CES 2011: Tablets at CES 2011 Lenovo IdeaPad U1
Could this tablet/netbook hybrid be innovative enough to challenge the iPad?
The exciting U1 from Lenovo will bring a new twist to the tablet market. Is it a netbook? Is it a tablet? To the joy of gadget fans everywhere it’s both. Though still under wraps in the UK, we could see a late 2011 launch.
On first sight this looks like another run-of-the-mill netbook. The 11.6-inch display runs a 1366x768 (720p) resolution, which should be adequate for the screen size. It features built-in Wi-Fi but handily can also connect via 3G, runs Windows 7 and is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo SU 4100 processor. So far so predictable.
Lenovo IdeaPad video reveals more
Please enable JavaScript to access this content.
Netbook to Tablet in seconds
But Lenovo has far more than the netbook market in its sights. The screen can be unclasped from its hard outer-shell, becoming a touchscreen Android tablet. It features a screen of apps (limited at the moment but more should be added for launch) and a content mode, which allows easy movement between your music, video, picture and document files.
The tablet features built-in speakers and headphone socket and battery that delivers a claimed 5 hours of video playback or 8 hours of web use.
On the downside the interface isn’t quite as slick as the iPad and images on the screen were susceptible to fading if not viewed head-on.
Base hooks up to a display
As for the netbook base, this can still be used even when the tablet has been unclasped and whisked away. The base can be hooked up to a monitor and happily used as a home computer, while the tablet goes on its travels. Whatever web page you were browsing, when the two devices unhook, each one will ‘remember’ the site and automatically start you off where you last left it.
It's only available in China at the moment but Lenovo tell us that it should be available in the UK towards the end of 2011. Based on the international pricing it should retail for at least a grand.
