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Lenovo today announced that the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC continues to help redefine technology in the home with the introduction of three innovative table concepts that integrate Lenovo’s groundbreaking interpersonal PC with contemporary furniture. Lenovo will showcase the commissioned custom table designs – “The Treehouse” built for the 21st century playroom, “The Nest” for the modern living room and “AT-UM” for the digital workshop at the 25th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair taking place May 18-21 in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Center.
“We envisioned Horizon as a totally new type of technology product – one that people use to create and enjoy content in a collaborative way, not a personal device but rather an interpersonal device,” said Jeff Meredith, vice president, Lenovo Business Group Marketing. “As an entirely new technology device, Horizon has inspired furniture designers to explore new ways to make it accessible and naturally fit into the home.”
The industry-acclaimed Horizon connects people in new ways, creating an interpersonal computing experience. For example, when the Horizon lays flat the Aura interface activates and allows four people to use it simultaneously and play games together on its multitouch screen with joysticks, strikers and e-dice. Users can also collaborate using Horizon upright as a traditional all-in-one (AIO) PC thanks to its 10-finger touch and Windows 8 support. Equipped with high performance Intel Core i7 processors, NVIDIA GeForce graphics and Dolby Home Theatre v4 audio even digital music creation software from StageLight, co-creation happens easily in either mode.
Each unique table highlights the intersection of the latest technology innovation and the possibility of unbridled home décor craftsmanship representing a new era of furniture design that integrates technology directly into places where people work, play and socialize.
The Treehouse
Peter Pan and Robinson Crusoe’s forts have nothing on this 21st century treehouse. Designed by Judson Beaumont of Straight Line Designs, the Treehouse creates a magical world of whimsy to bring children and people of all ages together. Beaumont’s inspiration sprang from the Horizon’s roots in family-oriented games. Always looking to bend straight lines, Beaumont crafted the Treehouse to pair two seemingly separate objects into one seamless piece filled with personality.
“When I first learned about the Horizon and what it could do, I imagined excited children gathered around it,” said Judson Beaumont, Straight Line Designs. “Technology has become an important part of everyday living, and this design showcases Horizon’s ability to interact with children and people of all ages, enabling them to discover, create and play. Much more than a piece of furniture, the Treehouse is an extension of creativity and fun with a secret hiding spot underneath for toys; a child’s dreams come true.”
The Nest – Family Game Night Redefined
The Nest represents the next chapter in living room design hosting a 27-inch PC that essentially jumped into a coffee table. Input Creative Studio designers Brooke Lichtenstein and Yiannos Vrousgos blend a modern take on the nesting table idea with the Lenovo Horizon. It’s a new digital take on family game night where players can battle onscreen using strikers in Air Hockey or toss the e-dice on the glass in Monopoly or look at photos together for a stroll down memory lane. Horizon comes preloaded with a host of edutainment games for the whole family. The table even has hidden chairs and storage compartments for the Horizon’s accessories (power supply, keyboard and physical gaming pieces).
“Even in today’s technology-driven age, home is still where the heart is, and it’s where people spend the majority of their time. Horizon inspired us to enhance family life by integrating technology. It’s a way to physically bring everyone together at home for a modern take on family game night,” said Brooke Lichtenstein, Input Creative Studio. “The Nest is the perfect blend of technology and contemporary home décor, and we see it as the ideal opportunity to reinvent how people interact and display their PCs at home,” added Yiannos Vrousgos, Input Creative Studio.
AT-UM
UM Project designer François Chambard wanted to give people a central hub to power their creative projects and interests with a digital twist. Inspired by the dynamic styles of today’s life and work, AT-UM fits perfectly in a studio or café and invites multiple people to collaborate and interact by laying the Horizon flat or using it vertically as an AIO PC.
A crossover between a desk, a stand and an easel, the AT-UM brings the likable and smart three-legged creature to life and provides a collaborative workspace for all types of creative people, at home and at work. The table features strong graphic and functional moments with splashes of color along with hidden surprises like a sliding accessories drawer and a keyboard tray that caters both to lefties and righties.
“The combination of the analog and digital worlds intrigues and inspires me to mix them and produce unexpected process and products. The piece I designed and made for Lenovo is probably one of the best examples of this approach: it’s playful and functional, a surprising hybrid between technology and furniture. AT-UM is more than a table with a built-in PC though: it’s an interactive platform for any creative space.”
Pricing and Availability
The Horizon Table PC is available for purchase via Lenovo’s website (www.lenovo.com) now. Prices for models on www.lenovo.com start at approximately $1,699. It will also be available via retailers including Best Buy, Fry’s, Microcenter, Amazon.com, Newegg.com and other Lenovo retailers in late June.
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