Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook with LePad slate announced

Lenovo has announced the IdeaPad U1 hybrid with LePad slate, a unique two-in-one device that combines the mobility of a media-rich, high-definition slate featuring access to Android applications and a keyboard base that provides a full Windows 7 computing experience. Lenovo delivers an uncompromised mobile and computing experience to consumers through great performance and a unique Hybrid Switch dual mode capability that seamlessly switches between two different operating systems.

The IdeaPad U1’s fashionable scarlet red exterior has a footprint just smaller than a piece of notebook paper and is paired with an equally impressive 3.8 pound thin and light design.With its unique detach-and-converge design, users can easily remove the screen to instantly switch from clamshell mode into a multitouch slate tablet. When the IdeaPad U1 is in its traditional clamshell form, the system boasts an 11.6 inch HD LED screen and runs Windows 7. When the 1.6 pound, multitouch screen is removed, it becomes an independent slate tablet with a powerful ARM processor, running Lenovo’s customized Skylight operating system.

The IdeaPad U1’s laptop and tablet modes each support more than five hours of 3G Web browsing and 60 hours of 3G standby. In addition, the U1 comes with integrated video camera and two stereo speakers with integrated microphone with echo cancellation make this the ideal PC for users who need flexibility but do not want to compromise features or functionality.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 with LePad will be available beginning in China in the first quarter of 2011. The LePad slate can be purchased separately from the U1 base. The LePad slate starts at approximately RMB 3,499 (approximately US $520). The U1 hybrid laptop with LePad slate starts at approximately RMB 8,888 (approximately US $1,300).