back to article Lenovo readies Yoga Ultrabook-cum-tablet for Blighty

Reg Hardware Gizmo Week logo small Lenovo today heralded the UK arrival of the IdeaPad Yoga - an Ultrabook with a display that folds right round to turn the machine into a tablet. Lenovo Yoga The 1.5kg machine sports a 13in, 1600 x 900 IPS LCD touchscreen to match that of the Toshiba Excite 13. But it's a chunky 17mm …

COMMENTS

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  1. stucs201

    Deja-vu

    Just needs to be able to spin things around to cover the keys in tablet mode and we're back to Microsoft's tablet-pc form factor.

  2. The BigYin
    FAIL

    "Duplo" interface?

    Was interested until I saw the OS. Epic fail is epic.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Not quite...

      How is the interface anymore "duplo" than iOS or Android?

      Metro is designed for touch input. If an interface is small like regular old Windows it's hard to touch. Pretty simple really...

      1. Raphael

        Re: Not quite...

        Indeed.

        I've never used Metro, but I have an Acer Iconia A500 (which one day will get ICS.....hopefully before the end of the century) and at work we've just got a couple of Samsung Slates running Windows 7 (http://www.samsung.com/nz/consumer/pc-peripherals/notebook-pc/ultra-portable/XE700T1A-A01AU-features). And Windows 7 is definitely not all that finger friendly in comparison.

        You have to use the stylus a fair amount, rather than your fingers (which was always the old complaint about WinMo.....I miss my old WinMo phones but Android easier to use as you don't have to muck about with a stylus.)

        (that being said the slate is an impressive little machine and we will be putting Win8 on one at a later stage)

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    launch date

    So the list of Win8 tablets is growing. Thats actually very worrying because it seems that with the list growing Microsoft will all the more pressured to launch ASAP, whether Win8 is ready or not, and considering its taken them 2 +1/2 years to get to the consumer preview state, it definitely wont be ready anytime this year. Its going to be vista all over again!

    1. qwarty

      Re: launch date

      Can you tell us more about your sources and when they expect Win8 to launch? Us poor ignorant people have only heard the official line about RTM in Summer so would love to hear more of your inside info about this major slip.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Keys

    Having keys on the back would make an awful tablet experience. Even if locked out it would feel bad resting the weight of a tablet on the keys.

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Keys

      I know- and all my precious crumbs and bits of fluff will fall out!

      Still, I find it more elegant a solution than those complicated hinges used by Dell and others.

      Also, it will only feel bad when you are holding it... for placing it on a desk to watch a vid it is ideal, what with its built in stand and all.

  5. jai

    why?

    Why would you want an ultrabook to act like a tablet?

    Or a tablet to be able to act like an ultrabook?

    I don't see those two form factors appealing to the same demographic. Surely it's a one or the other type of deal?

    1. Chris Harrison
      Stop

      Re: why?

      One thing that stops me buying an iPad or android pad is that I don't want another device I have to keep synced, carry a charger for etc.

      I need a PC for apps like lightroom and dreamweaver so can't survive with just a tablet, but I really want to start buying all my magazines and books in 'e-form', and reading on a widescreen is rubbish. So as to your non existing demographic - its got at least one person in it.

      1. David Simpson 1

        Re: why?

        Keeping it synced ??? It's called the cloud, welcome to the 21st century !

        1. Chris Harrison
          FAIL

          Re: why?

          Well Dave, thats all well and good, but where I live broadband is barely faster than two cans and a piece of string. I looked into using the cloud for backing up my photos etc, but unless I move it's completely impractical. Have you ever tried backing up 500 gig at 15mb per second?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: why?

            You get 15Mb uplink?

            I want your broadband!!!!

            Even 1.5Mb uplink is pretty good, did you mean 15kb??

            1. Chris Harrison
              Thumb Up

              Re: why?

              Yes thanks. I did mean 15kb.

        2. Silverburn

          Re: why?

          The cloud?

          Fine in principle, now just to find a vendor who can support my 3.2tb data store and the ability to stream the 1080p's I have in there...

          Ah. Maybe not then.

      2. jai

        Re: why?

        1.5kg is not going to be a comfortable way to read magazines and e-books, good luck with that.

  6. Cupboard
    Stop

    This isn't news

    Lenovo already make the ThinkPad X220 Tablet and this is just them increasing their consumer range.

    Sure, the Yoga might have a sillier name and be a bit thinner but it's the next generation so you'd expect that.

  7. Andrew Baines Silver badge
    FAIL

    Price?

    £1200 - you must be joking. Every other tablet thing is at £400.

    I'll stick to my £169 Playbook with RDP.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    MS learns nothing

    Same old MS mentality - everything is Windows. Want a laptop? You need Windows. Want a desktop? You need Windows. Want a phone? You need Windows. Want a tablet? Well... you get the idea. It's a well-worn marketing strategy - leverage your brand name into other markets - but it's already a proven failure in this case. Hasn't the last decade of MS tablet devices proven beyond all shadow of doubt that hybrid devices are expensive, weaker than devices dedicated to a specific task, and not particularly popular? But here we go again - another hybrid. And, as before, it's expensive and not outstanding in any category. You could buy an iPad *and* a MacBook Air for that money. Yes, they'll sell a few, just like they sold a few of the other devices over the years. But I think this "everything is Windows" mentality has put MS on a long, slippery slide (alongside some other big tech companies of late).

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: MS learns nothing

      This is hardly a Hybrid device - its just an ultrabook with a tweaked hinge. There is not the great compromise that characterises 'hybrid devices'.

      If you can see what has been massively compromised for no small amount of versatility on this machine, pray tell us what it is.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: MS learns nothing

      actually, this isn't an MS decision. OEMS, like Lenovo or Sony or Dell, decide what hardware they want to put out. If Lenovo think there's a market for a particular form factor then they're going to try it and I'm guessing all MS gets to do is make sure the specs match the requirements for a "Win8" logo to slap on the box

  9. qwarty

    As commented on that Excite 13, Resolution of 13.3in, 1600 x 900. 138dpi is far too pixelated for 2012 expectations on a premium device. What is it about viewing distance that Toshiba and Lenovo don't get? At £1200 a bad joke.

    I'd expect 1080p minimum on a 13" 16:9 like this. 16:10 would be a better choice for widescreen tablet though.

    Also. Far better to have a detachable keypad/extra power unit for those of us who would like to avoid carrying about both Win8 laptop and tablet devices.

  10. This post has been deleted by its author

  11. David Black
    Thumb Down

    It's all abouth the money, money, money

    At sub £400 this would fly off the shelves, probably even very strong sales up to about £500 but at £1200, no way. Niche product, nice but niche. Also I suspect a lot of people wouldn't take Win 8/Metro even if all other tablets killed their first born... supposed to be cool but why does the UI look like the train ticket purchasing machines in stations?

  12. Craig Vaughton
    FAIL

    How much?

    Sorry, at £1200 any laptop I'd buy would say MacBook Pro on it! I don't care if it doesn't have a screen that folds to make a tablet.

    Better still 13" MacBook Air and £100 change.

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