The first Tablet PC with integrated EVDO?

The next ThinkPad Tablet PC is rumored to be the X60t and has even appeared on a French online retail shop.  The specs of the X60 include the Intel Core Duo processor which will make the ThinkPad one of the fastest Tablet PCs out there when it ships, which is rumored to be in the May time frame.  Lenovo entered into an alliance with Verizon to include integrated EVDO connectivity through Verizon’s BroadbandAccess for a number of their notebook models and a quick check today on the Lenovo web site has gotten me thinking.  The X60 Tablet model has still not appeared on the Lenovo web site but the various non-Tablet models of the X60 are now on the web site and every single configuration has the Verizon EVDO as an option.  Could this mean that the X60 Tablet PC will be the first major Tablet PC to offer integrated 3G connectivity?  I sure hope so and I have a good feeling about this possibility.

(thanks to John Hill)

Comments

[Dennis Rice]

Yeah - but it will cost at least 2 gabazillion bucks..... Yep, 2, not 1. Gabazillion. That's a lot! :-)

[Steven Hughes]

It looks that way... in talking to the people at the Lenovo booth at CES and all their new models were sporting the EvDO bulge on the side of their screen. Plus mention of making a dual-core Tablet in the form factor of the X60 made me giddy...that "it's a possibility we are looking into.." coupled with the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 it would make for a very capable Vista Tablet. The only downside being the maximum resolution of 1024x768, which I told him they would sell more if they could up the resolution or make it a possible different SKU...again he said "it's a possibility we are looking into.."

So we will have to wait and see...

[Tim Marman]

I alluded to this in a previous post: http://slashstar.com/blogs/tim/archive/2006/04/10/Addicted_to_EVDO.aspx

A CoreDuo tablet with the form factor of the X41 (plus a slight bulge) and integrated EVDO would be KILLER. I would probably buy that. If it had a high-res screen, I would buy it in a second. (Hell, even without the EVDO).

The high-res screen is probably the only reason I haven't upgraded from the M200 (well, I do have a later model - 1.8 later Centrino chip - but the X41 form factor is slick).

[Jeff Singfiel]

It looks like at least two guys from TabletPCBuzz have their hands on them. Apparently one is disgruntled that the X60 uses a different power connecter:
http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=33630

[techDot]

just wanted to update your news.
I ordered a new x41 tablet a few days back then stumbled upon your news of the new x60 tablet. It left me with a big dillema. So I did a little research.
I came upon the Information Systems Dept. (of this particular college) notice for their lecturers - regarding their laptop replacement program - which indicates that the x60 tablet will probably be available only at the end of the year.
take a look:
http://www.wfu.edu/Computer-information/reference/thinkpad/faculty/index.html

-Another point to consider though is the fact that the prices for the x41 tablet, in Lenovo's and other major ressellers has gone down in the past couple of weeks.
Hope this would help others as it did me!