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Clearing up the Digitizer Issues on Lenovo’s Touch Thinkpads

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x200t_rightThere’s been some confusion on what digitizers Lenovo is using on the new Thinkpads using Windows 7. This post should hoepfully clear that up. Admittedly we’ve helped spread some of the confusion, so apologies for that. But let’s hope this clears it up.

Lenovo is sprinkling review units of the x200T Tablet PC and the T400s Notebook with touch around. I’m checking out the x200T currently. (Look for an InkShow later today or tonight on that.) The two different devices do not use the same digitizer. The x200T Tablet PC is using a Wacom digitizer for its two finger touch and the T400s is using an N-Trig digitizer for the four finger touch. When we asked Lenovo for clarification at the end of last week we said we had lots readers curious about the digitizer and the first answer we got back was that they used digitizers from N-Trig. But several folks pointed out that on the x200T, Device Manager was reporting a Wacom Two Finger Touch HID driver. Querying Lenovo again they cleared it up by letting us know that the two devices used two different digitizers.

Sumocat’s rant about Wacom last week brings up points well taken. But the point extends further than just Wacom. OEMs should not only list which digitizer is being used in the specs, but in fact view this as a possible selling point. Artists and others who uses Tablet PCs for their work rely on certain levels of pressure sensitivity, and let’s face it, there are folks who just don’t care much for N-Trig’s digitizers out there.

To be fair, this is an evolving technology, and quite honestly we’ve gotten a bit tired of asking Wacom, N-Trig, and OEMs about digitizer issues. There’s so much secrecy about the issue that you’d think it was some sort of national security issue.

Does it all matter? It obviously will to some, but to many it won’t. That doesn’t erase the fact that the information should be plainly available.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Mac wilson

    09/21/2009 at 11:58 am

    Wacom maybe playing it close tot he vest because it doesn’t want to screw up like n-trig has.

    After all bad drives are the bane of the hardware world.
    Best to wait for a reliable product instead of rush things hoping that no one will notice ; which of course is a distortion

    But there are other specs as well that aren’t readily available, such as the screen manufacturers. This is very important for tablets but they seem to be constrained by suppliers so they hide the fact so that they can throw in what is available.

    I personally want to know if the X200 has a Hydis screen but i’m not holding my breath for an answer.I will just have to wait until someone actually opens it and looks at the sticker.

  2. Mac wilson

    09/21/2009 at 12:01 pm

    (couldn’t edit post here’s a correct version…..sorry : ) )

    Wacom maybe playing it close tot he vest because it doesn’t want to screw up like n-trig has.

    After all bad drivers are the bane of the hardware world.
    Best to wait for a reliable product instead of rushing things hoping that no one will notice ; which of course is a distortion

    But there are other specs as well that aren’t readily available, such as the screen manufacturers. This is very important for tablets but they seem to be constrained by suppliers so they hide the fact so that they can throw in what is available.

    I personally want to know if the X200 has a Hydis screen but i’m not holding my breath for an answer.I will just have to wait until someone actually opens one and looks at the sticker.

  3. Chad Essley

    09/21/2009 at 1:08 pm

    I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m Wacom’s largest advocate!

    Wacom! *shake* *shake* -Give me a call!

    I’m right across the river in Portland Oregon. I even look ok on camera, can tap dance.. help you know..PROMOTE!

    Let’s talk!
    C

  4. DJ

    09/21/2009 at 3:06 pm

    wow I stop reading for a week and all HECK breaks loose :-)

    I hope I’m not too far off subject with this, but I’m sure there’s a few of us out here who would like to know. When I bought my x61 it came with a wacom digitizer and multi-touch screen. How does that relate to all this and using Windows 7?

    thx

  5. lilikindsli

    10/04/2009 at 3:22 pm

    4RnIPV I want to say – thank you for this!

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