@CES: Lenovo shows off tablet/netbook hybrid

LAS VEGAS – “CES Unveiled” was a bit of a dismal affair Tuesday evening in the Las Vegas Venetian hotel, but RCR Wireless News was impressed by Lenovo Group Ltd.’s innovative take on tablet/netbook hybrids.
Showing off both the LePad slate and the IdeaPad U1, Lenovo was really blurring the lines between traditional and mobile computing.
LePad, for instance, comes with a 10.1-inch touchscreen and sports a 1.3 GHz Qualcomm Inc. Snapdragon processor with a custom version of Google Inc.’s Android 2.2 OS dubbed “LeOS.”
A Lenovo rep said battery life on the tab rested around the eight-hour mark and soon would come with Flash Player 10.1 support. It currently comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a bevy of preloaded applications and has access to the Android market. But that’s not all, because Lenovo is also offering a rather spiffy Keyboard Dock bundle with the LePad Slate, turning it into a proper netbook.
When in its hybrid form, LePad becomes IdeaPad U1 hybrid laptop, which though a tad pricy at $1,300 (LePad alone is just $520), hosts an Intel Corp. CULV processor, 320 gigabyte SATA hard drive and adds Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 7 Home Premium operating system should users be inclined to switch over from Android.
LePad slips neatly into the U1 screen base and the combo is light, sleek and extremely handy. Currently only available in China, Lenovo assured us it plans to bring its offerings Westward any day now, although at $1,300, that may still be a bit too pricy for the American consumer.