Last updated on July 23, 2020
Fear not, dear readers. Techspressive has not become a fitness blog.
They say that we don’t see many big announcements at CES anymore, but that hasn’t been true for Lenovo, which has shown off a string of interesting form-factor PCs at the last several shows that captured attendee attention. These include, in reverse chronological order, the Horizon table PC, in 2013, the Yoga in 2012 (since discontinued but followed by Intel-based successors), and the U1 Hybrid in 2010 that never shipped.
The Yoga in particular was arguably the first PC of the Windows 8 era that got people thinking about new form factors and kindled a fascination with PC hinge design. It’s nice to see Lenovo apparently ready to give it a spin with the IdeaPad A10, which appears as if it will sell for about $250 — or about half of what HP is charging for the Tegra 4-bearing Slatebook X2 detachable. But where is it written that all Android clamshells much be detachable? And while an exposed keyboard might have been a bit uncomfortable in a Windows convertible, who cares at this price point?
Recent Chromebooks such as the 11″ HP model continue to claim the netbook legacy. While they are simple, consistent devices when used in a Wi-Fi area, offline app implementation continues to be varied, inconsistent and confusing. Android hybrids may be limited ot a niche market for the foreseeable future, but they’re highly functional and Android apps know how to seamlessly work offline.