January 5, 2010

Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1 is schizophrenic, two faced gadget, in a good way

by Shayne Rana

Now here’s something that could be something to look forward to this year, Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1. Why? Because this device isn’t just your run of the mill Windows 7 enabled laptop in a super glossy super cool shell. Nope, with the IdeaPad U1 you’re not going to be just another laptop/netbook user, you can also be a Tablet PC user. How? It’s quite simple; the U1 is a hybrid that is equipped with a detachable multi-touch enabled display that can be used independently without the shell or the keyboard. If you’re using just the screen, you’ll have a Qualcomm ARM Snapdragon processor that will be running a custom version of Linux at your disposal. As a made-to-match couple, you’ll have a little more in terms of specs like an Intel Core 2 Duo SU processor, 4GB of RAM (512MB in slate/tablet mode), two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI connectivity, a memory card reader, and a 1.3-Megapixel web-cam camera amongst others. The device is priced at about $999 and seems like a pretty good deal. I can’t help but wonder though, would you really need both?

[Gizmodo]