Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga

Long time lurker, here. Been reading this forum since day one. I'm a graduating college student with a degree in physics. This looks like the perfect convertible laptop to have for taking notes on the spot, continuing research, and annotating pdfs.

Just purchased the TPY earlier today from the US Lenovo website for $1371 (not including tax). Config: i5-4300u, 8 GB, 128 SSD, FHD, dual-band. I had to speak with at least 10 different representatives over the past few weeks to finally find one who was able to get the i5 with 8 GB. Even after I had a quote in my account, I had one representative tell me it was not possible. He came back a few minutes later, and helped me process my order. So, just an FYI to everybody in the US, you can order the 8 GB RAM option with something other than the i7 processor, but you can't do it with the i5-4200u.

Also, wanted to say thank you to all of the people who have kept this forum going for so long. It's definitely been a hub of information.

Woot for upgrading from my 2007 Macbook Pro!

 

Mine has slight backlight bleed on the bottom right that I can only ever notice when the laptop boots and you see the Lenovo yoga. I've had that on the last 3 devices running Windows 8 so it doesn't bother me. I never see it during use

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Torn between this and an X240 for my main Linux machine. Thoughts?

 

I think the same. Most problems with TPY is related to screen which does not have anything to do with the way you order.

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You have to take it out and use another computer with OS. If you have 2 SATA to USB cable you can clone directly by choosing the Proper Source and Target. If you have only one cable, you have to backup the Source disk to hard drive and then recover back to the Target disk.

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No indicator & it's very disappointing.

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I also have the X201T and love the screen, highly visible even in bright sunshine. What is your opinion of the visibility of the digitizer (+touch) version's outdoor visibility. Would you mind posting some photos?

 

And doctor says, these are LG eyes, nothing I can do about it.

 

20th january? It is my delivery date and only last 500 km to go.

 

I ordered mine on the 31 Dec and have a shipping date of the 24th Jan. So it is going to be the best part of a month in total, somewhat more than their claimed estimate.

 

That's unlucky, ordered mine on the 28th December and it delivered on the 16th Jan. You know their estimated times are just until the product ships from their factory.

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Lenovo needs access to more factories.

 

To those of you who are considering buying a ThinkPad Yoga , be aware that the ThinkPad Yoga has competition now.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/742820-panasonic-cf-mx3.html

Drop test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGfrrKs7DOk&list=PLBF2033F998B717D4&feature=player_embedded

 

Lets Note devices are not on sale in any western market...

 

I am thinking of buy the 2yr warranty+2yr accidental plan, is it worth it?
and do you guys know what the difference is with the 3yr depot/carry in warranty+sealed battery+3 yr accidental and the 2yr warranty+2yr accidental plan? I just don't understand the part of sealed battery. Would it not be covered in the 2 yr warranty? Because I am thinking it would?

 

Thats not the problem, the problem is their system is just a bit archaic. I am guessing the process of building is just not as efficient as it could be.

 

I took out the 2 year warranty plus accidental damage plan mainly because unlike the 3 year plan it has onsite support meaning a technician will come to your home/work and fix your laptop on the spot

I wasn't sure what the battery thing was about either tbh, I am sure its covered in the 2 Year warranty as well.

 

Do you have any idea why? Doesn't that mean I have to import if I want any of those neat devices?

 

I'm looking to buy a TPY and was wondering what you owners would say are the best and worst parts of your TPY. Also, how is your battery life?

 

Pros

• Keyboard has excellent feedback
• Hinges are solid
• Build quality is great apart from a very small amount of flex in the plastic near the start button (Not noticeable under use in both tablet and laptop mode unless you specifically look for it)
• Battery life I am getting around 7-8 hours comfortable usage and the standby time is excellent (i5-4200U, 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM)
• Performance is very good, SSD is very good quality and this thing happily plays Star Wars The Old Republic at 1080p on low/medium without lagging which is impressive tbh.
• The screen is really beautiful, slight backlight bleed but thats only noticeable when on the boot screen (had this on 3 other windows 8 devices, don't notice when using laptop otherwise)
• Digitiser is very accurate, as accurate as any Wacom tablet pc device and the edge response is pretty much spot on.
• Under intense use (gaming) it got warm but never hot and I can't even hear the fan unless I put my ear right up to the exhaust port. Even the exhaust port doesn't get uncomfortably hot which is good.

"Criticisms"

• Could be a bit lighter but it does feel very solid and is still usable as a tablet
• Keyboard backlight could be more directed to just light up the symbols on the key instead of the surround too (its a very opinionated picky thing which shows I can't find any real criticisms)
• Stock digitiser pen is small and the tip doesn't have a nice feel when writing due to being a hard plastic. Advise buying a bigger pen that supports softer nibs like the Wacom Bamboo Feel Stylus

 

Probably the usual affair of Japanese companies having devices that are only for the Japanese market, like many smartphones in Japan due to features that are only really available or wanted in Japan.

You would have to import this device and pay whatever import fees are required making it probably quite costly.

Anyways its Off Topic as this thread is about the Thinkpad Yoga and any questions/reviews regarding it.

 

Is it easy to do diagrams and write out long equations? Do you notice any edge drift?

I've had the X230t and tried using that for diagrams and writing out long equations but the edge drift annoyed me too much so I returned to using my 2008 Fujitsu Lifebook T5010.

 

For those in U.S. or Canada, do you have to pay any customs once your TPYoga reaches your door and is a signature required?

 

You don't need to pay anything. Just receive and enjoy!

 

Hey guys do you know where I can find a list of Function key commands for the TPY? Also, are these customizable or do they have fixed functions?

 

Signature will be required (in Canada), no customs or duty.

 

for whoever asked about cloning without an OS you can use clonezilla and clone it that way. What's the max ram on these thinkpads? Are they soldered?

 

As someone who doesn't have any extra stylus. Do you guys have any recommendations over the Wacom Bamboo Feel Stylus? I don't like how the lenovo stylus goes against the screen.

Also is there any difference beside appearance from the Wacom Bamboo Carbon vs White / Black? ($20 price difference)

 

I like the Fujitsu Lifebooks stylus with two buttons and an eraser.

 

Thanks for the reply. Is this the one?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00791UTH2/

For those who have the Wacom Bamboo Feel, do you have the model CS300UK or CS300UK2? The UK has a noticeable offset on the Galaxy Note 2014 which is why they made the UK2 to correct it.

Was wondering if the UK had the same problem with the TYP.

 

Yes , that looks like the one.

 

The Note doesn't actually have the same Wacom digitiser as used in Windows PC's. Hence the UK2 is designed for the Note ONLY, whereas the UK is the version for the Windows PC's like our Yoga's

You need to get the CS300UK for the Thinkpad Yoga matey.

The eraser used to be a big thing for me but I actually don't need it anymore, also the Bamboo Feel stylus is weighted like a premium pen, meaning its very nice to write/draw with, not to mention there are two included tips (one soft/one hard) AND there is no difference between the Carbon or Black/White models, besides the material used hence the price difference. Theres NO performance difference.

I am a Mechanical Engineering student at university and so far there is no noticeable edge drift with the Yoga. Will report back if it becomes an issue but the digitiser is very very accurate on this thing.

 

I own the Wacom Bamboo feel (non Carbon, non Galaxy Note version). After some calibration , the tracking is pretty much perfect across the whole screen, and about 2cm away from the edges even fairly tolerant towards the angle at which the pen meets the screen. (You have to do some copying of registry keys, to get this calibration method to work with the feel-driver installed.)
I really like the material, a hard plastic that feels less ‘rubbery’ than most plastic. What I don’t like so much is the button. For one it’s just the one, but the main problem is, that it is completely flush with the barrel of the pen. It is hard to feel and therefore hard to find the right position for your fingers (without looking) to press it comfortably. Even if you have it’s not as easy to press or as tactile as I would like. The feel of the nibs is probably a matter of taste. I don’t like the hard ones, the soft (rubber-core) ones are better, but a bit too much friction for my taste.

My second replacement pen, the Wacom PL-900 (UP-817E) is much better in regard to the buttons (distinct button-rocker). Thre are two (plus eraser), they are much more tactile, easy to press and it is easy to find a good position for your fingers. The available (not included) ‘hard felt nibs’ (same size as Intuos 4) are in my opinion the best so far.
It too can be calibrated to perfect accuracy, BUT the angle tolerance is worse. The coil (to which the screen actually reacts) sits about 2mm to 3mm to far back in the pen. (I opened up the pen and with a 4mm drill-bit modified it to correct the position of the coil, and now the tracking is as good as with the Bamboo feel. I also modified the button-rocker, tip and eraser to give them less slackness.) The plastic has more of that default thermoplastic feel to it, but it’s ok (added grooves and more roughness for better grip). It does not come with a cap, so it’s a bit more fragile when it comes to bringing it along.
So after some modifications it is close to being the perfect pen, but even without I think it could be worth to consider.

 

Is anyone else having an occasional problem with adjusting the screen brightness? It seems once every three times or so I turn on the machine, I'm unable to adjust the brightness. It'll be the same as it was when I turned off the laptop, and when I try to change it -- either through the keyboard buttons or the brightness bar under settings, nothing happens; as if the buttons were useless and served no purpose. It's not a huge problem, a reboot does the trick and everything works fine again, but I'd like to know how to fix it if at all possible. I believe all drivers are up to date.

 

This maybe the power management for auto brightness is turned on swipe in from the right hand side of screen click settings then pc settings then pc and devices then power and sleep I think the auto brightness is in there if not just mess around in the charms menu it is there.
I had the same problem on yoga 2 pro until it blew up lol

 

Gaming on Thinkpad Yoga:

First of all, don't forget to install the directX package from microsoft for compatibilty.

Diablo 2: 4:3 games on a 16:9 screen with Intel HD graphics is a bit tricky. To get Diablo 2 in 16:9 streched format, reduce the display-resolution to 1600x900 and start the game, it should be streched now. If not, press Strg+Alt+F11 for a menu and change the scaling mode. Note: That menu only offers additional choices if you are NOT at the highest resolution (1920x1080).
Oh and btw... Playing with a digitizer sucks. Your hand will hurt after 5 mins of gameplay xD

ePSXe emulator: Most games did not work, regardless of the chosen plugin. I deinstalled the preinstalled graphic-drivers and installed the latest from intel. I have a strong feeling that the preinstalled drivers are touched by Lenovo and lead to problems for gaming. I successfully run all games i own from there on.
Note: I had no success with the Flip 15 and it's Nvidia GT 735M. Optimus drivers can't be deactivated (they are even integrated in the bios somehow) and they disrupt every effort you have with emulators...

Dolphin: I got better resoluts than with the Flip 15. 40-60 frames (average about 55) in Soul Calibur II with some sound stuttering. CPU load is at 50% all the time, since the emulator uses only 1 core (2 for sound) for the heavy work.

Modern games: Performance is what you can expect from an ultrabook. The unit does throttle after 5 mins of 100% load, but it doesn't get hot (only warm at the right top). The fan is load under full load and high pitched but well... Ultrabook

 

Amazon gave me the bamboo feel designed for the damn note bat it seems to be performing very well! any reason I should send it back specifically for the windows 8 version or are both versions fine for windows 8 and its only the note that needs the special version??

 

Outdoor visibiliyt of FHD (digitizer verion)

I have the excellen outdoor X201T version and are a bit concerned about the outdoor visibility of the TPY. Would anybody care to comment or post some photos of the screen in different outdoor environments?

 

My understanding when I spoke to Lenovo was that batteries themselves are never covered under the warranty. But the mention of battery in the warranty above is related to the fact that the actual task of replacing the battery, should that be needed, is covered by the warranty. You would still need to pay for the battery itself, but they cover the labour cost of replacing it for you. HTH. K

 

Its perfect for long equations ect. We covered a past paper in the tutorial. So I wrote something like six pages of math. Lots of calculus and theorems ect worked a dream. I will upgrade the stylus. To a wacom feel, but it is handy having one in a silo at all times

 

Judging from the photos here the Bamboo stylus feel for Samsung galaxy note is shorter/stubbier. My guess is, that the coil has been moved further to the front of the pen, to address some offset on Note devices.
To test if this is a problem, put the pen on the screen (somewhere in the middle of the screen), leave the tip on the same point and just change the angle towards the screen (from perpendicular to about 45 degrees). The received point of contact should stay attached to the tip of the pen (more or less). If the received point of contact moves consistently towards the pen when tilting it (in the direction you tilt) the coil is too far away (tip too long (like my PL-900 was)), if it moves away from the direction of the tilt the coil is too close (tip too short (like the feel for note presumably is)). If it moves incosistently, e.g. perpendicular to the direction of the tilt, thats some normal inaccuracy (about 1-2 mm should be normal towards the middle of the screen).

That said, the package of my pen also had a "for Note" sticker on it, but judging from the photos, I got the right version. Bamboo Stylus feel non-Note version for comparison.

 

Very unreasonable. Replacing battery is very simple.
I think during the first year battery is covered under warranty and no need to pay for battery if defective.

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Can anyone help me with this?

 

I don't know of any OS tools but Fresh Paint is free in the MS store and it'll show you if pressure sensitivity is working.

 

the TPY would be perfect if it was 13.3" instead of 12.5". Why Lenovo couldn't you have packed in a 13.3" screen....?????

I read about the new Yoga 13 coming out and it sounds great. But it's not a thinkpad, so no onelink dock

I've had my TPY for a month now, but using it only part time. My other laptop is a HP Zbook 14 and the larger screen size is so useful. I've also used 13.3" screens. The 1080p is just a bit too much for 12.5" and I find myself moving closer to the laptop just to see things better. Scaling in windows isn't great so I avoid that and set the screen to 100%. For my job I need at least 1080 resolution in height.

Lenovo please give me a Thinkpad Yoga with 13.3" screen, an ethernet port and additional usb port..... please......
(I know many don't care about ethernet but in my work we use ethernet all the time and a real port is a hundred times better than a dongle)

 

Lenovo isn't going to listen. If you want 13.3" get a Legendary Fujitsu Tablet PC instead.

 

Not sure if this was sarcasm (hard to tell online), but does Fujitsu have a reputation for making good tablets, then?

I admit I'm following both the Thinkpad Yoga and the Lifebook T904 very closely.

On a side note: for those of you who have been checking out this thread from the very beginning and have read each page, you realize that's over 2,200 individual comments?

 

The last three tablet PCs I've used were a ThinkPad X230t , Fujitsu Lifebook T901 , and Fujitsu Lifebook T5010.
The T5010 and T901 had a much more accurate digitizer than the X230t. Not only that but the scroll sensor on the T5010 /T901 was awesome and the touchpad worked better.

My experiences with Fujitsu tablet PCs have been great overall so I tell people to buy Fujitsu tablets.

Fujitsu also invented the iPad and Apple had to buy that name from them to use it.

Since Lenovo wants to kill the ThinkPad line (unofficially they did) , Fujitsu tablets seem even better than they did in the past.

Fujitsu has been supporting tablets for awhile.

 

Here we are talking about TPY not X230t. By all accounts, TPY has more accurate stylus than X230t.

 

Well, that didn't take long for something to happen. Last night a little spill happened, only maybe an ounce of beer just to the left of the touchpad, but a few drops reached under the keyboard bezel and now a few keys don't work (backspace t y [ ] tab capslock Lshift windowskey f3 f7). I dried it with paper towel immediately and used a barely moist mildly soapy cloth to clean the surface, and let it air dry overnight, but like I said a few keys still don't work. So much for a spill resistant keyboard, maybe I just have very bad luck.

Anyways, I only have the basic warranty that comes standard. I've replaced laptop keyboards before, though not on one of these (are keyboards even available to consumers yet?). Should I try to replace it myself, or should I upgrade to the accidental damage warranty? I feel that taking it into my local repair depot would cost nearly as much as the warranty cost. Time is also important, as I want to take school notes with it again as soon as possible and this onscreen keyboard is not exactly fast to use (nor is my rt-mwk01 mini keyboard)

Or is there another option I haven't considered yet?