Chinese notebook manufacturer Lenovo has just unveiled its latest laptop in the IdeaPad family. Called the IdeaPad U110, the new notebook keeps the main lines imposed in the ThinkPad series of notebooks, but unlike the latter, it is especially targeted at the consumer, rather than at the business user.

The IdeaPad family of notebooks gained huge popularity since January this year when the first units hit the shelves. The U110 comes with more than the elegant and business-like outlook implemented in the ThinkPad series. It is more of an entertainment-oriented mobile solution and can also be regarded as a fashionable accessory.

The IdeaPad U110 weighs less than one kilogram and is available with either a black or a red cover and textured metal finish. The frameless LCD screen adds some more elegance to an extremely successful design.

"Lenovo has very high-quality machines, and I think the time is right for them to try to break out of the corporate space", said Dan Olds, an analyst at the Gabriel Consulting Group Inc. "There is a significant market for unique systems that do several things well, like work plus entertainment", he continued.

However, the notebook packs more than the eye can meet. Under the fragile and textured shell, the manufacturer stuffed high-end hardware components, such as an Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 processor running at 1.6 GHz, up to 3GB of DDR2 memory, 120GB hard-disk drive, Super Multi-Burner 24X Max drive and 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi capabilities.

"They're taking a shot at reaching a new kind of hybrid customer", said Olds. "For example, college students, who grew up with a laptop, use it for everything from school work, or a summer job, to iTunes to watching movies and surfing the Web. They are, in a lot of ways, power users - big multitaskers who want battery power and full features", he continued.

Olds also considers that Lenovo's adding a fashion-oriented notebook was a smart move, given the fact that more and more notebook users pay extra attention to fashion and design elements. The IdeaPad U110 is already available and can be purchased for a starting price of $1,899.