The ultrabook as acrobat

The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro is a powerful Ultrabook computer that can transform into a tablet computer as well as function in two other modes.

Yoga 2 Pro uses dual-hinge design that allows the screen to rotate 360 degrees. And it is installed with sensors that detect the current position of the screen and automatically change mode accordingly.

It can be used in four modes – Laptop, Stand, Tablet and Tent. When the screen is in normal position, the Laptop mode is used. When you fold it back 360 degrees on the back of the keyboard (with the keyboard pointing out), Yogo switches to the Tablet mode. 

When you flip the screen 90 degrees with the keyboard facing down on the desk, you switch to Stand mode. From Stand mode, push the screen further, rotate the computer so that edge of the screen and keyboard rest on your desk in a “tent” shape, and you’re in Tent mode.

It’s nice that, when the screen is rotated, the Lenovo Transition technology automatically switches systems and locks the keyboard in place.

Lenovo selected unique apps designed for particular modes. For example, in Stand mode, which Lenovo says is to allow you to get close to the screen and adjust the viewing angle for enjoying movies, Lenovo selects VLC, Filmon, Netflix and Red Karaoke for you.

Tent Mode is for playing games and sharing content with others and offers the Yoga Chef, AccuWeather and Rdio for Windows apps and other games for you.

Another nice thing about Yoga Pro 2 is its 13.3-inch super-sharp display and highly responsive 10-point multi-touch screen. The screen features 3200 x 1800-pixel resolution, using in-plane switching technology that assures the images are always crisp. So the display is very good for viewing photos and HD movies.

For enjoying movies, you have a Dolby Home Theatre system so the stereo speakers deliver immersive and good-quality sound.

The model of Yoga 2 Pro tested here is powered by an Intel Core i5-4200U 1.6GHz processor, which is the new fourth-generation from Intel. It can play HD videos smoothly.

The computer is equipped with 4GB of DDR3 RAM or working memory and uses a 128GB SSD flash drive, allowing it to read and write data very fast, enhancing its performance. Its graphic horsepower comes from integrated Intel HD Graphics chipset.

It runs on the Windows 8.1 64-bt operating system, which makes good use of the multi-touch display. The screen was very responsive and the scrolling was fast during the test.

Its key AccuType keyboard is ergonomically designed to make typing more comfortable and backlighting of the keyboard makes it easy to use in low light.

Yogo 2 Pro comes in a thin and light design. It is 15.55mm thin and it weighs about 1.39kg. Its battery can last up to nine hours depending your usage.

It’s also nice that Yogo 2 Pro is DLNA ready. DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) allows it to connect to other DLNA-ready devices, such as a smartphone and a smart TV wirelessly. During the test I could easily connect Yogo 2 Pro to an LG Smart TV effortlessly. If your TV is not DLNA ready, you can still connect Yoga 2 Pro to it by using its micro-HDMI port.

Yoga 2 Pro has good performance. The HD videos played smoothly and apps ran fast and smooth.

The computer took only eight seconds to start up and display its Start screen with tiles of apps. 

Its shutdown took only two seconds to close the screen and took five seconds to turn it off completely.

Lenovo Thailand will distribute Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro next month so the retail price has yet to be determined.

 

 

Key specs

_ Processor: Intel Core i5-4200U 1.6GHz

_ Operating System: Windows 8.1 64 bit

_ Display/Resolution: 13.3-inch QHD+ (3200x1800) wide screen display, 10-point multi-touch, 350 nits

_ Video Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 

_ Memory: 4GB DDR3L (on board)

_ Storage: 128 GB SSD

_ Sound: Stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater, Dual Array Digital Mic

_ Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, Audio Combo Jack (headphone and mic), micro HDMI-out, 2-in-1 (SD/MMC) card reader

_ Keyboard: Backlit dual-layer AccuType keyboard

_ Connectivity: BT4.0, 802.11BGN Wi-Fi

_ Camera: Integrated 720p HD Camera 

_ Battery: Up to 6 hours full HD playback @150 nits

_ Dimensions: 330 x 220 x 15.5mm

_ Weight: 1.39 kilograms