{"id":7334,"date":"2012-01-04T10:52:43","date_gmt":"2012-01-04T16:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcitement.com\/?p=7334"},"modified":"2012-01-13T15:24:08","modified_gmt":"2012-01-13T21:24:08","slug":"techcitement-review-lenovo-ideapad-k1-may-need-to-think-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/hardware\/tablet\/techcitement-review-lenovo-ideapad-k1-may-need-to-think-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Techcitement Review: Lenovo IdeaPad K1 May Need To Think Again"},"content":{"rendered":"
The high-end tablet market is mainly dominated by players we\u2019re familiar with from the mobile industry. Apple, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, RIM, they\u2019ve all made smartphones for years. Moving to tablets basically meant putting the same components those companies are familiar with into a larger case. By contrast, PC manufacturers haven\u2019t had any noted success in this field just yet. The only major contender has been HP, and that little experiment hasn\u2019t gone so well. Now, Lenovo has stepped into the ring with the IdeaPad K1. With Lenovo’s laptops noted for outstanding build quality, I personally greeted this news with some excitement. I had images of slim, sturdy, black tablets primed to draw in business users and challenge the iPad. Silly me.<\/p>\n
Look and Feel<\/strong> Lenovo placed a power key, volume rocker, and microSD card slot along the left side of the K1, along with a switch to lock screen rotation. I found the switch unnecessary, because it\u2019s not easy to turn a tablet this big by accident. The bottom of the device holds a micro HDMI port, headphone jack, and proprietary (boo!) charging and data port.<\/p>\n Getting Started<\/strong> The Good Stuff<\/strong>
\nThis K1 looks like a pretty standard Android tablet at first glance with its 10.1\u201d wide-screen and a black bezel surrounded by an aluminum rim. But the curved back hides a much thicker body than comparably priced competitors like the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It\u2019s also surprisingly hefty at 1.6 lbs. Normally, a heavy device like this at least has the virtue of feeling solid and well-built, but surprisingly, Lenovo dropped the ball on that sturdy feel completely. The rear of the K1 is dominated by a colored backplate (comes in red, black, or white) that flexes to an alarming degree under any sort of pressure. Hold the tablet one-handed and the cheap plastic feels like the entire device is bending in your hand. The bezel is nearly as bad, bending noticeably all around the screen under an even mildly firm grip. Even the aluminum rim has a noticeable seam in it where the ends meet that looks like it can shift over time.<\/p>\n
\nAfter the standard Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) setup process, the K1 greets you with a main home screen dominated by a single, large, finger-friendly widget. Options for Watch, Listen, Read, and Email surround a browser button, giving users convenient access to some of the most common media consumption apps, as well as device settings.<\/p>\n
\nLenovo put some thought into conveniences when designing their hardware and UI. An extra physical button on the right side of the bezel is also touch-sensitive, allowing for simple swipe gestures to go back or launch menus. It\u2019s far easier to reach than the standard Android 3.0 soft keys along the bottom left edge of the screen. Likewise, the favorites app wheel that can be opened in the bottom-right corner of the screen is convenient for one-handed operation.<\/p>\n