At CES, Lenovo offers netbooks, hybrids, modest pricing
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Lenovo brings its ThinkPad line down to more modest price points; offers an amazing hybrid notebook that lets you pull the top piece off and keep on working.
LAS VEGAS -- Lenovo showed off a room full of products Jan. 7 at the Consumer Electronics Show, some of which were at an uncharacteristically modest price point for the ThinkPad maker.
The most eye-popping product by far was the IdeaPad U1, a hybrid notebook PC that's scheduled for launch in the second half of the year. Lenovo's Kevin Zheng demonstrated the device by lifting the top half, a 1.5-pound tablet screen, clear off the unit. The U1 works as both a notebook PC and a tablet that's optimized to run music, video, photos and e-reader software. Pricing is still being worked out, but the hybrid drew gasps from onlookers.
Also new is the ThinkPad X100e, an ultraportable PC with a full-sized keyboard. Lenovo has tweaked the design of the keys by removing the chamfers, the angles on most keys, for a smoother look and feel and giving users a bit more key surface for each finger. The X100e also will offer a single core AMD Athlon procesor with a dual core available later in the year. At $449, the X100e is an "unheard of" price for a ThinkPad, said Lenovo segment manager Kevin Mehn.
A bit meatier is the ThinkPad Edge, a 13-inch screen, 3.6-pounder available now for $549. The Edge comes with an AMD dual core Neo processor. Both the Edge and the x100e are available in red as well as black, a first for the usually somber-colored ThinkPads.
The company has also tweaked its classic ThinkPad unit. The T410S comes with multitouch capability, a 1.3-megapixel camera and meets Mil-Std 810-F specs. It also features a small light above the touch pad that authenticates users and turns on the machine in one motion.
Lenovo also unveiled the IdeaPad S10-3, an Atom-processor powered netbook with a full-sized keyboard that sells for $349. A version with a hinge that converts it to a tablet, the S10-3T, sells for $449. The tablet can also be angled for a comfortable viewing experience, making it especially friendly to video content.