Ideapad Yoga?

I ride the trolley to work every morning. It has not bothered me one bit. The only time you will notice it is if you focus heavily on the screens reflection. It is that which gets magnified, but for the screen itself, it's close to the same movement as when you're holding a book in your hand while on the plane or on a train ride.

 

My keyboard is starting to feel weird. Some keys feels like it's grinding. And on the space bar when i press down at the very bottom edge slightly left from the center, it gets stuck! Anyone else having weird issues with their keyboard?

 

I just got mine today. I am sure its just the fact that I have a new toy and this feeling will ware off but right now I think this thing is AWESOME!

 

Yes it is.

 

Picked one up yesterday at the only BB in the state (CT) to have 5 of them in stock. Naturally a very nice machine (been playing with one every time I stopped at a BB store, but can truly appreciate its mobility and convenience only now, without any security cables attached).

However, two sour notes right off the bat:
- The silver rubberized exterior coating was 'chipped' on one of the corners next to the left hinge. Scraping off the hanging fragment of the coating has lead to more coating peeling off. I am now quite concerned about the durability of the finish. My old thinkbook also has quite a bit of its black rubberized coating worn off, but the underlying plastic is black, so it is not as noticeable. Yoga, on the other hand, has a differently-colored material underneath. Furthermore, this morning I noticed a tiny peace of the coating missing on the right hinge corner as well.
- The keyboard is making a pronounced metallic 'clank' sound, whenever any of the keys in the upper row on the right side are pressed (around the screen brightness adjustment). Looking closer it is visible that it is slightly elevated, and hitting the keys cause it to impact the notebook frame.

Anyone else with the same experience? I am particularly upset about the unbelievably fast coating quality degradation.

 

I'm getting my yoga in a few days time and have read a few reports over on the Lenovo forums about the rubberised coating being less than durable. Hopefully someone will come out with some sort of a skin soon.

Edit: Lots of skins available here. Most of them are a bit garish but I managed to find a plain black one & there are some carbon fibre effect ones too.

 

I have not seen anything on mine. I would return that.

 

Nor have I. Two weeks carrying around all day in and out of work, it's still in 100% perfect shape (aside from the fingerprints).

Anyone found a good sleeve or case yet? I have a neoprene sleeve for my U300s, but the Yoga is about a half inch wider and doesn't fit. Ideas?

 

Yoga reviewed by the Verge: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 review | The Verge

 

Does anyone know if the keyboard keys on the yoga are removable? I managed to spill some coffee on my 3 day old yoga (don't ask) and have a few sticky keys. I called Lenovo and they said that the keys are not removable, but I'm wondering if that is really true or if they are just being overly cautious.

Anyone willing to be the guinea pig?

 

hi,

I wanted to replace my macbook air / ipad combo and look between

1- yoga lenovo
2- duo 11 from sony.

when you bought the lenovo did you check the sony also.
Why did you pic the lenovo.

If you can give me some hints so I can decide.

Best regards
Napaj

 

I've had a look at the Sony - personally I don't like the small size and fixed angle of the screen. Also it doesn't have a trackpad or palm rest. Having said that if you will mainly be using it as a tablet it's probably better than the Yoga in this mode - smaller and lighter. I already have an iPad which is a better tablet than either of them!

 

I'm with digitaldr... The Yoga and the Sony 11 hardly seem in the same category. They Yoga is much bigger, and is an actual laptop, that happens to convert to other modes, including tablet.

I purchased my Lenovo Yoga because of the steller experience I had with the Lenovo Ideapad U300s. Lenovo's build quality and innovative designs are top notch. This a showstopper, and truly versatile useful laptop. Also, having "maybe the best keyboard of any Ultrabook" TheVerge and Gizmodo, was a huge factor to me.

 

From the reviews that I have seen, the Sony suffers from non-responsive touch at times as well as poor battery life. Personally, I am not a fan of their "laptop mode" solution as the viewing angle is fixed; also, the idea of a spring loaded mechanism also turns me off as I don't think that would accept much wear and tear over time. Good points would be: 2 usb 3.0 ports are nice, screen itself sounds good (IPS and good resolution), you can still get an i7 and 256gb msata like the lenovo (these are upgrades that other devices like the Ativ's appear to be lacking).

If I were picking up something that needs to perform well as a laptop and is nice to have the extra functionality of a tablet, Yoga is the device to beat. If you are looking for more of a tablet with some laptop abilities, it becomes more of a toss up.

Hope that helps.

 

From my brief instore encounter with the Sony it does indeed have a good screen but at the end of the day it's basically a tablet with a keyboard. It's probably beats the Surface - screen is better and can be used in the lap.

 

For those who have purchased and accepted delivery of a Yoga, how long did it take to receive yours and what config did you choose? I want to purchase one, but 4 weeks+ (based on Lenovo's website) seems excessive at the moment. Debating grabbing an i5 from Best Buy and upgrading myself to save time.

 

Quick tip I found: When using touchscreen with Desktop browser (Firefox, IE), after using pinch zoom, to reset to normal size, tap the screen with TWO FINGERS and it will reset back to normal size

 

No one has received an order yet from Lenovo. com... I pre ordered and ship date estimate was Dec. 10; some say even in to January. I cancelled my order and picked up he Bestbuy i5. Glad I did.

 

Thanks for the update. That's too bad. Would really prefer the i7, but doubt Best Buy ever gets that in stock...

 

I stopped by the Microsoft Store just now because for the last few days I've been reading about the Acer S7 13.3 ultrabook. Reading online, the thing looked really nice! While at the MS Store, I was disappointed at the S7. The screen while having 1900x1080., the glass that they use over the screen looks as though it is polarized, so it felt like I was looking through sunglasses the whole time. The keyboard had absolutely no action and it made typing so difficult. When you press down on the key, it was so mushy that it went into the slot, so it felt like my fingers are digging through the holes on the keyboard. Battery is 46,000 mWH. Our Yoga is 54,000 mWH. The worst part is their touchpad. It's an Elantech.

I know how sometimes we complain about our touchpad not being centered, but it's fortunate that Lenovo picked Synaptics as their touchpad, which has the most advanced features of all the touchpad manufacturers (that's why Apple uses them exclusively). Wait until you get your hands on non-Synaptics and you'll realize just how good we have it--even if it's not perfect.

Lastly, I will say that the frame design on the Acer S7 is pretty damn nice.

Oh, lastly, on the keyboard, the tilde key takes up half of the caps lock button. This makes absolutely no sense. Though I will give them credit for using full size (right) shift keys and backspace keys. I guess at the sacrafice of smaller up/down arrows.

In the end, the Yoga screen beats it in terms of color accuracy and focus/sharpness. The glass on the Lenovo is very transparent so what you see on the screen is not altered in any way. Yoga's keys are pretty darn good too, though has a flimsy feel. And battery life wins. If I had to change the Yoga, I would ask for a slightly smaller touchpad with physical buttons and that it's centered with the space bar (see Dell Vostro V131). I would also ask for a full HD screen and a keyboard that more closely resembles the Lenovo Twist or X230. Oh, a Lenovo thinkpad's trackpoint would seal the deal for me!

 

^I've also considered the S7, but a touchscreen in a vertical laptop-position doesn't seem all that useful to me.

I'm struggling to decide between Vaio Duo 11, Dell XPS 12, and Lenovo Yoga.

What I like about the Yoga is that because it has a 1600x900 resolution on 13-inch, no scaling should have to be used, whereas the Sony's 11-inch 1920x1080 would probably need a lot of scaling. But I haven't seen the Yoga in person yet and I'm wondering if the screen is as good as the Sony's?

Edit: So...that's pretty disappointing that the Yoga doesn't have a backlit keyboard. Seems like that's something they could've easily put in there and may end up being a dealbreaker for me...

 

Before purchasing, go to the laptop you are considering, support site and look up the drivers that they use. That's how you can find out of the laptop is using synaptics touchpad or not. I also looked at the XPS 12 because I really like Dell's keyboard. They're a joy to type on. But I found that the XPS 12 uses a weird touchpad brand. Starts with the letter C. Can't remember the name. I agree about the backlit keyboard, and while it isn't a deal breaker, it would've been nice to have. For the most part, I'm a touch typist, so I'm usually staring off at the passing clouds while I'm typing.

 

Thanks for this tip. I'll try it soon. I guess my gripe is getting used to the smaller keyboard (I now notice how large my hands are) as well as Windows 8 and Visual Studio 2012.

I've also bought the 8GB stick (in addition to an extra SSD) - just working up the nerve to decide to keep this machine and then to install it.

VS isn't slow or anything, just used to a bigger screen and keyboard.

 

any news on whether the SATA bus is 300MB or 600MB? i.e. whether the ~250MB/s transfer rates recorded so far are due to a slow SSD, or a slow SATA bus.

and any tests on the SDXC port to see what transfer rates it can sustain? i.e. how usable it is to treat an cheap storage expansion.

cheers

 

How much of a pain in the butt is the off centered trackpad? I really like the package but the trackpad felt weird when I was looking at the unit.

 

The SSDs are fast, Samsungs, some of the best. I also have the same results with my Crucial M4 which is another great drive. I'm almost certain the bus is running slow on both ports (or rather at full speed but only SATAII) which is a bit of a slap.

 

Does anyone have a walkthrough for changing the SSD drive out and/or putting SSD Drive in 2nd slot? I've seen one for changing the RAM, but not the SSD drive. Thanks!

 

My order from Lenovo.com just shipped... although I cancelled it six days ago and it should have never shipped (got my BB i5). So, there's hope for others that ordered through Lenovo!

I too would like to see a SSD installation walkthrough or teardown guide (other than what we've already seen in the PDF).

 

Anyone know if this screw is good for adding the 2nd SSD drive? This was the only screw that came up when searching for M2x3 screw as the manual suggests. It says its for a macbook pro Apple Part# 922-8986.

Amazon.com: 922-8986 Screw for Macbook Pro Bottom Case Pack of 5: Computers & Accessories

 

Can you believe $12.99 for that tiny screw? I expect I have a few screws in my spare parts box that will fit (I don't need lock-tight or I can apply some myself).

 

I know $12.99 is pretty crazy. Maybe I'll pull some screws off some of my old laptops to see if they fit.

You know what's even more rediculous? Check out how much apple is selling a single screw:

I'll let you click the link to see the surprise price:

SCREW,M2X3,BOTTOM CASE,PK/5

 

Well, that's for a pack of 5, so it's a deal for a $12.99 screw

 

I am going to ask around at a couple local repair shops. I'm sure I'll be able to find one for a couple bucks.

 

Just got my Yoga today (From Best Buy via UPS). Crucial 8GB stick and 256GB SSD arrives on Wednesday. I called my local handy computer shop (you know, the Mom and Pop computer builders), and they said they had some spares I could pick up. Probably a lot cheaper than the $$$$ for delivery.

Also, I have some old screws from my desktop - might give those a go as well. Will see.

 

Stores are almost completely sold out (only 3 of the 20+ stores in the Bay Area have any left) and Best Buy is no longer shipping these to customers. I wonder what is in store for the Yoga on Black Friday and the rest of the Holiday season if they are not stocking stores right now.

 

There is a good thing about Lenovo and Best Buy not having in stock the model that I think I want. Lack of stock and availability gives me time to further compare and research to be sure about what I want.

Currently I use a Dell Studio XPS 1645 loaded with i7-820QM, 8GB Ram and 512GB Crucial SSD so I not pressed for a new machine. Although, I like the thin profile, weight and convertible to tablet feature of the Yoga but I will sacrifice on performance and connectivity (but portability is my goal and the Yoga should fit the bill).

 

I think the post from a Lenovo employee on this thread might answer your question. Also good to see that he says upgrading RAM and SSD won't invalidate your warranty provided you're careful.

 

Couldn't one use a glue gun? Fill the hole, and create a slight bulge on the top. If the , glue forms correctly you could just "unscrew" it when you're ready to remove the drive.

I think i'm gonna try this on a random threaded screw slot tonight to see if it's feasible

 

Hoping this is a joke - Recommend STRONGLY against - glue doesn't deal with torque well, and you'll just wind up with a filled in set of threads.

 

All of the Best Buy stores here in Colorado were sold out, but I was able to order one from Best Buy online and get it delivered. Recommend checking back frequently. If it looks like it's going through, then it's good, and it will be delivered quickly. Mine said 0-1 day until shipping. Then later that day, they were back to unavailable.

 

Just pure curiosity! I'm going to be installing two mSATA onto two laptops in a few weeks. Not looking forward to having to go find the screws locally under such a short time frame.

 

Totally overlooked the post about upgrades and warranty. Nice to know, thx!

 

Good find. He also confirms that the SSD ports run at SATAII instead of SATAIII speeds like I've been saying.

 

Here you go, 100 screws for $3.50 with free shipping. Now you will have 98 spares just in case.

100pcs M 2 x 3 mm Laptop Screws IBM HP Sony Dell Gateway Compaq Acer Sharp | eBay

Oh, just noticed it ships from China, so if you can't wait 2 - 4 weeks, here is one shipping from Washington:

New Associated M2X3 BHPS RC18T ASC21130 | eBay

 

Disappointing that the Yoga doesn't have a backlit keyboard.

................ a deal breaker issue for me. Otherwise, nothing would resist me to buy it. I am used to with another backlit keyboard.

 

Thanks, that sounds much more reasonable. I guess you can put your own lock tite on those.

 

I just bought the Crucial 8GB $36.09 and 256GB SSD $196.64 at crucial for 5% off. This is before tax. Follow link below for offer:
Crucial RAM and SSD 5% Off

Click on "show all Solid State Drives" to see the 256GB SSD

Here's the link to the deal before the model search:
http://www.crucial.com/promo/index.aspx?prog=USLP_AFFILIATE&AID=10709324&PID=227502&SID=F012A00B82D0B03441B0A01A0A81

 

Sort of becoming common with Win 8 convertibles so no longer a big deal for me. What I find frustrating is that an orange/8GB/256GB configuration doesn't appear to be available on the horizon. I have come close to settling for the BB unit a number of times but they sell out if you pause at all. If the BB one is an option check the site frequently, they are showing up but they go oh so fast.

 

Excellent! Thanks for doing the leg work. I ordered the one from locally. I'll probably hang on to a few for myself and if anyone else on here needs one, I'll mail you one if you pay for postage--and if you don't mind waiting until December, feel free to PM me.

/andy

 

what about these two from Amazon:
Amazon.com: M2 X 3mm Button Head Cap Screw; Black; Pack of 10: Everything Else
Amazon.com: mSATA Screws, 2-Pack, Stainless Phillips Pan Machine Screws: Computers & Accessories