For not mistaken: Lenovo is approaching
Windows 8 very seriously. The first generation of Windows 8 devices from this
company includes everything, from a laptop-tablet to a classical convertible
laptop with a swiveling display, and then comes the Yoga.
This is also unlike any convertible laptop
that you can see in the Windows 7 era: the screen can be folded back 360
degrees, turning this Ultrabook into a huge 13-inch tablet. However, because of
those special hinges, you can bend it into a Downward Dog, to use Yoga’s
terminology (“tent mode” if you feel uncomfortable) or fold the keyboard
backward so that the only exposed thing is the screen. It is one of the notable
things which were displayed at CES, and it is the most interesting Windows 8
design that we have ever seen up to now. But it would be when we truly use it
and how well does it perform as an plain old $1,000 Untrabook? Let’s see.
Lenovo
IdeaPad Yoga 13
Look and feel
At the first glance – before you can play
with its foldable screen – Yoga 13 looks like a junior version of other
Ultrabooks of Lenovo. Like previous models, it is a model which is inspired by
books, with subtle scooping along the edges which reminds us of pages of the
book. While IdeaPad U300s Ultrabook is made of unibody aluminum, the Yoga 13 is
covered by softer materials, including plastic lid and leathery palm rest.
In reality, the final result is not
premium, but the whole machine brings good feeling about how it is made – you will
not able to recognize any flex in the palm rest, or any other part of the
system. Moreover, if the materials seem to be bad, at least we can guarantee
you this – the whole system, from the palm rest to the screen, there is no even
minor scratch. Over more than a week of testing the Yoga 13 and regularly put
it in the backpack with many other things, it still remains its brand new
outfit.
Once you manipulate the machine in few
minutes, it cannot be neglect how slim it is. We heard about the touch screen
would increase the machine’s weight, and we used it as an excuse to explain why
Toshiba Satellite U925t and other Windows 8 convertible devices make us feel
chunky. And even with the capacity touchscreen on board, yoga’s thickness is
just 0.67 inch and its weight is about 3.3 pounds. It seems a lot slimmer than
other competitive laptops, and it really is.
The
book-shape design
Interestingly, Lenovo re-designed the power
port as an attempt to keep the machine as thin as possible. What we have here,
tucked on the right edge, is an exclusive rectangular power port which looks
like a USB-stick port at the first glance. (it is yellow on the inside, instead
of blue, so you we not mistake it with the 3.0 USB port). We have to consider
the proprietary adapter is rather annoying, but it will just be the problem of
developers whose duties are enhancing the old Lenovo system. For other people,
this slim device deserves a negotiation. Continue with our discovery tour,
there are 2 USB ports (one3.0 and 2.0), one HDMI slot, volume rocker, one
button for blocking the screen orientation and a 3.5mm earphone jack. There is
a SD card reader as well – obviously, Lenovo learnt the lesson after removing
it from the last U300s series.
Now comes our favorite part, controlling
Yoga to become… Yoga: the rotation hinges are extremely flexible. If we seems
to be too excited, that is because we have checked many other convertible
Windows 8 devices lately, and clearly, this is the most interesting thing that
we can see. It is not only because the screen which plays a fabulous parlor
trick, completely folded backward in the tablet mode, but also the awesome
sturdy hinges, which are surely secured, but not too tight like the slider on
the Toshiba Satellite U925t. The physical keyboard is automatically turned off
when you push the screen far enough. You will learn how to deactivate it
because you will see the artificial keyboard on the screen, showing that you
are officially using the tablet mode.
As we said in the U925t review and Dell XPS
12, you do not want to use a 12 or 13inch and 3.5-pound laptops as a tablet for
a long time – they are relatively hard to use. It is useful, however, for Yoga
13 because it is such slim and light. And the act of operating Windows 8 by
swiping the edges turns out to be so easy. (In other words, going to Charms Bar
on the 13 inch tablet is as easy as on the 10inch laptop).
Nevertheless, there are things that cause
blackness when using Yoga 12 in the tablet mode: the keyboard still exposes too
much on the back side. Yes it is true that it has already been disabled at that
moment, but there still appear awkward feelings when holding the device in
landscape mode and feeling your finger pressing those keys. Lenovo is selling a
sleeve with $40 which is just able to cover the keyboard when you are using the
tablet mode. It is rather useless when you have to purchase this accessory to
cover these loose keys, but at least you can use sleeve as a suitable cover –
it is large enough for you to fit the whole machine inside.
Yoga’s
tent mode
However, beside that obvious tablet mode,
you can fold the Yoga to other poses. One of that is the “tent mode”, with the
fold-back screen and the up side down standing system and the internal hinges.
We cannot imagine how useful it is for watching movies rather than using Yoga
as a plain old laptop. Notwithstanding, it seems convenient for the
performance, especially when you enjoy using fingers to operate things on the
screen. If you like, you can fold the keyboard backward and lay it down on the
table, with the straight up screen. It serves the similar purpose of the “tent
mode”.
