Yoga for the flexibly minded

With an improved design, strong build, hefty working memory and the latest Intel mobile processor, the new Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is a really sleek and powerful convertible Ultra Slim-class notebook computer.

The Yoga 3 Pro is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, 17 per cent slimmer at 12.8mm – that’s thinner than a pencil – and 14 per cent lighter at 1.19 kilograms. The power adapter looks cool too, and it’s a little smaller than that of a Macbook Air.

Lenovo managed to make the Yoga 3 Pro thinner by using a watchband hinge design. The hinge is constructed from more than 800 pieces of steel and aluminium, offering the same degree of flexibility and flatness and pivoting on six points rather than two. That helps the device open out completely flat at 180 degrees.

A strong and light aluminium frame comes in eye-catching Clementine Orange, Platinum Silver or Champagne Gold. I had a silver version to test and it had that classic sleekness to it.

The gorgeous 13.3-inch QHD+ IPS multi-touch display has 3,200-by-1,800-pixel resolution, better than a Full HD TV, so the device is ideal for viewing high-definition videos and photos. Durable Gorilla Glass protects the touch-screen.

The Intel Core M-5Y71 processor is a new 1.2GHz dual-core machine that uses very little power, extending the battery to as much as nine hours. It has a built-in Intel HD Graphics 5300 graphic processor for smooth transitions.

You have eight gigabytes of DDR3 working memory running at 1,600MHz. That much RAM ensures smooth multitasking in the Windows 8.1 64-bit running the device, and doubly useful because the graphics processor shares the RAM for video memory.

Very fast and light 256GB SSD storage also contributes to the Ultrabook’s lightness and performance. The latest and fastest Wi-Fi technology – 802.11 AC – is ready to use. There’s a micro-HDMI port for connecting to a large TV and playing HD movies.

As the “yoga” in its name indicates, the Yoga 3 Pro is flexible, with four modes – Laptop, Stand, Tablet and Tent. The first is for when the screen is in normal position. Fold it back 360 degrees to the back of the keyboard with the keyboard pointing out and you’re in Tablet mode. Flip the screen to a 90-degree angle with the keyboard facing the desk and that’s Stand mode. Push the screen further, rotate the computer so edge of the screen and keyboard rest on your desk in a tent shape, and yes, you’re in Tent mode.

To make all this work exceptionally well, when the screen is rotated, the built-in adaptive technology automatically switches systems and locks the keyboard in place.

Lenovo has installed unique apps for particular modes. Stand mode is designed to let you to get close to the screen and adjust the viewing angle for movies. Tent mode is for playing games and sharing content, so you have the apps Yoga Chef, AccuWeather, Rdio for Windows and several games.

As well as stunning visuals, the Yoga 3 Pro also sounds great with premium JBL speakers with Waves Audio. It automatically adjusts the sound in each of the four modes so that, when the speakers aren’t facing the user, the audio still sounds crisp and clear.

In my test I was impressed with the Ultrabook’s overall performance. The touch-screen was very responsive and the scrolling fast and smooth. The keyboard is large and easy to type on. You can turn off the keyboard backlight if you wish.

The device took only 11 seconds to bring up the start screen with application tiles and just five seconds to shut down. Entering and exiting Sleep mode was done in a snap – about one second.

Very useful is the adaptive software called Harmony, which makes small behind-the-scenes alterations when you switch between modes, such as dimming the backlight when reading an eBook in Tablet mode or enabling touch control when running software in Presentation mode. 

Harmony also adjusts the audio and suggests apps to use in each mode, basing its advice on the habits of all Yoga 3 Pro users. While I was reading my Hotmail, Harmony switched to paper display, easier on the eyes and saving energy.

The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro has a suggested retail price of Bt59,990, including VAT and two-year regional carry-in warranty.

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