Lenovo ThinkPad Windows 8 tablet specifications leaked

We're ready for more leaked information surrounding Windows 8 tablets to flow with the upcoming release of Microsoft's next major release of its desktop operating system drawing closer. Microsoft recently unveiled their Surface family of tablets, which would be built to force manufacturers to product unique and high quality hardware for Windows 8.

Lenovo is planning to launch Windows 8 tablet to rival Microsoft's Surface, as well as other OEMs building hardware for the platform (not to mention the iPad and Android tablets). According to Techin5, which got hold of leaked slides showcasing the proposed tablet, Lenovo will be launching the tablet under its ThinkPad brand and will be packing a punch with included features for business customers.

The first slide of specifications (yes there's two of them) reveal the dimensions and weight, the latter sitting at a maximum of 650g. The display is a 10.1" IPS LED screen (1366x768) with ten finger multi-touch. As one would expect a Windows 8 tablet to have, dual microphones (with noise cancellation) are present, as well as a 2MP (720p) FF webcam with a 8MP rear shooter (accompanied by flash), and a fingerprint reader is an optional feature.

NFC is sat with the fingerprint scanner as an optional inclusion, which we believe many purchasers may decide to add to the package. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 will be aimed at business users and will boast a mini-HDMI port, 3.5mm headphones / microphone combo jack, MicroSD, USB 2.0, and a docking connector. More than enough to keep the employee / consumer connected to peripherals while leaving enough room for expansion and extendibility. 

As for the second slide, we've got more technical detail including what chipset will be powering the Lenovo ThinkPad Windows 8 tablet. Sporting the Intel dual-core Atom, accompanied by the Intel HD SGX545 IGP which supports DirectX9, the tablet will be able to hold its own through a task-orientated day in the office or at home. The tablet with also contain 2GB worth of DDR2 RAM and a 64GB SSD with Windows 8 (32bit) preinstalled.

Comparing to the competition

A third slide puts the Lenovo Windows 8 tablet against the iPad regarding features. The company isn't shy about showcasing just how their upcoming tablet holds out against the tablet market champion from Apple. Comparing the features between the two tablets and it's clear the retina display on the iPad is a winner when it comes to screen quality, however the Lenovo tablet sports more powerful hardware extras while only being slightly thicker and weighing in exactly the same as Apple's product.

No pricing or release information is available, but we expect this tablet to be available on (or close after) the release of Windows 8. What do our readers make of the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2? Would you be picking one up, or has Microsoft Surface stolen the show?

via: Techin5

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.