Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Tablet/Laptop Delayed Until 2011

Well, isn't this a shame? Lenovo has been one of the few companies to show genuine interest in shipping a high-class product in the "smartbook" sector, but now the IdeaPad U1 is seeming to fade from view. Hardly anything has been mentioned about the device since its original introduction, and all the while smartbooks have proven to be less popular than originally expected. Some may say that the tablet killed the smartbook before it ever had a real chance at success, but the U1 looks like it could be a hit regardless.

It's a hybrid PC that can operate as both a tablet and a laptop, and rather than throwing all the hard design and engineering work away, Lenovo will simply be delaying the launch of the U1 until next year. On one hand, we're sad to see the original June 2010 ship date slip so badly, but one the other, this could give Lenovo time to include new hardware and technology that would put it far ahead of the current iPad.


According to a new PC World report, Lenovo delayed the item because "it did not meet company standards." There's no mention of what standards were not met, but Chief Marketing Officer David Roman did mention that it could be redesigned prior to launch. We just hope they don't change it too much; it looks really, really great as it stands currently.