Lenovo has just announced a rather intriguing model. The U1 Hybrid is a regular Sub-Notebook, powered by an Intel CULV Core 2 Duo processor and running Windows 7, until, that is, you detach the 11.6″ screen, at which point the standalone slate will spring to life running Skylight Linux on top of a 16Gb SSD and a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, and supporting multitouch input.
Cunningly, the battery and wireless components (Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G) are contained within the screen, so once it’s removed it can still function as an independent device. Also due to the low power draw of the Snapdragon the slate on it’s own will last a good deal longer (8 hours) than when it’s attached in laptop mode (6 hours). The tablet will weigh 1.6lbs while the entire unit tips the scales at 3.8lbs.
The full unit has everything you can expect from a modern Sub-Notebook; several USB ports, HDMI output, card reader etc. It’s certainly an interesting take on the tablet / notebook combination and a massive departure from the usual Netvertible form-factor, however such innovative design isn’t going to come cheap – the asking price for the U1 Hybrid is $999.
