Lenovo Yoga RT version set to be a folding Surface rival
Lenovo is making a Windows RT version of its weird folding tablet, according to reports.
Lenovo's upcoming Windows 8 'Yoga' laptop is going to come with a Windows RT version, rivalling Microsoft's own-brand Surface tablet, according to reports.
The IdeaPad Yoga is a touchscreen laptop with a lid that folds all the way around, yawning open like a Muppet's mouth to become a flat tablet device. Previously the only confirmed version was powered by Windows 8, and slated to cost a wallet-cramping £1,200.
Now, following reports that Lenovo was cooking up a Windows RT tablet with a flipping keyboard, ABC News says its sources have confirmed that said gadget is in fact the Yoga.
Windows RT is the version of Windows 8 built to run on ARM processors, and is set to be the operating system of choice for manufacturers making Windows tablets. Windows RT gadgets can't install any programs they choose, and instead will be limited to apps found on the built-in Microsoft app store.
Microsoft's headline-snatching Surface tablet will be powered by Windows RT, and while pricing for the kickstand-sporting device is still shrouded in mystery, I'd expect it to cost roughly the same amount as Apple's iPad -- at least unless Microsoft already owns a plot of land in the desert it can bury unsold units in.
By the same token, I'd hope that Lenovo's RT-powered Yoga tablet comes with a competitive price tag.
The IdeaPad Yoga was first shown off earlier in the year, playing host to a palm-stretching 13-inch display. It's expected to be 17mm thick and weigh a potentially uncomfortable 1.5kg.
With Surface, Microsoft is taking the tablet fight directly to Apple. It's due to launch alongside Windows 8, which debuts on 26 October. Other manufacturers that make Windows kit aren't looking forward to the competition however, with Acer warning Microsoft to 'think twice' about its kickstand-sporting tablet.