Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11-26962BU Pro Reviews

Lenovo made a lot of compromises to hit this price poing, and did little to advance the hybrid concept. Still, the Yoga 2 11 has a good price-to-performance ratio.

Don't be put off by its Pentium processor – this is a quick laptop hybrid with a great battery life

So essentially, it’s a good basic notebook with some appealing design perks, and a decent tablet if it’s all you’ve got, but not an excellent representation of either. There are some tasks for which it would be nearly perfectly suited: for instance, creating basic documents or writing, typing up notes in class, and general lightweight web browsing. Overall, however, given the inherent constraints of the chipset and operating system, the bottom line is that the Yoga 11 makes for a lousy replacement PC, but a wonderful companion.

We love the Yoga 11, but we can't shake the feeling it's running the wrong OS or at the very least, that it's ahead of its time. As the little brother to the wonderful Yoga 13, it's every bit as versatile, well-made and comfortable to use. (Seriously. That keyboard.) And if Lenovo had swapped in an Atom processor and installed Windows 8, it might have had a hit on its hands. In fact, we hope Lenovo does just that when it sits down to design the inevitable follow-up product -- after all, what good is a Windows laptop without the ability to run legacy x86 apps? It doesn't help that there are so many Atom tablets (including Lenovo's own ThinkPad Tablet 2!) that offer long battery life, a decent typing experience and support for most Windows programs. Still, we can't totally pan this. Maybe if the battery life were the same as on Atom tablets, but in fact, the runtime here is so epic we can't recreate it on any other device (and believe us, we've tried). If you're satisfied with the current selection of Windows apps and imagine using this primarily as a tablet, then the Yoga 11 could be a win: it lasts longer on a charge than any other Windows tab, and it has a comfortable keyboard at the ready when you need it for pecking out the occasional email or web search. If you thought this might make a nifty travel laptop, though, we'll give you the same advice we dispense to people considering Chromebooks: be sure (very, very sure) you don't need any additional apps for using the keyboard.

This laptop-tablet hybrid would be a lot more tempting if it ran Windows 8.

You’ll have to think this one through – unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, you’ve not got a full-powered PC on your hands here. This device is made to be a traveler, and certainly not your one single machine if you’ve got a computer-based job. Should you want to use your PC for nothing but social networking and play, this is a good choice – it’s relatively inexpensive and it’s good for travel. Lenovo has created a bit of a bitter winner here. While many devices in this category are pretty awesome from top to bottom save their end product, the IdeaPad Yoga 11 is rough and tough and is something I’d put in my backpack for a trip. If I were going on a business trip with my SlashGear compatriots, I’d have to leave it at home.

On the average right now, you can pick up the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 for approximately $600, which quite frankly, seems to be grossly expensive for a Windows RT device. However, when we add in the fact that it’s boasting an extremely usable keyboard, combined with its cool convertible aspect, the Yoga 11 is a great netbook replacement. Sure, you won’t be able to install legacy software, but if you’re looking for the basics, this will suffice for most things. Honestly people, with so much versatility packed into this netbook-like replacement, it’s certain to stand out amongst the existing crop of Windows RT devices that have been out on the market, due to its different form factor.

As Windows RT devices go, the Yoga 11, in terms of performance and display quality, is average—meaning, actually, quite good. Aside from a slightly shorter battery life, it held up well against the other Windows RT devices we've reviewed. This notebook/tablet convertible is well-made and attractive. As we alluded to in our introduction, though, in its attempt to deliver the best of both laptop and tablet worlds, Lenovo has come up with a crossover between the two devices that's slightly awkward—and yet charming and interesting, in its own ungainly way.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is a good Windows RT convertible to have around if want a tablet-like experience, but absolutely need a keyboard. Its flips and acrobatics help usability, but ultimately this a laptop with a good mix of tablet functionality.

The Yoga 11 comes with 64GB of storage for $649. That price includes a larger screen than most tablets and a built-in keyboard. The Surface RT is a better all-around tablet, but the Yoga 11's keyboard flexibility and many full-size ports will make it appealing for those looking for a productivity laptop with a capacitive touch screen. However, with a full Windows 8 version of the tablet coming this summer for only $150, you'll want to think twice before dropping a few hundred dollars this early in the game.

The nVidia Tegra processor means that the Lenovo Yoga 11 is only a modestly powered laptop, but it’s still perfectly adequate for routine tasks such as web browsing, running Microsoft Office or relaxing with some streaming video. Its super-slimline design is highly portable and comfortable to use in both laptop and tablet modes, and the Yoga’s impressive battery life ensures that it should earn its keep when you’re on the move.

Lenovo’s brilliant Yoga concept buddies up with Microsoft’s Windows RT, but it’s simply far too expensive

While we're pleased that there's another member of Team Windows RT on the market, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 won't do Microsoft any favours in convincing people that it's a sensible purchase. The sky-high price tag, mediocre performance and limited capabilities need to be overcome, and getting sub-£400/$500 products on the shelves would be a good start. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is a nifty device in itself, but it's not as fun as Microsoft Surface, and unless you're looking for a work laptop that doubles as a nifty tablet to watch films on, we'd advise forking out for a more expensive Sony Vaio Duo 11 or the more portable Microsoft Surface.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 reignites the renowned idea of a convertible notebook/tablet, and also succeeds in some respects. The stable 360 degree hinges as well as the pleasant case and the extensive battery life, along with the performance of the Nvidia SoC with Windows RT, all combine to provide a positive impression. The stability of the display lid and stability of the closed case are aspects that do raise some concerns though. The dimensions and the weight meanwhile remain within acceptable limits for an 11.6 inch device, although it is somewhat too heavy and clunky as a tablet at length. The integrated IPS touchscreen with its good characteristics is able to make a convincing impression, although the convertible isn't able to fully win us over as either a notebook or a tablet. For one the operating system and the connectivity, as well as the lack of configuration options, present considerable restrictions; while a backlit keyboard would also have been a welcome feature. For another, other tablets also offer higher resolution screens, integrated UMTS and LTE modules, and a main camera on the back of the device.