PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Lenovo has launched a wealth of new consumer-facing products, headed up by the IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook, which it says is essentially two PCs in one.
The clamshell laptop, available in June, has a multi-touch screen, which can be detached and used independently. The component PCs have their own processor cores and can operate independently of each other.
The devices synchronise when connected, with the base component essentially acting as a dock and the tablet screen acting as a mobile device. Lenovo’s hybrid switch technology enables the processors to be toggled seamlessly, meaning that tasks can be continued uninterrupted if the screen is detached halfway through.
“The IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook is a game-changing technology in the PC industry that lets user switch their PC experience within a single device to match their dynamic lifestyle,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president of Lenovo’s Idea Product Group. “By fusing the functionality of a notebook with the slate tablet’s rich multi-touch entertainment and mobile internet experience, U1 provides consumers the freedom to choose the device they prefer for any activity.”
The vendor also launched the Skylight, which is the firm’s first ‘smartbook’. The category is generally understood to bridge the gap between smartphone and netbook.
“The web has become the window to the world for more and more people, helping them connect with friends and family across town or thousands of miles away,” said Peter Gaucher, Lenovo’s executive director of mobile internet product management. “Skylight combines the long battery life and connectivity of a smartphone with the full web browsing and multimedia experience of a netbook to create one of the first devices in this developing smartbook category.”
