Yoga 11s (Haswell)

I haven't seen a thread on the Yoga 11s let alone the 11s with Haswell CPU. The Haswell version looks interesting. Any comments as to why there is essentially no interest in either the Ivy Bridge or Haswell version?

Thanks, Jim

 

It will be simply called the Yoga 2 (not pro), and yes it's on it's way. Shame they didn't release it 6-7 months ago when they could, my Haswell Y410p came out at the same time as the Ivybridge 11S.

 

I see it right now at Best Buy. It is still called Yoga 11s, but it has the Haswell CPU. Or maybe that is not the same as the one you mentioned?

Thanks, Jim

 

No, you want the Yoga 2:

Lenovo Unveils Miix 2, Yoga 2 and Flex 14D/15D Multimode Laptops | TechnoBuffalo

Who's Jim?

 

Thanks for the clarification. Jim is me. "Thanks, Jim" is as "Thank you from Jim"

 

What do you make of the model offered by Best Buy? It looks like the older Yoga 11s, except it has a Haswell CPU.

Jim

 

Link please?

 

I don't know if this link will work, it is so long, but if not, just go to the Best Buy web site and search for Yoga 11s.

Jim

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Ultrabook 2in1 11.6" TouchScreen Laptop 4GB Memory 128GB Solid State Drive Silver Yoga 11S - 59385438 - Best Buy

 

Yeah, that's the Yoga 2.

 

OK, I am going to give it a try. Nothing to lose, except for some time, with Best Buy's return policy.

Jim

 

I am confused now. I have looked at some reviews of the Pro 2 and they say the Pro 2 11 has a Pentium CPU, but the version at Best Buy has an i5 Haswell. Maybe Lenovo changed specs at the last minute?

A confused Jim

 

If you are using the ultrabook for day-to-day tasks like web surfing, watching videos and doing office work then there is no difference between Pentium and i5.

Be warned that there are both ivy bridge and haswell pentiums.

 

It's been discussed a bit here, but not too much since the launch was so stealthy. It looks like the same shell, same dimensions, same 1366x768 screen etc. of the older 11S just updated to Haswell internals. The 11S was released in the summer of 2013 so I guess it wasn't yet time for a major update.

The Yoga 2 Pro isn't much larger and is about the same weight but with a 13" 3200x1800 screen, so I think that captured most of the excitement around here:

Ideapad Yoga 11s : 11.73" x 8.03" x 0.67" @3.08 lbs
Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro: 12.99" x 8.66" x 0.61" @3.06 lbs

It is odd that Lenovo chose to sell the updated 11S at Best Buy and still does not offer it on Lenovo.com.

 

In 2013, Lenovo offered the three Yoga variants:

Yoga 11: ARM CPU (not Intel), Windows RT (cut-down version of Windows, would not run old Windows apps)
Yoga 11s: Intel Core CPUs, 3rd generation Ivy Bridge, full version of Windows
Yoga 13: Intel Core CPUs, 3rd generation Ivy Bridge, full version of Windows

Now these models are being phased out but we are in that weird time where some old models are still offered, some new models are out, some new models have been announced and reviewed but are not yet for sale. Here's what I think we will have soon when the transition is complete:

Yoga 2 11: Intel Bay Trail "Pentium" CPU, long battery life but not as powerful as Core Intel CPUs, Full version of Windows
Yoga 2 13: Intel Core processors, Full Windows, 13" 1920x1080 screen
Yoga 2 Pro: Intel Core processors, Full Windows, 13" 3200x1800 screen, thinner and lighter than the Yoga 2 13

I have no idea how long the Yoga 11s model with Haswell at Best Buy will be around - maybe it will be renamed Yoga 2 and offered with both the Core and Pentium CPUs? It's odd that they still don't sell it on Lenovo.com. I have not yet seen the Yoga 2 11 / Yoga 2 13 on sale anywhere; however, the 11 should be out any day and the 13 next month.

 

Strange that the Haswell Yoga 11S is at Best Buy but no where to be found on the Lenovo site. Best Buy had both the Haswell Yoga 11S and the Yoga 2 Pro side by side. They look and feel like big brother and little brother. The 11S is $799.99 and the Pro 2 is $999.99. I have been turned off from the 3200x1800 resolution because of so many posts about the color problem and the scaling problem. Anyway, I bought one of the Yoga 11S models for a 15 day trial. I pick it up today.

Regards, Jim

 

I love the 3200x1800 screen in the Yoga 2 Pro. It is true that I feel a bit like an early adopter since some software doesn't scale too well and the yellows are off a bit. However, the high resolution is also really beautiful to look at. I had both an old Yoga 13 and the Yoga 2 Pro at the same time for a few days and was able to put them side-by-side and compare...text on the Yoga 2 Pro was much smoother. For me, it's one of those things where I thought the old one looked great until I saw the new one and now I'd never want to go back

 

Yeah, I guess screen resolution can be perceived differently by different people. When I compared the 11S with the Pro 2 at Best Buy, I couldn't really tell the difference. But, I didn't do a long, detailed comparison. When I go in today to pick up my 11S, I will take another look at the two displays.

Regards, Jim

 

Maybe try to put them side-by-side and open the same web page, then look at the smoothness of the fonts.

 

Yeah, I took my wife. She said the Pro 2 was "sharper". I could see a slight difference if I looked very close. (My eyes are not what they used to be.) Anyway, I am home, the 11S is set up, and I typing this post on it. I like it so far. I haven't done any tests yet, but I like the keyboard and the display. The touch screen seems very smooth. More later.

Regards, Jim

 

That's the most important thing!

 

The Yoga 11s w/ Haswell and the Yoga 2 11" are actually two different laptops.
The Yoga 11s w/ Haswell seems to be a Best Buy exclusive and has been on sale for a couple of months now.

edit: I posted too soon, grisjuan's comment is much more detailed, haha.

 

Just an update on my experience with the Yoga 11S Haswell. The wifi is excellent. I have had no dropped connections and the down and up speed is the same as my wired desktop. Range is also very good through four walls. Battery life is good, not great. I get 7 to 7 1/2 hours on light duty, Email, Web, Updating, Angry Birds, Spider Solitaire, etc. I haven't tried any of the "modes" such as tablet or tent. I didn't buy it for those modes. I do think a 13.3 inch with FHD would be a near perfect laptop.

This is my first Lenovo and I am impressed. The build quality is excellent and it just feels like a sturdy premium laptop.

Regards, Jim

Edit: Just a little more data. I returned an Asus UX302LA because of around 5 hour battery life and a difficult upgrade from an HD to an SSD. And I returned a Sony Vaio Pro 13 because of awful wifi performance, mediocre battery life and an overall feeling of flimsy construction.

 

You're describing the new Yoga 2 13" version (non-Pro) ;-)

 

Yeah, I have been seeing a few early reviews. The only bad thing about it is the base model comes with a HD not an SSD. I think an SSD is an option, but Lenovo will probably want a small fortune for one.

Regards, Jim

 

Hey guys, is the yoga 11s at best buy an excellent value since it comes with 120gb SSD and i5 ulv haswell?

Two questions, what is the brand of the wireless card that is in the yoga 11s haswell best buy version? Does it have backlit keyboard?

Thanks

 

Wireless card is Realtek RTL8723AU. It works great. I get the same Internet up/down as my wired desktop. Keyboard is not backlit. I think it is a great value. It is the 11S but upgraded to the Haswell i5-4210Y. The 1366x768 resolution is good enough for an 11.6 inch display. (For my eyes.)

Regards, Jim

 

Thanks hawk, no problem on the realtek wireless driver or disconnects whatsoever? I heard no Ethernet port on this baby but is there a compatible dongle/adapter for it?

 

I haven't had any disconnects or other problems with the wifi adapter. It provides great performance even through four walls in my house. There is no Ethernet port. A Google search for "USB Ethernet adapter" turns up many.

Good luck, Jim

 

Thanks again Hawk, a few more questions, does the trackpad have a two finger tap right click that way I don't have to press on the lower right integrated buttons.

Is the CPU on it powerful enough to play 1080p videos of diff formats smoothly without lag?? The reason I'm asking, when i had the Acer v5 122p with its A6 1450 CPU, some fullhd videos are stuttering real bad and felt laggy. Could you test playing some full hd videos in either mp4 or mkv format in windows media player or VLC player and tell me what your task manager CPU usage is?? Thanks

 

Yes, you can use a two finger tap to do a right click. You can also just click the lower right corner of the track pad. There are no buttons, just a single track pad. I downloaded a full HD clip of a Fox trailer. It is an AVCHD file with extension m2ts. Task Manager reports 6% CPU use while playing the file. There was no stuttering or lag. Maybe you could suggest a place to download another file to test?

Regards, Jim

 

Just any 1080p files will do but if you are only seeing 6% CPU usage via task manager when playing it then that's great because the former acer v5-122p that I had was at 40-60% CPU usage while playing a 1080p video and sometimes it lags or stutters.

 

Has anyone installed a Linux distro on this laptop? Experiences with suspend, wireless, etc?

 

Can anyone tell me what the difference between the yoga 11s haswell and the yoga 2 11 are?

I cannot find any specs on yoga 2 11". Is it not out yet? is it supposed to just come with a baytrail and full windows? will it have a thiner/lighter construction and 1080p screen? Is it worth the wait over the yoga 11s haswell?

will both of those models have upgradable ram like the yoga 11s ivy bridge?

Also, I can get a yoga 2 11s ivy for $120 cheaper than the haswell best buy version, is the savings worth the downgrade? it pretty much buys you 2 extra hours of battery right?


Thanks

 

The Yoga 2 11 is supposed to be out very soon. (Not sure what "very soon" means.) The 11S Haswell is just as the name says, an 11S with a Haswell i-5 4210Y CPU. The Yoga 2 11 is supposed to have a Pentium Bay Trail. It has 1366x768 resolution and a HD, not SSD. Not sure about other specs.

I don't know where you can get the 11S Ivy for $120 less than the Best Buy 11S Haswell. Even so, I would go for the Haswell.

Regards, Jim

 

Thanks for your input, the only way I would wait for a yoga 2 11 then is if I know for sure it will come with a core processor as well and not only a bay trail. Ill take bay trail only if it is significantly cheaper.

I did take a look at the yoga 2 13" and the 11s at best buy today. I wish the 11s was as thin as the yoga 2 13" . Oh well

 

The Best Buy Yoga 2 is the Yoga 2 Pro. The Yoga 2 (13) hasn't been released. I think the Bay Trail Yoga 2 (11) is priced around $600. It was supposed to be out by now, but still no word on when it will be available.

Regards, Jim

 

2 hours of battery life, 7% CPU performance and 40% gaming performance difference between IB.

 

I have been considering the baytrail 11 now, How much of a difference would there be between an i5 4210y and the baytrails they would use in the yoga 2 11"

I am assuming these baytrails will come with 4gb of ram. If it is still 2gb like every other baytrail product I have seen, Then I would still go with the haswell i5.

 

What I have been able to find is that the Baytrail Pentium is about 70% less capable than the i5-4210y in the 11S Haswell. But, even more of concern, the Yoga 2 (11) has a HD, not a SSD. That would probably be even more of a performance hit. The good news is that the Yoga 2 (11) will cost about $530 and will have 4 GB of RAM.

Regards, Jim

 

decisions decisions, lol.

the haswell 11s I am looking is a refurb, which will cost almost about the same as a new baytrail yoga 11, and I would not have to wait.

I just have a feeling the i5 is just an overkill for what I do with a laptop, unless someone can tell me things that I could not do with a baytrail. All I do is browsing, email, media consumption and watch a lot of HD through the HDMI. I don't do any programming, editing. I would not mind gaming, but I doubt either is good at gaming because of the integrated graphics. The only games that interest me are FPS and Racing, both require good systems

yeah, I would definitely upgrade the HDD to an SSD if I bought a baytrail 11 (hopefully it is upgradable).

I hope lenovo doesnt use a smaller battery in the yoga 2 11 thus giving it equal battery life as the haswell version. The only reason I am even considering baytrail over haswell is to trade the excess unnecessary performance for much more battery life. That and having a fanless laptop.

 

The review I have seen says 6 hours of battery life. I get 7-71/2 hours with my 11S Haswell.

Good luck, Jim

 

Hey all,

I am pretty well convinced I will get the Yoga 11s with the Haswell CPU from Best Buy. I've been going back and forth between it and the Yoga 2 Pro, but the high res screen actually bothered me some while using it at the store. I think it was the scaling that bugged me out some.

To confirm, I could get the $799 Yoga 11s model with 4GB of RAM and that is entirely upgradable, right? It's the Yoga 2 Pro where it's actually soldered in.

There's always the chance of buyers remorse and something better coming out in a month or two, but there's no expectations that a 11s with a 1080 screen is about to be released that I can see. Can anyone confirm that?

The Yoga 2 13" (non-pro) that just showed up on Best Buy's website peaked my interests, but it's got a pretty serious price increase for lower specs. 100 dollars more for the nicer 13" 1080 screen, but no SSD hard drive which baffles me.

 

I don't know if the Best Buy Haswell 11S has upgradeable memory and SSD or not. I don't think the Haswell 11S even shows up on the Lenovo site, so any upgrade to 1080p is unlikely. And the Yoga 2 (13) has not been released by Lenovo. So, the Best Buy version may be another special ala the 11S Haswell.

I think the Yoga 2 (13) has an SSD option, although the base model comes with a HD. The Yoga 2 (13) with SSD and 1080p should be an awesome ultrabook, especially if Lenovo offers discounts.

Good luck, Jim

 

Thanks Jim.

A bummer Lenovo does this exclusive crap with Best Buy. Hurts the review & buying process. Confuses customers not having things consistent.

Seems by all accounts the Haswell 11s is a carbon copy of the previous generation, just the updated processor. So I am pretty confident RAM can be upgraded.

Thanks for your input -- likely picking up the 11s tonight.

 

The Yoga 2 (13) is now available for order on the Lenovo site. Model with i5-4200U, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, 1080p multi-touch is $1,099.00. Not shipping until March 21.

Jim

 

Heads up guys!! Yoga 11s haswell is on sale at BB for $750. I might just get this badboy instead of the inspiron 11 3000 with the pentium and vaio pro 11.

 

how long is it on sale for?

 

At least a week.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

 

must be making way for new product, virtually impossible to order in orange as it is sold out at Best Buy. Anyone know the inside track?

 

no, but i'm not sure if i should buy this or wait for one with better resolution, dual band wifi and more ram