There's no hiding the fact that the
first images of the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid amazed us, and now after seeing the device we can say the feeling was well-founded -- the detachable resistive multitouch display worked better than we ever expected for such an early preproduction unit. Check the mouthwatering gallery below and then head over the break for full impressions and a few videos showing off the U1's finer points.
When closed the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid looks like a regular laptop, and with a rounded aesthetic and a red shimmery paint job it's a nice looking one. Under the lid there's chiclet-style keyboard surrounded by a fun rubberized palmrest with integrated touchpad. When docked, the U1 looks and feels like any other snazzed-up laptop, with an Intel CULV processor and a 128GB SSD running Windows 7 Home Premium. You actually wouldn't know there's a slate hiding in there -- until you pull it out and watch it switch to Lenovo's Skylight UI, a process that was smooth and quick for us. Lenovo says the goal is for the full switch to occur in under 3 seconds, and the U1 delivered, as far as we could tell.
The slate itself is essentially a touchscreen version of the Skylight smartbook: it runs the same Skylight OS on a similar Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, and it seems to be pretty quick, though there's a bit of lag in between switching windows. (To be fair, we were playing with a super-early pre-production unit.) The GUI is slightly different than the Skylight -- it's built around a six-
panel interface, which can be customized with email, calendar, RSS, and social media widgets, and there's a second four-panel screen with image, music, video, and e-reader widgets that's especially finger friendly. The tablet also turns into a pretty good e-reader; we flipped to portrait it to read a preloaded PDF and the accelerometer kicked right in.
How's the touch experience? Well, the resistive 11.6-screen supports multitouch, (Lenovo wasn't saying where it came from) and though it was responsive, it was far from flawless; we had to double tap a few times to make sure our touches registered. It's also a little bit loose, although we expect that'll be cleared up by the time the U1 ships. The on-screen keyboard is big enough for entering a URL here or there, but you're not going to want to type an email on it. Unfortunately, the screen itself was pretty abysmal, with terrible horizontal and vertical viewing angles -- it basically disappeared at 45 degrees off axis. That's probably not optimal for a hand-held device, and we're hoping Lenovo sorts that out before release.
posted Jan 5th 2010 3:43PM
Is it just me on is the top bit the iTablet?
@(Unverified)
haha, was thinking the same. thanks, chrome border =P
@(Unverified)
I just realised that lol.
@(Unverified)
looks just like a giant ipod touch.. have to agree thats what I was expecting from Apple
@Prospero I wasn't expecting anything like this from apple..It looks cheap.
@(Unverified)
It's the other way around. as this is released first. If they look similar the correct way to say it is "iTablet looks a bit like Lenovo"
@MacWins10
Fan-iDiot rhetoric aside... How Does This Device Look Cheap?
I get the impression that if the exact same device featured a half-bitten chromed Apple logo on its lid, you'd be gushing over its masterful design.
@(Unverified)
OP, you're an idiot.
At this point in the game, Apple might as well name whatever they're announcing to the iAlsoran.
@Prospero
The iPhone has the Chrome bezel, the iPod touch just has black.
Seriously, if I'm Jonny Ive, watching all these companies from all over the world copying my design cues, down to the millimetre, I've gotta feel pretty good right now.
And copying Apple's design is one of the worst things a competitor can do, because when they launch their new 'crop' of products with a whole new design language, you look like you're competing with their old stuff. Which you probably are.
@MacWins10 Nope it isn't. it uses two different operating systems - Windows 7 when in laptop mode and a Linux-based system as a tablet. From the brief demo of the prototype, it's hard to tell how useful the tablet element will be, but it's a neat idea that may tempt people who want the best of both worlds. This one is a chameleon indeed. Details: http://bit.ly/lenovo-ideapad-u1-details
Sweet little machine. Reminds me a bit of the Touchbook, but this seems to be a little more on the mark. A slate when it needs to be, and a laptop when it doesn't.
Hey, lenovo made a sleek and attractive device!
@dez
What would be great is if they sold the tablet bit on its own.. Then I may be tempted
@Prospero Or if both devices just used the same OS and processor. Why exactly are their two different OS's on this freaking thing again?
Like others, I find the tablet part very interesting. The attachable keyboard could be a nice cool (optional) add on too. But why the two OS's given all the extra complexity, cost, etc when this thing is barely justifiable to begin with, especially since Lenovo won't go out of their way to create an app store, or sign up media companies, or make books/magazines available for it, etc I have no idea...
@dez It's an interesting concept, but I think a convertible is more practical. This would be good if the main slate usage is couch surfing/reading, but on-the-road switching between work that requires a physical keyboard and tablet mode would be a pain in the ass, as when you're done typing, you have a whole clamshell bit of uselessness causing clutter, or needing to be put away.
@Fanfoot I believe they could only fit an ARM processor in the slate section without making it too heavy/thick, and Win7 does not run on ARM.
iLike.
Cool. Again, SDK and an App Store please. ;)
Ugh - Why would anyone use a resistive screen at this point? This is such a neat device why would your cripple it with old tech? It just doesn't make any sense. I hope the final productions unit would use a capacitive.
@SolonLysander
Maybe people like the ability to, I don't know, use a stylus? A tablet without inking is pure FAIL.
@SolonLysander
Stylus on this thing would definitely be useful.
@SolonLysander It's resistive multitouch, noob. Not only can you pinch to zoom, you can use a stylus as well. Other companies coming out with tablets better get on this technology, because it sure would suck to take notes with only your finger...
@SolonLysander
resistive are cheaper and you can do multi-touch with them now as well as finger or stylus input. Can even be used if you have gloves on, which capacitive can't. Hand writing recognition software works better with resistive because resistive is more accurate.
@N900
What we really need is capacitive styli though, resistive is just not accurate for small UI elements unless you want to always use the stylus and not your finger.
@COCOViper Agreed. The responsiveness of Capacitive are still a step ahead. However Resistive screens are starting to catch up in accuracy and hopefully the retail version of the U1 will prove this.
@(Unverified) It has resistive touch screen, meaning you can use stylus or back of a pencil, it will work
@SolonLysander A resistive touchscreen has many advantages over a capacitive. It's more accurate, you can reach small pixels with it, which is impossible with a capacitive. This means that you can use any pen or stylus around you and take notes on it, impossible with a capacitive touch screen, again. There are even resistive touch screens which are pressure sensitive, allowing you to nicely draw on them, impossible on a capacitive, again. Then you can use gloves, it also supports multi-touch. The only really advantage capacitive had was the improved sensitivity, which has nothing to do with accuracy, which is worse on a capacitive touchscreen. But even such a high sensitivity is possible with resistive touch screens now, search for Stantum to find this product, based on resistive technology.
Another advantage capacitive screens had was the ability to place them behind something else and you still can use them (projected capacitive technology). But because no one really uses this advantage it's not really an advantage :D
@(Unverified) thats why my hp tc1100 tablet still beats them all:D....
I don't get how this could work.. I mean if the top part is an independent computer, then where are the USB outlets? If they're on the top part then y do u need the bottom part, Y not just bundle it with a small bluetooth keyboard ?
@SamStoleWhat
"...then why do you need the bottom part, why not just bundle it with a small bluetooth keyboard?"
There, I fixed it for you :)
@SamStoleWhat
The top part isn't an independent computer. It's closer to a MID at best.
@max1001 er, isnt that incredibly ineficient? a convertible tablet sound like a much better idea to me.. having 2 computers share one screen? Now i also saw that in the foto there is a cable coming from the adio jack thats on the bottom part, so the top part has no 3.5 mm audio plus? o.O?
i like the out-of-the-box creativity from lenovo but personally I've definitly ruined this device for myself.. =( gonna stick to ma tablet pc/netbooks for now..
so it's two machines combined, I am impressed, though a bit pricey.
@htd with a 128GB SSD it's bound to be a little pricey, but you can stomach that can't you?
But can it play Hulu?
Cant wait till some douche steals half of your netbookslate thingy. :)
I still think one OS on this tablet/laptop would be ideal. I like what I see so far and hope they work out all of the kinks.
@AlienSix
I agree. Once you undock it, you no longer have your normal programs, and your files are on the base's hard drive. Or if you dock it, how can you get back to the e-book that you were reading? It's a cool concept, having 2 separate devices in one, but unless you can choose what system to be in while docked or not, I couldn't imagine getting use to it.
I would much rather the tablet be the computer, with the dock only serving the purpose of keyboard, mouse, and maybe a battery also for extended life. Maybe have some kind of "tablet mode" activated once undocked, similar to docking a Droid to get Nav Mode.
I figure when the iSlate/iTablet comes out, it will be able to dock into a similar accessory with a physical keyboard. Either from Apple or an approved third party manufacturer.
Like an iPod docking.
I cannot wait until they have a way for Photoshop artists to work on a portable and visually powerful tablet computer. Core i3 tablet anyone?
@DBx
Sketchbook Pro has been around for quite sometime for Tablet PCs.
@7egend having owned an hp tablet (and been very disappointed by the screen's abysmal viewing angles) and having used various cintiqs, i am ready for something with a 10-12" screen minus all the hardware of the "bottom" half of a laptop. gimme a few usb ports, big screen, core i3 processor, 6+ hour battery and i'll open my wallet.
@7egend
Yes, I've used Sketchbook Pro with my Wacom tablet on my desktop, it is acceptable.
The reason I say Photoshop is also because of the photo editing/painting aspect of it.
As an architecture student, I want to be able to take a picture of a site or object and draw a concept of my idea in the field and professionally. This would be the ideal way to communicate visually and instantaneously. It would be a huge improvement on the good old sketchpad.
I like this so far. Throw out the resistive touch screen for capacitative, then use an active digitizer tablet, so when the stylus is close enough it turns off the capacitative for some accurate stylus input. I'm sold with that.
@SDreamer
Yes, resistive == Fail
@SDreamer
In the second Video she mentioned it's multi-touch (why she keeps calling it Mult-i as in "i" when it's Multi as in "ee"?), can resistive screen even do Multi-touch? Does anyone know? bit lazy to look it up
@tallfella
yes resistive can do multi-touch now
@tallfella Yup, there is a such thing. Statnum has a prototype they've been working on. You can view Engadget's take on it here:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/27/stantum-shows-off-resistive-multitouch-slate-pc-were-awed-agai/
If that technology isn't in the U1, then there's also a probability that U1 is using an Optical Cap/Res touchscreen.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/28/albatrons-42-inches-of-optical-touch-monitor-get-examined-on-vi/
That is amazing. I am wondering whether it will be confusing switching between 2 different OSes. Presumably there are 2 different batteries? One in the keyboard portion to power the Atom and one in the slate to power the Snapdragon?
when will it be released and the price?
@pankomputerek June 1, 2010, $999
If this could work as a remote for the laptop while I'm on the couch and give me the ability to change movies and music that then play on the stereo or tv that would make my dream come true...