Ideapad Yoga?

Great call on the protection plan deal. Especially with new technology like touchscreen and those new hinges.

I have heard Lenovo direct is slow. I'm holding out for other vendors. You can always buy a warranty extension directly from Lenovo after the face. I did that on my U300s.

 

Also no intel processor, uses nvidia Tegra 3. Not sure if that one is more a tablet than a laptop..might be fine but I know nothing about that processor at all or if there is even another device on the market currently that uses it. With a max of 2GB rsam it eerily reminds me of a netbook.

 

Sign up on the Lenovo IBM Shreholders(open to anybody) site and they have a coupon..you can get the i5 with 8 GB for $989 or the i7 with 8GB for $1169..but still no 256SSD option. That version of the Lenovo site always seems to have the best coupons.

http://shoplenovo.i2.com/SEUILibrar...&home=ibmspp&menu-id=products&affinity=ibmspp

 

Link gets me to the employee discounts, but i don't see the Yoga anywhere. Huge deal, if they had the orange i5 I'd jump on it right now! Gives me hopes for better prices from retailers.

Edit: found Yoga deal page: http://shoplenovo.i2.com/SEUILibrar...7A5FB11849005C1752B5&action=init#.UIK_FsXA_KE

 

They say color will be by country..I read that somewhere...it may mean orange won't be coming to the US.

 

Does anyone know if Lenovo will be releasing a 11.6 version with a IB CPU in the Yoga instead of the Tegra 3? I'm really interested in this, but I'd rather keep to a 11.6 inch instead of 13.3 inch one.

 

Went to my local BB to check this out today and just as I thought I love it as a laptop but it's a little cumbersome trying to use a 13.3 as a tablet.

 

I got in some websites and lenovo's forum that the display size of Yoga is 13.1 inch, not 13.3 inch.

So I am confused. Can anyone confirm?

Google " Yoga 13.1 or 13.3 "

One example: NEW: IdeaPad Yoga - the world's slimmest convertib... - Lenovo Community

read the second and third posts. It's 13.1 inch

 

I think its small as a laptop and big as a tablet. But still many people would like this. Just curious to know the performance of it as a laptop and as a tablet. I think it's review will be very large, once as a laptop and once as a tablet.

 

Lenovo themselves say "13.3" Ultrabook™ with an HD+, IPS display" Convertible Ultrabook Laptop & Tablet PC | Ideapad Yoga 13 with Windows 8 (US)

 

Your BB has it in stock?? I thought it wasn't even released until after the 26th on Win8 release day. What part of the world are you in? I'll have to go check this out.

 

The problem is the Moderator of Lenovo forum has said it's 13.1 inch....

 

Anyway, does every Yoga model has Backlit Keyboard?

 

Official BB sale page also lists 13.3
Best Buy Yoga

I think it's more likely the forum moderator made a typo. Also, those forum posts were from January upon first announcement at CES. Way more is known now, they've been officially announced and for sale, all sources within the last eight months say 13.3, so let's put this one to bed.

About the backlit keyboard, great question... I've been trying to find out the same thing. No where can I find a confirmation or denial, which usually means no. That would be disappointing.

 

does any of them? my understanding was that none of the yoga models had a backlit keyboard?

 

It's not released, it is on display with a note saying it will be available on the 26th. You can still see and use it like any other laptop they sell. They also have 4 other windows 8 laptops right next to it..all available on the 26th.

 

Pretty sure they all are..here is one link that confirms this. And the one I saw in BB certainly looked capable of backlighting although it was bright in the store and it was not on. I was too busy trying to get windows 8 to work for me that I didn't bother looking to see if there was a fn key for turning it on and off.

Hands On: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Convertible with Windows 8

 

Woah, that's huge! I can't get out to BB until tomorrow, but you bet I'll be checking it out first thing! If it does have a backlit keyboard, I'm buying one for sure. Thanks for the info.

 

Unfortunately, not so huge..I went back to BB today and it does NOT have a backlit keyboard which for me is a non-starter. Now I am thinking again about the Taichi or Acer s7. The only others which seem to work as tablets easily. Both have backlit kbs.

 

Bad news for sure. Thanks for letting us know. I've seen those in review, Acer build quality just seems questionable to me. Taichi looks awesome, but the permanent outside screen is sounds fragile. Any idea if their IPS? There's also the Thinkpad Twist, but I'm pretty sure there's no backlit kbd there either.

I just know Lenovo's build quality is so great. Their keyboards are easily the best in Ultrabook lineups. Maybe waiting until next gen is the way to go. Bummer.

 

The Tegra 3 is a mobile SOC. It's used in a number of Android phones and tablets. Surface for Windows RT also uses Tegra 3.

The RT version of the Yoga uses this. Makes sense since it's a arm based design. As you'd expect, the Tegra 3 Yoga won't run traditional desktop apps beyond Office for Windows RT and the built in windows apps (notepad, paint, etc.)

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So a netbook?

 

No, I'd say more like a big phone. Intended to be an iPad competitor.

 

I've been following the Yoga since January...

I was really sold on getting the Yoga until I saw Dell's new XPS 12. Initial price is a little higher, but it has a BACKLIT keyboard and FULL HD screen resolution.

Furthermore, the swivel convertible design has been used in previous models (Inspiron Duo), and the result is that there is a flat back on your tablet. In fact you don't even have to lift it off your lap.

I haven't ordered yet, but at this point am now leaning toward the Dell.

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No as 95 percent of netbooks could run X86 apps. (i'm leaving out the few that ran Android or Windows CE/Windows Embedded)

Bingo. It's basically an iPad (with different internals as the iPad is not a Tegra 3 device) that runs Windows Store (metro) apps only from the Windows Store.

If you really want to run the same apps you run on your laptop today, you should look at the intel (and soon AMD) based tablets coming out running on Atom and Core processors. One of these is the Surface Pro coming around January.

 

They should have used a different name..this will confuse people as much as the MS Surface where the base model uses the Tegra and the Pro version uses an i5.

 

ASUS build quality is also questionable..this coming from somebody who had 4 UX31As before giving up on ever getting one without serious flaws. I am hoping they fixed their problems with the Taichi but do not hold out much hope and I too worry about that outside display. I haven't heard if it at least has gorilla glass covering it. If not I can't imagine it lasting very long going in and out of a briefcase or backpack.

 

No backlit keyboard?, bummer. Looked just about perfect to me before finding that out. I know it is big for a tablet but I look at it as an ultrabook that really takes advantage of Windows 8, so that isn't an issue for me. The XPS looks interesting but I wonder how well that display hinge will hold up.

 

That was my initial concern as well. I am considerably solaced on this point however, since learning that Dell has already had on market a convertible design with such a hinge, the Inspiron Duo. That particular product apparently suffered from being ahead of its time, since Windows 8 did not yet exist, and well, in addition it didn't have near the fit and finish of the XPS 12.

One video I watched claimed that Dell has tested the current swivel hinge on a single unit 20,000 times and it ain't broke. That ought to be enough

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Getting equivalent Support/Damage Protection for the XPS 12 is more than double that of the Yoga, a definite consideration when contemplating the purchase of such devices.

 

someone in the X1 C touch thread mentioned a forth coming 11" thinkpad helix, detachable keyboard, 1080p display, up to i7 cpu, and a stylus.

 

I am trying to convince myself to overlook the lack of backlit display because the rest of it is solid as a rock. Everytime I pick it up I am amazed at how solid it feels and I really like the leather feel to the palm rest. My thinking is that maybe I can use it as a tablet with the onscreen kb if I need the light much as I use an ipad now. I really wonder if it will be as much of an issue as I think.

 

In the long run I don't think backlit keyboard should be a deal breaker for someone, especially if you're a decent touch typist.

The Lenovo ThinkPad I've had for over 6 years doesn't have backlighting and I don't miss it except for maybe twice a year I say to myself "hey that would be kind of handy to have right now".

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Re your post concerning Dell extended warranty being more expensive than Lenovo's, thanks for the info. I don't think this will be much of a concern for me since I have never bought or needed extended warranty support for an electronic device in years, but that is probably combination carefulness and luck.

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Saw it in Bestbuy today. Seems to have a pretty quality screen. The monitor's model number in Control Panel is LGD0360, for anyone who wants.

 

I saw it in BestBuy today also. All I have to say it, WOW. It's an amazing machine!!!!! Don1 was right, no backlit keyboard... and so similar to me, that's the one thing holding me back... but just like Don1 said. The build quality is amazing. The super bright IPS screen is just beautiful, it's so fast and responsive. Very sturdy feeling and strong. It really is like nothing else. I'm feeling like lack of backlight is not a good enough reason to pass this one up. Lenovo really has a winner here.

I played with it for at least 20 minutes in BB, three different BB employees came up to me to talk about it, but all knew less than I did about it. They kept claiming exclusivity for US sale of the Yoga.. yet they only have one model that's silver 128gb core i5 4gb RAM. machine ($999). Lenovo.com has double the ram for that same price.

And what about the orange one! I know, I've heard the same 'color depending on country' announcement, but I know with the U300s, the orange was sparsely available and only in the highest spec config. I wonder how long the BB exclusivity is, so Amazon and Newegg can start selling. I'm going to chat with a Lenovo sales rep to see if they know anything.

 

They only have one right now, but they do have a few different configurations in their system. Mostly i7s with either 128 or 256ssd and 4, 6, or 8gb of ram. I didn't notice anything about colors though.

 

They might be right. Amazon has the 11.5" listed now but to me at least for an outlandish $799. Just can't see that for a Tegra 3 driven laptop.

Amazon.com: Lenovo Yoga 11 Yoga 11 11.6-Inch Laptop (Silver Grey): Computers & Accessories

 

I noticed that also. I've pretty much decided I'm buying the Yoga 13. But I don't want the 4gb model BB has, and Lenovo.com says ships in "more than four weeks"... that's quite a long wait. And the 256gb ssd isn't even listed anywhere.

 

What the ...No Backlit keyboard?????????

 

Have you checked to see if the ram is upgradeable or is it soldered in?

 

For whatever it's worth, I did chat with Lenovo online to ask if the RAM was upgradable, or if it was soldered in. I expected them to give a non-info answer like "there are 4GB and 8GB models available, we recommend ordering the amount of RAM you want"... but they just said straight away that it was soldered in.

It's still possible that the initial 4GB is soldered and that there's an upgrade slot available, but until someone actually opens one up and takes a picture, I think we're all going to keep wondering.

Does anyone think that the 4 weeks might just be what it says until it's released on the 26th? Did it say 4 weeks when the Yoga was first added to the site, or did it change to that after a ton of folks preordered?

I just sold my Samsung S9 13", originally to upgrade to the 15" of the same, but I think I'd really rather have the Yoga (especially since it would cost a little less for more machine). Unfortunately for work, I should not wait 4 weeks. In the meantime, I end up using an old HP 8530w with a moldy screen, failing power button & spacebar, and dead battery. Yikes.

 

i wonder how easy it is to lose a keyboard key when holding it in tablet mode. That would be a concern I'd have.

 

Lenovo.com changed the prices from yesterday with the coupon. The I5 w/ 8gb was 989 now its like 1,054.

 

judging by the datasheet ( http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/yoga/yoga-13/IdeaPad-Yoga-13-datasheet.pdf), it seems that there's only one slot: Up to 8GB DDR3L – 1600Mhz memory ( [1 SODIMM slot (1x2GB/1x4GB/1X8GB)]

not sure where the 2GB ram comes from, maybe the 11 inch?

 

They give you a fancy leather sleeve which they recommend you use when in tablet mode. Although I'm not sure BB does with their version.

 

The keyboard being exposed makes the Yoga, particularly the 13" because of it's size, much more of an ultrabook than a hybrid. The unboxing video by lenovo does show how one can use the sleeve to protect the keyboard during extended tablet use but it probably makes it more bulky. The XPS 12 is probably a better choice if tablet mode will be used often.

Or maybe not after reading the Wired review of the XPS 12. For a hybrid that leans towards a tablet, detachable keyboard models look like the clear choice. Even without a backlit keyboard, Yoga is still looking like the best choice for me, now if the 256 SSD would become available...

 

I would like to see detachable Intel CoreI hybrids with all the internals behind the screen. however, the problem with that is they would need to add weight to the keyboard to prevent it from toppling over when in laptop mode.

 

Yes, the 2GB ram is the 11", AFAIK.
I hate it when they phrase it like that "1 SODIMM slot" - because that implies that there's a slot. A slot I can put RAM in, so that's good. Unfortunately, I've see many ultrabooks phrased that way when still using soldered RAM.

I chatted w/ Lenovo again (for what it's worth). They said that it will take an expected 4 weeks for them to "ship all the units out". So, I'm not sure if it's a availability problem, or a logistics issue (or if they simply chose bad phrasing). If it's just logistics, then other places might carry the machine with i7 and 8GB.

 

I checked it out at BBY yesterday and was so impressed with it I just ordered the i7 model today. The panel looked amazing, the responsiveness of the screen was great, and it felt extremely well built. Taking a look around at other manufacturers Ultra Books, IMO the Yoga blew them away.

Now I can hardly wait...