As a joint venture between Lenovo and NEC, it feels like LaVie often gets a little more freedom to have fun with its device designs, and so LaVie created a concept device for CES 2021 that looks like someone picked up a Nintendo Switch and has some PC parts added, and then gave it a steampunkreminiscent of finishing.
Based on a 8-inch 1920 x 1200 screen, in normal use the LaVie Mini concept looks a lot like a netbook of yesteryear. However, when you add the signature white and gold color scheme and round backlit keys, the LaVie Mini starts to look like something that might be in the Bioshock universe.
While it’s just a concept for now, the LaVie Mini will also have some pretty decent components, including an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU with Iris Xe graphics, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage, Wi-Fi 6 and a 26 WHr battery. And while the system is too small to have a full-sized touchpad, there is even a small piece of stamp-sized and a few slim mouse buttons to help you navigate.
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The LaVie Mini’s real party trick, however, is the ability to collapse the keyboard and connect an optional game controller, basically making the LaVie Mini the PC equivalent of a Nintendo Switch. With the controller attached, you get all the standard assortment of controller buttons, including a D-pad, two joysticks and a assortment of face buttons and some triggers on his shoulders. and like Nintendo’s portable console, the LaVie Mini also has its own dock for you to use charge the system or output video to a nearby screen.
After the enormous success of the Nintendo Switch, the LaVie Mini isn’t the first attempt we’ve seen by device manufacturers to create a PC-based hybrid console (see Dell’s Concept UFO from CES 2020), but since no PC makers have yet been able to capture the formula, the LaVie Mini concept remainsns a nice- and stimulating dream.
Unfortunately, LaVie just arrived come up with a design. N.ext comes the hardest: take this concept and turn it into a real production machine. Currently there is no timetanot for when the LaVie Mini goes on sale, and if this thing is anything like Dell’s UFO concept, chances are it never will. And unfortunately that’s kind of downer for what could be a really interesting device.
And if you want to see more new gadgets and devices from CES 2021, click here to read our full coverage.