Lenovo at CES 2012: new ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptops, tablets, and all-in-ones

Lenovo has indeed saved the best for last here at CES 2012. After days of interminable laptop announcements, the company has one more to share: the 13.3-inch IdeaPad Yoga, which opens like a normal laptop but can then flip backwards to become a tablet. Yes, it's as crazy as it sounds, and even better it's running Windows 8. This is the sort of thing that is really best seen in video, so I suggest you scroll on down as soon as possible, but what I can tell you is that the .6-inch thick laptop looks and feels a lot like the IdeaPad U300s (or the new U310 / U410) until you realize you can push the screen back completely and morph it into a Windows 8 tablet.

While the Yoga isn't going to be coming out until Windows 8 is release — likely in the Fall of this year — the version that Lenovo brought to Vegas was actually quite far along, at least on the hardware front. The hinge felt really sturdy when flipping the screen on the back of the keyboard, though the entire process of actually morphing it into a tablet is rather awkward, especially given the 13.3-inch screen size. I actually mistakenly hit the power button on the left edge when trying to get it into tablet mode. It's easier to flip it into an upside-down V-shape stand (tent mode, as Lenovo calls it) or use the keyboard as a stand for the screen. Even though the .67-inch thick / 3.1-pound Yoga is relatively thin and light for a laptop, it's thick and heavy for a tablet. Given that and the sheer size, I'd really envision this as more of a couch-centric device.

By the way, Lenovo also took this CES opportunity to remind us about its LePhone S2, a mid-range Android 2.3 smartphone, which will now include "a unique Kernel-level security system" to make it appealing to the workforce, not to mention an "8MP super camera."

The K430 desktop (pictured above) has Intel Core i7 CPUs, up to 32GB of DDR3 SDRAM, dual graphics support with NVIDIA's SLI or ATI CrossFireX, optional RAID 0 configured twin hard drives, an up to 4TB HDD, a three speed color-coded power switch with three modes (turbo, auto, and cool running), plus USB 3.0 connectors and a 9-in-1 card reader.

Finally the super slim H520s desktop has Intel Core CPUs (specific models haven't yet been named), options for either up to 2GB AMD Radeon HD7570 or 2GB NVIDIA GeForce graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM, and an up to 2TB HDD. Options include either a DVD player / writer or Blu-ray drive.

Lenovo's K91 is not your normal 55-inch television. To start with, its two most notable features are its operating system and central processor: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich running on Qualcomm's 1.5GHz dual-core 8060 Snapdragon CPU. The TV can be controlled with your voice using natural language processing and recognition, and even includes video interaction (with facial recognition) thanks to a 5 megapixel webcam that's integrated into the bezel. Otherwise, the K91 remote control is up to the task thanks to a touchpad, 5-way d-pad, and motion sensor. The display is no slouch either incorporating 3D FPR technology into a "flicker-free," LED backlit, full HD IPS panel with 240Hz refresh.

The user experience starts with Lenovo's "Sandwich" UI that unites traditional TV and VoD features with custom-built apps. Other specs include 802.11n Wi-Fi, 8GB of storage with an extra 2GB on removable SD card, access to the Android Market and Lenovo Store, and integration with the Lenovo family of smartphones and tablets that can be used as remote controls or as additional displays for sharing content.

And you thought it wasn't possible for Lenovo to announce another ultrabook. While the more business minded got the ThinkPad T430u last week, Lenovo's also announcing plans at CES 2012 for its updated U Series ultrabook — the 13.3-inch U310 and 14-inch U410. An update to the IdeaPad U300s, the U310 and U410 have similar all-aluminum book-cover styling, chiclet keyboards (still with no backlight), and thin bodies (.7 and .83, respectively). Beyond the new colored lids and the addition of an SD card reader, it doesn't sound like much of an update aesthetically, but internally they will have Intel's next generation of processors. Expected to hit in May, Lenovo's not detailing the exact processors specs, but we do know that on a whole Ivy Bridge will provide faster graphics performance. If that's not enough, the U410 will be available with Nvidia GeForce 610M graphics. Lenovo tells us it is too early to know what the starting configuration will consist of, but it says the new U series will start at $699.

We got a quick look at the new laptops today, and by and large, they look and feel a lot like the U300s out right now. The SD card slot addition sure does make us happy, but we really would have like to see a better quality touchpad and display here. You can check out the full specs of the models here.

The G Series includes the G480, the G580 and the G780, which are 14, 15.6 and 17.3-inch laptops, respectively. The G Series have up to a Core i7 Intel CPU, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT630M graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM, and an up to 1TB SATA II HDD. There are options for a DVD player or a Blu-ray drive, plus 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and both optional Bluetooth and WiMAX. A six-cell battery comes standard, The Lenovo IdeaPad G Series will be available starting in June at $399.

Finally, the Z Series refresh includes the Z580, the Z480 and the Z380, which are 13.4, 14, and 15.6-inch, widescreen HD display models. Like the previous models, the Z Series has CPU options up to a Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce graphics, and Dolby Home Theatre V4 enhanced audio. The Z Series also has Lenovo's large "Intelligent Touchpad," and optional DVD player or Blu-ray, a standard six-cell battery, and they come in a wide range of colors. The Lenovo Z Series laptops will be available in April starting at $599.

Dell might be leaving netbooks behind, but Lenovo's not of the same mind. Joining the flood of its new laptops is the Lenovo S200 and S206, which are some of the first netbooks to be powered by Intel's Cedar Trail Atom processors. Sure, Lenovo also has the new Cedar Trail-powered IdeaPad S110, but these have 11.6-inch with 1366 x 768 resolution displays. Other than that these have fairly run of the mill specs, including up to 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM and up to 500GB (7,200 rpm) hard drives. The S200 and S206 models also both have two 1.5-watt integrated stereo speakers, an 0.3 megapixel webcam, plus one each USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and optional Bluetooth. They also come with a 2-cell battery rated at about 4 hours of usage. The S200 can additionally be outfitted with an up to 32GB SSD, and comes with a dual core, Intel Atom N2800 processor while the S206 has a dual core AMD C60 CPU. Both the IdeaPad S200 and and S206 will be available in an array of colors in June with a starting price of $349.

We told you we'd track down Lenovo's dual-OS, dual-processor ThinkPad X1 Hybrid when we got to Vegas, and that's exactly what we've done. Design-wise, the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid looks exactly like the original X1 — it's literally indescribable from the previous save for the X1 Hybrid logo on the screen bezel. However, the Lenovo Instant Media Mode widget on the Windows 7 desktop is where things start to look different. Select the Home in that widget and the dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage and the Android OS will be up and running.

So, how is the hand-off between the two operating systems? Extremely seamless. As you will see in the video, you don't have to wait more than two seconds to get into the Instant Media Mode. Similarly, when going back to Windows it takes less than two seconds. But the question remains: why would you want to do that? Lenovo has done little to nothing on top of Android 2.3. Sure, there is a large widget to Video, Email, Web and Music but those just launch stock Android applications, which didn't seem to work very well with touchpad navigation. I had problems even getting down the bottom of regular websites. Of course, you will get double the battery life in this mode, since Windows goes to sleep, but it almost seems like you'd be half as productive in the Android OS, so I'm not sure what you really gain.

However, the S430 seems like much more than a speeds and feeds machine: measuring .8-inches thick, it's only slightly thicker than the ThinkPad ultrabook, but still manages to have an optical drive. And from what we can tell from the pictures, it looks a lot like the IdeaPad U260 (the precursor to the IdeaPad U300s) with a mocha-colored aluminum lid and a similar book hinge design. Even better, Lenovo's listing a "antiglare display" option, though we expect its got a 1366 x 768 resolution panel it does have a 1600 x 900-resolution display. The S430 won't be available until June and will start at $749.

On the thicker, more mainstream end, Lenovo has the new 14-inch E430 and 15-inch E530 laptops, which will also be available with Intel's third generation Core processors as well as AMD Fusion APUs. The cases have also been refreshed with new colors, including black, red, and blue. The E520 and E430 will be available slightly before the S430 in April, and will start at $549.