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Lenovo IdeaPad YOGA Photos

It flips, it spins, and works and plays the way you want
Nov. 12, 2012 Paul Thurrott
Lenovo

The first of what should be several Windows 8 devices has arrived: The Lenovo IdeaPad YOGA is a hybrid device based on the firm’s well-received U-series Ultrabooks, offering the full power of Windows 8 with an Ivy Bridge processor and a thin and light design.

This loaner IdeaPad YOGA is the 13-inch version; an even svelter 11-inch version running Windows RT is expected in the weeks ahead. But the Windows 8 version I’m testing is attractive and highly portable, and its unique multiple usage modes—laptop, tent, stand, and tablet—will put it over the top for many people, especially those who need an Ultrabook first and a tablet second, and want that functionality in a single device.

I’ll be reviewing the IdeaPad YOGA soon. In the meantime, please enjoy these initial photos.

Discuss this Article 9

FinsUpDNC
on Nov 12, 2012

Can't wait to hear your review. I was ordering the Acer S7, but noticed there is an I7 8GB Ram model of the yoga.

ingenuity1
on Nov 12, 2012

I was toying with the Yoga at Best Buy and the eBay app opened upside-down. I was surprised this was even possible. I would've thought that WinRT apps would automatically get rotation functionality and it would be harder to remove than add.

lizaoreo
on Nov 12, 2012

Possible someone locked the orientation? I too played with a Yoga at Best Buy and while I was messing with it one of the things I toyed with was flipping it around different ways to see how the autorotation worked. I also tested locking it. Of course, I did unlock it when I was done, but it's possible someone did the same with them model you were toying with without unlocking, or even set it upside down on purpose? (who knows, some people like messing up displays).

thereal_entheos
on Nov 12, 2012

the Yoga seems cool enough, but is it too much to ask for a windows 8 convertible that has mobile broadband (Verizon) and GPS? Either clovertrail or Ivy Bridge, I know it would cost more than an Ipad, but the PC makers have completely blown a golden opportunity with the windows 8 launch... and continue to.

daveharruk
on Nov 12, 2012

I agree there, although this is only the first generation of devices and not even all of these have been released (only RT tabs in the UK). According to the specs on dixons.nl, Acer Iconia W510 has GPS although none of the reviews mention it so this could be wrong; I guess the idea with mobile broadband is that you plug in a USB adaptor but it does seem crazy not to have it as an option. IMO Windows 8 is a great opportunity for Android and iOS - when people see the adverts they will go into shops and find that these are all they can buy (in the UK at least...). If these things don't get into the shops well before christmas, Windows 8 could be finished as a major tablet player.

whiplash55
on Nov 12, 2012

Look forward to hearing your impressions especially the keyboard.
Lenovo also has a new Thinkpad Twist that's slightly cheaper, but has standard hard drive.

WRowland
on Nov 12, 2012

I've been using and enjoying my Yoga 13 for a couple of weeks now. One comment before you review that might be worth noting (and pointing out to other users as I had to stumble across this on the internet). There is a powersaver setting on by default on the touch screen driver (regardless of what power mode setting you're in). With this on, after a couple of seconds it will take one touch/swipe to wake up before it starts responding. This is fantastically annoying.

It's easy to turn off. It's just amazingly hard to find. In the device driver section, under Human Interface Devices it's clearly listed as one of half a dozen USB Input Devices (nothing more specific than that). In my case it was the last one. In the properties under Power Management unclick "Allow the computer to turn off the device to save power" and, if you got the right one, your touch screen should be perfectly responsive all the time.

No hit on battery life that I've been able to detect.

How this got through testing without being fixed I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I've even seen some of the demo people in the keynote vids fighting with this issue.

Look forward to the review.

Ron H
on Nov 13, 2012

I can't see from the pictures, but will the edges of the device get scratched or marked up when used in tent mode?

Also, in 2 of your pics, you have another device with the Yoga (to caompare size?) What device is it?

Can't wait for your review.

DrDrTed
on Nov 21, 2012

Your images have devastated me: TrackPoint is *missing*

This is about human factors: when using a keyboard, it is a superior use of the muscles of the hand & arm to keep the hand confined to the keyboard area. And, as we know, the TrackPoint gives finer control than imitations from Dell, etc.

Please, God, don't let the prevalence of touchpads obscure this simple reality.

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