A First Look At the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S
Excerpt
The Yoga 11S is one of the most anticipated product releases of 2013, but is it really the must-have convertible Windows notebook? The Yoga 11S’s main selling point is the unique rotating screen, debuted in the Yoga 13. The screen flips round a free hinge, which does an almost 360-degree movement instead of the normal 110 – 120 degrees commonly found in laptops. This innovative design feature enables the device to transform from tablet to laptop and back in one slick motion.
Most users who focus on the unusual hinge could find the Yoga 11S to be a bit oddly designed and something of a gimmick. Its true strengths only become apparent when you consider it to be a side feature. A gadget that ticks most boxes for practicality for most users, the Yoga 11S is both attractive and versatile. Its weight, and the fact that in tablet mode there is a keyboard on the rear mean that it is better if you look at it as a laptop primarily and a tablet second. It is, however, a well put-together and attractive hybrid.
An Overview of the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 11S
Not so long ago, notebook manufacturers were falling over themselves to release their netbooks – small, cheap portable computers that were often underpowered. Customers soon became tired of the limitations of netbooks and moved to ultrabooks – light, inexpensive but powerful. The Ideapad Yoga 11S fits a small bag, weighs two pounds and carries a price tag of $599. It also runs lower end software and, though capable, does not have top-spec hardware. It is for these reasons that, although Lenovo calls it an ultrabook, it is hard to think of the Yoga 11S as anything more than a slightly more powerful netbook.
The Plus Points
The unique screen configuration is the most obvious positive about this notebook. Similar to the Yoga 13, the hinge allows for 360-degree rotation, enabling it to be used in three different modes. The first is like a regular laptop, tablet mode, where the screen is completely rotated to only leave the touch screen in the front and Tent mode, where the device stands like an inverted V.
The screen itself has a 1366 x 768 resolution, and uses an IPS panel. For a tablet, the resolution may seem low, but compared to conventional laptop screens, it is on the higher end of the scale. Although not pixel-packed, the image quality is good and it has great viewing angles.
The keyboard and track pad have always been a traditional strength of Lenovo’s, and the Yoga 11S does not disappoint in this department. Seemingly lifted wholesale from the previous 13-inch model design wise, their performance seems to have been improved. Despite not having a backlight, the keyboard feels spacious and the concave black keys have just the right amount of bounce and travel. The trackpad feels slick and responsive.
The Negatives
The one thing that hits you when you are done marveling at the swivel display and attractive colors is the price of the Yoga 11S. With the Core i5 version available in the US retailing at $799, there are better alternatives available.
The Yoga weighs approximately 1.4 kg, which then raises an obvious problem. In laptop terms, it is lightweight, but it is unlikely that you will be comfortable holding a tablet of this weight with one hand for more than a few minutes, unless you are an Olympic power lifter.
The biggest disappointment with the Yoga 11S is that it comes bundled with Windows RT, Microsoft’s low-end operating system offering. This means that running legacy apps is completely out of the question, with your only choice being those in the Windows Store.
Conclusion
The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S is a gadget that is likely to split opinions. It is undoubtedly underpowered, and anything but the most casual user will be disappointed. Its design is sturdy and clean, without breaking any new ground. However, the swivel screen is a major plus point, and is much more useful than would appear at first.