A new player for the Windows 8 tablet wars has been announced by Lenovo - ThinkPad Tablet 2.
The new tablet features a 10.1-inch screen, weighs just over a pound (600 grams) and is 9.8 millimeters thick. It will be powered by Intel's Clover Trail Atom processor working with Windows 8 Pro Operating System, which has been modified for touchscreens. It will include HD display, front and rear cameras and wireless video streaming.
An HDMI port will be provided to connect the tablet to HD TV, printers and other peripherals via USB ports. It will also take stylus input. The tablet is scheduled to be released in October. Microsoft will start shipping Windows 8 OS on October 26.
The ThinkPad Tablet 2 jump starts Lenovo's new generation of PC's and devices that will be on the upcoming Windows 8 OS. The cost of the tablet won't be revealed until the official launch, said a company spokeswoman.
The ThinkPad Tablet 1 was released last year and was based on Android 3.1 OS with ARM processor. Lenovo shifted gears to Wintel which has been dominant in PCs but will be new to tablets. ThinkPad Tablet 2 prototypes were unveiled at Taipei's Computex trade show in June.
Lenovo said that the tablet can be used for both, home and office. There will be the option for a keyboard dock which can convert the tablet into a PC. 3G and 4G connectivity will be optional, depending on the country. The company also said that the device will have fingerprint reader and users can manage the tablet remotely. Windows management tools' complete line-up can be used on the device.
The tablet has been manufactured with the help of Microsoft and Intel. Intel chip was used to provide backward compatibility, which is a important feature in the tablet helping corporate users.
Lenovo will be in competition with Microsoft's Surface tablet. Many other competitors like HP, Dell, Acer, and Asus will also be releasing Windows 8-based tablets with Intel's Clover Trail and Ivy Bridge.