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The iPad Pro vs. the competition: Super-size your tablet
Last year Apple embraced the mantra that "bigger is better" for the iPhone. Now it's done the same with the iPad line, in the form of a larger-screen 12.9-inch tablet. But Apple isn't the first to make a big tablet, and not even the first to call it "Pro." How does the iPad Pro compare to other large tablets, like the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and the Surface Pro 3? We've lined up the specs side by side so you can decide which one you'd rather hold in your lap while you work.
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro review: a high-end Ultrabook that's actually affordable
With enough time, even the best products start to feel stale. Take the original Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13: Thanks to a unique hinge that allowed the screen to fold all the way backward, it was the most versatile Windows 8 convertible on the market (and it had lots of competition, too). But as other PC makers started releasing newer Ultrabooks with sharper screens and longer battery life, it became harder and harder to recommend it. In fact, though we made a nod to the original Yoga in our last laptop buyer's guide, we basically told people to wait for a refresh. Turns out, that was wise advice. Lenovo recently started shipping the Yoga 2 Pro, and it brings a little more than just a fresh CPU. In addition to running new Haswell processors, it rocks a thinner and lighter design, a backlit keyboard and a 3,200 x 1,800 display -- a big step up from the 1,600 x 900 panel used in the last gen. And, given that this makes use of Intel's fourth-generation Core chips, it also promises longer battery life -- up to nine hours, according to Lenovo. One thing that hasn't really changed: the price. Even now that it has a crisper screen, it still starts at around $1,000, with a special promotion driving the starting price as low as $929. That sounds fantastic on paper, but what's it like to actually use?
Lenovo's convertible Yoga 2 Pro Ultrabook now available in the US, starts at $1,049
Many Ultrabook fans have pined for Lenovo's Yoga 2 Pro given its blend of a 3,200 x 1,800 display, long battery life and a slim profile. Those people can finally act on their impulses, as Lenovo has quietly started selling the 13-inch folding convertible. For the $1,049 base price, buyers get a silver gray variant with a Haswell-based 1.7GHz Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive. An orange model normally costs $1,399 (currently $1,149), although that also includes a 1.6GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Be sure to shop around before you pick up the new system, however. Best Buy is currently selling an entry-level Yoga 2 Pro for $1,000, and there's a chance you'll find similar bargains elsewhere.
Lenovo announces Yoga 2 Pro with 3,200 x 1,800 screen, slimmer design (update: video)
We think we can all agree the Lenovo Yoga has been long due for an upgrade: while every other flagship Ultrabook got refreshed with Haswell, the Yoga 13 stuck around with Ivy Bridge and a relatively low-res 1,600 x 900 display. It was getting so long in the tooth, in fact, that we almost didn't recommend it in our most recent laptop buyer's guide. Well, Lenovo's finally giving us the upgrade we've been asking for, and if specs are any indication, it might have actually been worth the wait. The new Yoga 2 takes a big step up to a 13-inch, 350-nit, 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen, putting it well ahead of its peers, most of which max out at 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. As you'd expect, this new model runs on fourth-gen Intel Core processors (all the way up to i7), with the battery life now rated at up to nine hours. The Yoga also adds Intel Wireless Display, in accordance with the current Ultrabook spec. Equally important: the new model measures 15.5mm thick (versus 17.1mm on the original) and sheds about half a pound so that it now weighs a little over 3 pounds (3.06, to be exact, or 1.39kg). And believe us when we say that half-pound makes a difference: chalk it up to muscle memory, but we could instantly feel the difference when we picked it up for the first time. We don't remember the original ever being this thin or light.
