LAS VEGAS -- Now here's something you don't see every day. The new IdeaPad U1 unveiled by Lenovo today isn't just "hybrid" in the sense that it's a notebook with a pop-out slate computer as its screen. It's also hybrid in the sense it runs Windows 7 in notebook form, then quickly switches to a Linux-based interface in slate mode.

The idea is to give people two machines in one -- a notebook computer that spawns a comparably lightweight, power-efficient Internet tablet.

I jostled my way through a ring of interested onlookers to see the new IdeaPad during a Consumer Electronics Show event tonight. It looks pretty cool. The switch from Windows 7 to Lenovo's Linux-based Skylight operating system seemed smooth, as you can see in the video below. I could do without the glossy finish, but I did like the tactile feel of the palm rests.

However, as a fan of ThinkPads going back to the IBM era, I really wish Lenovo would just stick with those classic, ThinkPad-style mouse buttons and keyboards across its lineup of notebook computers. A Lenovo rep at the booth acknowledged that I wasn't alone in that opinion. And after playing with the new Lenovo Skylight "smartbook" at the booth, there's no question in my mind that it would benefit from the same thing.

At any rate, the IdeaPad is also hybrid in terms of its architecture, running on dual-core Intel processors in notebook mode, and a more mobile-oriented ARM processor in slate mode.

More stats from Lenovo: Screen is an 11.6 inch HD LED. The machine is 3.8 pounds as a notebook, and the slate is 1.6 pounds detached. The price will be less than $1,000. Release date is June 1.