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Writer tests iPad keyboards under deadline fire

Sometimes, gadget reviewers need to turn to their test products in an emergency. I found myself in that very predicament last week when I was on deadline for CNET--just as the hard drive on my MacBook Pro decided to pack it in permanently.

Editors can't print your whining about computer glitches, and you don't get paid much for plaintive cries of "I'm working on it." So when said laptop died on me with only a couple hours left to hand in my commentary on the anniversary of John F. Kennedy's "moon speech," I had to look to my iPad to get the piece written and turned over to the news desk.

You can get any number of word-processing programs for the iPad. For better file swap between my tablet and MacBook Pro, I turn to Pages. Though some say there are better app options, I figured Apple's native program would help me pound out several paragraphs mourning the current state of the American space program. But I can't use that pop-up virtual keyboard the iPad provides for entering text for anything more than an e-mail or a Facebook post. I've tried, and I end up with typed-up pseudo-English that resembles a code pumped out by the Nazi Enigma machine.

You've heard the cliche about an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters eventually creating all of Shakespeare's works? That simian scribble is what comes out of my iPad if I can't hear the comforting "click" of keyboard strokes.

After realizing all of that, I unpacked the five keyboards I had on hand to review and loaded them up for use in this order: the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard from ThinkGeek, Logitech Keyboard Case by Zagg for iPad 2, the Apple Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard, the Omnio Wow-Keys and the ThinkGeek Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad.

These are hardly the only options on the market, and some of them have already been reviewed by the gadget crew here at CNET. But my personal crisis offered an excellent test as to how fast I could get these items out of the box and working with President Kennedy and the Apollo Crew waiting. … Read more

Does the iCade prove that the iPad needs a controller?

A fellow co-worker who's an unabashed iOS enthusiast passed by my cube yesterday and saw me playing on a table-top arcade machine sitting on my desk. He stopped, eyes drawn to the bright colors on the sides and the top, and the arcade graphics on the small glass screen. I explained that it was an iPad sitting in the iCade, a $99 self-assemble arcade cabinet with Bluetooth joystick.

Naturally, he wanted to try it out on a few games he liked. I explained that the iCade currently only works with Atari's Greatest Hits app, which admittedly has 100 games, but lacks arcade classics like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Joust--games that are, of course, made by other publishers. I also explained that it really only worked in portrait mode (or a slightly precarious but still-possible landscape mode, by using a groove on the outside edge).

He started to sour. Eventually, he walked away.

Of course, for arcade nuts and fans of novelty bar-top/desktop toys, the iCade is still a pretty awesome little treat. But until it can support other games--which Ion, the maker of the iCade, says will happen via a shared API--its appeal will necessarily be limited. I can think of dozens of games in the App Store that would be perfect for the iCade: Street Fighter IV. Death Rally. NBA Jam. Pinball HD. Tetris. Space Invaders Infinity Gene. The aforementioned Pac-Man. … Read more

Hands-on with the iCade, a vintage arcade cabinet for your iPad

It started life as an April Fool's prank on ThinkGeek.com, but overwhelming consumer interest prodded the company to bring the iCade to life (much like the Tauntaun sleeping bag, another ThinkGeek mockup that became a real product). For the uninitiated, the iCade is a pint-size arcade cabinet/stand for Apple's iPad. Slide an iPad in, and it acts as a wireless Bluetooth controller for the Atari iPad app, which offers 100 classic arcade and home console games for $15 (or individual game packs for 99 cents).

Our iCade just arrived this morning, so we quickly assembled it … Read more

(Thin)kpads compared: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 vs. ThinkPad Edge E220s

Fancy a thin ThinkPad? Lenovo's venerable ThinkPad brand may seem from a distance to look the same every year, since lately the interesting changes have been made under the surface lately. It's also a confusing landscape to navigate, even when you know what size you want. Case in point: the ThinkPad X1 and the ThinkPad Edge E220s.

In one sense, they're completely different laptops. The X1 is a full-powered 13-incher, with a serious professional bent and durable construction. The Edge E220s is a smaller, low-voltage laptop, a 12.5-incher with a more reasonable price tag. And yet, … Read more

Lenovo: USB 3.0 mainstream in 2012

Lenovo's top product manager for the popular ThinkPad line says USB 3.0 will go mainstream in 2012, while Intel sees the new Thunderbolt interface gravitating to some high-end nonmainstream laptop models.

This week, Lenovo began selling its ThinkPad X1, a 0.85-inch thick (thickest point), 3.8-pound design based on Intel's "Sandy Bridge" Core i5 and i7 processors.

Beyond the obvious attractions of a svelte, high-powered laptop, the X1 also sports an increasingly popular USB port based on the "SuperSpeed" 3.0 specification. USB is one of the most widely used connection technologies … Read more

Digital City 128: Searching for Samsung's 11-inch Series 9 laptop, PSN is back, and ThinkPad history

This week: We search for the elusive 11-inch version of Samsung's Series 9 laptop, which is allegedly in-stock at a single online retailer, check in on the still-ailing PlayStation Network, hear a bit about NYC's plan to become a leading "digital city." Then it's quiz time, as we stump the gang with some ThinkPad trivia.

Bonus: Download the show's jaunty theme song as a free MP3 here.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 reviewed: Thin, sleek 13-incher for the business set

Especially in an age of iPads and tablets, thin laptops seem to be back on the rise. Emerging into a landscape full of MacBook Airs, Samsung Series 9s, and Toshiba Porteges--to name a few--is Lenovo's corporate take on the thin, sexy 13-incher, the ThinkPad X1. We've played with one for a week now, and have finally emerged with our review of Lenovo's sex(ier) beast.

The ThinkPad X series has been alive and well for years--the x100e and X201 are recent members of the ThinkPad's ultraportable line--but the X1 is a 13.3-incher that's … Read more

Lenovo's ThinkCentre Edge 91z all-in-one aims at office

We mostly like the looks of Lenovo's new ThinkCentre Edge 91z all-in-one desktop. The 21.5-inch display is surrounded by acres of bezel, and the foot-and-kickstand design always looks amateurish next to a pedestal support, but in all, this new all-in-one makes a suitably sleek impression given Lenovo's interest in putting the system in your office.

When it debuts in July, the ThinkCentre Edge 91z will start at $699, netting you a second-generation Intel Core i3 S-series low-power processor, 1GB of RAM, and other low-end specifications. Higher-end builds will scale up to a second-gen 2.8GHz Core i7 2600S CPUs, a discrete 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6650 graphics chip, and an 80GB solid-state drive. Lenovo even promises a Blu-ray drive option and HDMI output.

If you're wondering what makes this a business-oriented system, all models come with Lenovo's ThinkVantage software for system recovery and security. Lenovo also offers a variety of business software and support options. The system does not feature Intel's vPro business hardware management technology, which suggests that the ThinkCentre Edge 91z is most appropriate for small office or home office environments.… Read more

Rumor: Android 3.0 ThinkPad tablet by summer?

According to a Lenovo internal presentation sent to the blog This Is My Next over the weekend, the world's fourth-largest PC maker is planning to jump on the touch-screen tablet bandwagon by this summer.

Here's what the document says: The tablet will be powered by Android 3.0, otherwise known as Honeycomb, will come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage size options, weigh 1.6 pounds, and have a 10.1-inch IPS (in-plane switching) touch screen. The processor is an Nvidia Tegra 2, there are two cameras--front and back--and it'll be 0.55 inches thick.

There are … Read more

Leaks show Lenovo's secret ultrathin X1 laptop

Documents and images purportedly from laptop maker Lenovo have turned up on several Web sites, detailing an upcoming ultrathin 13-inch laptop called the X1. From a listing on a Swiss reseller Web site and a widely distributed internal Lenovo PowerPoint presentation, we get the following list of specs, partially translated from the original German in this forum.

Intel Core i5-2520M processor (dual-core, 2.50GHz, - 3.20GHz,) Max 8GB RAM 160GB SSD 13.3-inch LED 1,366 x 768 Corning Gorilla Glass 350 NITS Outdoor Panel Intel Integrated HD Graphics High-definition Dolby Home Theater v4 audio 3G mobile broadband TrackPoint, … Read more