ThinkPad with built-in Wacom tablet
Lenovo has announced a new laptop which has a rather nifty feature - a built-in Wacom tablet. This is a brilliant example of combining products. I sure would like my laptop to have a built in Wacom tablet (then I could create doodles anywhere).
Also, watch video presentation over at Channel 10)
Of course, being a ThinkPad (which regular readers know that I do not like), they didn't really think this one through. Why does it have both a Wacom tablet "pad" and a track pad? Why not combine the two into one? How hard can it be?
Apple would never make a laptop with two pads. They would most likely make the screen itself the Wacom tablet. Oh... wait a minute. Isn't that what you get on a tablet PC?
Anyway, cool feature, cool technology, cool specs... but... not cool when it comes to product design.
(via Gizmodo)
Comments
Kevin Cannon 
- Aug. 14, 2008
Good point. Another problem about it is the height of the laptop. I'd say it's very hard to use a stylus to draw unless you're hand is resting on an even level surface. So you'd probably have to stack up books to provide somewhere for the ball of your hand to sit while drawing.
Nice idea, poor implementation.
Jonathan - Aug. 14, 2008
And the reason it's not multi-touch is...?
Thomas Baekdal - Aug. 14, 2008
Milena, I agree with the size issues, but I think the size is pretty close to the A6 Wide tablet. My have the A5 wide tablet myself.
http://www.wacom-europe.com/index2.asp?lang=en&;pid=127
Kevin, I hadn't thought about the height issue. It looks as if the Lenovo is about 3 times thicker than a stand-alone Wacom tablet, so that might be an issue too.
Jonathan, Good point :) ...BTW: I wonder if I could use two pens on a multi-touch tablet.
Another issue is that I draw (and write) with my left hand... like all creative people :o) I think it would be a bit problematic since the tablet is positioned to the right.
Published: Aug. 13, 2008 in notes
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Milena
- Aug. 14, 2008
You are right. Great idea but not so well executed. And the size of the tablet space? That will frustrate the hell out of someone in two minutes flat. Too little. You'll run into the edges and have to stop your motion, lift and continue. I'd rather my separate tablet or at least a better integrated surface space.