Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid

RyanB

RyanB

Legacy of Elijah Guild Leader
I've always beeon one to scoff at tablets. I (like many) would rather have a few devices that do things well than one that does "everything" poorly. This is especially true for a certain tablet (which I won't name) that comes with Apple tax and a heapin' helpin' of smug. Long story short, the very idea of a tablet seems completely self-defeating in my eyes.



So, imagine my surprise when a friend sent me to an upcoming "tablet" that actually looks very useful.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/lenovo-ideapad-u1-hybrid-hands-on-and-impressions/

Will it be a success? Depends on the execution...but I believe the idea of a "hybrid" is a game-changer, and the future of mobile computing.

Thoughts?

EDIT: Scheduled to have a release date in June @ $999.
 
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To be honest I was ready to rip it up for two reasons - It's a pad, and its from IBM.

Now that I have seen it and read some of the article... it looks VERY good and quite useful.

I am not sure it's quite worth the thousand dollars, but it is definitely better than the other offering of smugness from a certain other company.
 
Lenovo is not IBM. They bought out the IBM Laptop division but are a different company based in China.

Looks pretty slick.
 
Since the iPad is half the price and could do anything I need it to, iPad is greater by far...

@RyanB: What Apple tax...that is something I haven't heard in a LONG time...their products are made better with more expensive hardware...how many touch devices have a glass surface for the same price as the iPad? That big, none... Now, you might think you are talking to a Apple freak, however, I hate Apple (especially after working for them), and cannot stand them...but I give them the respect they deserve... I have heard so many bad things about the iPad, and most of them aren't even sound comments... People really need to research the thing before dissing it... It can do EVERYTHING my computer can besides play many games...which I don't do much anymore anyways... The only real dis you can give to it that is justified is the lack of HD space... Now I probably will never buy one, I am just tired of so many people dissing a good product just because all the crap they hear...
 
XionTawa said:
Since the iPad is half the price and could do anything I need it to, iPad is greater by far...

@RyanB: What Apple tax...that is something I haven't heard in a LONG time...their products are made better with more expensive hardware...how many touch devices have a glass surface for the same price as the iPad? That big, none... Now, you might think you are talking to a Apple freak, however, I hate Apple (especially after working for them), and cannot stand them...but I give them the respect they deserve... I have heard so many bad things about the iPad, and most of them aren't even sound comments... People really need to research the thing before dissing it... It can do EVERYTHING my computer can besides play many games...which I don't do much anymore anyways... The only real dis you can give to it that is justified is the lack of HD space... Now I probably will never buy one, I am just tired of so many people dissing a good product just because all the crap they hear...
Click to expand...

I really hope that was trolling. :) "half the cost"? Sure, if you compare the most crippled 16GB non-3G apple to this orange, and don't count the (basically mandatory) apple "care".

As far as "apple tax"...
More expensive hardware? The only thing more expensive about it is the price you pay in the Apple store. If you want a cost comparison, just check out the new MB Pros that were released. Intel Core 2 Duos? Is this 2006? You can build the same PC laptop for a less...but what is worse is that 6 months from now, the MBPs will cost the same, while PCs will be even cheaper. It's not necessarily because Apple is evil (although I think they are), it's simple economics. Apple maintains complete monopoly over Apple products/software with their anti-competitive moves. I'm not sure how that is legal, but whatever...I'm not affected. PCs have competition. Or, you could compare the iPad to a netbook. Or an iPod Touch (all this thing is). Or a superior iPhone.

Anyway, as for the iPad...
I don't see it as anything more than a toy. As I've said above, I have thought that most all (not just Apple) tablets are pretty useless. Why? Because everything they do, they do poorly. First, let's talk business. There is no way you can tell me a tablet is better than a netbook for getting work done. Ever try to type a document on a touch screen without looking at the keyboard? There is a reason people don't use their iPod Touches/iPhones for their main computer. A larger screen isn't going to change this.

As for iPad for home use...I just have one word: iPhone. The bigger screen on the iPad might make it more useful for some things (like certain games or apps), but you're losing a lot of portability. I mean, what...are you going to keep your iPad in your pocket so it's available when you need to do a price comparison in a store? Strap it to your arm when you go running? Mount it to your dash for GPS?. 3G access seems pretty useless when you consider how limited the uses are.

I think there are some niche uses for a tablet, but they are few and far between. But hey...I bet the iPad fits into a manilla envelope! Yay! It's your money, spend it how you want.

My first thought when I saw the iPad unveiled: "Gee, that makes the MB Air look very useful!"
 
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It isn't that I see it as garbage or utterly useless, I just see the Lenovo as more practical.

The Lenovo (even though its associated with IBM... :P) can be a tablet when you want it to be a tablet and it can be a Netbook when you need it to be a netbook. It has a real keyboard! I wouldn't want to "text" emails, or other communications that could be professionally related, personally.

The Lenovo ($1000) also has a 128gb SSD in it, which is twice as big as the most expensive Ipad. Lets face it, do you really want anything with only 16gb of memory space, even if it is only $500 (which is sill lots of money), or 64gb for $700? I'd just get a netbook (which is expandable, and the Lenovo is likely to be expandable as well).

When I "ordered" a comparable Ipad (keyboard, camera, case (you can close the Lenovo and a netbook to protect their screens), and the Apple Protection plan (because you can't fix an Ipad's battery yourself like you can a Netbook)) it was almost $1100. More than the Lenovo and way more than a netbook.

<Insert everything RyanB here.>

It isn't that I think the Ipad is completely useless and impractical I just think the Lenovo is more useful, practical and a better value.
 
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I can sum up my response rather quickly...

I think netbooks are better than any tablet; and I use an iPod Touch ;) And being the father of 2 kids, a husband, and only making $16,500/yr, an iPhone and iPad are out of my price range...so it doesn't matter :P

...Done!
 
.... Incase you haven't figured it out yet, the Ipad is not currently looking to compete with tablet computers.... Its here to compete with the kindle and sony's e-readers. In that market, it destroys everything.
 
Joshinator said:
Its here to compete with the kindle and sony's e-readers. In that market, it destroys everything.
Click to expand...

It really depends. The Kindle and other e-readers are simply that readers.

The iPad is a multimedia, internet based gadget, personal electronic device.

Comparing a Kindle to an iPad is not a good comparison. Apple is attempting to create, as they have said, a new product. They want to carve out a space for the iPad.

The iPad will cause the Kindle and other e-readers to change for sure. Right now, they are designed to be book size. They are targeted for readers. The iPad is not.

Two different products.
 
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