LENOVO IDEAPAD YOGA 13
Price: Rs 84,290
Specs: Windows 8, 13.3-inch HD+ IPS touch panel, Intel Core i7-3517U, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 128GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Wi-Fi, SD card reader, HDMI, W13.1 x D8.9 x H0.67 inches, 1.54 kg
It's taken its own sweet time coming, but the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga is finally here. What could have been the first Windwos 8 convertible has been launched in India after most others have come out with their versions.
DESIGN: The colour of the IdeaPad Yoga is the first thing that you will notice, for the devices otherwise looks like any good Ultrabooks. In a bright, but metallic, orange the Yoga is really slim and lightweight. So when you open the lid and fold the display 360 degrees to bring the screen on top with the keyboard facing the ground, the Yoga feels like a very manageable tablet. There are at least two other postures in which you can use this device and hence the name.
But we thought the keyboard which is now facing your lap or a table should have been disabled in this mode. For, even a crease in your pants can get the cursor moving on the screen. Given the fact that the AccuType keyboard will also be the base, the Yoga has a matte-finish hard rubber frame running all around the keys. The keys are good and the smooth trackpad responsive. Many one-touch controls like airplane mode have been added to the function keys. The power button is on the front edge so that you won't have trouble switching on or off in tablet mode. There are two USB ports, an HDMI port and a SD card reader.
PERFORMANCE: Some convertibles have FullHD displays, but the HD+ IPS (1600x900p) panel on the Yoga is good enough for you not to find anything amiss. The touch response is good too, but when executing the touch gestures on Windows 8 it is a bit tough to gauge where the bezel is ending. The speakers are just behind the hinge and very good.
The Yoga 13 we tested was powered by the 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3317U processor. It had no trouble with our regular hi-res image, video and browser tests. This is also a very cool device, even after hours of browsing and video watching. This is crucial if you want to use the Yoga primarily as a tablet. Lenovo has preloaded the device with some handy apps like its cloud storage service, Evernote and RaRa. Plus, the Yoga has camera-based motion control support for some apps like Windows Media Player, which make good sense when you are using it in the tent or desktop modes.
A minor quirk kept niggling us though. When you hold the Yoga in tablet mode and try to log-in, the virtual keyboard just keeps minimising. This meant we had to flip the screen back and type with the keyboard. This problem did not occur while we used the keyboard for other stuff in tablet mode. Anyway, the Yoga is the best tablet among the convertibles we have seen and this is because it is the slimmest and sleekest.
BAG IT OR JUNK IT?
Very balanced device overall. So buy it for style and power.
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