Lenovo launches Linux based Skylight Smartbook and Hybrid

Lenovo's Linux powered Skylight
Source: Lenovo Lenovo has launched its Skylight smartbook, a mobile device with 10 inch screen and integrated 3G in a clamshell laptop format. Powered by a 1Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the Skylight uses Lenovo's own "web-optimised" interface. Users are presented with six "web gadgets" in the simplified, gadget-based user interface displayed on the 1280 by 720 resolution display. Underneath the gadget based UI is a Lenovo customised version of Linux. The Skylight comes with 20GB of flash storage and Lenovo say the device should have ten hours battery life so you "can watch two or more movies back to back". A full size keyboard and trackpad complete the portable package. The Skylight is expected to be available in the US in Spring. European availability is expected later in the year.

Details of how customisable and extendable the Skylight Linux user interface will be, and whether or not it will be user modifiable, are not currently known, though Ninis Samuel, consumer marketing director at Lenovo told Reuters that "There is no exposure of Linux to the customers. What we wanted to make is an interface that's completely custom and easy to use."

Skylight Linux is also incorporated in Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, a two part portable system which, when connected together, is a 11.6" Windows 7 based clamshell laptop with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, but when the removable multi-touch tablet display is removed from the machine, it switches to its own ARM processor and runs the Skylight Linux system. Removable tablets are nothing new, but the dual operating systems and dual processors of the Lenovo Hybrid is a new approach.

(djwm)