***Yoga 2 Pro Owners Thread***

Mine is brighter as well. So is the right shift key and a few others. It looks like it is a by product of how the key lighting is layed out. Doesn't cause me any issues.

Sent from my VS980 4G

 

So your "N" is brighter as well? Funny that I never noticed that with my previous i5 model. Maybe they changed how they did the backlighting in the newer models? Guess it shows how OCD I am that this actually bugs me. The only other issue is the 8 mini spotlights along the bottom - another thing that I didn't have in my i5. As lightbleed goes they aren't bad (only visible on completely black backgrounds). The sad fact is that my first Y2P i7 that apparently had a missing SSD drive (or at least the Bios thought so) had a PERFECT SCREEN. Zero light bleed. Then the two after that which had functioning SSD's both have lightbleed (although this one is better, the second one was plain awful). Lol, it's always something, right?

 

I've noticed that when using the sliders to set my zoom levels(mine's, right in the middle which seems equivalent to 200%), the text on my external 23" 1080p monitor is kind of zagged and more pixelated than usual. Is there a way to make this text cleaner on the external monitor? My monitor allows for focus adjustments if you have a VGA input but not with HDMI. Thanks in advance.

 

Ok, found a solution to my zagged text problem above. Ran MacType text smoothing hack (went with XMac.LCD run as a service) and it appears to have smoothed fonts out quite a bit.

 

Just noticed my BB i7 256 has only 195 useable space. Lenovo grabs 25 for about 3 GB worth of restore data. Why do they need 25 GB for 3 GB of data? That leaves another 37 GB that simply doesn't exist?!

What's the deal? Can I take back most of the Lenovo D: Drive? Where is the missing 37?

 

I haven't received mine yet, so I have nothing to look at to tell you for sure. i would also be new to Win 8. Anyway, there should be a way to make backup/restore discs. If you can make those do that. Then boot to that disc to make sure it will work. Then backup your data or make an image in case you lose that in the process. If the restore disc you made works okay then go to computer management (Win8 might have a different name or process), delete the "D" or "lenovo" drive and expand your C drive to grab that empty space.

Someone with Win8 might have a different way of doing it. I should receive my Y2P in 7-10 days. After I receive it I'll update how to do that if you would like?

 

Dude, I hope you are fortunate and get one of the units with minimal light bleed. I have a little along the bottom but it is very livable. All that aside, you are going to be simply amazed by the beauty of this screen.

I also have a Surface Pro 3 (that I am giving to my GF as she will have more use for the size and pen than I - I really needed 13.3" and a full keyboard). Anyway, that device has an awesome screen but it honestly is nothing compared to this - and for $1200 - are you kidding me? An insane steal.

** I actually got mine for only $920 by combining a $150 Best Buy student discount and a 10% mover's coupon. Incredible.

 

I'm going to call Lenovo and find out why the D: Drive is so BIG for so little info. I will leave it there because I want to maintain recovery on the SSD (too easy to lose a thumb drive). But I will dramatically reduce the drive size. Hopefully I'll also find out where that other 37 GB went.

 

Let me take a stab at accounting for part of the "missing 37."

1 GB (gigabyte) = 10 ⁹ B = 1,000,000,000 B
1 GiB (gibibyte) = 2 ³⁰ B = 1,073,741,824 B

The SSD is marketed as 256GB (gigabytes) by the manufacturer, but Windows reports capacity as ~238.4 GiB (gibibytes). And yes, in Microsoft's ever-so-confusing wisdom, they display GB throughout the system when they actually mean GiB.

See http://wintelguy.com/gb2gib.html for a little explanation and calculator that shows 256GB = ~238.4GiB.

256 - 238.4 = 17.6, so, that's ~17.6 of the "missing 37."

Here's how my Y2P's Samsung SSD is partitioned:



(Note that I partitioned the C: drive that came from Lenovo into C: and F: partitions. It was originally one big C: partition ~196GiB, similar to yours.)

If you add all the partitions in my system, it comes pretty close to the 238.4GiB capacity. Do yours add up, as well? My screenshot is from a third-party partitioning program, but you can get the same info from Windows Disk Management: Press the Windows key+X, and then press the letter K. Maybe you can find the remaining 20GiB?

Note, too, that there is a 17.58GiB unpartitioned space at the end of my drive. I shrank the Lenovo partition by that much since, like you, I felt it was too big, and I just scooted the 17.58GiB to the end of the drive and left it unpartitioned as a modest bit of over-provisioning. I also removed the D: drive letter to tidy up File Explorer. If I need to access the partition in Windows, I can always add back the D: letter via Windows Disk Management. I'm still debating whether to delete the partition entirely and just keep a copy on a flash drive and/or external hard drive for more usable SSD space.

Confusing as heck, no?

 

Just loaded GRID Autosport onto my Y2P i7. Settings at Medium with AA at 2x and 1280 x 800 resolution getting 29 fps average which is quite playable considering this does not have discrete video. Funny thing is machine didn't even get hot.

One odd thing is that after closing the game the graphics drivers seem a bit overblown and messed up. reboot fixed.

 

I play Dota 2 pretty often and have never had problems of that sort. I recommend reinstalling dota, and if that doesn't work, uninstall it completely and then redownloading it. If you can get to it, go to the settings and check out the video resolution settings. you may just have an odd setting that is causing your computer to freak out.


Wow, over 300 pages of posts now! Great job guys!
-OP

 

You know, I owned the original i5 Y2P and now I own the i7 model and to be honest with you, I don't really notice a performance increase. Probably because I'm not doing the things where the i7 shines.

 

Well I contacted Lenovo Technical Support to ask why I need 25 GB for a 3 GB One-touch Recovery partition. The basic answer was that the One-touch recovery was to be accessed by clicking the BIOS button on the side in case you are in complete failure and your computer will not start. This is separate of course from Windows Recovery.

I can see how this would be quite useful in a catastrophic situation. However, when I asked specifically why so much room was required the tech support person basically said, "it is because it is", or in other words, "I have no idea". Sigh.

Oh well, until I NEED that 25 GB space I'll just let it be. The One-touch recovery is too valuable to me too risk screwing it up by changing that partition.

 

I'm pretty sure Lenovo customer support is the worst support I've ever dealt with. 8 calls, a week of them having my device without shipping it out, telling me they would replace my outlet yoga with a new one...and then changing their minds after I ship it back. Understandable there, but I've been the owner of a Y2P for 3+ weeks now and only actually had it for 3. Go Lenovo...bleh.

 

Yes, Lenovo customer service blows. On the other hand, they rank only behind Apple in cranking out a quality product. It may have its tiny glitches (minimal light bleed which always bugs me more than it should) but overall for 98% of what I use a laptop for, I LOVE this Y2P. The BestBuy exclusive i7 Y2P seems to have worked out many of the old issues (albeit my first unit had no SDD according the BIOS). Yellows are fine, wifi is perfect and never drops, screen never flickers. Still in amazement that after a student and mover's discount I picked up this incredible machine for a little over $900.

 

It doesn't have me feeling good about how things will be if things actually break though, and the supervisor I talked to yesterday didn't really seem to care or be willing to help other than what little he had to do to get me on my way. Dells consumer line, why do you have to be so ugly, I love their support :3

 

Allow me to compare the experience of using the Y2P to the Surface Pro 3 (since I have owned both).

The Surface Pro 3 is a fine bit of kit. The 12 inch size is highly portable and then pen is extremely handy for those who need to hand write notes or draw on the fly. For what it is, it is awesome. Here are my comparisons:

1) It's 12 inches. For anyone using legacy apps and forms (such as Access) this can be cramped.
2) As awesome as the new kickstand is, it's still not as "lapable" as a laptop.
3) The SP3 screen is great but face it, it isn't even close in visual appeal to the Y2P. I could still see pixels in fonts on the SP3. I cannot on the Y2P and that's pretty cool.
4) Although the SP3 with keyboard attached is 1/2 a pound lighter than the Y2P, the Y2P "feels" as light because the extra weight is spread over a larger surface area. For instance, pick up the Y2P and then pick up a 3 pound slug of lead. The lead will "feel" heavier because it is more dense.
5) For me anyway, the 13.3 inch form factor of the Y2P is just better for business.
6) While the 3:2 size of the SP3 makes it excellent for web browsing in portrait without fonts being too tiny, the increased size of the Y2P makes the horizontal space in portrait roughly equivalent. While the 16:9 form fact is "tall" in portrait, it is as readable and the SP3.
7) The pen. Oh Lenovo, why did you fail us on the active digitizer for the Y2P? I'd have gladly paid $200 more. For me, that was the only real FAIL by Lenovo in this design. Nevertheless, in reality while I enjoy having a pen I rarely use one - why? Because typing is faster, easier and I can actually read it two weeks later - i.e., my handwriting, especially on glass is pretty terrible. I am thinking seriously of just grabbing a Dell Venue 8 Pro and using that as my "pen-based" notepad. Because OneNote syncs instantly, it will literally be like writing on my Y2P but with a smaller more convenient tool.
8. The keyboard. Clear win to the Y2P here. Not even close. The SP3 keyboard is cramped and a bit bouncy. And of course, you have fewer keys and have to utilize hacks to have functionality such as an "Insert" key.

So, which is better? Depends on your use. If you are someone who has the need of a tablet that can be a laptop (sort of) with pen functionality, go with the SP3. If you are mainly a desk jockey who needs an excellent laptop but wants the convenience of a tablet convertible, go with the Y2P.

Oh and PS, the Y2P for the same configuration as the SP3 is about $600 less. Ouch, win to Lenovo on that score.

 

Actually it's because there is almost no difference between the "U" series i5 & i7 processors. It shouldn't even be called an i7 IMO.

In the standard mobile processors (M/H series) the i5 is a dual core and the i7 is quad core. In the "U" series they are both dual core. So the only real difference between the i5-4210U and i7-4510U is a slight bump in internal clock speed and 1MB more cache.

i5-4210U = 1.7-2.7 GHz (GPU 1.0 GHz) 3 MB Smart cache
i7-4510U = 2.0-3.1 GHz (GPU 1.1 Ghz) 4 MB Smart cache

Intel ARK comparison page

 

Yes, but it still makes me happy knowing there is an i7 in there, even if it is a baby i7. And that cache does help. It also has a better gpu, no? Also, albeit not earthshaking, a .4 bump in speed is 15%.

 

Howdy everyone! I'm currently an owner of the Samsung NP700Z5C, and beginning the long, slow process of comparison shopping for a new machine! Pretty much set my sights on the Y2P, and just waiting to see if any interesting Fall deals appear on the Lenovo site.

In the meantime, I'm dutifully working my way ALL THE WAY through this thread, and learning (and laughing) a lot. This post (#580 of 3020!) in particular made me laugh:

How ironic -- @josetheman37 probably had no idea this thread was only in its infancy back in November!

On another note, I noticed that the "slower" i7-4500U has slipped off the list of units on Lenovo's student page. The one with 8GB/256GB combo is no longer listed -- though the 8GB/512GB, which is too rich for my blood, is still available. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the 4500U makes a comeback. Regarding @mitchelvii's question:

I think @Cellular-Decay's answer is spot-on:

But I also thought I would add a bit more data. In particular, going to Passmark's CPU benchmark page and comparing the i5-4210U to the i7-4500U reveals the following...

	Intel Core i5-4210U @ 1.70GHz	Intel Core i7-4500U @ 1.80GHz
Socket Type CPU Class Clockspeed Turbo Speed # of Physical Cores Max TDP First Seen on Chart # of Samples Single Thread Rating CPU Mark	FCBGA1168 Laptop 1.7 GHz Up to 2.7 GHz 2 (2 logical cores per physical) 15W Q2 2014 75 1494 3508	BGA1168 Laptop 1.8 GHz Up to 3.0 GHz 2 (2 logical cores per physical) 15W Q1 2013 556 1601 3868

Notice I chose the 4500U and NOT the 4510U, which is only slightly better. I seriously wonder if anyone could differentiate any of these three CPUs in the wild. I'm leaning toward the 4500U for the moment, simply because of the way Lenovo has priced the three versions.

OK, going back to my reading and will slowly make it to the end of this thread. Someday.

-Matt

 

I think the Yoga 3 Pro should be coming soon... there's a lot of internet chatter about that.

 

I've seen a little bit...maybe Broadwell? HD5000 (or is that wishful thinking)? Seems like the number one concern I see is that Lenovo (and others) is not properly optimizing the CPU for low-powered states, i.e., battery life should routinely be 8-10 hours but isn't. It would be really cool if the YP3 focused on that issue.

At this point my fingers are crossed that the YP3 gets announced and Lenovo drops the price on the YP2. I just don't seem too many refinements to the 3rd generation to warrant the additional $300-$500 that the new model will command at release.

EDIT: I was under the impression that Lenovo would have Yoga news at IFA, but it seems that all those announcements are done?

-Matt

 

Well, after a 10% mover's discount from the post office and a $150 student discount from Best Buy I got an i7 with a 256 GB SSD and 8GB of ram with a 3200 x 1800 screen and unlimited viewing angles for just over $900 USD. Other than minimal light bleed and one key on the keyboard brighter than others (noticed the same thing on other Y2P's being reviewed online so that's just how it is made), this unit is absolutely perfect.

I could play exchange lotto and hope for a screen with no lightbleed but I am just as likely to get one that is worse. Funny thing is my first unit which apparently had no hard drive (Bios couldn't see one) had no light bleed at all. All 3 of the units I looked at after that had at least some. Damn bad luck that. :--) Anyway, with this flexible screen, sure to get some lightbleed over time with any unit. Only bugs me on black screen which is seldom.

 

Hey noticed that Intel had a pretty big graphics driver update that we didn't get from Lenovo (ours is custom I think). Wonder what the status of that is? This new driver is supposed to improve gpu performance by 30% in rendering webpages.

Ok, here it is: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=24245&lang=eng

To install this you have to download the .zip file and unpack it. Then delete your current driver and reboot then run the setup.exe in the unzipped folder. Otherwise install will fail.

 

Ok, just installed these. Gotta say, things feel snappier. Web pages look more vibrant and load very fast. They say these also save on battery and improve gaming 10 to 15%. They also improve performance in portrait mode.

After installing these try dropping your gamma to .5 in the Control Panel. Looks really good. Blacks super inky.

 

On second thought, maybe the HD5000 isn't that much of a step up. Just found this interesting post:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/731068-lenovo-thinkpad-yoga-7.html#post9413671

-Matt

 

well the i7 4510U only sports a 4400 gpu I believe. Not the 5000.

http://ark.intel.com/products/81015/Intel-Core-i7-4510U-Processor-4M-Cache-up-to-3_10-GHz

Regardless, this is a very snappy laptop.

 

I installed this update a few days ago and it seems to have also smoothed out the auto brightness a bit where it doesn't jump around as much causing the visual effect of screen flickering. I wasn't expecting this so didn't do any formal before and after testing though.

 

Why do you leave autobrightness on? So easy to adjust it from the keyboard.

 

The 4500U was replaced by the 4510U. I doubt you'll see any new stock arriving with the older chip. Could keep an eye on the Lenovo outlet, but other than that, the best deal is probably Best Buy (i7-4510U, 8GB, 256GB SSD and wireless AC for $1199.00). Unfortunately the $150 off coupon expired last weekend (not sure when the next round of .edu coupons is due), but the 10% Mover's coupon from the post office is still good (I believe).

 

Not sure if this is a rhetorical question or not, but I use my laptop in very bright to very dark areas and want to avoid the hassle of manually controlling brightness all the time. The Auto-brightness is working quite well for me now.

 

Why didn't Lenovo include an active digitizer with this? They had the technology available in other products. It would have made the Y2P the "do-everything" ultimate hybrid and yet, some IDIOTS sat in a meeting somewhere and in their brilliance decided it wasn't necessary. Probably the same meeting where MS decided Windows was better off without the Start button.

Sorry to rant but I just HATE when a company gets SO close to the perfect product then fumbles at the 1 yard line every damned time.

But it wouldn't be so bad if SOMEONE made a bluetooth stylus with palm rejection which works on a Windows tablet. But no, EVERYTHING works only on freakin APPLE. Who decided only Apple would get bluetooth styluses? There was a kickstarter project for a Windows Bluetooth Stylus that was supposed to ship in April but guess what? After raising $150k, the developer has magically failed to deliver pissing off pretty much everyone.

And now my only way to write on this computer is with a dumb stylus and a cloth under my palm. I mean, it's 2014 people! How hard would it be too make your already amazing Apple bluetooth stylus work in Windows? And Lenovo, crap tablets have active digitizers - you couldn't find a way to put one in your $1200 flagship product? Sure I can get one with a smaller screen and worse resolution but I WANT ONE IN THE Y2P DAMMIT!

Ok, rant over. Sorry.

 

Your environment is constantly changing from dark to light randomly? I mean dude, all you have to do is press a button to adjust it. I'm glad it is working now but when it wasn't why did you tolerate it instead of just going manual? I hate auto-brightness and always have. It never gets it right.

 

Uh, just wondering, what "crap tablets" have active digitizers? And you realize that they could have put one in, but it would have weighed more, and been more expensive. I think they knew exactly what they were doing; it's the best selling convertible on the market. I don't think they're having any regrets lol

 

I sadly agree on the 4500 vs. 4510 observation. The reason I say sadly is those two chips and the 4210 I compared above are pretty close in performance, but for some odd reason Lenovo was pricing the three systems with each respective chip (and the 8GB/256GB you mentioned) for $999, $999, and $1150, for the 4210, 4500, and 4510, respectively. OH I SHOULD MENTION I'M keeping my eye on the "student" site. So in that case the rational buy is the 4500 for almost $200 less than the 4510.

I just signed up for BB's coupons and yeah *sigh* missed the Lenovo deal. I'll look into the mover option though -- how does that work? What if I'm NOT moving? LOL In the end I'd prefer to buy from BB because I have a good relationship with my local store and can easily return it (what...it's 14? 15 days?) if anything odd happens. The thought of mailing it back to Lenovo and (a) waiting days/weeks for a repair, or (b) getting a refurb replacement are just not on my list of options.

OH, ONE LAST THING: I full well realize this is the OWNERS forum. LOL So I'm chiming in as a *prospective* owner and appreciate the feedback/tips. I'll try not to drift too far off topic.

-Matt

 

I can buy a Dell Venue 8 Pro with an active digitizer for $200 USD. Weighed more? Super heavy like the Surface Pro 3 for instance? An active digitizer would have added zero weight. It was a fail on their part, period.

 

The moving thing is simple. Just go to the post office website and fill out a change of address form. Doesn't matter that you aren't actually moving since there is a pretty good chance your previous address still gets mail for you - this is just a way to capture all that old mail that missed your prior change of address. I've lived in this house for 4 years and I still get mail for the previous owner, and some of it looks important. So anyway just use your prior address. Costs a buck to do it BTW.

 

Just got a coupon code from Lenovo "HUMPDAY" that seems to work for $360 off of select Y2P models.... i7/8GB/250GB Clementine Orange for $1139 + tax/shipping

 

Prior address. Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Thanks.

FWIW the same system through the student portal is $1149. I read on deal sites that you can "find" an .edu address fairly easily, though it seems that Lenovo relies on honor system. Either way I'd be telling the truth if I go that route!

Thanks for posting the coupon -- please keep it up!

-Matt

 

Sadly those Lenovo coupons are usually for discounts over wildly inflated starting prices. To me, BestBuy has the best deal going at $1199 + whatever discounts you can scrounge. I ended up getting mine for just over $900. One great thing about Best Buy is, if you are a good customer like me, you get 45 days to return something. Typically if a PC is gonna have a problem, it will have it in the first 45 days. Also, you have a local brick and mortar store for returns or exchanges. I hate the whole shipping back to Lenovo multi-week turnaround business.

Sidenote: Having come to the Y2P from the SP3 let me just say what a pleasure it is typing on a REAL keyboard. The SP3 keyboard is an innovative solution for what it is, but come on, there is nothing like a real full sized keyboard with a solid heavy base. Win Lenovo. Yeah I miss the SP3 pen but that's all I miss. Have decided to go ahead and get a Venue 8 Pro for any OneNote inking I need to do. Since it syncs pretty much instantly I'll have all the inking on my Y2P as if I had written it there.

 

Just curious, does BB sell the orange Y2P?

 

You do realize the SP3 doesn't have a keyboard, and is a 12" machine, right? And yes, an active digitizer definitely adds more weight. It's a fact. And are you really comparing a Venue 8 to the Y2P? Ok.

 

Good lord man. Ok, I'll go slow. 1) If an active digitizer layer adds weight it is minimal. It's a fact. 2) Yes, I am comparing the Venue 8 Pro with the Y2P, I am NOT equating them (obviously). My point is that I can get an active digitizer in a cheap $200 tablet but I can't get one in my premium $1200 flagship product. Believe me, the extra ounce a digitizer layer may have added to the Y2P would have in no way cost Lenovo as many sales as having a digitizer would have earned them.

Leaving the digitizer out of the Y2P was a very poor business decision. I'd have GLADLY paid $200 more for the feature. Lenovo left money and customers on the table.

 

Don't think so. I prefer the silver one. Orange is well, orange.

 

But if you buy the orange, it will be the closest the Y2P comes to true orange

 

You don't need to fill out anything online. Just go to your local post office and ask for a mover's packet. You'll get an evelope with a bunch of coupons, including a 10% off for Best Buy.

 

Because they put that feature in the Thinkpad Yoga. If you want a digital stylus, buy that model. You'll get a much better keyboard as a bonus.

 

And you see, that's what pisses me off. The Thinkpad Yoga has a smaller screen and is only 1080p - yuck (it doesn't even come with an SSD and to get an i7 will set you back $1500). I want a 3200 x 1800 13.3 inch screen WITH a stylus. Here's my issue. This is called the Yoga 2 PRO. That is, it is designed for PROfessionals. Look at the competition of other hybrids designed for professionals at this price point.

Surface Pro 3 - active stylus.
Acer R7 - active stylus.
Vaio Duo 13 - active stylus.
Vaio Flip - active stylus.

Pretty much EVERYONE producing products in this form factor and price targeted at the professional market is including an active stylus - EXCEPT the Y2P. If I want a Lenovo product with an active stylus I need to trade down to a smaller, lower res screen. Lenovo had a chance to COMPLETELY DOMINATE this market for convertible professional hybrids if they just put an active digitizer with the Y2P and they simply blew it.

I want THIS product and I want it with a stylus and I can't have it because Lenovo decided to get cute with their branding. I know it is what it is but it still makes me angry.

** I'm just going to grab a $200 Venue 8 Pro to use for handwriting in OneNote. Will solve the problem, kinda.

 

FYI venue 8 pro is like 145 after coupon on outlet or 130 on ebay

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

Wow, you just don't get it. I'm going to try and explain this one more time:
1. They ARE dominating the segment
2. The Y2P is not designed to be for "professionals". It's a consumer machine. They made the TPY for that.
3. The TPY does indeed come with an SSD. Don't know where you got that info from.
4. There is no other ultrabook that comes close to what Y2P offers for the price. Without even considering the facts that it is a convertible, or that it has a beautiful screen, you can not buy another laptop that has an i7/8GB/256GB configuration for $1,200.