Hands on with Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga, a Windows 8 laptop/tablet hybrid (video)

Lenovo has been busy at CES 2012 with debuts for smart TVs and laptops, but its coolest device may be the upcoming IdeaPad Yoga, a laptop that can bend over backwards and turn into a Windows 8 tablet.

With laptops beginning to model tablets in terms of thinness and lightness, it was only a matter of time before we began to see a model that blurs the line further by essentially being both. The IdeaPad Yoga is an Intel-powered thin-and-light Ultrabook laptop that mimics the MacBook Air when it is positioned like a laptop and mimics the iPad when it is set up like a tablet.

Lenovo product ambassader Ashley Perry walked me through the motions and showed me how the device’s hinges allow it to bend backwards and transform into a tablet. In a way, this takes after the dock-able IdeaPad S2 tablet, except it goes one further by being a combo device. Having the machine run Windows 8 also adds allure, because it’s still only available to developers.

I also got my hands on the device briefly and it was as cool as I expected it to be. The machine’s 13.3-inch screen with 10-finger touch was entertaining to try. The form factor itself is fun to play with too, but it was a little too heavy to use frequently as a tablet. The iPad is 1.5 pounds, while this thing is more than double that.

Lenovo expects the IdeaPad Yoga to ship when Windows 8 is available commercially, which should be in the third or fourth quarter of this year. The company expects the device to run for less than $1,200.

Watch the full IdeaPad Yoga hands on video below:

For more gadget news, be sure to check out VentureBeat’s live coverage from CES 2012.