Lenovo unveils the first hybrid computer

A hybrid, the hot concept in the auto industry, has been adapted by the leading Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo. The company has introduced the first-ever hybrid laptop called the IdeaPad U1 at the the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in Las Vegas.

The chic-looking scarlet IdeaPad U1 features a detachable screen, which practically turns the laptop into two computers, according to Lenovo, The 1.6 pound, 11.6-inch HD LED screen could be used independently as an ARM processor driven multi-touch slate tablet running Lenovo’s own Skylight operating system; while being put back into the shell, it runs Microsoft's Windows 7. “By fusing the functionality of a notebook with the slate tablet’s rich multitouch entertainment and mobile Internet experience, U1 provides consumers the freedom to choose the device they prefer for any activity,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president at Lenovo. The notebook will be available beginning June 1, 2010 with an estimated retail price of $999. Meanwhile, Lenovo also unveiled a new smartphone called LePhone at the event, which will be exclusively sold in China. After cutting 2,500 jobs in January last year, Lenovo reported profit of $53 million USD during its second fiscal quarter from July 1 to Sept. 30 in 2008. The company says it will continue to strengthen the cost control and reinforce its leading position in the Chinese market.