To the right of the Launcher is a handy shortcut that takes you directly to settings; having this icon placed here saves you from having to dig into the status bar below for the settings.

The default home screen also has plenty of other Lenovo customizations. You'll find widget icons for screen lock you can put the device to sleep without hitting a physical button), and for muting sound and microphone with a single touch; a link to Lenovo's App Shop (more on that in a moment); and an overhaul of Honeycomb's standard basic home navigation buttons.

Along the system bar at bottom, you'll notice that Honeycomb's faint line-art buttons have been replaced by clear, deeply outlined buttons. The obtuse-looking native Honeycomb back button is now a clear back arrow (think of the "less than" symbol), and the "recent apps" button is sharper, and dubbed "layers" by Lenovo.

Go into layers, and you now have the ability to close a recently opened app--a terrific addition, given that Android 3.1 increased the number of recent items that appear from a set amount (dependent upon the tablet's orientation) to a seemingly infinite number. Other changes include adding quick-access controls for additional oft-used settings like Bluetooth (a welcome addition), GPS, and e-mail sync; just tap the time/settings panel in the system bar, and the new pop-up appears.

In the middle of the bottom system bar is another Lenovo innovation--the App Wheel. You can add whatever apps you wish to this, and it provides super-easy visual access to your favorite apps, regardless of which home screen you're on.