By 
Looks like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet will be joining the elite club of Android devices set to receive their Ice Cream Sandwich updates this year. More specifically, Lenovo mentioned today that Android 4.0 will arrive for the tablet Q2 of this year. The tablet is currently running on Android 3.1 which isn’t so bad seeing how I’ve always felt 4.0 is only a slightly better version of Honeycomb. Anyone with a ThinkPad out there happy about this news?
[PCWorld]
Finally an update
Slightly is an understatement with an ice cream sandwich update. Breathed new life into the xoom
would be an huge upgrade because of the added pen functionality
If Ice Cream Sandwich works as well as Honeycomb has (non-functional GPS; constant, constant force closes (every other time I open almost any app); a camera that cannot focus; painfully infrequent updates; along with numerous hardware problems (unsoldered power buttons, fragile micro-USB, and no communication from Lenovo about which lots have the problems), then what will it matter? Even if you’re lucky enough to have the right hardware, why would everything start working just because we have android 4.0?
Lenovo dropped the ball with the ThinkPad Tablet. Then they kicked the ball into the mud further sullying the ThinkPad name; and put their fingers into their ears and covered their eyes and did their best Sgt. Schultz about the problems, “I see nothing! I see nothing!”
Just search for the above keywords (note: Lenovo’s official forums http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-slate-tablets/bd-p/Thinkpad_slate and the fanboi site http://www.thinkpadtabletforums.com/forum/#c2 are both fairly open about tolerating criticism, but they have censored content they didn’t like (like my posts)). The problems are well-known among the small group of TPT owners. With the locked bootloader and refusal to grant root, there is little that can be done (though recently root was achieved despite Lenovo’s intransigence :-)
I don’t know why anyone would buy Lenovo now. They’ll have to prove any future products will work before they’re a safe purchase. So much for that ThinkPad name Lenovo paid so dearly for.
@shonangreg:disqus,
Just so you know, root has been achieved, and it’s a fairly straight-forward process. (~30 mins, and most of that is installing android debugging software on your computer).
Check it out:
http://www.thinkpadtabletforums.com/thinkpad-tablet-root-hacks-mods-and-development/how-to-root-the-thinkpad-tablet/
For ADB and SDK drivers:
http://www.thinkpadtabletforums.com/thinkpad-tablet-root-hacks-mods-and-development/complete-setup-guide-android-sdk-and-adb/
Hope that helps.
Thanks, Christopher. I did mention this above:
…(though recently root was achieved despite Lenovo’s intransigence :-)
Now I’m waiting to see of the OTA2 update coming out soon is also rootable with the same exploit. No one knows yet. If the same exploit works, then I think many TPT users will be running a rooted OTA2 ROM till this May or so when we will have to decide whether to go with an unrooted Ice Cream Sandwich or staying with a rooted Honeycomb. It’ll be fun comparing the two. I hope Lenovo can compete with a few hackers and get the software side of the TPT running by then.
I am actually happy with my TPT….
sure… there are some issues, like proprietary usb cable and bloatware (which I
had to gloss over with ADWlauncher)- but I have yet to suffer the critical
trouble I hear about so often (yet…?!?!)
I wonder if it has to do with the type of person who buys this sort of device,
and the increased demands that is put on the device over the rather simple uses
of the Xoom and Ipad crowd
*pat myself of the shoulder* ;)
p.s- I don’t work for Lenovo or any such gobbledygook
My TPT has been running great so far except for the GPS. Didn’t bother to check out why yet as I haven’t got the need to use it as a GPS device. Still happy to hear that there is ICS to come. I get bored overtime so having new OS to try is a bonus. Keeping me excited.