Lenovo ThinkPad S1 Yoga

Lenovo ThinkPad S1 Yoga Review – Thanks to Intel’s 4th generation of Core series processors, notebook makers have launched a dizzying array of convertible and detachable notebooks, combining the aesthetics and portability of a tablet, and the performance and usability of a notebook device.

Lenovo ThinkPad S1 Yoga, A Flexible Workhorse

Lenovo has one such device in its arsenal with the Lenovo ThinkPad S1 Yoga, a convertible that shows no compromise in both design and performance. In traditional ThinkPad fashion, the S1 Yoga is clad in an all-black magnesium alloy chassis, with the familiar ThinkPad logo on the bottom right-hand corner of the keyboard. The notebook itself feels very rugged and professional, certainly a look that would attract many travelling business people.

Powered by a 4th generation Intel Core i7-4500U quad-core processor, the S1 Yoga also sports a 12.5-inch Full HD display, alongside 8GB of DDR3 RAM, with Windows 8.1 running on a 16GB mSATA SSD and 1TB of storage space to store a lot of data with. As far as I/O ports are concerned, the S1 Yoga has two USB 3.0 ports, one on each side of the notebook, a 4-in-1 card reader, one HDMI port and ab audio/microphone combo port. Unfortunately the S1 Yoga does not come with a LAN port, most likely to retain the thinness of the notebook, but it would have been a nice addition to have. As the name suggests, the S1 Yoga is capable of flexing itself into several different modes, including the traditional notebook mode, the Tent mode and tablet mode. You also need not worry about the hinge giving way, as we did some rigorous testing on flexing the display, and they remained firm, yet supple throughout. In tablet mode, the keyboard is turned off, and is sunken in a bit so that none of the keys are pressed when laid down on a flat surface. Performance-wise, the S1 Yoga is great as both a work machine and a multimedia device, as it is able to not only playback 1080p videos, but also do a spot of gaming thanks to Intel’s HD4400 onboard graphics processor.

The Lenovo S1 Yoga is a great multipurpose notebook that functions great for both work and leisure. Its flexible hinge allows users to use the S1 Yoga in a number of ways other than the traditional notebook and tablet form factors.

Pros

• Great performance
• Flexible hinge is very hardy, even after extensive use

Cons

• Lack of I/O ports
• Price

Lenovo ThinkPad S1 Yoga Specifications

• CPU: Intel Core i7-4500U @ 1.8GHz
• OS: Windows 8.1
• Memory: 8GB DDR3 RAM
• Display: 12.5 inch @ 1,920×1,080
• Graphics: Intel HD4400
• Connectivity: USB 3.0 x2, HDMI x1, SD card reader x1, WiFi