CES: Lenovo unveils Yoga IdeaPad laptop-tablet hybrid to run Windows 8

Lenovo has unveiled a new multi-form device that it claims can be used as an ultrabook, tablet and a display stand that will run Windows 8 when it is launched later this year by Microsoft.

The Yoga is the latest product in the firm's IdeaPad range and Lenovo said it could be used in four distinct ways: as a laptop, a tablet – by folding the screen down over the keyboard – a stand, or as a 'tent' (see picture), which takes advantage of the device's hinges.

The device has a 13.3in screen and comes with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD and has a battery life that can last up to eight hours, according to the firm. It is also 16.9mm thick and weighs 1.47kg.

Lenovo chief executive, Yang Yuanqing, said the firm had produced the product to meet what it believes is a clear gap in the market for devices that can appeal to the demand from end-users for a multitude of device formats.

"It is clear to us that consumers want four screens: mobile devices, tablets, notebooks and smart TVs and they want them to work together seamlessly, anytime, anywhere," he said.

"The IdeaPad Yoga multi-mode notebook redefines the convergence and convertible user experience by bringing together the best of traditional PCs, with the best of tablets and more."

The device is set to launch in the second half of 2012, although this will depend on the availability of Windows 8, with pricing set to start from around $1,199.

The firm will be hoping to replicate the success of rival Asus whose Eee Pad Transformer device, which allows a keyboard to be attached and removed from a tablet, was one of the surprise hits of 2011.

Lenovo is just one of many vendors to unveil new products at the show in Las Vegas, with Samsung announcing several new laptops and Intel promoting the latest ultrabook devices as an important new area of the market.