Lenovo To Launch LePad Tablet PC

Lenovo Group has announced its own tablet PC, becoming the latest technology company to jump on the bandwagon for computers styled after Apple Inc’s popular iPad.

Lenovo was developing a tablet PC, known internally as LePad, which would run on Google Inc’s Android operating system, said Wu Hwa, Spokeswoman, Lenovo.

“We want the tablet PC to be compatible with our LePhone smartphone, which is why we’re using Android,” Wu said.

LePhone is Lenovo’s Smartphone offering in China, sold by China Unicom, which also runs on Android.

Tablet PC shipments are expected to grow by an average 57.4% per year between 2010 and 2014, research firm IDC said, making the sector a lucrative growth area for companies selling heavily commoditised laptops.

The tablet PC has already caught the attention of major PC companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co, Dell Inc and now Lenovo, as they look to diversify beyond laptop PCs that typically offer low profit margins.