You might get the impression that I like the Lenovo Miix 2 10 when you see how much time I’ve spent with it recently. I’ve just produced 3 new videos, in addition to the unboxing video and there’s lots of testing going on. The truth is that I am really enjoying this tablet-first device. Like the ASUS Transformer T100 I think it’s going to be a big seller as a secondary PC that extends from the sofa to the desktop and includes the holiday, car and hotel in between, both for business and pleasure.

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The Lenovo Miix 2 10 is now available in Europe and, lucky for us, in stock near the UMPCPortal office. Here’s an unboxing of the little fella which, so far, seems to be excellent value for money. An 18-minute unboxing and overview demo is available below.

I paid 369 469 Euros at Conrad in Bonn and got the 64GB version with 1090×1200 screen, keyboard dock and Z3740 CPU and so far everything is working nicely. For those that know the Acer W510, a popular 2-in-1 based on Clovertrail in 2014, this beats it in most areas,most notably in browsing speed.

Total weight is 2.3 pounds. The tablet weighs about the same as the W510 at 606 grams / 1.34 pounds. Battery capacity is 24Wh, not much compared to the Acer W510 but good enough for 6 hours of Web work by my reckoning.

As for the keyboard dock it seems OK. There’s a slightly abnormal layout due to the lack of a function key row and it’s going to need some time to get used to but the keys seem to be accurate. The mousepad is OK but there’s no multi-touch. I’m writing this article on the Miix 2 10 right now.

Screen angles are good but the screen could be a little flat in terms of color. Auto-brightness works but it doesn’t seem to be that bright at max settings.  1920×1200 is a very high density that could catch you out in desktop mode with some programs. The attachment to the base is easy to use but of course, only at one angle.

Charging is via USB or power port on the tablet. The dock has two USB2.0 ports.

The speakers are loud and accurate on the tablet and the additional speaker on the dock adds a little bit of lower-end range, but not much. It’s not what I’d call Bass.

That’s it for now. I’ll get to work on the full review so stay tuned. Feel free to ask questions below.

As we expected, the new Yoga 2 11S is going to be one for the masses. It’s been spotted for $499. The Pentium N3510 doesn’t have some of the features of the Core processors and there’s a spinning hard drive but in this market, maybe that’s not important. The Lenovo Yoga 2 11 could be a great mass-market subnotebook.

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Intel had an impressive showing of convertible devices at the annual CES 2014 convention two weeks ago. Among an array of Ultrabooks was the new 12.5 inch ThinkPad Yoga which I got to check out for the first time. Beyond Lenovo’s classic ‘Yoga’ convertible mechanism is a smart retractable keyboard and an amazing trackpad.

It’s one of the most Ultraboooky Ultrabooks out there. The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro sits with the Sony Vaio Pro 13 and the Samsung ATIV Book 9 as showcase devices that are fast, light, stylish and very very usable. The Yoga 2 Pro, however, differs in that it’s a convertible. You wouldn’t know it at first glance though because it’s under 16mm thick and weighs just 1400 grams / 3 pounds. You can’t tell an Ultrabook from it’s thickness and weight though so let’s get into the full review of the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro

Lenovo’s first 11-inch Yoga device ran RT on an ARM-architecture. We ignored it. The second 11-incher was the 11S with Core CPU options. It’s still available with Haswell and a rather impressive power/battery life ratio. The latest Yoga 2 11 is more consumer focused and used the Baytrail-M platform. It’s a difficult one to position between an UltraMobile and an Ultrabook because on one hand it’s Baytrail (Pentium branded) and on the other it weights 2.9 pounds. It’s much like the new Sony Vaio FIT 11A flip.

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Lenovo’s first 11-inch Yoga device ran RT on an ARM-architecture. We ignored it. The second 11-incher was the 11S with Core CPU options. It’s still available with Haswell and a rather impressive power/battery life ratio. The latest Yoga 2 11 is more consumer focused and used the Baytrail-M platform. It’s a difficult one to position between an UltraMobile and an Ultrabook because on one hand it’s Baytrail (Pentium branded) and on the other it weights 2.9 pounds.

From the Press Release:

Lenovo continues to refine the consumer-friendly features of the Yoga line with YOGA 2, a thinner and lighter model at an affordable price point. It folds back 360o, providing four devices for the price of one. Plus, it features unique app recommendations for each of the four usage modes – Laptop, Stand, Tent and Tablet. YOGA 2 provides the ultimate flexibility between work and play for up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge.

– Crystal clear HD Display with IPS technology which support 178° wide view angle ?

– Dual-hinge design allows for 360o rotation with four unique modes: Laptop, Stand, Tent and Tablet

– Lenovo Picks: a concierge-like service that dynamically recommends apps for the mode you are currently using  ?

– Lenovo Transition automatically switches open applications like PowerPoint to full-screen mode when the PC converts from normal notebook to tent, stand or tablet modes ?

– Lenovo Voice Control enables users to execute simple commands by speaking to the YOGA 2  ?

– Lenovo Motion Control allows users to quickly flip through photos, presentation slides, e-books and more with simple gestures

– Integrated stereo speakers supporting Dolby® Home Theater v4™ certification for immersive surround sound when watching movies and listening to music

Specifications: (will vary by region.)

• Processor Up to Quad Core Intel® Pentium® processor
• Operating System Up to genuine Windows 8.1
• Display/Resolution 11.6” HD (1366×768) , 178o wide-view display with 10-point touch
• Video Graphics Integrated Intel HD Graphics
• Memory and Storage  Up to 4GB RAM (2GB configuration also available); up to 500GB HDD storage
• Sound Integrated stereo speakers supporting Dolby Home Theater v4 for immersive surround sound Integrated
• Comms 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, Micro HDMI-out, 3-in-1 card reader
• Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity
• Camera 1.0 Megapixel 720p Camera Battery Up to 6 hours
• Weight  2.9 pounds Dimensions 298x 206.5x 17.2 mm 11.7 x 8.1 x 0.67 in

After writing down those specs it almost feels like it doesn’t fit in either the ultra-mobile or the Ultrabook category. Yoga Netbook perhaps? Let’s wait for pricing.

Tablet, Laptop , Easel. The Lenovo Miix 2 10 is based on Baytrail, weighs 1.3 pounds (tablet-only) and looks like it will kill the market for the Acer W510 stone dead. Let’s hope the keyboard is better than the one on the Lenovo Lynx! The 10-inch MIIX 2 starts at $499 and will be available in March.

From the press release:

The Lenovo MIIX 2 is ideal for those who frequently use both a tablet and a laptop. The Windows 8.1 tablet can be attached to a keyboard dock, instantly turning into a full-performing laptop perfect for entertainment and productivity while on the go. Available in ultra-portable 10.1-in and performance-focused 11.6-in models, MIIX 2 gives users the ability to easily switch between three modes – Tablet, Laptop, Stand – for specific computing needs.

Obviously the 11-inch model is more Ultrabook-focused so we’ll be covering that over at our sister site.   Fingers crossed that it has the Z3770 with max 2.4Ghz clock.
Specifications:

• Processor: Quad Core Intel® Atom® processor
• Operating System Genuine Windows 8.1
• Display/Resolution 10.1” full HD display (1920×1200) with 10-point touch and 178o wide viewing angle
• Video Graphics Integrated Intel HD graphics
• Memory 2GB LP-DDR3 memory
• Storage  Up to 128GB integrated eMMC storage, up to 32GB add-on micro SD card support
• Sound   Integrated JBL® designed stereo speakers (on tablet) and subwoofer (on keyboard-dock)
• Integrated Comms  1 mini HDMI port, 1 micro USB port, 1 integrated USB 2.0 connector (on keyboard-dock)
• Keyboard Detachable AccuType keyboard
• Connectivity    Integrated Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and optional 3G-GPS connectivity
• Camera 720p high resolution 2MP front and 5MP rear cameras
• Battery Up to 8 hours of battery life
• Weight: Tablet: 1.3 pounds, Keyboard Dock: 0.97 pounds
• Dimensions 10-in: Pad: 260.9 x 173.2 x 9.2mm, Dock: 260.9 x 183.4 x 7.0mm