Lenovo Unveils Standalone Tablet Device, the LePad

Chinese computer maker Lenovo entered a thriving new space on Wednesday by unveiling the LePad, the company's first tablet device, according to PC World.

The LePad tablet features a 10.1-inch color touchscreen, weighs less than two pounds and is designed to support 3G Internet connectivity. Similar to other competing tablets that have been recently introduced, the LePad runs Google's Android (News - Alert) 2.2 operating system and sports a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Lenovo's new handheld device is also equipped with a front-facing camera for video chatting and boasts a whopping eight hours of battery life. The LePad will come loaded with Flash Player 10.1 and many other gaming- and video-related applications, making the tablet more of an entertainment device than one designed for work tasks.

However, Lenovo (News - Alert) also unveiled a hybrid device called the IdeaPad U1 that will allow consumers to turn the tablet into a complete, work-style netbook. Users who own both devices can simply slide the LePad tablet into the U1 base and find themselves with a fully functioning laptop with a built-in keyboard and mouse. When attached to the IdeaPad, the tablet device simply acts as a high-end computer monitor.

The U1 notebook supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and comes equipped with a 320GB SATA hard drive with a Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, according to Tech Tree.

When purchased as a bundle, the two products are designed to offer users an all-in-one outlet for both work and play.

"A keyboard is more important and Windows software more powerful for a lot of things you need to work, especially productivity and creating content," Lenovo product manager Leo Li told the AFP. "At the same time, people want to enjoy music, see videos, go to websites, read e-books, and play games in their personal lives."

The IdeaPad U1 with LePad will cost around $1,300 and will be available for purchase in China toward the end of the first quarter. The LePad can be purchased on its own for approximately $530.

The AFP is reporting that neither device will go on sale in the U.S. until Android's new tablet-centric OS is released.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf