Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Tablet PC

Summary: One of the best Windows tablet pc out there. Great for notes taking and powerful enough to be used for heavy duty trading. Small form factor makes it easy to carry around. Relatively more expensive than regular laptops because of the tablet capability. If you interested in computerized notes taking or if you need to take your trading everywhere, this machine can get the job done.

Review

I bought this tablet pc from a Lenovo mail order shop in Canada. At the time I bought it, I think it was quite a bit more expensive than the price I see on Amazon today. Just like other Lenovo retail ready products, the computer works perfectly right from the start and it feels way faster than the X60 model I have for a long time.

This review has 3 distinct parts – notes taking, trading, battery life.

In the computerized notes taking arena, one app dominated the scene – Microsoft One Notes. Nothing else even come close to its functionalities. Unluckily, the iPads, the Android tablets, etc. do not have the necessary cpu power to handle the app yet. Although a version of MS One Notes is now available for some of these devices, this particular version cannot take notes by the stylus (the pen like device) so the functionality of the app is seriously weakened.

Back to X220, this tablet pc is the best notes taking device I have so far. It is faster than my older X60 model and better than the other tablet PCs I have. I take notes all the time when I study historical data, reading charts, etc. I also take notes when I have interesting ideas pop into my mind. It is much easier to keep all the notes in the tablet then running around with just the latest notepad in my bag. I used to fill up a notebook every 2 months or so. Ever since I started taking notes on tablet pc, I never look back.

Using X220 for trading has 2 issues.

First, as expected from any laptops, the limited screen space makes opening up many charts quite difficult. If you are used to having big charts on your screens with your desktop, it is especially annoying. I solved the problem with a portable LCD display and I have no complain since.

Second issue is related to battery life. The advertised battery life is 9 hours on moderate usage. What I experienced is about 4 hours of usage once I started up my charting app and order entry. I guess having multiple programs running with real-time data streaming through continuously is not moderate usage then. Well, most of the time I sit down somewhere to use the tablet and it is not difficult to locate a power outlet nearby.

Overall, this tablet is a solid performer with enough horsepower to replace the desktop computer as well.

p.s. Lenovo already have a new version of this tablet PC available using a faster cpu. They also have a bigger battery pack for the tablets but it is too bulky in my opinion to carry around.

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