well, i found the best deal for today for a 183827U tablet with pen included..
according to the website of provantage.com it breaks down this way:
$20 for two day fedex delivery..
$643 for the 183827U with pen..
total $663.67..

the pricing for these is all over the place with the best initial cost at another vendor but without the $33 pen included.. and free UPS ground shipping.. UPS ground takes way too long when coming from where they ship from and then there was an additional day or two before they would ship..

i used american express so my warranty is doubled to two years..

we shall see what arrives on friday nov 4..

tablet arrived..
initial impressions:

1. no documentation beyone a quick start guide.. (how do you turn this thing on..?!
2. very good fit and finish.. slick as a ThinkPad should be.. glass front and soft black paint on the back.. pen parks in the side..
3. finally found the on switch and wandered around for a bit.. then decided to update it.. got a message (like the old bios update restrictions) that one is only allowed to update with battery above 70% and plugged in.. since batters was at 30% i figuered it would update when it was finally charged.. guess what, nope, it gave me that message and then updated itself..
4. screen is nice and bright once the brightness is turned all the way up.. (contrary to other reviews which said screen was dim..
5. gotta get some sort of folio for this or maybe the keyboard accessory..
6. side by side with my iPad 1 the ThinkPad display is HD size, more rectangular..
7. its tough NOT to cause unwanted actions when resting your palm on the display while writing with the pen..
8. angry birds is a waste of time and i don't plan to pay to upgrade to the non-commercial playing version.. how do i remove angry birds..? all the birds hereabouts are most pleasant..

9. The string tether is thoughtful BUT the tiny clips that secure the loops on each end can scratch the tablet surface..
10. The USB cable supplied with the A/C adapter is very thick and stiff.. moving the tablet while charging "works" the micro USB socket.. this can't be good.. suggest a replacement cable thats more flexible yet can carry the charge load..

more thoughts coming..

Pen proximity disables touch input, so if you can train yourself to first bring the pen close to the screen and only then put down your palm it should work.

Some note-taking apps implement a method to exclude touch input, for example Quill (which I wrote). You can get it on the android market https://market.android.com/details?id=com.write.Quill or download the apk for free from http://code.google.com/p/android-quill.

@volker..
thanks.. i'll give it a try..

just FWIW:
in comparing the ThinkPad Android tablet to my iPad..
i am beginning to feel that the iPad and macbook pro i once owned fall into the same category..
very pretty and artistic design but too much of a "black box"..
or, take it or leave it but don't try to mold it into a better more flexable tool..
whereas this thinkpad android tablet has more ability to change and be changed to better serve the users needs..

edited

I actually like my ThinkPad Tablet quite a bit, but it's not perfect. Three top issues;

1) Volume is weak. One tiny, weak speaker that is usually positioned under your hand or against your clothes, further diminishing the audio. (I may sell it just for this reason alone.) This isn't immediately obvious with programs that have high volume levels, like Angry Birds. However, not every source blasts the volume. For some, turning the volume up all the way doesn't help.

2) Battery charge time is pathetic. Using the included micro-USB charger, there have been times that it hasn't fully charged over night! It might even take 20 hours for a full charge. Just awful. Charge under 7%? Good luck turning the tablet on.

3) Battery life with a WWAN installed and enabled embarrasing. In use, not many hours. Even in standby, it won't last over night. Don't forget to shut off the WWAN power when not in use!

It's really too bad because the design and operation are nice otherwise. It is also very, very durable - I found this out first hand.

add to my impressions:

I am using the iPad AC adapter to charge the thinkpad tablet..
both are rated at 2 amps.. one at 5 v. the other at 5.35 v.
i forget which one but i'll look and edit this post later..

next i will see how long each one will go, with the display ON, longest..

looking on amazon there are many USB cables standard USB to micro-USB and also USB chargers but i don't see many (or any) with over 2 amps output..
I wonder how many amps (or watts) before the micro-plug melts or the cable melts..

since lenovo offers a 65 watt charger how does that work..?

also, FWIW, the standard USB socket does NOT seem to accept charging voltage.. only the micro-USB..

uhmm, and what tale of flying thinkpads engendered THIS remark:

the 65 watt charger will only work in the ThinkPad Tablet's dock, which is pretty expensive.

Let's just say that my two young sons appreciate technology, but haven't yet developed the fine motor skills to handle devices as adults do..

If it only had two speakers and a little more audio power.

@volker..

Using quill now...
Too bad I can not handwrite directly Into this post...
typing is deadlly slow using the onscreen keyboard..
AND i just plugged a USB keyboard into the USB port and doing that is just as slow but easier than with finger touches on the tablet..

You can use the thinkpad usb keyboard with trackpoint on the device.

sure can..!
doing so right now..!

trackpoint and most other keys all work..

but typing into the forum is still deadly slow..

In regards to the comment on documentation and no instructions on how to turn on the tablet, the Quick Start Guide clearly explains and shows how to connect and turn on the tablet. It also provides step-by-step instructions on how to access the comprehensive User Guide, which is preinstalled as an app.

WHAT..??
you mean upon opening my new toy i actually must RTFM..?
(for those who do not know "RTFM" it means "Read the Fine Manual")

okok..
you got me on that one..
but still, there should be a manual that does not need to be printed out..

C'mon Bill, The TPT is a mobile device. Preinstalling the User Guide (PDF) as an app gives you 24/7 access to the information no matter where you are, with or without a network connection. The PDF format makes it easy to search for a term or phrase. Do you really want to lug around a 100 page paper manual and find things by manually flipping through pages? Putting the format aside, I think you have to hand it to Lenovo for providing a good User Guide.

I like to use "Read the Full Manual".

hand it to lenovo..? nooo, i would think it to be obvious to have a user guuide ON the device whether its a ThinkPad tablet or ThinkPad laptop or desktop..

and i'll go along that too many don't read the effing manual.. (RTFM..!!!)
when i was tech support for "our" alpha microsysttems system house in mountain view during the carter admin i had to drive from there to a doctors office in beserkeley because someone had flipped the full/half duplex switch on the back of a soroc terminal.. to change it back to half duplex..

the quick start guide is fine for what it is.. and i admit i just pushed the first switch on the tablet anxious to see this little gem light up and dance..

but right now i am perplexed with this android 3.2 OS..

its way different from what i am accustomed to using..

lenovo should have some sort of android user manual explaining the ins and outs of the OS.. especially for those of us who are used to windows.. because that is the target audience as well as the apple crowd.. who, BTW, will be hard to drag away from their iPads and the like..

first impression..?! i really like this ThinkPad Tablet and as soon as i get around to it i'll take a pic of it and a real Think Pad tablet and post a review of some sort on the lenovo site..

OH! i keep forgetting to mention that the radio range is way better on the ThinkPad Tablet than the iPad 1..

AND..

lenovo SHOULD have added a file manager to the app suite..

These Android tablets keep dropping further and further, making them tempting. You can get a 16GB Toshiba for $300 on NewEgg, but I'm not so sure. I didn't like the iPad when I used it. I prefer a physical keyboard and having it sit my lap works better for me.

wait a bit and lot of them will be at Kindle Fire prices.

IRT the keyboard..
just got the thinkpad version of the folio/keyboard..
using it now..
same complaint as before.. there is a 1 or 2 second lag between when the key is depressed to when the character appears on screen..
at least while using the forum..
i have not yet tried in a text editor..

as for the folio/keyboard it is very thoughtfully well done..
the keys are each individual and have great tactile feedback..

my only reservation is the so called trackpoint.. i'm sure they could have gotten a real trackpoint embedded in the keyboard and perhaps lenovo will do so in the next generation..
for now, this is WAY better than the similar one i have for my iPad..

all-in-all, first impression and once the "new" wears off this is a great ThinkPad..

Lenovo said that there is not enough space for a classic trackpoint, though maybe they can shrink it in a future version.

I found the keyboard to be very good (considering that its 10"). But since you cannot change the keyboard layout its just a paperweight for me. I'm touch-typing dvorak and am not planning on switching to querty. There are also some unhappy users on the Lenovo forum that lost their country-specific layout in some update. For now I would only recommend the keyboard if you use the US english keyboard layout only.

@volker..
yes, that might be a problem..
i'll look at it with that thought in mind but for me i tend to take whats given and work with it..

as for the delay when typing into the forum, it must be related to the forum since typinig into a text editor is immediate..
the character displayed after striking the key must go to the forum and then back again to be echo'ed onscreen.. interesting.. typing now (on a desktop) into the forum gets an immediate echo to the screen..

seems weird ,,,,, READING these "feedback" and comments re " TP Tablet......
FYI..had that BEFORE ( beta tester for some TP Prodcut Manager) ,...ah long story short!
No Touch screen;Small Battery life with Wifi; Charding issues ;Pen not Std Supply; Shortage of ADD-On; lack of Acc etc ,,,,,, blah blah ONLY plus was for me = IPS screen
TP Product Managers = need to take notice and "try' to make changes ....orelse WHY BOTHER pple with beta testers 'mandatory feedback' !

Sorry .. Hiya Uncle Bill ; ....under & others ....too warm in Paris !

ausmike:

Not much for NDAs, are you?

oops .. was THAT TOOO honest ? " truths dont hurt - when you have facts to back it up"
ah well ; maybe ; but than like aussies Say .....Good On Ya mate!

It was in jest... I wasn't commenting on its accuracy one way or another.

I don't know what NDA you did or did not sign -- I was simply taking a guess that you would have signed one to get access to pre-release hardware.

hey ausmike..! how're things..

erk, more remarks re the tablet..
it really needs more documentation, for the OS..
AND some thinkpad (windows) like utilities.. like the power management apps on thinkpads..
AND it should ship with some sort of carry bag or pouch.. shucks, even a CD drive comes with a pouch, why not a ThinkPad Tablet..?
or a this case protector of some sort.. so far, for me, the gorilla glass seems to be so good as to not need any protective film..
AND, once again, i want to remark on the charging.. the A/C adapter is something sourced from the same guys who sell to motorola for cell phones.. and the charging cable is way too stiff.. the charger really wants to be more than 2 amps and it it had been ME designing this tablet i would have wanted a more positive charging socket than a micro-usb.. (i have to wonder how many insertions this thing can take..?)
and if the pins in the micro-USB are not up to taking more than a 2 amp charge current then how about using the regular USB socket..? (i know, then the tablet would have to come out of the keyboard folio)..

NOW, let me remark on the 4 little buttons..
again, if it were me, i would have suggested buttons requiring a more direct and positive force.. why..? because i only seem to depress one of these buttons when i am holding the tablet in my right hand, by that edge..

still and all the more i use this the more i like it..

OH!, one more thing..
the covers on the writing app should look like the original THINK Pad rather than some generis note taking pad..
just saying here that this is a classy ThinkPad Tablet and it should use its history to set itself apart from the iPad..

I broke down and bought an Acer tablet today. For $230, who could resist?

well ... for all those who wana be the FIRST TO GET ... their gadgets ...

things to come from Lenovo - SUPER HUSH HUSH DOCO.... re future thinkpad ,,,, (especially for T*ROB - since he is too worried about NDA )...

things that caught by eye = future QUAD CORE tablets ((note -while its still a talk from Lenovo- where as I already have one in my hands from [u]Another MFG'er[/u]!)))); new 3G/4G Andriod TABLETS......<not sure why Lenovo seems to dilute the "THINK" brand name ,,,,,,


*** my 2c worth of B****today lol

I've had my TPT (64 GB, 3G) for less than a month and I'm not a power user.
My TP X201s still does the heavy lifting. I will be traveling in Jan and will leave the X home and see what the TPT can really do.

So far I am please with it. Haven't yet used the pen but hoping to have a go at it.
Email, web, ebooks and a movie and no complaints.

Have also charged it with my phone charger (generic 5V, 200ma {is that the same as 2 A?}) with no problem.

I can't compare it with IPad 2 or Galaxy as I wasn't interested in them. I wanted 3G, SD and full size USB. I have the keyboard folio on order and also a roos lightweight folio.

I hope to get a better report in the next few months but so far good.

200 ma is 2/10 (two tenths) of an amp.. or, in the case of the lenovo supplied charger, 10% of the standard 2 amps..
it'll charge but very slowly..

some of the free android market apps are quite nice..
for instance, there is one that searches your available AP's and hands you back the MAC and IP numbers..
fing it is called..

another one displays the signal strength of any AP's in range.. also very useful..