Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga: A Yoga Dressed For Business

It’s a ThinkPad. No, it’s a Yoga! No, it’s…a ThinkPad Yoga. Lenovo has melded two of its popular laptop design approaches together to create a sort of hybrid ultrabook, bringing together elements of its workhorseThinkPad lineup and multi-mode capable Yoga notebooks. It has the work-friendly keyboard design of the new generation of Lenovo ThinkPads, yet it also has that innovative hinge flexibility and multimode configurations of the Yoga series.

The result is a laptop that’s either a more utilitarian, thicker version of the Yoga or a much cooler version of the ThinkPad. It sort of depends on if you’re a glass-is-half-full or glass-is-half-empty type. So which is it? We gave the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga a close look and put it through the paces to see whether this machine offers the best of two worlds or something else all together.

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga
Specifications & Features
Processor:
Operating System:
Graphics:
Memory:
Display/Resolution:
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Integrated Communications:
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Audio:
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Intel Core i5-4200U (3MB Cache – 1.6 – 2.6GHz)
Windows 8.1 Pro
Intel HD Graphics 4400
4GB PC3-12800 DDR3L
12.5-inch FHD (1920×1080) with touch, digitizer, and pen
720p HD camera
128GB SSD
Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC 7260 + Bluetooth 4.0
USB 3.0 (x2)
mini-HDMI 1.4
4-in-1 card reader
Lenovo OneLink
Volume and display lock
Headphone/mic jack
Lift ‘n’ Lock backlit keyboard
Dolby Home Theater v4, Enhanced audio for VoIP
Up to 8 hours
Stylus Pen
Lenovo Companion, Lenovo Support, Lenovo Quick Control
Lenovo ThinkVantage Tools, Lenovo QuickSnip
QuickCast, rara music, Zinio, Hightail, eBay
Microsoft Office trial
Desktop Toasts ForCriticalUpdates
Nitro Pro 8, Skitch Touch
Absolute Data Protect, Reading List, Norton Internet Security
3.52 lbs
$999 on Amazon as configured

Like a lot of ultrabooks we’ve seen lately, the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga sports an Intel Core i5-4200U chip, clocked at 1.6 – 2.6GHz (max turbo) with 3MB cache. The machine offers Intel HD Graphics 4400 with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 128GB SSD. The 12.5-inch display boasts a resolution of 1920×1080 with support for 10-point multitouch, and some models (including this one) come packing a stylus for pen input, too.

There’s a 720p HD webcam and Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC 7260 plus Bluetooth 4.0 for connectivity, and ports include a pair of USB 3.0, mini-HDMI, 4-in-1 card slot, headphone/mic jack, and a DC-in and Lenovo OneLink port. There’s also a power button on the side along with a volume and display lock and a tablet-style volume rocker.

One port that’s noticeably absent is an Ethernet jack. That’s right, you’re flying with wireless only with the ThinkPad Yoga – which, frankly is pretty common these days for ultrabooks and not a deal breaker by any stretch.

For audio, the machine has Dolby Home Theater v4 with enhanced VoIP audio. Finally, the machine weighs 3.52 lbs with a battery that purports to last up to 8 hours. The ThinkPad Yoga is 0.74-0.76 inches thick and runs Windows 8.1 Pro.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga ultrabook retails for $999 as configured, currently. Let’s take a close gander at the design and build quality of this new breed of ThinkPad.

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