Lenovo Yoga Book Generation 2 Beats Apple in the Style Game

[btarunr]

Lenovo, at Intel's Computex presser, revealed a product that could put Apple design to shame. The new Yoga Book Generation 2 is a notebook+tablet convertible, with two displays on the opposite sides of the conventional clam-shell. In the notebook mode, the bottom half converts to a keyboard, with actuators providing tactile feedback. Since the bottom half's screen is a touchscreen as much the top half, you can configure the keyboard layout and "trackpad" position any which way you want. When not typing, the bottom half becomes an extended screen of the top half. Under the hood is a "new generation" processor (very likely the 10 nm Core M3-8114Y).



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Valantar]

No thanks. Typing on a touchscreen is passable on a phone, but nowhere else. I type too much to hunt-and-peck my way around a virtual keyboard with no touch type possibility. Fingers on the home row? Yeah, you just typed fjdsakl':.

 

[Fx]

No thanks. Typing on a touchscreen is passable on a phone, but nowhere else. I type too much to hunt-and-peck my way around a virtual keyboard with no touch type possibility. Fingers on the home row? Yeah, you just typed fjdsakl':.

LOL. Pretty much. This is definitely 10/10 in coolness, but 4/10 in practicality.

 

[Valantar]

LOL. Pretty much. This is definitely 10/10 in coolness, but 4/10 in practicality.

Nah. Acer did this in 2011, and it was as dumb then as it is now, even if touchscreens and thin-and-light PCs have both improved massively since then. It's not cool, it's just gimmicky.

 

[Fx]

Nah. Acer did this in 2011, and it was as dumb then as it is now, even if touchscreens and thin-and-light PCs have both improved massively since then. It's not cool, it's just gimmicky.

That's what a gimmick is; something "cool" to attract attention.

 

[medi01]

No thanks and I don't see "coolness" either.

 

[Valantar]

That's what a gimmick is; something "cool" to attract attention.

I think the fact that you had to put 'cool' in quotes just proves my point

 

[Fx]

I think the fact that you had to put 'cool' in quotes just proves my point

No, and I knew you would think this as does medi01. I don't think it is cool, but I recognize that the masses will think it is cool, thus I said that it gets a 10/10 in coolness.

I, however, do not think it is cool so I had to put cool in quotes for how I used the word cool in that way. Not to mention that you called it a gimmick, which means you are attracted to it yourself or like me understand that it can be by the masses

 

[Caring1]

Novel idea, a folding Bluetooth keyboard or micro usb version would be handy for those that dislike touch screen typing.

 

[Valantar]

Novel idea, a folding Bluetooth keyboard or micro usb version would be handy for those that dislike touch screen typing.

It would be pretty sweet if they had a "slice" BT keyboard designed to fit in between the halves when folded together (for easy transportation) and stayed in place over the "bottom" screen if you wanted it to (magnets?), while being easily detachable. It would be especially sweet if the keyboard folded so that you could choose to have half the bottom screen visible as a touchpad, secondary screen, or whatever else it might be used for, either above or below the keyboard. Oh, and the laptop should obviously have built-in dual kickstands for vertical use, like Asus' Project Precog demo (also from Computex) (although that uses an external stand). In that case, I'd actually consider a concept like this worth testing out, even for a long-term investment like a laptop or 2-in-1.

 

[AceRoinox]

I think you'd be surprised. I began using the original Yoga Book 16 months ago, planning only to use it's note-taking and drawing tools, and as a tablet. The form factor and Android implementation were so compelling I decided to give the keyboard a whirl. Within two weeks I had abandoned my laptop, and have never looked back. The keyboard has haptic feedback, and I tend to peek through my fingers while typing, which keeps me on track. Bottom line: This keyboard is far more than just a "virtual" keyboard--works very well and boosts my productivity dramatically over a mere tablet.

 

[Valantar]

I tend to peek through my fingers while typing

That's the problem right there. Any keyboard that forces users to look at the keyboard rather than what they're writing is inherently an inferior keyboard. Touch typing on something like that is utterly impossible, which means I could probably adjust to (barely) tolerating it within a few days, but I'd always be pining for a good, tactile, comfortable keyboard that I don't have to ****** look at while I'm typing.

 

[StrayKAT]

No thanks. Typing on a touchscreen is passable on a phone, but nowhere else. I type too much to hunt-and-peck my way around a virtual keyboard with no touch type possibility. Fingers on the home row? Yeah, you just typed fjdsakl':.

It's a huge regression. The whole point of typewriters was to give a clear view of what you're writing. Fast forward over a hundred years and we suddenly go back to the problem of ink and paper.

 

[Valantar]

It's a huge regression. The whole point of typewriters was to give a clear view of what you're writing. Fast forward over a hundred years and we suddenly go back to the problem of ink and paper.

Exactly. Phones are passable given that there's no real alternative and that we all hold them right in front of our faces anyhow - but only because phones have good word prediction and aggressive autocorrect. If I had to look at my fingers while typing this post on my PC, I'd go nuts.