IdeaPad

Lenovo is hoping to shake up the tablet market with three new devices scheduled to hit its home base of China as early as December.

Ranging in size from 5 to 10 inches, the new tablets will be branded under Lenovo's LePad name in China but will be known as the IdeaPad in other countries, follow-ups to the current IdeaPad K1.

At a mere 5 inches, the LePad S2005 is somewhat of a cross between a phone and a tablet in size, prompting Engadget to dub the device a tabletphone.

Outfitted with Android 2.3, the S2005 is powered … Read more

The rising popularity of tablets has some people ditching their laptops and desktops for a more portable experience, but the benefits of a full keyboard can still come in handy. Here are our top recommendations for tablets with complementary keyboard options. We'll be focusing on ARM-based tablets only this time around. … Read more

Earlier this year, we were bombarded with news about Ultrabooks, a new category of laptop given a new name by Intel--these machines were meant to be improvements on the laptop as we've come to know it, with smartphone-like startup speed and wafer-thin, future-sexy designs.

So far, so good: the first few laptops we've seen that categorize themselves as Ultrabooks have all been excellent products. The Acer Aspire S3, the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, and the Asus Zenbook UX31 all lived up to expectations, and all provide valid alternatives to the MacBook Air.

And yet, there's a problem. In my eyes, at least. And it's a big one. … Read more

Amid all the laptop news this week, much of it coming out of the IFA show, there were a few announcements that especially stood out: two major PC makers unveiled their entries in the new (and untested) Ultrabook category. Even better, we got a change to get our hands on working demo units of both models, the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s and the Toshiba Portege Z830. Those two new models join previously announced Ultrabooks such as the Asus UX21.

The Toshiba Portege Z830 has a strong lineage as a successor of sorts to the very popular Portege R835, which is one … Read more

Lenovo is expected to announce an Ultrabook and a 7-inch Android tablet in the coming weeks, CNET has learned.

The IdeaPad U300s would be Lenovo's first portable tagged as an Ultrabook--a category of sub-0.8-inch-thick laptops that has many of the hallmarks of Apple's MacBook Air. That is, weighing typically 3 pounds or less, constructed from special materials like aluminum or carbon fiber, powered by Intel Sandy Bridge processors, and priced--at least some models--below $1,000.

During Lenovo's earnings conference call last week, Chief Operating Officer Rory Read said that Ultrabooks would "reach mainstream price points...that were only 18 months ago in premium segments."

"The Ultrabook, like the tablet, is a legitimate member of the high-mobility class of devices," said Roger Kay, the principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies. The initial iteration of the Ultrabook is expected to hew to the traditional clamshell laptop design. "So, it's a very portable device that comes in a very useful form factor," Kay said.

A video of the U300s appeared in late May from the Computex show floor. Cosmetically, it resembles the 0.7-inch-thick IdeaPad U260 announced last November.

But that's not all Lenovo has in store. The 7-inch IdeaPad A1 tablet is also expected to be rolled out. A similar tablet has already gone on sale in China, according to Netbook News. The tablet for the China market is spec'd with a 1,024x600 display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3622 processor, 512MB system memory, 16GB storage, and micro-USB and microSD slots. … Read more

I now understand why girls are attracted to "bad boy" types. They're just more interesting. Sure, they can be erratic, impractical, self-absorbed, or just plain broken--but at least there's a story to tell your friends.

This insight hit me after finishing CNET's review of the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Android 3.1 tablet ($499, 32GB). If there's a bad boy of tablets, this is not it. Nope, you're looking at the perfectly sensible "nice guy" tablet here. It does all the right things, has all the expected specs, comes from a good … Read more

You can now officially add Lenovo to the list of computer manufacturers pushing out Android tablets this year. In fact, put the company down for two.

Meet the Tango & Cash of tablets. The ThinkPad Tablet is the business-minded one of the pair, with its optional digital pen and suite of DocsToGo software. The IdeaPad K1 is the party animal, with certification for Netflix streaming and a SocialTouch app that puts all your social networks within easy reach.

Both tablets are set for major release in August, though the IdeaPad K1 can be ordered directly from Lenovo and select partners starting today. The base price on the ThinkPad Tablet is $499 (16GB), and the IdeaPad K1 starts at $449 (16GB).

For the ThinkPad, that $499 gets you a Wi-Fi-only connection to the Web. Other options, such as 3G data modules, preinstalled software, and keyboard portfolio cases, can all be added to your bill. An extra $30 will get you the N-trig digital pen, which can be neatly tucked away inside the tablet frame. Because Lenovo is ultimately targeting the enterprise market with the ThinkPad Tablet, it can be tailored in hundreds of different ways to suit the need. So whether you need VPN-secured desktop virtualization software, or a custom app store filled with company-approved software, Lenovo has your back. … Read more

Amid Lenovo's unveiling of several Android tablets, a Windows alternative still remains. The IdeaPad P1, also announced today, adopts a similar appearance to the Android IdeaPad K1 tablet, but with a Windows 7 operating system and PC-oriented specs and features. It's like an iPad that runs Windows.

The 10.1-inch 1,280x800-pixel multitouch display also works with an optional stylus. A 0.3-megapixel Webcam handles video calls, but the IdeaPad P1 conspicuously lacks a rear camera. The rear panel comes in either Clementine orange or Silver gray, resembling the back of a Netbook.

The IdeaPad P1 comes with either 32GB or 64GB of SSD storage and up to 2GB of RAM. OS options cover the gamut from Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Professional. Connection options are sparse: a single USB 2.0 port, a microSD card reader, a SIM card slot for optional 3G, and a docking port. The P1 also has 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. … Read more

Lenovo's new IdeaPad K1 tablet could launch soon with a $500 price tag, according to a photo allegedly of an OfficeMax store placard leaked today to Engadget.

With a launch date that Engadget says "looks to be fast approaching," the K1 is expected to be one of the two 10-inch Android tablets that Lenovo has promised will launch this summer.

The alleged placard includes these specs: 10.1-inch multitouch screen, 1,280x800 resolution, cameras in front and back, built-in Wi-Fi, support for Adobe Flash, and up to 10 hours of battery life.

Tech site TechConnect has reported … Read more