Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S - 59370508 Pro Reviews

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S isn't a bad device by any means, but it does feel a tad too expensive for what it offers. The main draw for the device is its iconic design. The Lenovo Yoga's form factor with its 360 hinge design remains one of the best on the market. The device is able to switch between tablet to notebook mode and everything else in-between in the blink of an eye. Where the Yoga 11S becomes a tough sell is its performance. The lack of a fourth-generation Haswell processor is glaringly apparent when it comes to the devices limited battery life, especially while viewing media. Granted the Lenovo Yoga 11S does manage to impress in some areas, offering an ample 8GB of RAM and a spacious 256GB SSD for far less than most competitors; but the offering doesn't seem optimized for what consumers will likely use this device for. The Lenovo Yoga 11S is device aimed at portability, and its portability is noticeably diminished by its relatively short battery life. Other options such as the Sony VAIO Pro 11 or the Apple 11-inch MacBook Air will offer stronger levels of performance, longer battery life and higher resolution displays. However those devices also don't offer the flexibility and diversity of the Yoga design. Those looking for a versatile design and don't mind relinquishing on pure performance will be best served by the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S occupies an important middle ground between the larger-sized Yoga 13 (which is simply too cumbersome to serve as a reasonable tablet for many people) and the ARM-powered Yoga 11 (which, in spite of its superior battery life and silent operation, is handicapped by its inability to run Windows 8 and native x86 applications). But the real question is: does it manage to balance the most critical aspects of a great convertible properly, or do the trade-offs of the higher-powered chipset outweigh the benefits? The answer, as it turns out, is a rather ambiguous it depends. For all-day battery life, there are plenty of better options out there; the Yoga 11S unfortunately really doesn’t make the grade in that department. There are even better convertibles with the same power and ability to run full-blown Windows applications but with much better battery life, keyboards, and overall build quality—such as Lenovo’s own ThinkPad Helix (though it is considerably more expensive). And, of course, if you don’t really need tablet or touchscreen functionality, you could do much better choosing from the wider array of options available without the convertible design requirements.

A major improvement over the original ARM-powered Windows RT device, but still short of being the ultimate hybrid.

It’s expensive and not as powerful as many other Core i7 Ultrabooks, but its screen and battery life are excellent

If you're in the market for a Windows 8 tablet or laptop you'd be remiss to not check out the Lenovo Yoga 11S. While it currently lacks a Haswell option, it's still plenty fast enough for whatever you want to do, with the exception of hardcore PC gaming. We took this model on several business trips and experienced nary a hiccup. On planes its diminutive size made it perfect for working or watching videos and it easily tucks away nicely into any bag you may be traveling with.

We can certainly see it being a staple of university students and business users who need to travel a lot, but need a solid, reliable computer that you can type properly on, and despite that slightly odd keyboard, this machine still makes a nice place to work.

A lot has changed since late last year when I first looked at the Yoga 13. That system showed that there is a market for convertible notebooks and while the Yoga 11S is essentially a slimmed down version of the original, there needs to be more to it at this point to make it a true standout device. Performance is on par to the competition but I can’t help but feel like the Yoga 11S is a victim of unfortunate timing. By that, I mean it narrowly missed the release of Intel’s 4th generation Core series chip known as Haswell. Granted, Haswell doesn’t provide a huge performance boost compared to Ivy Bridge, but it does deliver significantly better battery life in mobile devices – an area where the Yoga 11S fell flat in our testing. Furthermore, for a system that is a good bit smaller than the original, I expected it to be a bit lighter on its feet or perhaps a tiny bit thinner. In reality, it’s only marginally lighter than its bigger brother and the exact same thickness. Ultimately if it were up to me, I’d sit on my funds a bit longer and wait for Haswell to find its way into Lenovo’s next convertible Ultrabook.

In closing, we’ve enjoyed using this machine for the past few weeks. The Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 11S has a unique design, and could be one of my favorite hybrid/portables on the market. It’s made for the traveler, and can do it all whether you’re out and about, or sitting on the couch. With Lenovo you know it is top quality, and it shows during daily usage.The Yoga 11S is one of the most portable and flexible machines on the market, and now that we have full Windows 8 nothing will be slowing you down. Give us a similar design with Haswell and a bigger battery, and we’ll be plenty happy. In the meantime you can’t go wrong with the IdeaPad Yoga 11S. Get one today!

Lenovo’s double-jointed hybrid, the Yoga 11S, is tantalisingly close to the best of both worlds, but there’s room for improvement

The IdeaPad Yoga 11S is a solidly built Windows 8 convertible with an excellent screen and keyboard (the latter of which, as with the Yoga 13, feels weird when held facing down). It has the same flaw as other hybrids in that it's a little heavy in tablet mode, and a particular flaw in its brief battery life. We hope Lenovo updates the 11S with a new CPU soon: More stamina with the same price and design would make the smaller Yoga one of the nicest convertible ultrabooks on the market.

The Yoga 11S is essentially a blend of the Yoga 11 and Yoga 13; it’s an attempt to leverage the benefits of both models while keeping the affiliated limitations to a minimum. In some ways, it succeeds: with a bright IPS screen, sturdy design, excellent performance, and a responsive, accurate touchscreen, it’s got a lot to like. However, like its predecessors, its utility boils down to the user’s goals. If you’re looking for a convertible that lasts all day, this isn’t it; that was the goal of the ARM-based IdeaPad Yoga 11, and there are plenty of tablets that meet that criteria as well. If Windows is a requirement and budget isn’t a concern, you’re much better off springing for the ThinkPad Helix, which lasts for two hours longer in our Surfing with Wi-Fi test, and which features a far superior keyboard. Plus, don’t forget that Intel’s Haswell is being ushered in—and with it, a raised bar of battery life standards. None of these notebooks take advantage of that yet, and it's seriously worth considering the wait. But if you’re watching your wallet, looking to buy now, and you’re simply in the market for a well-built Windows 8 convertible notebook, the Yoga 11S is a solid choice. It’s capable of handling most office tasks, and it’s versatile enough to function well enough as a laptop and at least adequately as a tablet.

The Yoga 11S, like so many other convertibles, tries to combine a decent laptop with a good-enough tablet. And, like the Yoga 13, this smaller sibling is more successful than most. We’re still a ways away from a convertible that can rival an iPad or Nexus 10 as a tablet, but Lenovo’s latest effort comes as close as any, and does so without sacrificing traditional PC strengths. There are some flaws, such as the display (which could be brighter), and performance (which is about 25 percent below average, storage excluded). But these flaws are balanced by outstanding design, long battery life, and record-setting lows in power draw, idle noise, and idle temperature. And don’t forget the price. While our review unit retails at $1,000, it has 8GB of RAM, which is unnecessary for this type of PC. Drop down to 4GB and you’re looking at just $750, which is ridiculously affordable. Lenovo must have some magicians on staff, because no other company comes close to offering design of this caliber at an everyman’s price. If you’re looking for a small convertible laptop, look no further; the Yoga 11S is the obvious choice.

I was not alone in thinking of the original 13-inch Lenovo Yoga as the best example of the first generation of Windows 8 hybrid laptop/tablets. At the time, it was disappointing that the more-portable 11-inch version was restricted to Windows RT, but we hoped a full Windows 8 version would be coming soon. It took more than a while to get here, but the Yoga 11S still impresses, partly by understanding that many hybrid buyers want a quality laptop first, and partly because 2013 has not seen any great new breakthroughs in hybrid design. At the same time, it's a shame to see this system stuck with a last-gen Intel CPU, as the battery boost we'd likely get from a new Haswell-generation chip is the kind of thing I'd be inclined to wait for.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S is a versatile touch-enabled convertible laptop/tablet combo. We applaud Lenovo for its innovation, but internal components and battery life in particular leave us asking for more.