My New Tech Toy- The Windows 8/Intel Lenovo Yoga Ultrabook

I splurged. Like for reals. And I needed it. I was sooo nervous about making this plunge, but NOW? I am sooo happy that I did.

Given my travel, visits to my sisters and mother’s house, and life in general, my old laptop was overdue for a replacement. It was heavy, slow, and frankly the weight is what killed it for me and that it ran way too hot for me. And oh, remember when I told you I like techie stuff?

So, I went to work Researching the latest Ultrabooks, what made it fancy, what the differences were- mind you this is quite overwhelming. I posted my concerns and frustrations on Facebook and received some fabulous advice from my techie brothers- literally. Thank you Bro in Law, Ricardo, Brotha Tech and Scott Hanselman and Chris Davis!

I was looking for a few things in particular and knew that this was going to be an investment. UGH. I hate spending big chunks of money and will look for the deal- ALWAYS. But in this case, my needs far outweighed the cost factor.

Here is what I wanted:

• An Ultrabook that had the capabilities to also be a tablet
• Great web cam capabilities
• Intel technology- basically an Ultrabook is Intel or Intel is an Ultrabook. Either way, I wanted an Intel
• LONG Battery Life
• Reputable brand
• Sexy style
• Windows (I was on the fence with Windows 8, but I was familiar when I tested out the windows phone!)
• Didn’t get too hot
• Great speed and memory
• And most importantly, it had to be lightweight

I perused PC Mag, Amazon, Best Buy, UberGizmo and a few other review sites for the best Ultrabooks… I narrowed it down to these three brands:

• Lenovo
• HP
• Toshiba

I have a HP desktop, my old laptop was a Toshiba, and I was curious and timid with Lenovo. SO again, I checked in with my tech brothers, and interestingly enough, they ALL recommended the Lenovo Yoga. So I went to work again, researching reviews, the specs, and the cost.

WHEW, the cost.

At right over $1000 for the style and type, I was SCARED.

Again, I do not like spending money like this, but it was a NEED not a want, so I had to make this work. *long exhale*

I made my way over to Best Buy and I was in great hands and I dug the fact that I had a woman helping me! Love meeting other techie girls! But I tested out the Yoga, I had made up my mind… sort of, I just needed make sure. Especially, if I am dropping anything over $500.

BUT I LOVE IT!

For the techies, Here are the specs:

• Dimensions: 13.1” x 8.9” x 0.67”
• Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Display: 13.3″IPS 1600 x 900 Touchscreen
• Processor: Intel Core i5 (Ivy Bridge) at 1.7GHz
• Storage: 128GB SSD
• Memory: 4GB
• Price: $1000

I made the splurge and I could not be happier. While I was hesitant of the new user interface with Windows 8, I am getting the hang of it and LOVE the touch feature. I am on the plane playing my newest addiction, Birzzle. It’s like Angry Birds and Bejeweled mixed into one game. I LOVE it. And when I am passing time, it is even better.

Why I love my Lenovo Yoga:

• Windows 8 reminds me of a smartphone, where you can add apps that you need in your life. It is kind of really cool. The only thing that drives me insane is the removal of the start button, where the start button is now the Windows 8 Homepage. I have been figuring it out, but that is the only frustration I have, but that is where Scott Hanselman is a G. He created this handy little Windows 8 User guide, so if you are confused, I suggest you get your life on that right there.
• For someone like me who travels, the tablet takes some getting used to especially because of the size, but hey, it fits into my satchel so I am happy.
• In terms of battery life, I am quite impressed especially compared to my older laptop. While in the airport waiting and traveling to London, over half of my 13 hour flight, I had fun. My laptop did power down once it ran out, but I enjoyed having a toy to play on and get work done with while flying.
• I like the types of apps that are coming. It is just like when Android got started with few options, but in desktop mode, I have access to all the things my heart desires- like Tweetdeck. But the ABC App? I can watch all my SCANDAL if I wanted too! YES. Weather, Chrome App, Mail, Address Book, I really dig these.

I could go on and on, but for the blogger like me, my Lenovo Yoga is my newest tech toy and I love it! No Buyer’s remorse here! Oh, and Best Buy rocks for their tech support in helping me get my life started here!

Do you use Ultrabooks? Are you looking for a new tech toy? Which laptop do you have? Let me know!