Lenovo Enters Windows 8 Fray With A "Twist" - Trio of Convertible Noteboks Unveiled
The creative folks at Lenovo are ready to hit the ground running when Windows 8 ships on October 26th. In preparation for "Windows 8 Day," as we'll call it, Lenovo is debuting this evening four funktastic looking convertible notebooks, each with their own twist on the flexible form factor, including one device aptly named "Twist."
We'll go ahead and start with that one. Lenovo's IdeaPad Twist aims to put a new spin on small business computing, literally and figuratively. Lenovo took a full-performance Ultrabook and injected a twist-top design that allows users to swivel the laptop into a convertible tablet.
No matter which way you use it, the Twist boasts a 12.5-inch HD (1366x768) IPS display with mulit-touch support, the latest 3rd Generation Intel Core i processors (up to Core i7), up to 8GB of DDR3-1600 memory, 320GB/500GB 7200 RPM hard drive and 128GB solid state drive (SSD) options, Dolby Home Theater v4 technology pumped through stereo speakers, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, GbE LAN, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, built-in 720p camera, and 7 hours of battery life wrapped in a frame that's just 0.79 inches thick and weighs 3.48 pounds. Business users can choose between Windows 8 Standard or Pro.
Next up is the IdeaPad Lynx, purportedly one of the first Windows 8-based tablets with the latest dual-core Intel Atom chip (Atom Z2760 clocked at 1.8GHz). The Lynx is an 11.6-inch convertible in the vein of Surface, in that the display detaches from the keyboard dock for a standalone tablet experience. Like the Twist, the Lynx features a 1366x768 resolution on an IPS panel. It has 5-point capacitive multi-touch support, 2GB of LPDDR2 memory, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, micro USB and HDMI ports, and an audio combo jack. The dock adds two full-size USB 2.0 ports and 8 additional hours of battery life for 16 hours total.
Finally, Lenovo detailed a pair of Yoga convertibles, the Yoga 11 (11.6 inches) and Yoga 13 (13.3 inches). We actually got a sneak peek (with video) at these devices during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this year. The neat thing about the aptly named Yoga devices is that they're contortionists. Both models sport a unique hinge that allows the display to move 360 degrees and fold from laptop to tablet in a single motion. It can also lay flat or in a tent-like position, accommodating an assortment of viewing and usage scenarios.
As for the specs, the Yoga 11 is an ARM-based Windows RT notebook with up to an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, up to 2GB of DDR3 memory, up to 64GB of internal storage, 1366x768 resolution, 720p HD webcam, 5-point multi-touch support, HDMI output, USB 2.0 connectors, and a 2-in-1 card reader.
On the x86 side, the larger Yoga 13 trades the ARM chip for Intel Core i5 and i7 processor options and is loaded with Windows 8 (up to Pro). It has beefier specs all around, including a 1600x900 IPS display, Intel HD 4000 graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 256GB of SSD storage, 10-point multi-touch support, USB 2.0 and 3.0 connectors, 3-in-1 card reader, and various other odds and ends.
Pricing starts at $849 for the IdeaPad Twist, $599 for the Lynx (plus $149 for the dock), $799 for the Yoga 11, and $1,099 for the Yoga 13.
We'll go ahead and start with that one. Lenovo's IdeaPad Twist aims to put a new spin on small business computing, literally and figuratively. Lenovo took a full-performance Ultrabook and injected a twist-top design that allows users to swivel the laptop into a convertible tablet.
No matter which way you use it, the Twist boasts a 12.5-inch HD (1366x768) IPS display with mulit-touch support, the latest 3rd Generation Intel Core i processors (up to Core i7), up to 8GB of DDR3-1600 memory, 320GB/500GB 7200 RPM hard drive and 128GB solid state drive (SSD) options, Dolby Home Theater v4 technology pumped through stereo speakers, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, GbE LAN, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, built-in 720p camera, and 7 hours of battery life wrapped in a frame that's just 0.79 inches thick and weighs 3.48 pounds. Business users can choose between Windows 8 Standard or Pro.
Next up is the IdeaPad Lynx, purportedly one of the first Windows 8-based tablets with the latest dual-core Intel Atom chip (Atom Z2760 clocked at 1.8GHz). The Lynx is an 11.6-inch convertible in the vein of Surface, in that the display detaches from the keyboard dock for a standalone tablet experience. Like the Twist, the Lynx features a 1366x768 resolution on an IPS panel. It has 5-point capacitive multi-touch support, 2GB of LPDDR2 memory, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, micro USB and HDMI ports, and an audio combo jack. The dock adds two full-size USB 2.0 ports and 8 additional hours of battery life for 16 hours total.
Finally, Lenovo detailed a pair of Yoga convertibles, the Yoga 11 (11.6 inches) and Yoga 13 (13.3 inches). We actually got a sneak peek (with video) at these devices during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this year. The neat thing about the aptly named Yoga devices is that they're contortionists. Both models sport a unique hinge that allows the display to move 360 degrees and fold from laptop to tablet in a single motion. It can also lay flat or in a tent-like position, accommodating an assortment of viewing and usage scenarios.
As for the specs, the Yoga 11 is an ARM-based Windows RT notebook with up to an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, up to 2GB of DDR3 memory, up to 64GB of internal storage, 1366x768 resolution, 720p HD webcam, 5-point multi-touch support, HDMI output, USB 2.0 connectors, and a 2-in-1 card reader.
On the x86 side, the larger Yoga 13 trades the ARM chip for Intel Core i5 and i7 processor options and is loaded with Windows 8 (up to Pro). It has beefier specs all around, including a 1600x900 IPS display, Intel HD 4000 graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 256GB of SSD storage, 10-point multi-touch support, USB 2.0 and 3.0 connectors, 3-in-1 card reader, and various other odds and ends.
Pricing starts at $849 for the IdeaPad Twist, $599 for the Lynx (plus $149 for the dock), $799 for the Yoga 11, and $1,099 for the Yoga 13.
