablet,” claimed Bai Peng, VP/GM of Lenovo’s notebook business unit.
The Miix is the latest “multi-mode device” from the company, which last October unveiled the IdeaPad Yoga in 13- and 11-inch versions, the ThinkPad Helix, IdeaPad Lynx, and ThinkPad Twist for the U.S. market, a spokesperson said. For the IdeaPad Yoga and ThinkPad Twist, the keyboard is attached. The ThinkPad Helix and IdeaTab Lynx come with detachable keyboards.
