LENOVO IDEAPAD K1

For most users around the world, the IdeaPad K1 will be the first experience with a Lenovo Android tablet and it should be quite a crowd pleaser overall, despite its somewhat unattractive look. First off, the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 is quite heavy as tablets go at 1.65 pounds (0.7 kilograms), large at 10.39” x 7.44” (26.4 cm x 18.9 cm), and somewhat thick at 0.52” (1.3 cm); plus, the slippery back will not appeal to some users.

However, first impressions aren’t everything and the would-be IdeaPad K1 user should stay around to check out the nice hardware supplied in this tablet: The spec list includes a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 microprocessor; a micro SD slot and micro HDMI port; cameras of 5 MP and 2 MP; and WiFi connectivity.

And while the battery life of 10-plus hours is excellent, perhaps most impressive about the IdeaPad K1 is the software. The base operating system is Android Honeycomb 3.1, and Lenovo has made some nice changes to make it even more useful (and easier) to use. Located dead-center in the display screen are icons labeled “watch,” “listen” and “read”; these lead to programs for video, audio and eBook display. While defaults are set for each, the user may rapidly change the landing page for any to match his/her preferences.

A widget for AccuWeather is included, as is Lenovo software entitled SocialTouch, which combines Twitter and Facebook updates into one nice display. Plus, there’s a truckload of apps including Amazon Kindle, Documents to Go 3.0, Norton Security, PrinterShare, the eBuddy IM client, four programs for video editing, PhotoStudio, card games and more – this list alone is certain to make the Lenovo Idea Pad K1 a favorite.

Tablet2Cases recommends to buy it now for $198.