Lenovo IdeaPad A10 Android Laptop

Google Chromebooks had successfully captured almost 25% market share in the US for laptop priced at USD 300 (~RM950). The strong growth in Chromebooks has encouraged PC makers and Microsoft key partners such as HP and Lenovo to start selling Chromebooks. Following a leak of service manual and user guide of IdeaPad A10 on Lenovo's website, Lenovo has confirmed to take a bold move to launch the first laptop with pure Android OS.

Although the laptop is not yet officially launched, it was listed in Amazon Germany for €249 (~RM1068). From the price, the laptop is to be marketed as a mid-range touch device with basic features. Let's have a look at the spec:

Spec	IdeaPad A10
Processor	Rockchip RK3188 Cotex-A9 Quad Core 1.6GHz
Screen Size	10.1 inches Touch
Screen Resolution	1366 * 768 (HD)
OS	Android
Memory	1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC2-8500)  DDR3L (Max Memory 1GB or 2GB)
Storage Capacity	eMMC 16GB, 32GB
Bluetooth	Only support BT & WIFI combo module
Camera	Front - 0.3 mega pixels
I/O Ports	Combo headphone jack Combo build in Microphone jack USB 2.0 × 2, Micro USB × 1 TF card (Micro-SD)
Audio	Audio Combo audio jack × 1 Speaker × 2 Built-in microphone
Video	HDMI port × 1
Touch pad	One piece touchpad
Battery	2 cells/ 22.6 Wh Polymer
AC adapter	5V Universal AC Adapter, 100-240V/50-60Hz, 10W with 5V DC output

The Android OS version preinstalled is not mentioned in the spec. One special feature for IdeaPad A10 is that the display should be able to rotate 360 degrees for viewing photos or playing videos. However, the keyboard is not detachable. The laptop recharges through the micro USB port just like HP Chromebook 11.

With the great popularity of Android in smartphone market, can Android also become the major player in laptops or we should go with Chrome OS that is specifically designed for laptops? Well, we just have to wait and see.