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Lenovo IdeaPad K1 teardown: Easy to open, not so easy to service

In this week's Cracking Open feature, I disassemble the Lenovo IdeaPad K1. This 10-inch Android tablet has a 1GHz NVidia processor, 1GB RAM, 1280x800 display, Wi-Fi support, front and rear cameras, and comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models. The 32GB model with set you back $499 (US).

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/itdojo/lenovo-ideapad-k1-teardown-easy-to-open-not-so-easy-to-service/2894

What's the most important characteristic you want in a tablet--brand, price, hardware specifications, operating system, or installed applications?

Your poll leaves out one major option, one that is the reason Apple does so well: Ecosystem. If there's nowhere to get apps for the thing, then it better come with everything you'd ever need or it'll become a pretty picture frame and little else.

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Also, while you dislike the Foil in the thing, it is necessary for radio interference isolation. If it's not there, the unit may become quirky at best, unusable at worst. The foil is cheaper and easier to replace than soldering on a metal shield, assuming you can get some of the foil tape that is.

I agree that a tablet's software library is a key factor in a tablet's success, but I lump it in with operating system choice: iOS = App Store, Android = Market, Windows Phone = Marketplace, WebOS = well....

As for the foil, there are other (more repair-friendly) ways to shield components. For example, check the following cracking open galleries of tablets without massive amounts of foil shielding:

Acer Iconia Tab
http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/cracking-open-the-acer-iconia-tab-a500/6279615

Asus Eee Pad Transformer
http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/cracking-open-the-asus-eee-pad-transformer-tf101/6270147

Toshiba Thrive
http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/cracking-open-the-toshiba-thrive/6260686

I???d purchase a tablet IF they where in the $200 - $300 range. As far as current $500 plus tablets are concerned For their capabilities & specs, The money spent on a $500 plus tablet would be better spent on a quality netbook or on desktop upgrades.

I think they have their place but they???re over priced for the roll they currently fulfill.

...Then it doesn't stand a chance in productivity against my PC+iPhone combination

Most of the items on the list have certain levels of value and so it could have been a rating system.

The operating system is important because some OS have a lot more people writing programs for them. But a good OS with crappy hardware is not good either. Which comes to price, while it may be cheap, usually you get what you pay for, so it's worth a couple bucks more for better hardware and an OS that is better supported. For installed apps, most people don't buy a computer and use only what it came with, but continually add on as needed.

When I was first trying to decide which type of computer to use a couple, okay a bunch, of years ago, I had a choice of a PC, a Mac, an Atari 1024st or an Amiga. One of the deciding factors was the availability of all kinds of freeware for PC on bulletin boards and computer shows, plus I walked into an Egghead store and there were shelf after shelf of PC software and there was one shelf for Mac, so I went with a PC.

Can a 3g card be added or is there just space?

thank you very much for your effort.
I want to know i can build a USB Host cable for connection a flash disk or removable hard disk.
or can i have a pinout of output connector and signals on pinout available?
please help me

Hi
I want to know , does have USB chip (smsc 3315) a +5V on the pin 2 & pin 7?
if exist a +5V , we can install a usb port for Ideapad k1.
Please help me.

Hi
I want to know does have a +5V on pin 2 & pin 7 on the USB cheep (smsc 3315)?
If avaible the voltage , we can instal a usb port on ideapad k1.
Please help me.