Lenovo’s IdeaCentre
Horizon is a 27-inch tablet — yes, about triple the diagonal display dimension
of a conventional iPad — that has a full suite of inputs and all the
functionality of a desktop Windows 8 device, including a front-facing camera,
microphone and speakers. When you flip it on its back, however, it clicks into
a mode Lenovo calls Aura, and the interface and functionality completely
changes to become a multimedia and gaming table. (Those who saw the original
Microsoft Surface table from 2007 will be familiar with this concept).
The user interface is
a circular ring of buttons in the center of the screen, with labeled tabs like
Photos, Games, and so-on. Poke Photos and a ring of thumbnail pictures from
your library pop out, which you can scroll through using a finger. Tap one and
it’ll spring open and enlarge. You can fiddle with it using a pinch-to-zoom
gesture, twist it around using two fingers, scroll through other photos in your
collection by swiping, or “throw” the image across the display for someone else
to play with.
Same thing with movies, and there are tabs for
sharing content of social media and accessing data from other PCs. The key
feature for most will be using the tablet like a giant gaming table, for
digital Monopoly, or air hockey (for which you use special rubber sensor
paddles that slide across the display) or a dozen other options, including some
that rely on special e-dice that you roll on the table or suction cup
joysticks. Somewhat crucial to the Horizon experience is a sturdy, optional
stand that smoothly tilts the screen, is height adjustable and has wheels
($200).
While we doubt many of these will actually end
up making it into homes when released this summer (for around $1,700), we do
like that Lenovo is attempting to innovate around the already stale design
standards of tablets and think some version of the Horizon could eventually be
a big success.
0 comments:
Post a Comment