Software
Although it is Lenovo’s fault to include
some floating software on the Yoga 13, it is not as many as that you can find
on other Windows 8 laptops like Toshiba U925t. An application, Lenovo
Transition, is really useful: it allows you to identify applications which will
automatically operate on the full-screen in the tablet mode. There are many
presets and as you expect; they are all programs that you can use without the
keyboard. They comprise of Windows Media Center, PowerPoint and MS Paint, with
others apps. Obviously, you can set many different actions for many different
programs, which means you can choose that it is only Windows Media Player to
run on the full-screen, if that is all what you want.
The
software
Beside Lenovo Transition, you will find titles
for Lenovo Support, Skype, Microsoft Office, AppUp store of Intel and Lenovo
Cloud Storage, which are powered up by SugarSync. Windows 8 apps include eBay,
Evernote and the music transmission service Rara.com. In terms of security,
Lenovo has included the demo version for McAfee Security Advisor.
Like almost all of other consumer PCs, Yoga
13 has the warranty of one year.
Configuration options and competitors
Although yoga 13’s list price is over $1,110,
it is starting with $1,000 at the moment on Lenovo’s website. It is the core i3
model, which also owns the 4 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD. Each configuration among
three main configurations has 128 GB storage, except for one configuration has
the core i5 processor (at the price of $1,100) and the other configurations are
packed with the core i7 (at the price of $1,300). The i5 and i7 versions also
have the 8GB RAM – two times more than what is provided in the basic core i3
version. All are accompanied with the integrated graphics cards Intel HD 4000.
From what we can say, there is no option for a 256 GB storage sold on
Lenovo.com, so hopefully, you can live with 128 GB.
The Yoga 11 inch will be coming soon,
although it has ARM chip and operates Windows RT instead of Windows 8. In other
words, it belongs to a very different level from the Yoga 13, although it has
the same form factor.
So far, we have compared Yoga 13 with
Toshiba Satellite U925t and Dell XPS 12, because of good reason: both are
ultrabooks that have the similar dimension and can be used in the tablet mode.
However, the Yoga 13 does have flaw, we thought it is better than the U925t,
which offers shorter battery life, and sliding design that can creates
compromised typing experience. It also owns lower resolution display,
regardless of the fact that it is more expensive.
It is Dell XPS 12 that is Yoga 13’s truly
formidable competitor. Although it costs more (the basic $1,200 model), it owns
the 1080p display with more pixel-dense, as well as the comfortable backlit
keyboard. However, we have to admit that XPS 12’s rotating screen does not
please us all like Yoga 13’s hinges. It’s up to your preference, you can be
missing the capability of folding the screen into many different poses that
Yoga can do. However, as we just said, when it comes to the tablet mode, XPS 12
is more comfortable to use, because the keyboard is tucked away. In terms of
performance, both are similar in the battery life and speed in general,
although the SSD disk of XPS 12 provides much higher reading speed.
It
is Dell XPS 12 that is Yoga 13’s truly formidable competitor.
Yoga 13 can also be compared with the dual-
screen Asus TAICHI, although we admitted that we have not had any chance to
play much with it more than dew minutes yet. The 13inch model, sold at the
price of more than $1,300, is relatively expensive, even for a Windows 8
convertible. However, nobody would say that a machine with two 1080p screen is
cheap.
Conclusion
Back to January, the first time that we saw
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga in CES, we claimed that was one of the most memorable
moments at the exhibition. However, it is 10 months ago, and because of that
gap, there is a bit inconsistent between our first impression and the reaction
after one week of real usage. As what we found out, it is not a perfect
product, with the flaky trackpad, relatively limited storage and normal typing
experience (which is the strong point of Lenovo). Moreover, unless there is the
optional sleeve to cover the keyboard, Yoga is very hard to use in the tablet
mode, because your fingers will just keep pressing on those keys.
However, Yoga 13 is still an appealing
model: we have never seen any other Windows 8 convertible with such flexible
design, and the design is awesome: although we are still not satisfied with the
keyboard, they hinge is sturdy and well designed. The whole machine feels thin
and light, regardless of the fact that the touchscreen usually increase the
weight. Although you rarely flip the screen around, this is a stable Ultrabook.
Obviously, there are other Windows 8 PC with more definition screen and faster
SSD, but it is about $20 more costly. Compared to the competitors, this is
still a good choice. Regardless of the price, this choice is still so powerful.
We just hope that Lenovo can quickly upgrade the trackpad. That is not beyond
their ability, isn’t it?
Yoga
13 is still an appealing model.
Advantages
·
Surprisingly flexible design
·
Slim and light for a convertible machine
·
The bright and lively IPS display
Disadvantages
·
Unstable trackpad
·
The components of the keyboards create
uncomfortable feeling
Verdict
·
The transforming design of Yoga 13 turns it into
the most attractive Windows 8 convertible that we have ever seen. It is not
perfect, but still a good selection between Ultrabooks.
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Lenovo IdeaPad
Yoga 13 specifications
·
CPU: 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3537U; 3rd
generation Intel Core i7-3517U; 3rd generation Intel Core
i5-3317U; 3rd generation Intel Core i3-3217U
·
Operating system: Windows 8 Pro 64
·
Memory: 4 GB, 8 GB DDR3
·
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 (integrated)
·
Chipset: Mobile Intel QS77 Express
·
Dimension: 333.4x224.8x16.9 mm
·
Camera: 1.0 MP 720p HD integrated webcam
·
Display: 13.3 inches HD + IPS capacitive
multi-touch display (1600 x 900)
·
Weight: 1.54 KG
·
I/O Ports: 1 USB 2.0; 1 USB 3.0; Combo jack:
HDMI: 2-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC)
·
Storage: 128 GB DDR
·
Wireless connectivity: Lenovo 802.11 a/b/g/n
wireless; Bluetooth 4.0
·
Keyboard: AccuType keyboard
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