????誰(shuí)說(shuō)平板電腦一定是扁平的？史蒂夫?喬布斯從來(lái)沒(méi)有這么說(shuō)過(guò)，亞馬遜（Amazon）、谷歌（Google）或者三星（Samsung）也從來(lái)沒(méi)這么說(shuō)過(guò)。艾什頓?庫(kù)徹（好萊塢演員，曾出演喬布斯——譯注）甚至認(rèn)為扁平是完全沒(méi)有必要的（后面還有更多相關(guān)內(nèi)容）。如今的平板市場(chǎng)，充斥著各種大同小異、毫無(wú)特色的扁平產(chǎn)品，衡量硬件創(chuàng)新的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)是輕薄度、屏幕分辨率、電池續(xù)航能力和運(yùn)行速度這些指標(biāo)。

????而這些都將成為歷史。

????上周二，中國(guó)計(jì)算機(jī)業(yè)巨頭聯(lián)想公司（Lenovo）推出了一款最新的安卓（Android）平板設(shè)備。這款輕薄的設(shè)備很快就吸引了眾多眼球，因?yàn)樗蚱屏顺Ｒ?guī)，在一側(cè)設(shè)計(jì)了圓柱形的底座。底座所提供的空間可以用于安裝大容量的電池。據(jù)聯(lián)想方面透露，這臺(tái)設(shè)備的電池續(xù)航能力達(dá)到16至18小時(shí)，如果屬實(shí)，它將完勝其他競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手。

????這種設(shè)計(jì)聽(tīng)起來(lái)有些笨拙，但看起來(lái)卻非常精巧。聯(lián)想表示，圓柱型底座改變了設(shè)備的重量分布，更易于手持。內(nèi)置支架使用戶可以將設(shè)備放置在不同位置，用于打字、娛樂(lè)、閱讀或觀看視頻。聯(lián)想毫不意外地繼續(xù)采用了它對(duì)可變形超級(jí)本的命名規(guī)則，將新平板設(shè)備命名為Yoga。聯(lián)想Yoga超級(jí)本是市場(chǎng)上最受歡迎的Window 8設(shè)備。

????現(xiàn)在斷言Yoga平板（其售價(jià)為249美元和299美元）肯定會(huì)熱銷(xiāo)還為時(shí)過(guò)早。IT媒體the Verge非常敏銳地將Yoga平板與蘋(píng)果公司無(wú)線鍵盤(pán)（筆者認(rèn)為，可以再加上蘋(píng)果的觸控板）的外形進(jìn)行了對(duì)比，結(jié)果顯示，Yoga平板設(shè)備手持非常舒適。

????相對(duì)而言，在移動(dòng)計(jì)算領(lǐng)域，聯(lián)想仍屬于新人。但正如今年早些時(shí)候，筆者在《財(cái)富》雜志（Fortune）發(fā)表的一篇文章所述，聯(lián)想通過(guò)一系列規(guī)模化的、明智的戰(zhàn)略（真正的全球化、多樣化）和產(chǎn)品創(chuàng)新，將PC市場(chǎng)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)甩在了后面。現(xiàn)在，這家公司開(kāi)始將這種創(chuàng)新帶到手機(jī)市場(chǎng)，聯(lián)想僅用了兩年時(shí)間便已經(jīng)成為中國(guó)第二大和全球第四大智能手機(jī)廠商。

????目前，聯(lián)想在平板市場(chǎng)羽翼尚未豐滿。它將Yoga系列的功能性和打破常規(guī)的外形融合到平板設(shè)備當(dāng)中有著重要的意義。或者正如聯(lián)想新任“產(chǎn)品工程師”庫(kù)徹對(duì)《今日美國(guó)》（USA Today）所言，他希望幫助聯(lián)想的產(chǎn)品“盡可能方便消費(fèi)者使用。”庫(kù)徹是好萊塢明星，曾主演電視劇《好漢兩個(gè)半》（Two and a Half Men）。庫(kù)徹已經(jīng)是一位多產(chǎn)的科技投資人，目前又有了新的副業(yè)——擔(dān)任聯(lián)想工程師和設(shè)計(jì)師的顧問(wèn)。

????聘請(qǐng)名人為商品宣傳是聯(lián)想屢試不爽的一種策略。公司首席營(yíng)銷(xiāo)官、曾在蘋(píng)果和惠普（HP）任職的戴維?羅曼在日本聘請(qǐng)足球明星拉動(dòng)銷(xiāo)售，在中國(guó)則邀請(qǐng)籃球明星代言。羅曼表示，公司與庫(kù)徹的合作關(guān)系將超出普通的營(yíng)銷(xiāo)聯(lián)盟，因?yàn)閹?kù)徹“將挑戰(zhàn)慣性思維，幫助我們尋求突破，為我們帶來(lái)新的視角，為Yoga平板和其他設(shè)備提出自己的技術(shù)見(jiàn)解。”

????庫(kù)徹與聯(lián)想在洛杉磯展開(kāi)合作，為Yoga平板舉辦了一場(chǎng)精心準(zhǔn)備的發(fā)布會(huì)，必然會(huì)吸引注意力。只是有一點(diǎn)不盡如人意。發(fā)布會(huì)舉辦的時(shí)候正值全球各大報(bào)紙網(wǎng)站與博客正在熱評(píng)蘋(píng)果新iPad Air和iPad Mini。所以，如果你沒(méi)聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)Yoga，也不意外。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：劉進(jìn)龍/汪皓?

????Who says tablets have to be flat? There was no decree from Steve Jobs, no edict from Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG) or Samsung. Oh, and Ashton Kutcher thinks it's unnecessary (more on that later). Yet the tablet market today is a sea of often indistinguishable flat slates in which hardware innovation is measured in thinness, screen resolution, battery life and speed.

????On Tuesday, Lenovo, the Chinese computer giant, unveiled a new line of Android tablets. The thin devices immediately stand out because of a cylindrical bulge that's built along one of their edges. The cylinder provides the space for a hefty battery that, according to Lenovo, can power the devices for 16 to 18 hours, which if true, blows away the competition.

????The design may sound clunky, but it looks slick. And Lenovo says the cylinder changes the weight distribution of the device, making it easier to hold. A built-in kickstand allows users to place the tablet in a variety of positions, for typing, playing, reading or watching. Not surprisingly, Lenovo named the new tablets Yoga, after its convertible ultra book, one of the most popular Windows 8 devices to hit the market.

????It's far too early to tell whether the Yoga tablets, which are available now starting at $249 and $299, will be a hit. Early reviews, like this one from the Verge, which astutely compares the shape of the Yoga to Apple's wireless keyboard (and I may add, Apple's touchpad), suggest it is indeed quite comfortable to hold.

????Lenovo is a relative newbie in the mobile computing world. But, as I described in a Fortune profile earlier this year, Lenovo has blown past its rivals in the PC market through a combination of scale, smart strategy (truly global, diversified) and product innovation. Now it's bringing this approach to the phone market, where in just two years it climbed to No. 2 smartphone seller in China and No. 4 globally.

????Bringing the Yoga-inspired versatility and unconventional look to tablets, where the company has yet to make a splash, makes good sense. Or so says the Lenovo's latest "product engineer," the Hollywood celebrity and co-star of Two and a Half Men, Kutcher. That's right, Kutcher, already a prolific tech investor, now has a side gig as advisor to Lenovo's engineers and designers. He told USA Today that he hopes to help make Lenovo's products "as consumer friendly as possible."

????Hiring a celebrity pitchman is a tried and true strategy for Lenovo, whose chief marketing officer, Apple and HP veteran David Roman, lined up soccer stars to sell its products in Japan and basketball greats to promote them in China. Roman has said that the partnership will go beyond the typical marketing alliance, as Kutcher "will help us break new ground by challenging assumptions, bringing new perspective and contributing his technical expertise to Yoga Tablet and other devices."

????With Kutcher and Lenovo teaming up for an event in Los Angeles, the Yoga tablets had the well-orchestrated launch befitting a product that deserves attention. Except for one thing. The event was being held just as the reviews for Apple's new iPad Air and iPad Mini were hitting newspaper Web sites and blogs the world over. If you hadn't heard about the Yoga yet, now you know why.