Bring on the Hybrids: Lenovo Reveals Slew of Convertible Windows 8 Devices

Lenovo is barreling into Windows 8 with a full force of convertible devices that are designed to be used as both touchscreen tablets and traditional clamshell notebooks. The company on Tuesday revealed its Windows 8 lineup with just under a dozen of these hybrid devices.

First up is the IdeaPad Yoga, which made its debut at CES 2012. Back then, the device looked incredibly novel and somewhat goofy, but the onslaught of hybrid devices in recent months has rendered the Yoga a bit more commonplace. Lenovo will offer IdeaPad Yoga in 13.3-inch and 11.6-inch models; the key difference between the two, besides size, is that the smaller model is powered by a Nvidia Tegra 3 chip and runs Windows RT. The larger model will sport the latest generation Intel Core processors, and run the full-featured Windows 8.

Yoga is one of the more simplistic, and practical, hybrid devices. It looks like a regular clamshell ultrabook and turns into a tablet by folding the screen back 360 degrees. In my hands-on time with the both the Yoga 13 and 11, the hinge was sturdy, yet easy to rotate.

The Yoga 11 has a 1366×786 HD, touch-enabled display, 2GB of memory, up to 56GB of storage, and is capable of up to 13 hours of battery life according to Lenovo. It weighs 2.8 pounds and is 0.61 inches thick. It has 2 USB 2.0 ports, a two-in-one card reader and HDMI out. The higher-end Yoga 13 lasts up to 7 hours, according to the company, and has up to 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. There’s a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, a three-in-one card reader, and HDMI output. You can get the Yoga 11 starting at $800 starting in December; the Yoga 13 starts at $1,100 and will be available at Windows 8 launch on Oct. 26.

Lynx goes the standard attach and detach route. Image: Lenovo

Next up is the Lynx, which Lenovo is billing as a work- and play-ready device. It’s an 11.6-inch tablet and converts into a notebook through an attachable keyboard dock. The dock also functions as a power source, making it possible to get up to 16 hours of battery life out of the device, according to Lenovo. The keyboard dock has two UXB 2.0 ports and the tablet has a MicroSD card slot, Micro HDMI, and an audio jack. The 0.37-inch-thick tablet is powered by Intel’s latest dual-core Atom processor. You can purchase the Lynce for $600 starting in December.

Finally, there’s the ThinkPad Twist, Lenovo’s small business offering. While it’s not necessarily a consumer-targeted notebook like the IdeaPad Yoga, the Twist will likely appeal to more than just business-minded people. It runs Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro, and is powered by Intel’s third-generation Core processor (up to Core i7). The Twist features a 12.5-inch touchscreen that is attached to the keyboard base by a twisting hinge — hence the name. You can rotate the screen 360 degrees along the spinning hinge so that it faces the opposite direction. Leave it up and use in stand mode, turn it upside down for “Tent Mode,” or fold the screen back down and use it as a tablet.

The ThinkPad Twist comes with impressive specs, including up to 500 GB of HDD or 128GB SSD, up to 8GB of memory, Intel’s integrated graphics, and Dolby Home Theater v4 audio. It comes with two USB 3.0 ports, a four-in-one card slot, a mini-DisplayPort, and mini-HDMI. The Twist will be available starting at Windows 8 launch on Oct. 26 at $850. Lenovo’s previously announced ThinkPad Tablet 2 for enterprise will also launch in October starting at $650. The ThinkPad Tablet 2 can be attached to an optional keyboard dock and can come with a digitizer pen for input and navigation. 

 

Source : wired