Lenovo Yoga Pad 2 Pro - 13.3in 2-in-1 Ultrabook: First Impressions

Cos

Cos

Audioholic Samurai
REVIEW LENOVO YOGA 2 PRO
(2 in 1 Ultrabook)

Current Version Specs
Intel Core I7-4510 2.0Ghz to 3.1Ghz in Turbo Mode
8GB DDR3-1600 RAM
256GB SSD Drive
QHD Display 13.3” 3200x1800 IPS Panel with capacitive touch
Windows 8.1
Intel Wireless AC + Bluetooth 4.0
Backlit keyboard
Headphone jack

Build Quality: 8/10

PROS
- Excellent high res IPS screen colors are excellent, (yellow slightly off, but improved over older model)
- Solid feel to construction, not a lot of give to screen or keyboard and metal hinges work perfectly
- Nice solid palm rest, its slightly textured while the track pad is smooth and works great
- Recent refresh brings slightly faster CPU and Dual Band Wifi AC to the mix
- WIFI works perfectly in this revision was able to get the 100Mb speeds from my cable provider
- WIFI & Bluetooth work great even after hibernation (problems on previous revision)
- Very fast on all my applications and office apps, solid performance: NOT A GAME LAPTOP
- Touch screen is very responsive and works well
- There are so many positions to put the screen in, including tablet mode and all work well

CONS
- Limited Expansion (1 USB 3.0 / 1 USB 2.0 Mini HDMI and SD Slot)
- Keyboard, while excellent, does have a little give on the upper right keys
- Windows 8.1 doesn’t fully support 3200x1800 on all programs and apps, but can lower res
- Typical Bloatware pre-installed
- NOT HAVE A DIGITIZED SCREEN (As a note taker, extra steps need to be taken)
- Slight off color on yellows, but significantly better than I have seen on older versions
- Trackpad is hyper sensitive
- In tablet mode the keys are exposed when you flip the screen over (I bought a case for this)

Additional Comments:
The only feature I wish it included was a Digitized Screen so that it would be pressure sensitive and allow you to rest your palm on the screen while taking notes. The only way around this is to use a small microfiber cloth under your palm as you write, or don’t let your palm touch the screen when you write.

PERFORMACE: 9/10
It is a core I7 (DUAL CORE not QUAD CORE), but none the less apps open quickly and you will not be needed for power on 99% of the business apps you use. This is not meant for gaming, and photo editing would be better served with a discrete CPU vs integrated. Overall it takes about 5-7 seconds to boot up to login in screen, which is faster than my uber fast desktop with Samsung’s Fastest SSD, not even sure how that is possible! You will not have a laggy experience using this lap for most business applications, including PowerPoint. It does tend to get a little slower when running Photoshop or other graphics hungry application. It is not designed for the hardcore gamer so don’t expect to play battlefield 4 on this one, especially at the 3200x1800 res.

BATTERY LIFE: 6/10
- As in about 6-6.5 of usage on a screen brightness I like to use
- Can get it to about 7-7.5 with energy saving mode

Overall: 8/10
Does a great job and is more than a gimmick, fits my needs almost perfectly, just would have liked a digitized screen and a little longer battery life, but otherwise a great machine that will spend many hours with me on the road/plane etc…


Additional Notes:
When I was looking for my next personal laptop, I was looking for usability over all other things, where in the past I always wanted the most powerful laptop and discrete GPU etc. I was torn between this unit and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 w/retina which is about $300 more for similar configuration and I love the Mac OS.

Why I bought this:
I often ride the train to work and to have the ability to flip it over into tablet mode and back to keyboard mode if I need to edit a spreadsheet or PowerPoint is just an awesome feature to have. While it won’t completely replace my IPAD AIR, This unit will be my go to device when I am on the road.

Ok, I won’t look as cool at Starbucks w/o my glowy Apple Logo on the back of my laptop, but if you try to fold your MacBook into a tablet, you are going to have a very expensive repair bill :)

The included picture shows the difference in screen size
-Ipad 9.7in
-Yoga 2 Pro 13.3in
-27” Dell U2713H Monitor
View attachment 13690
 
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