Lenovo is updating its Yoga Book line of dual-display laptops with a new model sporting premium specs.
The new Yoga Book C930 features a 10.8 inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel LCD IPS touchscreen display plus a 10.8 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel touchscreen E Ink display where you’d find a keyboard on most laptops.
You can use that E Ink screen for writing, drawing, or typing (thanks to a virtual keyboard feature).
The convertible notebook measures 10.3″ x 7.1″ x 0.4″ and weighs about 1.7 pounds. And it should be available in October for $1000.
While earlier Yoga Book devices were priced at $500 or lower, they also tended to ship with entry-level processors (like Intel’s Atom chips). The new Yoga Book C930 still has a low-power processor, but it’s a higher-performance 7th-gen Intel Core Y-series processor.
The new Yoga Book is still a thin, light, and fanless computer. And the new model has Lenovo’s watchband-style hinge.
Here’s a run-down of the specs/options:
- Intel Core M3-7Y30 or Core i5-7Y74 processor
- 4GB LPDDR3 RAM
- Up to 256GB of PCIe SSD storage
- 35.8 Wh battery
- 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth
- Optional 4G LTE
- 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports
- Optical fingerprint reader
- Stereo speakers
Pen input is handled by a Wacom active pen with 4096 levels of pressure-sensitive input.
Lenovo says the dynamic keyboard has been updated with bigger keys and a bigger trackpad. Oh, and there’s one more thing that sets it apart from the Wacom graphics pad on older Yoga Book devices: it’s a fully functional E Ink screen that lets you use the Yoga Book C930 as an eReader for viewing eBooks, documents, or other content.
Has anyone heard if there will be a reverse-screen option where the keyboard is on the LCD panel and the primary display is E-Ink? I’d be really interested in the ability to use the laptop outside for tasks that don’t demand a high refresh rate (reading e-mail, Slack, etc.).
I’ve already considered using my old Slate 500 Bluetooth Keyboard with it as an outside device. I do a lot of work on my deck or by the pool. This would be interesting.
This is probably a stupid question, but I haven’t seen anyone writing with the pen on the regular dsiplay. Both displays support the AES pen right?
According to Wired it works on both but it would be good to see confirmation, preferably from Lenovo or from a hands-on test.
Engadget reports the E-Ink display only supports pdf documents when in e-reader mode. Meanwhile, the video (from Lenovo, presumably) in slashgear’s article shows the pen being used on both screens.
Is it just me or is there really no headphone jack on this machine?
Holy cannoli, I think you’re right. I’m not sure that would be a deal breaker on a niche machine like this, but it would be on a regular laptop of any kind. It’s still kind of annoying though.
I really hope they reconsider 8gb of RAM if they don’t want it to be DOA at that price point. Considering artists are their primary audience(not discounting students, engineers, or academics who need to read a lot of manual or textbooks as well), they need to match the specs to the demands of modern graphic software. I doubt it will be anyone’s primary machine, but it would up the ante considerably if they could do more work away from the specter of their more powerful and confining workspaces.
I might just be tempted to upgrade from the first gen one (though at that price I’ll have to seriously think about it since I got the first one on sale for about 320).
I’m with you on that. I paid $275 for a new first gen Android version. Absolutely love it. However, this 2nd gen at $1000 and no headphone jack is a non-starter for me. Most didn’t “get” what Lenovo was trying to do with the Yoga Book (based on the reviews posted on YouTube). I doubt more will get it with this 2nd gen. I figure they’ll be available from bulk resellers on eBay for $400 within 6-8 months.
I wish Lenovo well with this. It is a beautiful design and I appreciate that they’re willing to try something daringly different.