Lenovo ThinkPad X61

These days, convertible tablet PCs are showing up as more than just a blip on the radar. They've been widely adopted in the vertical markets, and students are embracing them. Lenovo (formerly IBM) has long been a leader in the convertible tablet PC space.

In the ThinkPad X61 Tablet ($1,934 direct) Lenovo continues to fuse the design of its darling X-Series ultra portable (see ThinkPad X60s) with the tablet's functionality.

While it's clear that convertible tablets are picking up traction, the penetration hasn't been at the level of some of the more popular laptops. It could be that consumers haven't yet grasped the idea of using a digitizer pen on a laptop.

Maybe the price premium is putting off potential customers. And perhaps the fact that two of the top three laptop vendors, Dell and Apple, haven't officially announced any tablet PCs of their own has limited their growth. Regardless, Lenovo has made significant progress with the ThinkPad X61 Tablet, making the adjustment easy for many would be tablet converts.