The same could be said about tablets. Once you get past processing power and operating systems, what could really be the difference?
But what if you had one device that did both jobs?
The Yoga 3 Pro is Lenovo's new flagship device, and it's their big push to wake the New Zealand market up to the fact Lenovo is the world's biggest computer manufacturer.
At first glance, it appears to be a super-skinny laptop, but the unique feature of the Yoga 3 Pro is its bendy-ness. In fact, you can use it 4 different ways; Laptop, Stand, Tent or Tablet. Personally, I'm a laptop guy but I know plenty of people who are into tablets and I'm well aware there are other 2-in-1 devices out there.
I don't know about you, but until I tried the Yoga 3 Pro, I had no idea what Stand mode or Tent mode were, or why you would want them. However, once I started "Yoga-ing" it didn't take me long to find out.
I'm not going to spend time comparing the guts of this laptop with other machines, whether it's faster, the graphics are better, or if it has more or less memory. As I pointed out at the top, a new computer should work. Full-stop.
I will say the Yoga 3 Pro starts up very quickly, much more like a tablet than a laptop and then the Windows 8.1 OS is what it is. I'm assuming by now, most PC users like me just pretend they use the ever-limited tile mode, but usually jump straight back into the more traditional Windows desktop at the earliest opportunity. It'll be interesting to see whether Microsoft has managed to reconcile this dual-personality aspect of its OS once Windows 10 is released in a few weeks time. That's not really anything to do with Lenovo's Yoga Pro 3 of course... except... well, this thing is so damn versatile I actually found myself switching between desktop and tile modes more than I usually would.
The 13.3inch screen is part of it - very hi-res and crystal-clear, at 3200 x 1800. This comes at a cost though, some of your old apps may need updating if you want them to display correctly.
The touch-screen abilities of the display worked very well, in fact so well, for the first time I've found myself using a combination of keyboard and screen pushes to operate a device. Touching the screen to place the cursor just seems more interactive than using the touchpad. This is where the lines between laptop and tablet really start to blur.
Now let's say you want to play a game controlled by swiping the screen; no use leaving the device set up as a conventional laptop, it'll eventually just tip over backwards. This is where Stand mode comes in; you simply flip the physical keyboard away underneath and it becomes a very stable support for your next game of Minion Rush... or whatever. Doesn't have to be Minion Rush. I'm just using that as an example. It's not like I'm just sitting here playing Minion Rush for hours on end. Right?
Anyway...
The other thing the Yoga Pro 3 excels at is video. A great screen means a great viewing experience and Stand mode is a good option for this too, although what if you haven't got enough flat space available to accommodate the "stand" (ie, the folded-under keyboard half of the laptop)?
All you really need is the space for the Yoga Pro 3's two skinny edges. Yes, simply fold this thing into a "Tent" and you'll be able to plonk it down just about anywhere, the display automatically flipping the right way up of course.
Whichever of its 4 profiles you decide to use, the Yoga 3 Pro magically figures it out, providing an on-screen keyboard whenever required. You'd be hard-pushed to find another machine on the market as versatile as this.
It's not perfect of course. I wouldn't recommend this device if the majority of your use will be tablet based, as the touch screen is not as responsive as other tablets I have used but the major downfall here is battery life.
The Yoga 3 Pro takes several hours to charge and even at 100 percent is unlikely to last out a working day. Mysteriously, the Lenovo website states you'll get up to 9 hours usage from a full battery, but I never came anywhere near that, experiencing significant drain even when the device was turned off. Of course, this is not unusual - I don't think I've ever come a across a single electronics manufacturer whose battery life claims resembled anything like reality. Whatever happened to under-promising and over delivering?
This battery issue is a shame, because it nullifies the portability of such a slim device if you have to take a charger with you everywhere you go. Other than that, the Yoga 3 Pro has a surprisingly solid feel to it, in spite of its skinniness, probably due in large part to the unique hinge design. No matter which of the 4 profiles I used, the screen stayed firmly in the position I wanted it to.
If I had one other minor niggle, it's the combined mic/headphone port. I get why they have these on something as small as a phone, but it's annoying not to be able to plug in a separate mic and headphones into an actual computer, no matter what size it is.
On the bright side, I found the physical keyboard very user friendly and when I set the facial recognition lock, the on-board webcam knew it was me every time.
Admittedly, you'll be paying a premium for this device, but if the kind of versatility I've described is what you're after, the Yoga 3 Pro may be well worth the investment.
Click here for more on the Lenovo Pro 3
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