Lenovo IdeaPad U260 12.5-Inch Ultraportable On Sale Today

Lenovo's IdeaPad U260 has evolved from tempting leak to official product, and is hitting virtual shelves today. Priced from $899, the 12.5-inch U260 is yet to show up on the company's webstore, but when it does it will have a choice of Intel's 1.33GHz Core i3-380UM or 1.33GHz to 1.86GHz Core i5-470UM processors, an unspecified Core i7 option up to 4GB of DDR3 memory and a standard 320GB 5,400rpm hard-drive (or 128GB SSD).

That's all slotted into a distinctive, journal-styled casing made from magnesium-aluminum alloy, with a leather-patterned palm rest and glass touchpad. The display runs at 1366 x 768 with Intel HD graphics, and there are stereo 1W speakers, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit ethernet and Bluetooth as standard. Other ports include two USB 2.0, audio in/out, VGA and HDMI.

We're not quite sure what Lenovo's "Breathable Keyboard" is for – perhaps it gives you that brilliant feeling of typing on lungs – but the 3.04lb U260 otherwise seems quite an interesting MacBook Air alternative. It's set to go on sale sometime today.

[via Notebooks]

Press Release:

Uncompromising Luxury You Can Touch: Lenovo's U-niquely Designed IdeaPad U260 is the World's First 12.5-Inch Ultraportable Laptop

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – November 15, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced the IdeaPad U260, the world's first 12.5-inch ultraportable consumer laptop, giving users a 16:9 widescreen dimension in a 12-inch form factor for the first time. This latest addition to the IdeaPad U Series is all about luxury featuring a sleek, minimalistic design that includes a magnesium-aluminum alloy real metal cover, leather-patterned palm rest and glass touchpad.

The IdeaPad U260 is high fashion in laptop form. Designed for consumers who enjoy a sophisticated sense of style, the U260 highlights premium details and craftsmanship that can be touched. Inspired by the silhouette of a classic leather-bound journal, the U260 exudes elegance with a "U" shaped outline and a specially engineered one-piece magnesium-aluminum alloy frame, making it stronger yet thinner and lighter. The exterior cover, which boasts a one-piece design without any breaks in the pattern, is made possible by the latest insert- molding injection technology.

Its black leather-patterned palm rest is soft to the touch providing comfort and support for the user while giving a luxurious look. The stainless steel frame around the chiclet keyboard is the perfect complement to the leather-textured exterior. A durable, yet silky smooth glass touchpad with matte exterior etching gives just the right resistance for multi-touch functionality such as pinch-to-zoom photo browsing and web surfing. The U260 is available in mocha brown or clementine orange for those seeking a "pop" in their PC wardrobe.

"The U260 is a design one can truly touch and feel that showcases the extreme attention our team places in every aspect of design, from mechanical to human interaction to color, material and finish," said Yingjia Yao, vice president, Innovation Design Center, Lenovo. "Our philosophy is that Idea product design should be simple, unique and provide value, and the IdeaPad U260 delivers just that through the high-quality selection of materials, advanced ergonomics and a signature design concept."

Perfect for those who love to travel or executives who enjoy a classy laptop away from the office, the IdeaPad U260 is the right choice weighing in at less than three pounds and measuring just over a half-inch thin. The U260 is ergonomically designed with sleek curves, proportions and hinge mechanics for maximum comfort as it can be easily opened with one hand. Users will also enjoy standing out in a crowd with their uniquely designed, world's first 12.5-inch laptop powered by up to an Intel® Core™ i7 processor for impressive performance and long battery life. The U260 can be configured with up to 320GB of hard drive storage or up to 128GB of SSD flash-based storage providing plenty of room for music, photos and movies. With up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, consumers can enjoy a seamless multimedia experience when browsing multiple web pages and using applications.

"The IdeaPad U260 is a luxury laptop for someone with discerning tastes that desires high quality and elegance paired with the freedom of immense mobility," said Dion Weisler, vice president, Business Operations, Lenovo. "This is one of numerous additions to the Idea portfolio, manifesting Lenovo's fun and fashionable PC consumer offerings, which are not only sophisticated but brimming with features. The U260 fits in seamlessly with today's 'on-the-go' lifestyle without sacrificing excellence for style."

Additional features on the U260 include an industry leading Breathable Keyboard, an Intel® Advanced Cooling Technology that allows the PC to run cooler and maintain spill resistance.  Ambient Light Sensors on the U260 help protect users' eyes by automatically adjusting screen brightness based on lighting conditions and Lenovo's Active Protection System™ acts as an "airbag" for the hard drive to cushion data stored on the laptop in the event of a fall or drop. Those seeking entertainment and multimedia functionality will enjoy the U260's Dolby® Advanced Audio™ surround sound speakers, HDMI output for streaming high definition to an HDTV and an integrated web camera for Skype and video calling.

The U260 comes with Genuine Microsoft Windows® 7 Home Basic or Premium and Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7, a unique Lenovo certification that delivers speedy boot-up and shutdown times, rich multimedia capabilities and easy system maintenance tools.

Pricing and Availability

The Lenovo IdeaPad U260 laptop will be available November 15, 2010 on lenovo.com starting at $899.

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