Lenovo has taken the saying “two heads are better than one” and breathed technological life into it with the IdeaPad U1, the first consumer hybrid PC that literally is two PCs in one.
The IdeaPad U1 is essentially a clamshell laptop and multitouch slate tablet combined and the genius is that they can work together or separately and each has its own operating system and processor.
When two become one
When the tablet device is docked it serves as the screen for the laptop and its own processor can be synced so they act as one and have the ability to share battery power, 3G wireless, data and documents.
The Skylight’s the limit
When disconnected, the tablet device runs on Lenovo’s own Skylight OS and works in both landscape and portrait mode to display a six-section screen display for a better mobile internet experience via multitouch access or a four-section screen that acts as a media centre for displaying photos, music, videos and documents.
Making the (Hybrid) Switch
Lenovo’s Hybrid Switch technology allows for seamless toggling between the two processors, so users could surf the web in laptop mode and then continue from the same point without interruption if they disconnect to tablet mode.
The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook will be available in the US on 1 June with an estimated retail price of US$999.
By Marie Boran