Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga

Got a pro 2 yesterday. No "major" scaling issues. My DJ app looked the same is at does on my old laptop. Other than being unable to produce the color yellow its a great machine. I put in you tube vid with a yellow sports car in it and the yellow looked fine. Not sure what the heck is going on... but I love the machine.

 

Guys read important. I have called and chatted with lenovo and they said the think pad yoga will be released the first week of november

 

Guys read important. I have called and chatted with lenovo and they said the think pad yoga will be released the first week of november!!

 

Hi guys, does anyone know if the ram is manually upgradable after the purchase?

 

I glad you heard the same thing as I did. At least I'm not crazy. Although, I'd like to hear a few more early affirmations before giving in to optimism.

 

I think it will be manually upgradeable. Here is the service manual. I plan on upgrading the ssd at least.
RTPW1230_ThinkPad_YogaUltrabook

 

But it does not mention anything about RAM. BTW, I am going to upgrade the SSD as well

 

So you plan on voiding your warranty? The guide you linked explicitly states that there are no CRUs inside the yoga.
I guess that means the only thing you are allowed to replace without losing your warranty is the stylus *d'oh*

Instead of the 'bulky' 2.5" they should have gone for a user servicable flap at the bottom that hosts standard ssd and dimm slots.

 

I understood that the RAM is soldered on, didn't find any sign of an additional slot there...

 

Yeah, having a 1 TB SSD, which fits both my complete music and photo collections, in such a portable device is too tempting. I suppose because of this, there is no reason for getting extended warranty, which I sometimes get for portable devices (as they are more prone to damage).
I hope there are no unforeseen surprises with squeezing a 1 TB SSD into the Thinkpad Yoga. The form factor should not be a problem, but I read there are some incompatibilities of the Samsung EVO SSD with some desktop motherboards (user comments on Newegg).

 

the bottom chassis and layout is very similar to the ThinkPad Twist layout. I wish this thing had a removable ram slot. But this thing is at least better than my X1C which has no ram slot and uses some special connector.

 

Considering the trend to reduced durability and the complexity of the unproven yoga keyboard design i would not give up on warranty but rather pay the premium lenovo asks for 1TB (i think they will offer one) and even add the extended warranty with accidental damage protection.

 

Yes, I would probably pay a premium (to a certain extent) for a 1 TB SSD and would even consider an SSD that is "only" 512 GB in order to not void the warranty. Unfortunately, they only offer SSDs up to 256 GB for the Thinkpad Yoga (512 GB for the Yoga Pro 2). They have a 1 TB option, but that is a conventional drive (I am sold on SSDs due to speed advantages and shock damage resilience).

A bit puzzling that Lenovo do not offer the latest SDDs as options, but this is really nothing new (and applies to other manufacturer, as well).

I take your point regarding the unproven keyboard design (and perhaps other first generation troubles). Maybe it would be wise to defer a hard drive replacement a bit to protect against early failure of components (I think most components fail either very early in their life-cycle, or very late). On the other hand, Thinkpads have a reputation to be quite reliable and I can confirm this with my two (conventional) Thinkpads (T60p and W520). They are both still in pretty good shape (although the T60p shows some signs of aging).

 

Thanks for the reply. We use some early 2000 software that has me concerned. It doesn't need to be run full screen though, which is likely where the issue would be if there were any.

 

Fix a keyboard is not that difficult. All you need to do is to buy a new keyboard online and replace the old one.

 

Yes I realized that, I fixed it the first time around by removing it and cleaning the connectors. Now the problem comes back intermittently.

At this point, the battery is also due for a replacement and the 120GB SDD is getting a bit small. Add it all up and I'm 30% of the way to a new laptop anyway lol.

This T410 will be 4 years old in March. I'm looking for a lighter alternative that wont require me to carry a brick all day.
Right now I'm just waiting for impressions on this Thinkpad Yoga. If this flops, I'll probably end up with a MB Air.

 

Yes, we are in the same situations. My laptop is a huge brick, and its keyboard is becoming more and more unresponsive. I do not want to carry that brick AND an external keyboard all day long. I am pretty sure Thinkpad Yoga is the right alternative to me, and its option of using active digitizer is a big plus concerning I like to jot down some notes while reading documents. The only thing I am still unsure is the build quality and the price to buy the max specs.

 

Agreed, that digitizer is a huge plus for me. Right now the main use for my laptop is taking notes in class, in some classes diagrams are a part of the notes.
And no I cant just grab a typical tablet with digitizer because a few of my classes require the use of specific VMs, linux terminals, etc.

So yea. Really looking forward to seeing how this TP Yoga turns out.

 

A quick Poll:
How many people prefer the 12.5" decision over a 13.3" screen?
Why did Lenovo choose a smaller size for it's business-centric model?

As mentioned earlier in this thread it's gonna be a shocker for the people accustomed to 15"

 

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about the screen size.

I find my 14" too small sometimes so I've been taking a look at 15" laptops as well.
But I want tablet functionality, and it'd be stupid (in my opinion) to have a tablet so large.

12.5" is a good size for a tablet, but possibly too small for a laptop.
I would have to use it before I could decide :\

 

I am scheduled to receive my Y2P tomorrow but I'm really considering just returning it and pre-ordering the ThinkPad Yoga instead. I'm starting to think 1080p is enough and the active digitizer is enticing me.

I found the i5 and i7 versions for pre-order at Microsoft's site but I can't tell if these have the digitizer: They are SSD models and appear to otherwise mirror the configurations sold at Best Buy for the Y2P. If you search around you can apparently pre-order even at Frys or other sites that are selling it cheaper. Does anyone know if the active digitizer comes standard with the 1080p screen?

Microsoft Store - Search Results

 

I personally wish the TPY had a 13.3" screen. That said, I'm still leaning toward the TPY since the difference isn't significant enough to offset the active digitizer.

 

I think my X220 is also 12.5" so I don't mind the 12.5". I was actually bent on getting my daughter the Surface Pro 2 (Wacom Active Digitizer) but decided that the extra 2-3" of screen space + unlimited screen viewing angles + possibly excellent keyboard is well worth the compromise of having to lug a 3-4 pound laptop instead of a 1-2 pound tablet plus cover.

I've also looked at the Dell Venue Pro 11 but it always come back to me that an excellent keyboard is paramount and that I don't think she or I would be using the Active Digitizer while standing up so having the laptop form factor isn't an issue.

 

I prefer it big, so 13.3, 14 or 15" are all fine. 12.5" is a tad small for my taste, but I can live with it. Back when the first mainstream convertibles (read sub-$3000) with active digitiser came out, most of them are 11.6" or less. That's one of the main reason holding me back from grabbing one, and I'm still waiting now. TP Yoga may finally be the right device for me (still wishing it had a bigger screen, but oh well).

it really depends on how each person use this type of device really. I always feel somewhat annoyed when some tech reviewers on sites such as CNET and The Verge criticise this form factor as "immature", "half-baked" and "confused" compared to pure laptops and pure tablets. What they don't understand is that there are people, like me, who is out on the market looking specifically for this kind of hybrid device, not because of they want a laptop or a tablet. They want a convertible. As a whole new class of device in its own right.

Personally, I'm out on the market looking for a convertible with a big screen and active digitiser to be used in laptop mode 70% of the time and the remaining 30% in tablet mode. Ideally I would want it to have a back camera as well, so that I can record lectures while taking notes. Too bad that the TP Yoga doesn't have a back camera (of the ones that are already out on the market, some have back camera but doesn't have the digitiser or doesn't have SD card slot or too small screen or whatever it is that take away from the ultimate on-the-go workstation / entertainment / creative device experience).

 

Question: Do you think that the Thinkpad Yoga having the 1920x1080 screen instead of the PenTile screen in the YP2 will mean that it will not demonstrate the color accuracy issues that the YP2 seems to suffer? While the ultra HD of the YP2 sounds nice, as a photographer I would much rather lose resolution and gain some color accuracy.

 

Thats probably a good assumption. PenTile RGBW is used on the YP2 so more light can show through the dense pixels. So I guess since the TPY has a lower res screen, PenTile RGBW isnt as necessary. Doesnt stop Lenovo from still using it anyway though.

 

I was also initially disappointed that Lenovo went with a 12.5 inch screen instead of a 13.3 at least, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense.

The Wacom digitizer is going to be one of the bigger selling points of the TPY over the YP2, and it would make sense for Lenovo to go with a smaller screen to give the TPY a smaller footprint (12.4 x 8.7 inches versus 13 x 8.7 inches) and make it easier to hold with one hand in tablet mode while writing/drawing with the digitizer pen in the other. Lenovo didn't need to worry about pen operation with the YP2.

Also, 12.5 inch screen laptops are very popular with the business crowd, they're small, light and very portable which means business folks who travel lot love them as it's easy to carry around while taking up less space in their bags/luggage and it's easier to use on an airplane/train/bus while traveling.

 

ThinkPad Yoga should use the same panel as ThinkPad Helix. There could be ghosting issues, but colour accuracy should be ok.

 

Does the upcoming Thinkpad Yoga include GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass ?

 

Does the upcoming Thinkpad Yoga include GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass ?

 

The Helix screen is 11.6" and the TPY is spec'd with a 12.5" screen, so could be a different panel altogether.

Does anyone know if the higher res 1080 screen will have a digitizer option?

 

But the ThinkPad Yoga is bigger and heavier than the 13.3" Yoga 2 Pro.

 

According to the guy in this youtube video (2:04), the Wacom version won't be available till January. Has anyone heard anything else? I know the Microsoft Store has an I5 and I7 version for release on Nov. 25, but it doesn't state anything about a stylus.

 

I hope he is not correct, because I do not want to wait until Janurary

 

The old Yoga 13 does, so I would guess the ThinkPad Yoga does too - it would need the accelerometer to implement auto-rotate I think (portrait/landscape). It likely also has a light sensor like the old Yoga 13. The magnetometer (compass) in the old Yoga 13 reported only magnetic north and couldn't do true north..it also seemed pretty inaccurate compared to a couple of iPhones I tested it against. It would be nice if this new generation came with a better sensor implementation.

 

Not only that, but for the I5 4GB RAM 128SSD in the Microsoft store is $1200. Adding the digitizer is going to add to that price. It only makes sense in my mind. I don't see how the Helix can be so much more expensive than this, probably because they're going to charge an extra $200 for pen option.

I've never been so frustrated looking for a new computer. Dell's new digitizer performs poorly, the Vaio flip has an extremely loud fan (know that one first hand), and who knows the quality and price of this thing... I'm about ready to buy a Surface Pro... again.

 

I've been looking into Surface Pro 2 as well. Too bad the 256 and 512GB versions dont ship till Dec 15th =.=

I hope my T410 holds it together till then. Keyboard keeps giving me random scares.

 

Oh yes the helix 11.6 inch LCD.

 

Does anyone know whether the ThinkPad Yoga uses dual-channel or single-channel memory?

It's already been reported that the Yoga 2 does, despite Lenovo being unclear about it (They just say 4 GB or 8 GB).

If it does use dual-channel RAM, then the same logic could probably be transferred to the X240 as well.

 

It's 100% confirmed that the Yoga 2 Pro has dual channel and we can be quite certain that the ThinkPad Yoga does as well.

See this post here.

Lenovo's Service Manual Training for the ThinkPad Yoga.

 

The official Lenovo site has finally released the specs to the TP Yoga. They plan to have certain hard drive options that is going to be available in Jan. 2014. I hope that is where the Jan 2014 date comes from. I am totally fine with a 256 gb option as long as I can get the digitizer option. When the specs for the Yoga 2 Pro came out, the actual product was released not too long after. I hope this is going to be the same for the TP Yoga. I've been waiting months for this.

 

So excited that they finally made some changes to the official webpage!
I am waiting in desperation

 

i am waiting in desperation for my ThinkPad Yoga, really want it bad. Oh also a reminder about the Google Hangouts for ThinkPad Yoga next week.

 

Do you have a link for more information?

Do anyone know if the ThinkPad Yoga includes TPM 2.0?
This would be cool to easily encrypt. Per Ars: Windows 8.1 includes seamless, automatic disk encryption

 

I tried the search function here but nothing comes out (maybe an error inherent in this bulletin board forum). Would the battery for TPY be the non-removable type? And anyone know if the base will be compatible will older docking stations that fit the T420/430's as well as the X220/230's?

 

TPM is available as option. The Yoga uses onelink dock, and not the traditional base dock.

 

When are you getting the actual machine to test and review?

 

I am getting it next week

 

I chatted with a rep at the MS store last night, and he said that the models they are carrying will not come with the digitizer pen. However, I also saw that they also sell a model of the Helix, but make no mention of a pen with it, while every model at the Lenovo store has the stylus. Using that logic I can assume that Lenovo may indeed have models with the pen available this month, just not MS store.

For a while I was also worried that the pen may not be available this month since the similar Thinkpad X240 will not have a FHD screen until January that the TPY might not either (especially worrying since the pen only comes with the FHD). But seeing the FHD display is on the pre-order models on the MS store, I am reassured. Still, I will keep my fingers crossed.

 

I guess MS is not selling the pen version in its store to strengthen the position of its Surface Pro...