The Lenovo Yoga 11S is described on the company’s website as
a groundbreaking multimedia mini ultrabook, measuring just 11.6-inches, the
convertible is a bit lighter than the Yoga 13 (although not by much) at 3.08
pounds. What it lacks in size compared to the larger Yoga 13, however, is
reflected in the price tag as it starts at just $749.99 – a full $150 cheaper
than the starting price of the larger system when we reviewed it.
Specification
- 11.6-inch IPS
multitouch display (1366×768)
- 3rd Generation
Intel Core i5-3339Y CPU (1.5GHz - 2GHz)
- Intel HD Graphics
4000
- 8GB PC3-12800 DDR3
SDRAM 1600 MHz
- Windows 8 64-bit
- 256GB Samsung SSD
- 802.11 b/g/n
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
- Integrated 720p HD
Camera
- HDMI out, 1 x USB
2.0, 1x USB 3.0, SD/MMC card reader
- 3.5mm Audio In /
Mic Jack combo
- 4 Cell Lithium-Ion
battery (~6 hrs)
- 11.73" x
8.03" x 0.67"
- 3.08 lbs
Aesthetically, the Yoga 11S is virtually identical to its
bigger brother which isn’t a bad thing. The outside of the lid feels like a
semi-soft plastic and is silver with the Lenovo name engraved in the corner
that still looks very clean and modern.
Across the front edge of the system is a backlit power
button, battery indicator and a small recessed button that’s used to launch
OneKey Recovery – a software suite that allows you to back up your system or
recover it from a previous state. On the right side of the Yoga 11S is a screen
orientation lock button, right side speaker, a single UBS 2.0 port and an
SD/MMC card reader.
There’s not much to see on the reverse save for a row of
ventilation slots between the screen’s two hinges. Moving to the left we find a
combination headphone / microphone jack, a single USB 3.0 port and an HDMI-out
port.
On the bottom of the Yoga 11S are four anti-skid pads and 11
small six-sided screws that would need to be removed with a non-standard
screwdriver to gain access to the internals. This would make the task of adding
or replacing system memory a bit more time-consuming but it does appear to be
possible.
The screen on this hybrid doesn’t have a gaudy plastic bezel
as there’s a single piece of glass that covers the IPS panel but there is a
sizable bezel that frames the actual screen. Normally I wouldn’t approve of
this but since this system doubles as a tablet, it’s acceptable as it gives you
ample room to actually hold the device without inadvertently making contact
with the touchscreen.
Lenovo has included a 720p webcam that’s centered just above
the screen with what appears to be an ambient light sensor beside it and
another on the far right edge. At the very bottom of the screen is the Windows
8 Start button that quickly allows you to switch from Windows UI to the
traditional desktop and vice versa.
The keyboard on the Yoga 11S features island style keys
which is becoming commonplace on notebooks today. The board is a little more
compact compared to the Yoga 13 but even still, I didn’t run into any real
problems using it. My only complaint here is that the keys (especially near the
center of the board) feel very mushy. The entire middle area of the keyboard
sinks in noticeably when pressed. It’s certainly not a deal breaker but I did
expect a little more firmness given the Ultrabook branding.
Key layout is acceptable aside from a few keys like
Backspace and Tab being shorter than usual. It’s also worth noting that the
Page Up / Home and Page Down / End keys aren’t in their traditional space.
Instead, you will find them at the bottom right flanking the Arrow keys.
The touchpad on the Yoga 11S is very similar to what I found
on the Yoga 13 which is a good thing. I still prefer Lenovo’s older style with
dedicated physical buttons for the left and right mouse click but I could
certainly warm up to what they have done with this integrated touchpad. The
size and positioning of the pad was spot-on and I had virtually no trouble with
it during use. The area around the pad and the keyboard was very comfortable
and offered just the right amount of movement without my wrists feeling like
they were slipping away.
