When it comes to a 2-in-1 product, my biggest concerns are durability and ergonomics. Considering the repeated 360 degree rotation on the laptop’s hinge, you really want something built to last, especially considering the wireless and display connections that run through that crucial area. And while many 2-in-1s are great laptops, they can alos be heavy, bulky, large and uncomfortable to use in tablet mode. Along with being durable, innovation is necessary to make a laptop truly able to perform as a tablet. Here are two 2-in-1s that look really promising:
The Lenovo Yoga 900 is the 2-in-1 you want if you want power. The Yoga 900 can be equipped with the latest 6th Generation i7, but there are multiple configuration options if you’re on a budget. With a 512GB solid state drive, 16gb of memory, and a 13.3″ 3200×1800 (on the highest conf. model) the Yoga is a very good laptop on its own. What makes the Yoga 900 different is the watch band hinge. The watch band hinge distributes stress onto 4 small watch like hinges. This gives added flex,making movements easy and durable. It also looks pretty neat and helps to reduce bulk when flipping the screen a full 360 degrees:
“The elegant hinge is composed of 813 individual components for fluid transitions between modes. Auto Lock hinge technology allows you to easily open and close the laptop, even with one hand. “
. The Yoga weighs in at only 2.8lbs which is very good considering it contains full laptop components. Moreover, the Yoga looks very sleek in both laptop and tablet modes, measuring just .59″ thick.
Overall, you won’t find a better performing 2-in-1 for $1299, that fact that it’s gorgeous and easy to use is icing on the cake.
Dell’s new XPS 12 cannot measure up to the Yoga in terms of power, but it excels in all other areas. While the Yoga might be a laptop that doubles as a tablet, the XPS 12 is a tablet that doubles as a laptop. Equipped with the new Intel M5 processor, the XPS12 is much less powerful than the Yoga, but also much more power efficient and lighter. What separates the XPS 12 from the Yoga is the ability to completely disconnect the keyboard when in tablet mode. While other 2-in-1s can do this, the XPS gets rid of delicate connections that have to be made, accomplishing the connection via magnets. Just as well, the keyboard of the XPS12 is not the small, floppy, rubber-like keyboard you might expect; Its a full sized, intuitive keyboard that rivals many other full fledged laptops for ease of use. The XPS 12 gives you a good screen real estate while maintaining a smaller form factor thanks to its beautiful edge-less 4K display. Factor in Dell’s supposed 10hr battery life, and you have a excellent lightweight companion, great for work or play (but mostly play). There are two models one for $999 features 1080p and 128GB SSD, and a $1299 model which features 4k resolution and 256GB.
Both models are excellent, so lets make this simple
For Power (Adobe suite, gaming, heavy multitasking): Yoga 900
For Portability: (MS office, web browsing, Netflix): Dell new XPS 12
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