CNET Editors' Take
September 5, 2013 4:41 AM PDT
A new idea, and new product series, from Lenovo shows just how tightly tied the company has become to the flipping and folding action of the popular Yoga line of laptops.
The IdeaPad Flex line, available in 14-inch and 15-inch versions don't fold all the way back into a tablet like the Yoga does. This is more of a laptop with some extra flexibility, bending its screen back by 300 degrees to allow for what we've been calling a kiosk mode, with the screen pointing out from the rear of the laptop, away from the keyboard and touch pad.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Why would you want a kiosk mode in a laptop? We've seen this feature on the Yoga line, Dell's XPS 12, and a few detachable hybrids. It's good for presenting a photo slideshow or PowerPoint, or for viewing videos, giving the screen extra visual impact by hiding the keyboard and the rest of the laptop body from sight. It's also good for Webcam chats via Skype or another app.
A pair of heavy-duty rubber bumpers keeps the screen from moving past the 300-degree mark, although psychologically you'll want to keep going until it's flat like the Yoga.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
CPUs will go up to Intel's fourth-gen Core i5, plus optional Nvidia GeForce 740M graphics (in the 15-inch version), and up to a 1TB HDD.
In our brief hands-on time with the Flex 14, it felt like an interesting way to capitalize on the popularity of the Yoga in a more low-cost laptop. The construction isn't as high-end as Lenovo's more expensive laptops, but it starts at just $629, and should be available by the end of September.
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