 "Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga: No-nonsense business machine plus some")
Top-of-the-line specifications? Check. Convertible? Check. Fingerprint scanner? Check. IT department loves it? Umm. Since the advent of the practice of "bringing your own device", system administrators all over the world have had a torrid time configuring and adapting to employees' needs. A schoolmate who works as a consultant now often narrates a story from a decade ago when he had his company's sysadmin stumped because he wanted to use his high-end gaming notebook in office. And no, he didn't want the company-provided ThinkPad as it was "boring".
That was then. Now, he's busy skipping from one continent to another with a ThinkPad along. Why? It's convenient, can be made to adhere to any company's protocols in a jiffy, and the sysadmins love it! The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (From Rs 1,23,000) was no different. It had an understated appeal, was light in weight and had a plethora of connectivity options. To switch on, I had to look for the power switch and volume rocker; they weren't below the thick bezel or above the keyboard, but were placed on the right edge. It booted up fast and took me to the Windows 10 screen in a jiffy.
And yes, this laptop fully supports Windows Hello, so I could log in with the fingerprint scanner, my face or the regular password. Windows ran fast over a solid state drive, while I could connect to the TV via an HDMI port (or wirelessly). I was watching Marco Polo on Netflix in no time!
Weighing less than 2 kg, the laptop was easy to carry around; the 14-inch quadHD screen was bright, even in bright sunlight, and typing on the backlit keyboard was a dream. Like all ThinkPads, this one sports a track point, along with the trackpad. The trackpad, while being very responsive, lacks the click buttons at the bottom; instead they're on top.
Since it also sports the Yoga moniker, there was more to the ThinkPad. One, it transformed into tablet mode, if needed, and could be used with a recessed stylus; two, there were no key presses even when I placed the ThinkPad's keyboard face-down in tablet mode; and three, it's touchscreen is quite responsive though a tad bulky. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM, this review unit was no slouch with whatever we threw at it; it's not made for gaming because of its integrated graphics and limited storage, yet I installed Age of Mythology - and stayed up the night playing it.
When I used the laptop for browsing, writing and a bit of watching videos, I could get through the day on a single charge; but if I indulged in a bit of gaming, the battery depleted faster.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a svelte device capable of handling most day-to-day tasks of business users. Plus, it can also double up as a tablet if needed. If you're looking for a capable laptop with added features, this should be on the top of your list.
