ForbesOnTech

Lenovo Yoga 900 a Winner on Battery Life, Functionality and Price.

With universities shut down for the winter break, I asked a college instructor friend if he would be willing to swap 2-in-1 portables for a couple of days.My machine is a Microsoft Surface Book. with the optional NVidia graphics processors, his is a brand new Lenovo Yoga 900. I’ve been anxious to test the yoga 900 since they became widely available through retail late last month. I like the Lenovo’s yoga 900 $1,199 basic configuration: An 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor a 256GB SSD, 13.3- inch screen, 8GB of RAM in a rugged 2.8 pound package.

Yoga may have the best port expansion of any Windows 1, 2-in-1 portable.it has two USB Type A sockets, One USB Type C for video out, one USB 2.0 DC Power socket plus a card reader and audio combo jack I believe that,along with battery life, screen resolution is critical to the usability of any 2-in-1 hybrid notebook. the yoga’s QHD 3.200 by 1,800 pixel screen delivers bright colorful displays that can be viewed easily from different angles. I honestly prefer the Microsoft Surface Book’s 3,200 by 2,000 pixel screen which is a better fit for me when I use topographic or aerial maps as I trek through historic sites in CA’s Gold Country, or the gold fields in the Angeles National Forest here in Southern California. Battery life is very good,I routinely used the yogga 900 for about 8.5 hours between charges. Yoga’s battery life is one of its biggest selling points. In tablet mode,I had more than enough battery life to watch extended feature length movies, compared to about 3 hours of battery life for my Surface book in tablet mode. The yoga 900’s fit and finish is top shelf. to use Yoda in it tablet mode, you fold the screen over the system case. I have no concerns about the hinge used on this device, it’s very sturdy and smoothly transitions the screen from notebook to tablet mode. The compact case of this portable is very rugged.

i’ve always like Lenovo’s keyboards and was a first hand witness around 1995 through 2001 into how much research and usability testing this company puts into keyboard design.Yoga 900’s keyboard is slightly different than ones used on the company’s ThinkPad and other lines. It’s keys have a layer on their tops. Although I made numerous typos on this notebook, i’m handicapped and blame myself for the errors, not the Yoga’s keyboard. With pricing of $1,199, Yoga 900 costs half as much as a comparably configured Microsoft Surface book. The newest member of Lenovo’s Yoga family is built like a tank, has exceptional performance and is versatile enough to rise to any of the challenges 2-in-1 portables face in corporate deployment, academia or specialized uses away from office settings.--Jim Forbes on 1/25/2015

Choosing a New 2-in-1 Portable to Take Camping and use For Meeting Notetaking --Why I Bought a Microsoft Surface Book

Over the last six months I steadily reached the conclusion  that most of the tablet computers. I had acquired or reviewed didn’t pass muster.

Screen size and brightness  is an issue for me. I often tried and failed to use a tabltet in dimly lit lecture halls and conference rooms.

I'm an aging boomer so the ability to see information displayed on tablets with 10-inch or smaller screens became a factor in my growing impatience with the form factor.

But the experience hasn’t really changed my belief that tablets computing could become an important part of the IT and personal computing landscape.

Based on industry reports, I decided I would buy a new portable iby December. I begYan my search by looking at hybrids from Asus,Hewlett Packard Microsoft and Lenovo. my minimum requirements were 12 inch screen, current generation Intel processors, plus 8 GB of memory on the system board and the ability to upgrade SSD storage to 512 GB.T

My particular usage model requires battery life with minimal power conservation of eight hours. My passions are California and it’s gold rush history, and when I’m out camping I take my notebook, and use it to store digital photographs and digital content.At night, I’ve been known to watch a movie I’ve stored on my portable.

Any 2-in-1 portable I buy has to be rugged enough to survive being carried deep into the Sierra and San Gabriel mountains, so fit and finish plus durable construction were factors I used to  winnow my purchase  decision.

I have to fundamentally believe that the mechanicalS on any hybrid I buy will work as well next month as they do the day I unboxed the notebook.

There were a couple of platforms i thought could work. Microsoft’s Surface family was high on my list, as was a Lenovo Yoga family members. I’ve carried Lenovo computers longer than any other label and in nearly 20 years, I’ve never had one fail. plus I’ve successfully resuscitated various Thinkpads using the blue “heal thyself” button several times over the years (including once on a butt numbing flight from Tokyo to Dublin).

In the end I wrote a check to Microsoft for a shiny new Surface Book.Even though Lenovo’s Yoga 900 is less expensive and Microsoft is a relative newcomer, it was Surface Book’s construction and great performance that clinched the sale.--Jim Forbes on 16  November, 2015.

 

Standby, a New Standard for Hybrid Computers Appears, Microsoft's Surface Book

Microsoft’s new two-in-one hybrid SurfaceBook portable notebook could become a new  reference design that sets a high standard for this category of portables.

right off its sleek top there are numerous features that make Surface Book the platform to watch.

It’s 13,5-inch, detachable tablet screen is bright enough and has enough screen real estate and deep resolution to make the new Microsoft portable a great platform for any graphics intensive application.  Surface Book overcomes my objection with many of the large screen tablets--including Apple’s -- and most of the hybrids I’ve reviewed with its high resolution 3000x2000 pixel display.

The demonstration I saw of the $1,499 entry- level Surface highlighted its graphics and processing power.

The basic configuration of the new two-in-one hybrid includes a 128GB SSD, 8GB of system memory and a Intel i5 processor. Compared to hybrids with smaller screens, Surface Book appears to be equipped to handle any task.

The design of Microsoft’s first-ever labeled computer, is first rate.It’s light, weighing just under 3.5 pounds and it has a remarkable fit and finish. without any protruding edges that could get snagged on a book bag or other carrying case. The case of the SurfaceBook is made of magnesium, which will help hold up to rough service

Any hybrid portable user who has to live with their machines extended periods will appreciate mechanical features like its hinge, screen tablet release mechanism and keyboard.

The keyboard is easy to use for extended periods and, unlike those used on most other two-in-one notebooks (except Lenovo’s Yoga) feels crisp. a stylus ships standard with the Surface Book.

Worried about battery life on a long haul flights? Don’t give it a second thought. Microsoft claims  Surface Book's  battery life is 12 hours even when running battery vampire applications such as playing videos.

It’s more likely someone would tire using this computer before its battery drained.

Microsoft SurfaceBook is a great demonstration of this pioneering company’s to marshal  all of its assets (applications, design usability, plus research and development) behind a single project.

One of the effects of  this cooperation is that Surface Book comes standard with a trial  to MicrosoftOffice subscription and Microsoft's video editing application

The net effect here is a product that excels as a big screen tablet and notebook computer.

Priced at $1,499, SurfaceBook is more expensive than other two-in-ones, but it may be the standard that becomes a reference design for this form factor in the years ahead.

As  for me,I know two things:1, I want to spend a couple of days testing this platform to make sure it’s ship shape and squared away and 2, I'm pretty sure I’ve dropped enough hints to the Powers That Be to make sure they know what I want for my upcoming birthday and Christmas.  

I’m anxiously awaiting an opportunity this week at a conference to be able to play with a Surface Book for several hours.My hopes are up--Jim Forbes on November 1, 2015.

 

 

 

PBS Sets High Technology User Standard on Genealogy Roadshow

Apple may be the beneficiary of the best ever use of products on any broadcast television series.

DOn’t believe me? Turn your television on to a local PBS station on Tuesday nights and pay attention to a series called “Genealogy Roadshow.”

This PBS show about finding your roots and using publicly available and restricted documents to research ancestors features genealogists equipped with iPads and Macbook Air portables. If you watch it, pay close attention to the cast’s carefully styled and executed  pinches, expands and swipe gestures

Staffers at Apple’s company stores couldn't do a better job of showing off Apple's gesture technologies than the hosts of PBS’ Genealogy Roadshow.

Apple doesn't sponsor this show, and one of its producers confirmed what I noticed, Apple logos on tablets an notebooks used in the show are obscured.

TV Product placement for technology companies can be as difficult and  expensive. It’s definitely not something that MBA candidates learn on graduate schools’  cookie cutter entrepreneurial tracks. Getting a product visibly used on a TV show is much more complex than a VP of marketing or product manager calling an associate producer or Production Designer (who are in charge of setting up shooting locations) in Century City or Hollywood. Genealogy Roadshow is not sponsored by Apple, but it should be. I've never ever seen any television show highlight  technologies like this PBS series does tablet, display and portable computing technologies.

Product placement negotiations take time, and technology companies trying to get their technologies spotlighted may not understand the value of real estate on a theatrical or other set.

The best possible scenario appears to be what's happening on this series. producers. directors and other professionals use Apple hardware to seek out and explain family history to the show's guests.

In general, the specialized knowledge associated with product placements isn't part of the Silicon Valley marketing playbooks. That knowledge is found in Los Angeles and is costly. but in this case it appears that apple didn't pay anything to have its technologies used on the show.  Which is a huge coup for grandfather personal computer maker

there are two approaches that have been employed in product placement: Apple shows its current technology in appropriate settings: Microsoft, on the other hand, highlights mostly coming technologies in a way that captures the audience’s attention 

For an example compare Apple’s products on genealogy Roadshow with Microsoft's transparent display technology on CSI and Hawaii 5-0.

Today, Silicon Valley’s 5000-pound gorilla, Google, isn't engaged in this. but it’s only a matter of time before Hollywood jumps on the autonomous car bandwagon.

There are a lot of technologies that could be highlighted on PBS and commercial network shows. but the void  between “We need to do this” and getting it done may, for the moment, be completely missing from the skills found in Silicon Valley-- Jim Forbes, March 1, 2015

 

*** Note after receiving a comment on this post from a PBS Genealogy Roadshow staffer, I change d this postand its headline  to clarify that Apple does not supply hardware seen on TV.--jmf on 3/10/2015

 

Plant a Thousand Flowers And Let Them Bloom-- Intel's Flowering Ultrabook Spec

Intel’s ultrabook reference specification for lean portable computers has spawned a revival in portable computing.

Originally developed  to counter the initial popularity of Apple’s Mac Book Air, portable computer makers are now using the specification as a guide for portables with 14-inch, or larger, screens and other features not included in Intel’s reference design for 11 and 13-inch screen portables with long battery life.

The net effect of the popularity of ultrabooks has been increased sales of affordable portables and an initial willingness of laptop design teams to update the languishing convertible portable or factor.

Proof of this includes Lenovo’s stunning Yoga or Asus’ Transformer product lines, both of which are benchmark platforms for convertible computers.

 But the ultrabook spec has also produced beneficial side effects in peripheral devices. The cost of Solid State storage devices (SSDs), which reduce boot up times from scores of seconds to double digit, or lower, times have plummeted to the point where some outlets now offer 256GB SSDs in the $100 range. DDR memory modules are now so inexpensive that many ultrabook users can easily afford to equip their portables with 8GB or more memory, thusly improving the performance of any portable with Windows 8 or other touch interfaces.

Another great example of the ultrabook specification shaping the overall future of portable computers can be found in new select 15- and 17-inch portables that reduce the carry load of users without significant penalties in battery life or functionality.

Additionally, the price of portable computers has also been influenced by the Intel ultrabook spec. 
While some PC makers have used Apples MacBook Air as a price reference, Companies such as Acer and Asus established entry-level pricing well below $1,000 and appear to be using a similar pricing model for new conventional portables.

Look to the skies, Intel’s ultrabook spec is driving a new generation of rugged, high performance, inexpensive portables with long battery lives and extreme portability.—Jim
Forbes on July 27,1013

 

 

Plant a Thousand Flowers And Let Them Bloom-- Intel's Flowering Ultrabook Spec

Intel’s ultrabook reference specification for lean portable computers has spawned a revival in portable computing.

Originally developed  to counter the initial popularity of Apple’s Mac Book Air, portable computer makers are now using the specification as a guide for portables with 14-inch, or larger, screens and other features not included in Intel’s reference design for 11 and 13-inch screen portables with long battery life.

The net effect of the popularity of ultrabooks has been increased sales of affordable portables and an initial willingness of laptop design teams to update the languishing convertible portable or factor.

Proof of this includes Lenovo’s stunning Yoga or Asus’ Transformer product lines, both of which are benchmark platforms for convertible computers.

 

But the ultrabook spec has also produced beneficial side effects in peripheral devices. The cost of Solid State storage devices (SSDs), which reduce boot up times from scores of seconds to double digit, or lower, times have plummeted to the point where some outlets now offer 256GB SSDs in the $100 range. DDR memory modules are now so inexpensive that many ultrabook users can easily afford to equip their portables with 8GB or more memory, thusly improving the performance of any portable with Windows 8 or other touch interfaces.

Another great example of the ultrabook specification shaping the overall future of portable computers can be found in new select 15- and 17-inch portables that reduce the carry load of users without significant penalties in battery life or functionality.

Additionally, the price of portable computers has also been influenced by the Intel ultrabook spec. 
While some PC makers have used Apples MacBook Air as a price reference, Companies such as Acer and Asus established entry-level pricing well below $1,000 and appear to be using a similar pricing model for new conventional portables.

Look to the skies, Intel’s ultrabook spec is driving a new generation of rugged, high performance, inexpensive portables with long battery lives and extreme portability.—Jim
Forbes on July 27,1013

 

 

Apple's New IPad, incredible display-- But Emphasizing 4G connectivity Can be Dangerous

 

Apple computer is a driving force in consumer electronics. It also has the distinction of being the one technology company that often builds products for itself. Apple’s new third-generation iPad is a great example. Its upgraded screen and display technologies absolutely improve the lean-forward tablet computing experience.

I sreally hope Android and Windows 8 tablet computer makers will follow Apple in several key areas: 1) improved screen resolution, 2) overall performance, and 3) Integrated applications that match or best Apple’s iLife and iWorks software suite.

But there is an element of Apple’s 4G iPad platform that I think reveals a flaw in Apple’s strategy. The error is a belief that 4G support is critical. It’s not and here’s why. 4G isn’t available nationally (or even regionally here in CA). Moreover, 4G increases both the acquisition and lifetime costs of hardware. And the cost of adding 4G to a device comes at a time when tablet makers understand that the tablet market is price sensitive and consumers are looking for bargains.

Carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and others want business professionals to adopt 4G connectivity en masse. But data plans are expensive, and in many cases the amount of 4G data you can send or receive is capped.

The cost of equipping mobile professionals is not insignificant, and I’m sure that Apple’s execs and marketing execs do not pay their cell phone bills with personal checks. I am not an absolute 4G opponent. My complaint is the disconnect between product designers and marketing executives that filters out the increased cost of the feature

To be completely honest, one of the best portable computing experiences I’ve had was a Lenovo X60 with an integrated cell modem, writing and filing a story from a hilltop above Fuller Lake CA with a line of sight view to a Verizon cell tower. Although I was able to maintain a connection with enough bandwidth to download graphics the connection wasn’t fast enough to watch YouTube videos.

Frankly watching a movie on a 4G connection is troublesome. Long pauses for buffering make me realize the value of solid 802.11 n wireless connections. Pauses in data streams interfere with the lean-forward experience. But a new iPad is here. I was interested enough in it today to wait 20 minutes to play with it. It’s well built and its display is a genuine “wow!” I like its USB port and solid construction. But what I really admire is Apple’s software upgrades. In fact, I admire that so much, I wish all tablet makers would copy the experience.

Has Apple ever built products for itself before? You bet it has. The original Macintosh and Macintosh Plus as well as Apple Newton (Gulp!) are part of that legacy.—Jim Forbes on 03/12/2012

Fujitsu LIfeBook T 731 Convertible-- Rugged Construction and a SensitiveTouch Screen

 

Portable computers that marry touch screens to standard notebook technology have come a long way over the last eight years. Called “convertible” notebooks, these machines have become mainstays in  the design, engineering and other technical categories as well as others who use  forms-based documents.

Fujitsu is among the PC makers who have a long history in convertible notebooks and I wanted to review a specific new model – the Fujitsu Lifebook Model 730. Over the last several years, I’ve reviewed several convertible PCs and been somewhat disappointed by various machines. My problem has always been, PC makers have been slow to realize a fundamental fact about this category of portables; touch screens have to be responsive enough to respond equally well to stylus or fingertip input.

I was not disappointed by the Fujitsu Lifebook 731’s 12.1 inch screen.

The unit supplied to me for this review was a Model T731, which included a 320GB hard disk drive, an Intel i5 2.3GHZ processor, 4GB of system memory DVD drive in an option bay and a 2MPixel video camera built into the display case. The Lifebook 731 family has integrated 802.11 (a,b, g and n) capable wireless networking and an Gigabit Ethernet connector as well as HDMI, VGA , audio, plus three USB ports and one firewire connector. The operating system is Windows 7 Professional. The price of the unit supplied for this review is $1,549.

Like most convertible notebooks, the Lifebook T731 isn’t an ultrabook; it measures11.7 by 9.2 by 1.5 inches and the entry version of this family adds four pounds to your carry load. This notebook’s case is sturdy enough that you won’t worry about it being damaged in the field and its construction is rock solid. I was somewhat baffled by a single design element of this notebook. The system case slightly overlaps the display case, a very unimportant issue, since the Lifebook T731’s rock solid construction and well above average performance are what matters most in this class of notebook.

I like this system’s 84-key keyboard, which reminded me of those used in earlier Toshiba portables. There is enough tactile feedback on the keys to reinforce my comfort with keyboard data entry and its touchpad required almost no tweaking to accommodate my heavy handed, wandering fingers typing. The touchpad paddle keys were easy to use and the touchpad supports multi-directional scrolling— a “must” in any touch screen portable.

The 12.1--inch screen on the T731 is very responsive, which answers my biggest complaints about the two previous generations of convertibles. The screen’s performance is greatly enhanced by this system’s multicore processor and its integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics chip. A stylus is included with this system and I like that it fits securely in a socket on the front right hand side of the system case, thus reducing the possibility that I will lose it within the first month.

One of the things that sets the Lifebook T731 apart from other convertibles is the sensitivity of the screen. You absolutely do not need to punch this screen to get to any place on the display. A simple light touch with the stylus or your fingertip works just fine. And it supports multi touch control so you can twist and twirl images to you  hearts content, without waiting eons, parsecs or arduous minutes for screen redraws.

Battery life in my field testing of this unit averaged 6.5 hours.

I like the options for the Lifebook T731. It’s available with hard disk configurations with up to 500 GB, and it can be socketed with as much as 8GB of memory. My recommendation: if you’re using large digital files such as maps or GIS data, go with the optional large SATA  hard disk and max out the memory. If you need to work away from a power source, I’d also recommend the optional extra battery which increases the unplugged power  up to about nine hours.

Overall, the Fujitsu Lifebook T731 exceeded my expectations. It’s construction is tough enough to survive roughing it in true field settings and its touch screen is quite remarkable when compared to previous generations of convertible computers. Comparing a convertible notebook to current thin and lights isn’t appropriate. Convertibles are specialized machines that use specific components that most often aren’t power misers. The $1,549 price tag might seem very high to some users, but the functionality, solid construction and basic performance of the Fujitsu Lifebook T731 combine to make it the convertible notebook I recommend.—Jim Forbes on January 2, 2012.

After looking at IPad and work alikes-- I Decide to go Back to Convertible Notebooks

Selecting the right tools to stuff in my backpack to begin field research for the story I want to write has forced me to look at what I really need to carry and what I can leave stashed in my Kia Hamster van as I trudge CA River banks looking for prospectors. Originally, I thought I’d be able to use an i-Pad like slate computer in the field. But after using a friend’s iPad and portable keyboard for a several days, I realize I was seriously mistaken.

Because of their compact size, I had come to the conclusion a slate computer would be ideal. But two things happened that changed my mind. The first: I tried perching the keyboard on an somewhat uneven surface to type notes and ended up typing gibberish. Secondly, the note taking software on the iPad just isn’t a good fit for what I need to do in the field( a problem compounded by the fact that my favorite note taking software runs locally).

I may still buy a slate computer, but it’s unlikely I’ll use it in remote settings for anything other than displaying passive information or entertainment information.

But stuffing my back pack for the first of several forthcoming trips to the American, Bear and Yuba River drainages has forced me to re examine one of my favorite classes of portables, ultra compact notebooks with touch screens that fold over integrated keyboards.

Convertibles have made giant leaps in battery and graphics performance in the last two years. More importantly, they offer what I really need to accomplish my task of field reporting.

At the top of my list are, a useable keyboard. battery life and durability, both of which are now par with other subcompacts--six hours is very common today.

What’s really forcing me though to go with a convertible over a slate, IPad or similar device is the simple fact that what I really need to record my field notes is a full featured computer, not a device that forces me to work around a closed design,

A convertible gives me access to the portable backup device containing digitized ,maps, PDF snd other files I’ll need in the field. Devices like the iPad and its competitors lack basic USB connectivity, thus denying the 450 GB of data I’ve accumulated so far.

But th e real tipping point in the slate v convertible equation is even more basic; the design of most convertible is close enough to a tablet to provide the same “lean forward” user experience.

And because of higher capacity storage in convertibles, I’ll be able to watch my favorites movies before I go to sleep at night, camping by the side of auriferous northern California streams and rivers, which are at the center of the story I want to tell.

For now, I’m going to pass on slate computers and jump back on the Convertible notebook band wagon. I need full function computing, a good screen, a comfortable keyboard, local storage and USB expandability.

And will the one pound difference in my back pack slow me down? I think not. It never did when I had to carry a 45-50 pound ruck when I spent those 13 months champion with my friends in the 1^st Marines.

For now my choices are an HP DTM2, a Lenovo IdeaPad S Series S10-3t, or a Fujitsu Lifebook PH530. So if you see an old reporter trudging down ta California stream or river with a fishing rod clipped to one side of a back pack and a gold pan strapped to the back, stop and say “Hi!” Don’t worry about the dog, Chihuahuas seldom bite through boots.--Jim Forbes on 03/16/2011.

　

Let the Derby Begin; Apple's iPad Thoroughbreds versus Google's Stable of Tablets.

 

 

For today Apple owns the tablet computing market, but a menacing horse is actively stalking the category with a product that won’t appear until later this year.

The stalking horse approaching Apple at a full gallop is Google and its Android 3.0 operating system.

At CES earlier this month you couldn’t escape tablet computer announcements, most of which were running on top of prerelease versions of Android 3.0.

The runaway winning hardware product announcement at CES was Motorola’s Xoom which on spec sheet claims alone—appears to set the bar for competition against Apple’s iPad. It’s based on a dual core processor and supports displays with resolutions as great as 1.280 by 800 pixels, In theory, the Xoom has the capability to earn fame as a top-flight media machine and Motorola is not a newcomer to consumer electronics, as evidenced by its recent Android-powered smart phone launches.

Apple has a well deserved reputation as a hard charging sprinter It also has an enviable handicap of being able to rely on grandstand sized crowds of brand loyal buyers. But, the sheer size of the projected tablet computer market ( predicted by some of the more reliable analyst firms to be in the scores of millions of units) can work against Apple because of some of its “Here’s What We KnowYou Need” industrial design and other traditions.

Google, on the other hand, is in the tablet computing market as an operating system vendor and is hardware agnostic. Furthermore, Google’s Android team is headed by one of the most experienced smart phone designers, Andy Rubin, a former Apple manager.

Although Google hasn’t faired well in consumer-related plays, its strategy to capture market using a platform play gives it a huge backfield to overtake and leave Apple and its iPad mired in the mud.

And Google’s Android has the legs to open daylight between its licensees and Apple.

Although the starters are faunching at their bits in the tablet PC starting gate, the bell won’t sound for several months, by which time Apple could be ready place its second generation thoroughbred iPad in this huge claiming race.

I’m not about to place the proceeds of a home equity loan on the results of a race between an Apple thoroughbred and a field of mudders, but I’m looking forward to the derby.—Jim Forbes on 01/20/2011/