CES 2012: Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Hybrid to feature two CPUs

Lenovo’s LePad may have been a washed out dream, but they are making up for that with the new ThinkPad X1 Hybrid. Just like the X1 that they launched last year, the new one will be thinner with a 0.6-inch thickness level. If that wasn’t impressive enough, this 13.3-incher manages to squeeze in two CPUs, yes two! The notebook is said to arrive in the second quarter for a whopping start price of US $1,599.

Look how thin!

The first is a choice from any of Intel’s Core i3, i5 and i7 range, while the second CPU will be from ARM. This is a similar system that Lenovo had planned with the LePad, which was to be a proper notebook with an Intel CPU when docked in, but you could also use it as a tablet, as it had a separate OS based on the ARM architecture built into the screen. We feel Lenovo couldn’t get the whole tablet and notebook switch to work seamlessly, which is why it was canned, but that idea has transpired into the X1 Hybrid. When using the ARM CPU, the notebook gets to play with its own 16GB of dedicated storage space, along with a custom Linux-based OS. Switching between the two OS takes place at the press of a button.

Lenovo has released a promo video ahead of CES, which shows the notebook being used in a variety of scenarios. They also claim you can charge the battery up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. It’s designed to be rugged, which is evident from the Corning Gorilla Glass used on the display. The screen is still a regular LCD, not touch, it’s still a notebook and not a hybrid tablet cum notebook. If Lenovo have sorted their overheating issues, they had with the first X1, then this would be one amazing notebook to watch out for.