The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid | Full Review on Lenovo’s Remarkable Netbook Tablet Two-in-One
The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, as its name implies, is a blending of two worlds of technology. Announced well before Steve Jobs debuted the Apple iPad, the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid presents the world with a small sleek laptop that can double as a touch screen slate tablet.
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The machine is set to be released this June and will retail for about $999, so be sure to get on the waiting list now, because this machine is going to be hot. According to Kimberly, at Laptop Magazine, the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid is Lenovo’s way ‘to add excitement’ to there consumer line, and in a current poll, readers at laptopmag.com are giving Lenovo an outstanding grade of A!
Lenovo U1 Hybrid – Twice the Power – Twice the Performance
Lenovo has equipped the body of the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid with a Windows 7 powered low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo, which means that you should have plenty of power to do all of the standard jobs that you expect from a laptop machine. But where the U1 Hybrid really shines is in its removable display, which doubles as a tablet computer powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and Linux Skylight. That’s right; it is two machines in one.
The best part? It has a touchscreen, integrated 3G and a 16GB solid-state hard drive. The display on the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid measures 11.6-inches and operates in high definition. When you remove the display from the base, the tablet weighs less than two pounds and can work independently from the base machine.
So if you want to take the tablet with you on the road for light computing and Internet access, you don’t have to worry about carrying around the entire machine. And if you leave the tablet at the office or home, you can still connect an external monitor to the base and use it as a secondary computer. Another cool thing about the tablet section is its integrated webcam, which can be used with or without the base, making it one of the only tablets with an integrated webcam.
The IdeaPad U1 Gets Touchy
The user-interface with the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid is a two-pronged system. When you’re using the base, there is a mid-sized keyboard with flush keys and a slightly recessed TouchPad, which is extremely responsive and offers dual-finger technology for zoom, scroll and other controls. The buttons are large and flush with the case, much like the keys on the keyboard.
The IdeaPad U1 Hybrid will likely offer integrated Ethernet and WiFi cards on the base, and the tablet section comes equipped with 3G mobile Broadband that can be used by both the base and the independent tablet.
The IdeaPad U1 Hybrid will probably come equipped with several inputs and ports as well, including: a VGA/HDMI output for connecting the base to an external monitor; two to four USB ports for peripheral and multimedia use; and of course, headphone/microphone jacks. It’s doubtful though, that the base will come outfitted with an optical drive.
Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Specifications
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo/ Qualcomm 1GHZ Snapdragon ARM Detached
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 / Lenovo Skylight UI Detached
Hard Drive: 16GB SSD
Optical Drive: None
Display: 11.6″ HD LED MultiTouch
Battery Life: 5-8 hrs using 3G / Up to 60 hours 3G standby
Ports: VGA; HDMI; 2-4 USB; Headphone; Microphone
Weight: 2 lbs. Detached
The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid – We Give It Two Thumbs Up!
The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, priced at around $1,000, offers way more than Apple’s new iPad offers, and also features a base that allows for more powerful advanced computing. If you’re in business or if you’re constantly on-the-go, you can’t go wrong with this machine. The U1 tablet will also come in handy on the subway or bus when you want to get some reading done. Just buy or connect to an existing external monitor and you’re getting two computers for the price of one.
