Monday, January 5, 2009

Lenovo brings IdeaCentre A600 with Wii functionality

Lenovo has announced an all-in-one PC with a remote control that doubles as a motion-based gaming controller.

The all-in-one IdeaCentre A600 combines a monitor and CPU in a thin system. It will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show from January 8 to 11 in Las Vegas.

Its wireless remote control is similar to that of Nintendo Wii, which allows users to interact with a video game by waving or pointing the game controller. Using motion-sensing technology, the Wii Remote becomes a racket when swinging during a tennis game, or a weapon when playing a fighting game.

The company is bundling some motion-based games with the PC to use with the remote-based gaming controller.

Lenovo is trying to capitalize on the trend of entertainment options merging into the PC. Few are able to play motion-based games, which could make this motion-based game controller a pioneer.

In addition to controlling TV functions and video recordings on the PC, the remote control can also be used as an air mouse that moves the mouse pointer when waved. It has some advantages over a conventional mouse - it can function without being on a surface and be used at a distance.

If the air mouse wasn't enough, the remote also works as a VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) handset. If you have telephony software on your PC like Windows Live or Skype, you can use your remote to make those phone calls because it essentially can act as a phone.

The desktop has a 21.5-inch screen that supports 1920 X 1280-pixel resolution for high-definition video playback. It runs on Intel Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 Duo mobile processors, supports up to 4GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. It includes Wi-Fi wireless networking and runs on the Windows Vista OS.

Options include the remote control, Blu-ray DVD player, a TV tuner and a Advanced Micro Devices' ATI graphics card.

The desktop is part of a new portfolio of entertainment PCs that Lenovo plans to show at CES.
The company is also rolling out a new laptop line, the IdeaPad Y series, which is targeted at mainstream users looking to create and view multimedia content. Lenovo has added features that can make watching movies an easier and enjoyable experience.

The IdeaPad Y series laptops come with screens ranging from 14 to 16 inches, run on Intel Core 2 Duo processors and include Windows Vista. The weight of the laptops ranges from 4.6 pounds to 6 pounds.

The IdeaCentre A600 starts at a price of 999USD. The desktop will be available worldwide by the beginning of March.

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