Santa Rosa X61 Tablet coming in June

The news that Lenovo was prepping Santa Rosa Core 2 Duo versions of their popular X61 Ultraportable and X61 Tablet isn't new – in fact we heard about it last month – but what wasn't so clear was how long we'd have to wait before we could grace our desks (and the crooks of our arms) with the upgraded systems.  Now, thanks to some recently discovered documents on the IBM site, we know that a formal announcement will be made on May 31st while actual availability comes in June.

Aside from the Intel Core 2 Duo processors and chipset (with 800MHz FSB and 4MB Cache) there'll be Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics and Intel's n-flavour WiFi.  As for CPU speed, the Ultraportable looks to be getting 2.0GHz and 2.2GHz options, while the Tablet has low-voltage 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz chips. 

High-resolution fans will be pleased to hear that the 1400 x 1050 SXGA+ screen remains an option, and that's joined by a further choice of 1GB of Intel's Turbo Memory as well as a 100GB 7200RPM hard-drive.

Full example specs are:

X61 Ultraportable:

  • Screen: 12.1-in TFT (1024X768)
  • Bluetooth Wireless Technology
  • Integrated Fingerprint Reader
  • Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7300
  • Mobile Intel GM965 Express Chipset
  • Intel GMA X3100 Integrated Graphics
  • 120GB / 5400rpm
  • 2 GB (2 x 1GB)
  • 8-cell battery
  • Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Business
  • X61 Tablet:

  • 12.1" XGA Super-Wide Angle TFT
  • Bluetooth Wireless Technology
  • Integrated Fingerprint Reader
  • Intel Core 2 Duo processor L7500 (LV)
  • Mobile Intel GM965 Express Chipset
  • Intel GMA X3100 Integrated Graphics
  • 120GB / 5400rpm
  • 2 GB RAM
  • Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
  • 8 Cell Li-Ion
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate)
  • Now it's just a case of waiting to see how expensive the two models are on launch.  The X60 was never a cheap option, although it always scored highly in reviews and the Tablet variant was often labelled best-of-breed, and I would imagine the X61 duo won't be hitting any budget price-points.

    IBM X61 Tablet Document and IBM X61 Ultraportable Document [via NotebookReview]