Lenovo set to launch MacBook Air competitor

Not quite as anorexic, with more powerful processor options

THIN AND LIGHT notebooks are all the rage at the moment, especially after Apple’s launch of the new Macbook Air. Well, it seems like Lenovo has decided to make its own thin and light model in the shape of the 12.5-inch IdeaPad U260, a fairly modest looking notebook in comparison, but it has a few strengths of its own.

The leak comes courtesy of Thinkpads.com and the site has a whole host of pictures of the new model. At 3.04lb (1.38kg) and a mere 0.71in (18mm) thick, the IdeaPad U260 is anything but bulky. So it might not be quite as light as the MacBook air, but considering that Lenovo’s IdeaPad range of notebooks are usually quite cheap, we’d imagine the U260 to be quite competitive when it comes to the price/performance ratio.

Internally you’ll get a choice of one of Intel’s ultra-low power Core i3/i5 processors, up to 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Unlike the MacBook Air, the memory is user upgradable, although as there’s only a single SO-DIMM, you’ll be limited to 4GB either which way. Around the sides you’ll find a D-sub connector, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports and a headphone jack. The U260 uses the same chicklet type keyboard as Lenovo’s Thinkpad Edge models, but it lacks a trackpoint, so you’ll have to make do with a touchpad. It will also be available in two different colours, mocha brown and clementine orange of all things.

We’re intrigued by the 12.5-inch screen and there’s no word as to what resolution it’ll feature, although considering that 1366×768 is pretty much the standard resolution on notebooks today, we’d guess that Lenovo hasn’t strayed too far away. The 4-cell battery pack is unlikely to impress, but that’s the price you have to pay when you want a super light notebook, at least until the day someone invents a new kind of battery technology that we’re all waiting for and that never seems to arrive. There’s no word on when the IdeaPad U260 will launch officially, but it’s unlikely to too far off into the future.S|A

The following two tabs change content below.