Claiming that it’s an industry first, Lenovo has just taken the wraps off a new PC called the IdeaPad U1. The company is referring to smooth and sleek-looking device as a “Hybrid” PC. The difference between a hybrid and convertible or tablet PC, apparently, is that the Hybrid actually contains two CPUs instead of one.

The result is a 3.4 lb laptop, running Windows 7, which can then morph on-the-fly into a completely independent slate PC which runs a custom Lenovo OS dubbed “Skylight”.

The company’s press release says that:

“Leveraging the benefits of both CPU, the two devices can synchronize to work as one with the ability to share battery power, 3G wireless, data and documents. In this way, the base laptop system can serve as a hub and docking station and the slate tablet as a mobile device. The two PCs have been engineered to work together and independently through Lenovo’s Hybrid Switch technology that enables seamless toggling between the two processors. For instance, users can surf the Web in laptop mode and then continue from the same point without interruption if they detach to tablet mode.”

When in tablet mode, the 11.6″ HD LED screen (which is multitouch capable) displays either a six or four-part user interface…

“[the] six-section screen display is designed to enhance the mobile internet experience by letting users easily multitouch access multiple Web-based applications at once such as email, calendars, RSS readers and social networking Web sites. The four-section screen display option is perfect as a media center on the PC such as photos, music, videos and to view/edit documents.”

Connectivity is pretty standard, except for the Wi-Fi module which only does a/b/g – no draft N. It will also come equipped with an embedded 3G module which will provide connectivity for both tablet and laptop modes.

This announcement comes at a time when the entire industry is holding its collective breath waiting to see what Apple’s much-rumoured ‘iTablet’ device will turn out to be when the company holds their next major event on January 27th. All we have to go on is a blog post from a former Apple and Google exec who claims the price point will be in the $1,000 range. Interestingly, that is exactly the target that Lenovo has put on the U1: the expected street price is $999 USD when it eventually goes on sale in June of this year.

I have to say,  that while Apple’s as yet unconfirmed device sounds like it will be an appealing package, if it lacks a physical keyboard option, or is underpowered in the CPU or battery-life departments (something that has been a problem in almost all battery-powered Apple devices), the Lenovo ‘Hybrid’ formula may turn out to be a winner. By combining the strengths of a laptop and a tablet into a single device, they sidestep the biggest question about the iTablet: is the market ready to embrace this platform?

 

More Photos of the U1:

And the full specs:

 

Processor	Upcoming Intel proccesor & Qualcomm ARM Snapdragon processors
Operating System	Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium and & Slate Mode Lenovocustomized UI with Skylight Interface
Display/Resolution	High-Resolution 11.6″ LED backlight display, 16:9 widescreenMultitouchPanel for both notebook mode and slate mode– two finger touch
Video Graphics	Intel® Core2 Duo SU processors
Memory	Up to 4GB DDR3 DRAM 1066MHz & Slate 512MB DDR1
Storage	2.5″ SATA SSD up to 128GB & for Slate NAND Flash 16GB, Boot loader 512MB
Optical Drive	–
Sound	Stereo Speakers on Slate, Integrated MIC
Integrated Comms	Ethernet 10, 100, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth, WWAN
Ports and Slots	Two USB 2.0 and one eSATA/USB combo port, external monitor (VGA DB-15, HDMI), Ethernet (RJ-45), 4-in-1 reader (Multi-Media Card, Memory Stick®, Memory Stick PRO™, Secure Digital Card
Camera	1.3M integrated web camera
Weight	Notebook is 1.7kg (3.7 lbs.) and Slate is 750g (1.6 lbs.)
Dimensions	292x205x 28.35mm, & Slate is 292X205X12.65mm (WxHxD)
Battery Life	10 hrs , & Slate mode 8 hrs, 3G standby 60 hrs
Included Software	Software options include: OneKey Rescue 7.0/ Lenovo Energy Management Software 4.0/ Adobe Reader 9.0/ McAfee Virus Scan Plus 2009/ Windows Live essential/ VeriFace 3.6/ Office professional 2007(for WW except CN/Japan)/ Office personal (Only for Japan)/ LPS(Lenovo Passport Service)3.0 (Only for CN/ Auto collage(only install in Win7 Home Premium)/ Lenovo ReadyComm5.1/ APS(Active Protection System) 1.0* Software may vary by region
Pricing	Starts at $999.00 US *Pricing may vary by region