When did you last buy your laptop. Long time back? And now looking forward to get a brand new for yourself? If so, you must plan the hunt for a perfect laptop wisely. Festivity is around the corner and no other gift can substitute these gadgets. You can bet it ! Today, the market is flooded with a wide range laptops which confuse buyers to a large extent. In that case, taking a review of a particular gadget from your friends, relatives or internet would be helpful. The latest talk of the town is Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga. So it is our duty to provide you Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review.
In this article, we will take you further to find out what lies behind the glimmering screen of this laptop and its attractive looks. To find out, read further.
What are the parameters on which a laptop is judged?
Apart from the attractive looks and design, there are many other important aspects which you must consider before buying a laptop. The looks, sleek design, battery life, performance, durability and of course cost. Apart from these aspects, there are many other scales on the basis of which a laptop is judged. Buyers prioritize these aspects according to their need.
What is so unique about Lenovo Ideapad Yoga?
Off late, a latest trend has gained momentum in the laptop market which is described as ‘touchscreen laptop cum tablet’. Yes, you heard it right! Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga is the talk of the town in this context. It serves the purpose of a laptop as well as a tablet. It can be bent 360 degree or can be made tent or slate. In short, you can actually play with it. But there is more to know about this versatile gadget.
Apart from this unique characteristic which stands it apart from the crowd, there are other useful aspects which must be considered being a smart buyer. The battery life, performance, applications and of course cost. We will have a take on each of these aspects one by one and apart from that, we will also expose its drawbacks if any.
The positive side of Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
Apart from an attractive look and colorful display, it has something more to offer you. It scores high marks in offering flexibility to the users. It can be bent 360 degree and flip and fold in various shapes. You can bent it in a tent form or simply convert it into a slate according to your preference.
It is one among the first to offer you Windows 8 operating system. Therefore, your laptop and this operating system goes well to give you an effective performance.
The display of the screen is average and has brightness of 281 lux which is enough to beat the average brightness category.
As far as battery is concerned, when it underwent a battery test, it lasted for 6 hours and 10 minutes which surpasses the average battery life of any laptop. When compared with the battery test with Dell laptops, it surpassed it as well as Dell’s battery could be run up to 5 hours only.
In context of the applications, it includes Windows Media Center, Power Point and Media Player Paint. Apart from this, you can add your own applications as well. The application chosen by you automatically switches to full screen.
The most important feature of any laptop is its configurations. It has 1.7-GHz Intel Core i5-3317U CPU, 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD. Graphic 4000 GPU.
The Negative Side of Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga -
No gadget scores a perfect 10 as we all know that. Every laptop lags behind in the race of becoming a perfect figure due to some or the other features. Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga also has some negative aspects.
While it has an attractive look and a display screen, when you use in a tablet form, the keyboards are left exposed which looks a bit awkward. On the other side, the display could have been made much brighter, as dell and acer supports full HD screen.
Another problem which this laptop has is that it gets hot frequently because of the fan system of the devise. It becomes difficult to hold it for a long period of time which is quite uncomfortable for the users.
Apart from this, as a form of a tablet, it is quite heavy weight and surpass the average weight of a tablet.
Moreover, one among the first devises consisting of Windows 8 operating system, it becomes a bit difficult for the users to use it properly. This is so because Windows 8 tries to do most of the things at a go, functionally for computer as well as a tablet, which makes it a bit difficult for the users to open multiple applications at a time.
Besides that, it has an average battery life which can stand up to 5-6 hours when normally used. This is, however, much less as compared to iPad which offers 8 hours of battery back up.
The Verdict
There is no doubt about the fact that its unique feature gives you the experience of using this devise in the form of laptop as well as a tablet. However, in the form of a tablet, it is too heavy weight and large in size and therefore not recommended for those buyers who want to use it in the tablet form.
On the other side, if you take a look at its attractive looks and unique feature of 360 degree rotation screen then you can give it a second thought. Despite of all the cons and pros, the bottom line is that Lenovo Ideapad yoga is a convertible, touchscreen laptop cum tablet that gives you an outstanding experience of laptop as well as a tablet. With this, Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review, you will be able to consider some useful points before planning to get one for yourself or your loved ones.
Hp EliteBook 2170p Subnotebook is a smart, upper class notebook made specially for business purposes. It is a miniature model coming from the manufacturer. This is not HP’s first time to launch a smaller version of the notebook. Let us review and find out if the new Subnotebook will catch the buyer’s attention.
Design and structure of the model:
This notebook comes with a 11.6 LED black lit screen. The dimension of this device The base unit of this notebook is completely solid. The palm rest, bottom cover as well as the keyboard are well built and there is no chance of them getting any dents on them. Even the built of the hinges is of solid metal. We found that at 180 degrees, you can comfortably open the hinges. Unlike the bottom, the display lid is not solid. The structure is such that it can be twisted around slightly by its corners.
The lid can be dented a little as well. The lid has a border line of a rubber strip on the inner side which is useful when you close the lid as the strip prevents direct crashing of the lid on to the base. Instead the strip rests on the bottom/ base of the notebook when the lid is closed. The locking of the single large cover which is used for maintenance is with the help of a screw and lock arrangement. Note that there us no sliding mechanism for the large cover. Similarly there are no hinge openings for the screen to be opened. You just need to push it. We like this lack of manufacturing vulnerability in this device.
Display quality of the model:
The HP EliteBook 2170p Subnotebook comes with a 11.6 inch back lit LED screen. This notebook offers resolution of 1366 x 768. The screen has an anti glare coating which we liked because it eases the picture on the eyes especially when you have to work on the device for longer hours at a stretch.
Battery life of the model:
The battery life of HP EliteBook 2170p Subnotebook is definitely going to be a feature that acts highly and overwhelmingly in its favor. The manufacturers have opted to go for a six-cell battery along with SSD combination. HP claims that users can use the device for 10 long hours on a single charge. For thode who are willing to use the HDD version, the battery life will drop to approximately around eight hours and 15 minutes which is still a solid performance.
Connectivity:
The 11.6 EliteBook from HP gets its docking stations support from the Docking Stations HP 2012 (90/ 120/ 230 W four models) like all the other EliteBooks. In fact the 90 W model too offers USB 2.0, VGA, Serial, Parallel, PS2, Display Port, Audio, and RJ 45. The notebook has in built two USB ports which seem to be less. However with a docking station, we felt that the ports were adequate as we got a total of 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x Sleep and Charge. HP has stationed an optical drive in the HP EliteBook 2170p. However, in order to attain stability and height, the engines omit the optical drive during the test run.
Pros of HP EliteBook 2170p Subnotebook:
- True to HP’s claims, the battery life of this model is really impressive.
- The designing is compact and the device weighs quite light which makes it easier to be carried around.
- The anti glare coating on the screen makes it easy for the eyes to look and you will not experience itching or watering of eyes even after working on the notebook for longer hours.
- Multimedia options such as games, videos, music etc work decently well in this subnotebook.
- For its price, the HP EliteBook 2170p is a good buy because it offers almost all the essential features and is a decent model to work with.
Cons of HP EliteBook 2170p Subnotebook:
- As this is a ‘mini’ version of a notebook, the display screen is comparatively smaller and this can bother some people who are used to be working on large screen notebooks.
- The plastic casing looks and feels cheap.
- There are only two USB 3.0 ports in built in this model and for a notebook, just two slots are not enough.
- There are no dedicated graphics present in this model.
Verdict:
All in all, HP Elitebook 2170p is a good buy for people who want basic features in a small device. However, if you are looking for anything fancier then this model is certainly not for you.
Samsung along with Google has launched its latest baby in the chromebook world- Samsung Chromebook Series 3 (XE303C12) and the most striking thing about this model is its low price. Compared to its predecessor, the Samsung chromebook series 3 is cheaper with price of just $249. Other features are Google’s cloud based tools like Google Docs, Google Drive instead of regular software and local storage, a desktop and an application launcher. Does this new notebook live up to its expectations? Let us review it and find out:
Design of the device:
First thing you will notice about this device is that even though it comes at a considerably cheaper price, it does not look or feel cheap. It has the similar all-silver plastic body as the series 5 550 chromebook. The built is sturdy and smooth. Keyboard is the typical black island style making.
The dimensions of this chromebook are 11.4 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches. With these dimensions, series 3 Samsung chromebook is slightly smaller than its predecessor the Series 5 550 which evidently had the dimensions of 11.5 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches. Some people might not like the formation of a small ridge along the back side once the chromebook is closed. The monotonous plastic silver background might not be everyone’s cup of tea either. However, for its price the Samsung Series 3 chromebook comes with a decent design and we liked that glazed look of this notebook.
Keyboard of the device:
The keyboard of this device is black island style model. The keyboard is very comfortable to type on and because of its smoothness, you can easily type on it even for long hours. It gives the average desktop keyboard speed of 68 words per minute at TypingTest.com which is a good record for notebook of this category. The keyboard does not come with any back light but we did not mind it as much because of the cheap price of this device. The typical feature of chromebook is seen here too: Instead of the Caps Lock key, this chromebook too features a Google Search which gives option of searching on both the search engines of Google as well as chrome. Other chrome specific feature in the keyboard is the absence of function keys. Instead you will get to see back, forward, refresh, and full screen buttons. The touchpad in this chromebook is of 3.8 x 2.3 inches size. It does not support multi touch features such as pinch to zoom in and out. However two finger scrolling is to the par on this touchpad and so are the integrated mouse buttons.
Display quality of the device:
The Samsung Chromebook Series 3 has resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels on a 11.6 inch matte LED display screen. Even though this notebook is smaller in size as compared to the Samsung 5 550 Chromebook series, it gives a better display quality and resolution (resolution of Samsung 5 550 Chromebook series is 1280 x 800 pixel and the screen size is 12.1 inch). While the series 3 chromebook might win in the resolution department it is literally and figuratively outshone by series 5 550 Samsung chromebook when it comes to brightness. The series 3 notebook offers ultra portable average of just up to 236 and measuring 176 lux. The brightness of Series 5 550 measures an average of 314 lux. Because of low brightness, the videos look quite dim but the viewing angles are pretty wide and the color quality is very sharp.
Audio Quality of the Device:
The Samsung chromebook series 3 has couple of speakers both of which are mounted on the bottom of the device. As the speakers are placed at the bottom, on a hard surface the sound quality is pretty decent. But we were not happy that the moment we took the notebook on out lap, the sound was muffled.
Pros of the device:
- This chromebook is a dream come true for technology savvy people who are shopping on a tight budget. The unbeatable inexpensive device is sure to be loved by people who are looking for an economical option.
- The clamshell design and physical keyboard make this notebook quite user friendly.
Cons of this device:
- Brightness of the screen is quite low
- Audio quality even though decent is not to the par
- This device offers limited offline storage and access
Final Verdict:
For its price, the Samsung Chromebook Series 3 is sure a good bargain. It is a delight for Google Application users without any striking display or audio quality yet providing quick way to go online.
Apple’s iPad mini is a 7.9 inch device with features that are very similar to that of the iPad 2. In fact it is a far cheaper and features wise, it is a better option. Coming from Apple, the expectations from iPad mini were quite high. Let us see if it has lived up to the hype.
Overall review of the Apple iPad mini-
Design hardware of the device:
Apple has made every effort in the design of iPad mini so that it does not look like a stunted younger brother of regular iPads. For starters, It has a very distinguishable anodized aluminum back which is very different from the similar looking second, third, and fourth generations of iPad. The body has curved edges and thus the device has more of a rounded shape which is again a welcome change as compared to the usual square-edged tablets. The rounded shape of the iPad gives more room to the battery inside. Absence of sharp tapering edges and any straight lines make the iPad mini a very comfortable tablet to hold and carry around. In fact this small sized tablet can be a rage amongst college going youngsters because of the ease with which it can be carried around. The ease is also a result of the light weight of this gadget. This device weighs only 0.68 pounds (308 g). The thickness of iPad mini is just 7.2mm which makes it an extremely slick looking tablet. The dimensions of this gadget are 7.87 x 5.3 inches (200 x 135 mm). The 7.9 inch, 1024 x 768 IPS LCD screen has very small bezels when you compare it to other iPads.
The small size of this tablet makes it so easy to hold and carry around that it almost feels like a large sized phone in the hands. The small size creates no issue when you want to read on this tablet. The landscape orientation is in fact pretty easy on the eyes. Applications like iBooks and Kindle run fine on the iPad mini and you can scroll up and down and turn pages with just as ease as you would do on a regular iPad. The upper right hand portion of the device has a volume rocker button and an orientation lock switch. The volume rocker has two different operating buttons for options of going up and down (unlike a single button three way rocker in iPod nano). The power button too is present on the top of the tablet. This side also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack along with a small slit for a microphone. The bottom side has a lightning connector. The iPad mini does not come with headphones, you will need to buy them separately.
Display quality of the device:
There is a definite boost in the density of pixels in this 7.9 inches screen iPad mini. That is because Apple has given this device the same resolution as 10 inch iPad. However, this gadget does not come with a retina display. The pixel density on this tablet is that of 163 ppi (which more than that of the second generation iPad which was 132 ppi). The newer iPads (fourth and fifth generation) have better pixel density (264 ppi and 326 ppi respectively). So compared to these iPads, the iPad mini has less sharp text and image quality. However, we liked the display quality it has especially for such a small tablet.
The brightness and color reproduction is at par with the retina display. This device has wide viewing angles and the colors are easy going on the eyes. If a small group of people wishes to watch a video on this device, they need not cramp to get the best view. They can spread out and sit adjacent to each other and still they will see a good quality picture with decent brightness.
Battery life of the device:
When a looping video is being run on the iPad mini with WiFi enabled and the brightness set to a particular level, you will get battery life of as good as 12 hours and 43 minutes. This is the best of battery life when it comes to tablets. In fact Apple iPad mini has beaten Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7′s battery life by good 43 minutes.
Verdict:
Apple iPad mini is highly recommended for people who wish to buy a cheaper tablet with astounding display, stylish looks, decent camera, and solid battery life. It is a buy any gadget lover would not regret.
When Google’s Nexus 7 (Manufactured by Asus) came in to the market, it created quite a buzz as it was an affordable tablet with genius features. So now that the Samsung made Nexus 10 is arriving, it is obvious that people’s expectations are set pretty high. With a brilliant display quality (which is at par with the 13 inch MacBook Pro with Retina display), this new tablet has some distinctive features. Does it live up to its expectations? Read on to find out.
Review of the Nexus 10:
Design of the device-
The Nexus 10 is Samsung’s baby and thus it has remarkable similarities to other Samsung products. The design resembles mostly to the Galaxy Tab 10.1N. Similar to this model, the Nexus 10 also has a pair of front-facing speakers. The grilles are integrated in to the right and the left bezel. In fact they run pretty much through the entire vertical extent of the tablet.
The tablet is dark colored rectangular device with rounded sides and curved edges. The sides are curved in such a way that there are no straight lines. This is the reason as to why this tablet is comfortable and easy to hold in hands. You can change the orientation of the tablet and it will still feel just as comfortable to you in any angle.
This device measures around 10.30 x 6.99 inches with a thickness of just 0.35 inches. Thus it is a larger yet thinner device as compared to the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1N. It is a lighter tablet as compared to iPad. The weight of this device is merely 1.33 lbs (603 g) while the weight of the latest generation iPad is up to around 1.44 lbs (632 g). This device has a plastic covering on its flip-back side which is covered in a coating that feels unusual and tacky to the hands. The volume rocker and the power (lock) button are present on the top edge of the slate. In the left corner, there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a micro-USB port. The right hand side has a micro-HDMI port which allows to stream all the videos (which have been downloaded on the tablet legitimately) on to a bigger screen. The bottom side comes with a six-pot pogo pin connector. The front side of course has the two speakers which due to the dark body of the tablet are not too distinguishable. A 1.9 mega-pixel camera (which is capable of of recording a video of up to around 720p capacity) is present inside the upper bezel. On the other hand, the bottom bezel has a RGB notification LED flash. The tablet has 2 GB RAM along with either 16 or 32 GB of storage capacity (this depends upon the cost of your tablet). The storage capacity is not expandable.
Display quality of the device
Nexus 10 is and will be known for its brilliant display quality. With a resolution as good as 1560 x 1600, the mere 10.1 inches PLS LCD panel screen has humongous amount of pixels in it. The picture and video quality is amazingly sharp on this device. The UI is astonishingly good. While the first party icons are pretty sharp and crisp, some of the third party application icons would look better at a higher resolution. This device provides decent brightness with very good viewing angles, however, the contrast quality of this tablet is below the par. The tablet screen is covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2. Thus there is an automatic protection against scratching.
Audio quality of the device-
The speakers are not of the best quality here but they certainly are pretty good when you compare them to other tablets. If you wish to watch a long video or listen to music in a crowded place, you will need to use the earphones in order to get adequate sound.
Battery life of the device-
The battery life of this device is below the par especially when it is compared to its competitors or even the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 The battery life is seven hours and 26 minutes on a satndard run-down test where a looping video is being played on a screen whose brightness is fixed.
Verdict-
If you are looking for spectacular picture quality and display features in a slate, you might want to consider buying Nexus 10. It is an impressive device overall except for a few flaws like sub-par battery life. So if you are not tight on budget, Nexus 10 is a good bet.