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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case Review

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Lenovo’s ThinkPad Tablet is a good companion device for the more business-minded amongst us. Still, as with all tablets, it’s productivity quotient isn’t so high when it comes to on-screen typing. The FlexT9 keyboard is fine for basic text input, but when you write something longer than a few lines or want to type faster than tracing words will allow, you need an external keyboard.

Lenovo’s Keyboard Folio Case adds a physical keyboard and an optical mouse to the ThinkPad experience. It also makes the tablet look even more like a ThinkPad notebook thanks to the design and layout. But is this accessory worth the extra $99.99?

Read on to find out.

Hands on With the ThinkPad Tablet Portfolio

Keyboard

The keyboard itself is 9.5 inches wide and 4 inches deep, which is slightly larger than most netbook keyboards. And like some netbooks, to keep things small there are some slightly undersized keys like Enter and Shift. Overall, key size is good and I didn’t feel cramped or crowded when typing.

Keyboard - ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case

Keys have the same basic shape as ThinkPad notebook keys (new style, not old school), so you get a nice dip in the center that helps with accuracy. I’m a messy typist, but I was able to get up to my normal rate right away with only a slight dip in accuracy.

Since the keyboard is shallow and in a tablet case, you’re not going to get the same firm tactile feedback and travel as you would on a notebook. There’s also a small amount of flex if you press hard enough. For what it is, the Folio keyboard rates high for comfort and usability.

In addition to the normal QWERTY layout and full number row, the Folio also has special Android OS keys. Along the top where the F1 – F12 keys would normally sit, Lenovo provides one-press access to Home, Settings, Brightness, Volume, Zoom and multimedia controls. On the lower left side the Ctrl key brings up the Menu and a Search key sits where the Fn or Windows key normally would. On the right, a Sym key will bring up the Keyboard input method.

ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case

When I first started with the Folio, the FlexT9 keyboard was set as the default. But I found that the physical keyboard’s performance wasn’t great with this on. The T9 was trying to correct spelling as I typed, slowing down the process. Choosing the default Android keyboard solved the problem.

Optical Mouse

Because the keyboard is so thin, there wasn’t room for a normal TrackPoint’s hardware. Instead, Lenovo included an optical TrackPoint. Sitting in the middle of the keyboard just where you’d expect to find it, users must glide their finger over the surface instead of physically pushing to move the arrow around the display.

Optical TrackPoint and mouse buttons - ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case

I didn’t find myself using this much, defaulting to tapping the screen when I needed to. The optical surface is small, so you have to swipe several times to get the arrow from one side of the screen to the other. But since it’s connected to a touchscreen device, this isn’t a dealbreaker.

Typists who like not having to move their fingers from the home row to use the mouse will appreciate this function. It’s also useful for placing the cursor precisely when writing. Otherwise, it doesn’t offer much advantage over just tapping the screen.

Just under the space bar sit two mouse buttons that are easy to reach with a thumb when typing. Just as with the keys, thy aren’t very clicky, but work well. The left one acts as you’d expect, emulating a tap. The right one behaves differently in each app, but often acts as a Menu button.

Folio Design

There are some clever elements to the Folio’s design and also much room for improvement in some areas. The case is 1.25 inches thick with the ThinkPad inside and weighs 1.4 pounds on its own. Together with the 1.6 pound tablet, it’s heavier than the average netbook (2.8 pounds) and just 0.2 pounds lighter than most 11.6-inch ultraportables.

Side View, Closed - ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case

The cradle bit that holds the tablet in place leaves the sides open for port access and has a USB dongle that sticks up, physically connecting the keyboard and mouse to the system. This is good as you don’t need to use up battery with a Bluetooth connection and won’t find the letters lagging behind if you’re a fast typist.

USB Connector - ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case

Sliding the tablet in and pulling it out is more awkward than it needs to be and it takes more force than it should.

Once in, the Folio can hold the tablet at three different angles — they’re not very far off from each other, but are useful in a room with bright overhead lights. It also takes up less space on an airline tray table than a netbook or an ultraportable. I like that the case not only has grooves to keep the tablet stable, but this area is magnetized, so the top part stays firmly in place even if you jostle the Folio a little.

ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case Side View

On flat, stable surfaces I had no trouble setting up and getting right down to typing. The Folio isn’t great for typing in your lap, though, especially if you’re on a train or a moving vehicle. The bottom piece isn’t quite wide enough and the center of gravity just off from a traditional notebook to make the Folio unstable in these situations.

Closed, leather exterior - ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case

The case folds up easily and a magnetic flap keeps it together when not in use. The leather covering is very nondescript, looking like nothing more than a Filofax or similar from the outside.

My biggest issue with the Keyboard Folio is that you can’t use the tablet as a tablet when it’s in the case. There’s no way to easily fold it around or just fold the tablet part over the keys. This wouldn’t be a big deal if it was easier to get the ThinkPad in and out of the thing. It also wouldn’t be as big a deal if it wasn’t also a case.

In order to conveniently pull the tablet out when I just want to use it as a slate, I ended up carrying it in a separate slipcase while also carrying the Folio for when I needed the keyboard, which defeats the purpose.

The Bottom Line

Keyboard and Stylus - ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio Case

If the design issues I mentioned put you off the Keyboard Folio, you do have some alternatives. The ThinkPad’s USB port will accept any USB keyboard, after all. And there are Bluetooth keyboards like the one Logitech makes (read my full review). Both of those options have drawbacks — portability, usability — and neither comes with the optical mouse.

If you plan to use the ThinkPad Tablet for serious productivity, then the Keyboard Folio is a good addition to your arsenal. However, if you need a notebook with you and use the tablet as an adjunct, you can safely skip this accessory.

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. david Wu

    10/03/2011 at 9:44 pm

    im just wondering where did you get the thinkpad tablet keyboard folio from? because i cant seem to find any sellers that has it in stock

  2. david Wu

    10/03/2011 at 9:44 pm

    im just wondering where did you get the thinkpad tablet keyboard folio from? because i cant seem to find any sellers that has it in stock

  3. david Wu

    10/03/2011 at 9:44 pm

    im just wondering where did you get the thinkpad tablet keyboard folio from? because i cant seem to find any sellers that has it in stock

    • K. T. Bradford

      10/03/2011 at 10:14 pm

      From Lenovo. I don’t think the Folio is shipping just yet, but they did say it would happen this month. From what i can see, you can order it from Lenovo when you order the ThinkPad.

    • K. T. Bradford

      10/03/2011 at 10:14 pm

      From Lenovo. I don’t think the Folio is shipping just yet, but they did say it would happen this month. From what i can see, you can order it from Lenovo when you order the ThinkPad.

    • K. T. Bradford

      10/03/2011 at 10:14 pm

      From Lenovo. I don’t think the Folio is shipping just yet, but they did say it would happen this month. From what i can see, you can order it from Lenovo when you order the ThinkPad.

    • K. T. Bradford

      10/03/2011 at 10:14 pm

      From Lenovo. I don’t think the Folio is shipping just yet, but they did say it would happen this month. From what i can see, you can order it from Lenovo when you order the ThinkPad.

  4. david Wu

    10/03/2011 at 9:44 pm

    im just wondering where did you get the thinkpad tablet keyboard folio from? because i cant seem to find any sellers that has it in stock

  5. Anonymous

    10/05/2011 at 10:00 am

    The Apple bluetooth keypad works just fine with the Thinkpad Tablet, and is a whole lot lighter.

    • Guest

      10/16/2011 at 5:46 pm

      that is so helpful……..thanks…I always go to IBM products when i’m curious about whether it works with Apple stuff….that is so interesting….here’s a news flash…ANY BLUETOOTH keyboard works with bluetooth compatable equipment..did you know you can buy the bluetooth keyboard that costs 12 dollars and hook it up to your ipad? I know…isn’t understanding technology great! :)

  6. Fashnlvr

    11/20/2011 at 9:29 am

    Couldn’t you disable the USB port for the keypad temporarily to use it as a tablet in the case? I would think with it disabled it would no longer recognize the keypad and therefore work to change the layout of the screen. I am seriously considering purchasing the tablet with stylus and folio. 
    Thanks for a great review!

  7. Kenn RAYMOND

    06/23/2012 at 12:17 am

    Hi, useful review.. thanks – is it true that the TPT will charge far more quickly in the folio holder.. it takes almost overnight on mains power with the micro USB port (that on my machine has already been repaired once?)

    Thanks in advance

    (Professor) Kenn Raymond

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