The new IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, with keyboard, takes on the Apple iPad by giving users another choice when it comes to tablets. | Courtesy of Lenovo Group LTD
Like the idea of the iPad, but aren’t too keen on the lack of a keyboard? Well before all the Apple hype, Lenovo had already announced its IdeaPad U1 Hybrid at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 this past January.
So, why the IdeaPad U1? The U1 gives the user both a Laptop and a Tablet PC all in one, and here’s how: When the screen is attached to the base, the computers work as one, a 3.8-pound laptop. In this form it runs Windows 7 with a CULV Intel Core Duo Processor.
When the screen is detached from the base you get what is essentially an iPad. The 11.6 HD screen becomes its own entity, a 1.6 pound tablet that runs on Lenovo’s Skylight Linux operating system and uses a 1GHz Qualcomm ARM Snapdragon processor, and also has 3G embedded and 16GB of solid state memory.
Collectively the specs for the U1 include 4GB of RAM (512MB in slate/tablet mode), two USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, VGA, HDMI, 4-in-1 memory card reader, and a 1.3-Megapixel camera.
Both pieces of this Hybrid can work independently; both have battery power for five hours of use. Although the base may seem useless without the screen, it can actually be connected to another display.
Naturally, both pieces also work together, meaning that the base and tablet can share from their independent power sources when connected. Even though the base and tablet don’t share the same operating system, if you start a web browsing session when it’s together, and decide you want the tablet alone, it’ll still keep your current web session intact.
In a way, the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 beats out the iPad, giving the user the power and full functionality of a laptop, while still being able to enjoy all the perks of a tablet. The U1 will be available June 1, 2010.
The price is estimated to be around $1000, double the iPad’s price, but the U1 offers a lot more. As far as the U1 hybrid is concerned (price wise), it isn’t expensive for what you get considering the average cost for a laptop is between $600 and $800, while a tablet PC will easily cost consumers $1200 upwards.
