Review: Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro

Some have screens which slide up from the keyboard while other screens can be rotated or detached from their keyboards.

But none of these Windows 8 laptop configurations has really caught on, as consumers are still undecided on what the ideal form factor for a touchscreen laptop should be.

Lenovo's solution is to use a hinge on a traditional laptop design which can fold open 360 degrees. Picture a thin hardcover book where the covers can bend open wide enough to touch each other.

The original Yoga was a tad bulky, but the Yoga 2 Pro is a delight in both design and implementation.

The first thing you notice about the 13.3-inch ultrabook is how slim it is. It measures a mere 330 x 220 x 15.5mm, and weighs just 1.39kg.

Yet, the overall feel of the device is extremely solid.

Even with the screen folded back to more than 140 degrees, the weight of the keyboard countered the weight of the screen, so that it does not tip back when someone taps on the screen.

Running Windows 8.1 and on the new Haswell fourth-generation Intel processors, the machine offers a QHD (3,200 x 1,800) screen at a brightness of 350 nits, with 10points of multi-touch.

It also comes with stereo Dolby Home Theatre speakers, as well as voice and gesture control. A user can simply wave his hand in front of the 720p front camera to navigate between his photos, music and presentation files.

Lenovo Singapore has not announced local pricing or availability, but it is going on sale from next month in the United States, starting from a relatively low price of US$1,099 (S$1,400) for the basic configuration.

If local prices are close to that, there will be no doubt as to how this story will unfold.

Get a copy of Digital Life, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.