Ice Cream Sandwich for Ideapad K1

[Burger]

Mark thank you for the update.

[airtien]

it would

multi-language support is build-in in android source code

[905jay]

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Mark_Lenovo wrote:

aross6,

Thanks - just been busy today and hadn't gotten back to post yet.  The team is working on the release - this is confirmed that it will be a clean / basic version of android 4.x  (ICS).  

This will not include the Lenovo customizations or pre-installed apps that shipped with the 3.1 system, and will be made available for manual download from our website rather than offered as a normal upgrade due to the limitations I noted.

The current plan is for a single WW English image - not region specific since it will not include customizations, and the target availability is still mid June.

I'll try to check in every couple weeks and will update if things change.   

Best regards,

Mark

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Hello Everyone, this is my first post here  I just registered, and would like to thank Mark for his information sharing, and also provide a small update also.

I purchased my K1 (Canada) in October, and from what I understood, ICS was to be released ralatively soon there-after being that it was a standard Tegra-2 platform with mostly the same offerings as the competition hardware-wise ( I have the non-3g model).

I had also hoped that there would be more active develpoer interest (CM9, etc...) but I digress.

I called Lenovo support directly, and spoke to three different individuals, regarding my concerns for not only not having ICS available, but zero word in IF it ever will be..

The first acknowledged many calls on the same topic and stated that May-June is the expected timeframe for OTA release.

I called back minutes later and the second agent also acknowledged many calls, but claimed to have no incofmration. Period.

I called back a third time, and was pretty much told the same story as the first support agent. May-June anticipated release date as OTA. No mention on if it will be downloadable from website.

None of the agents mentioned it would be Vanilla (as in no Lenovo specific add-ons) but that would be very nice to have. I have Reference numbers for the calls if it helps *wink wink*

I would love to have a way to make this tablet stock, no Lenovo add-ons. Tablet is amazing hardware-wise, screen isvery nice also, and weight /size feels perfect in my hands. The tablet is an amazing buy ($199 Canadian) for the money...Just buggy as hell (in my experience). Here's hoping there is some movement on this tablet (y) 

[magnus33]

Iam quite happy that lenovo showing serious concern in what the buyer wants as many companies forget this very important part of bussness and get caught up in the bottem line.

With a preview of ics for the A1 suposedly leaking out i wondering if its not just for the k1 but for both the K1 and A1

Wonder if mark can confirm this and make the A1 owners just as happy as the K1 owners.

Its not a question of the hardware since there are tablets with lessor specs out there then the A1 that are running ics smoothly

2.3 works  fine mostly but its a phone os and really just doesn't do a tablet justice.

[Gnreux]

If lenovo does a vanilla ics, I hope that, at least, the apps will be available for download on lenovo's website since some of us(including myself) quite like them!

[mclandytm]

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Gnreux wrote:
If lenovo does a vanilla ics, I hope that, at least, the apps will be available for download on lenovo's website since some of us(including myself) quite like them!

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If not, you should back them up (which you should do anyway) with an app like "App Backup & Restore" onto your microSDHC card before doing the upgrade.   It can't back up copy-protected apps, but I don't believe any of the pre-installed Lenovo apps are (none that I've found yet, anyway). Note that it also doesn't back up the app data, so make sure you make note of any account info, preferences, and so on.   If we're lucky, maybe the existing apps and data will be preserved during the upgrade.

[Gnreux]

Thank you, any idea on how to backup the Lenovo widget? (the big one that allows you to go to mail, browser, read, watch and listen)!

[mclandytm]

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Gnreux wrote:
Thank you, any idea on how to backup the Lenovo widget? (the big one that allows you to go to mail, browser, read, watch and listen)!

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Hmmm, I believe that is actually integrated in the "Launcher" app from Lenovo.  The only problem is, I don't see Launcher in the list of apps (in App Backup & Restore) that can be backed up.   Maybe that's one app that actually is copy protected!   Personally, that doesn't bother me much, because I really didn't like the Lenovo launcher app and replaced it with Go Launcher quite a while ago, but it would be nice to have some way to bring it along to ICS.

[Clear_Blue_Lou]

It's known variously as the "Launch Zone" and the "Lucky Launcher".

It's a widget. I deleted mine, and it showed up in the Widget drawer, available to be reinstalled. I don't know how to back up widgets, however.

[RiSbO]

Any news for the ICS?

I am buying K1 today