Why You Can Trust CNET Get a Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga convertible laptop for $379.99
Listing for $649 just a few months ago, this Windows RT-powered hybrid looks a lot more appealing at this price.
Windows RT: ugh, right?
It kind of depends. Windows RT on a laptop or tablet priced at $650 is definitely worthy of groans, but a hybrid priced at $380? That's something altogether different.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11.6-inch convertible laptop for $379.99 shipped, plus sales tax where applicable.
As you may recall, the Yoga made waves earlier this year as one of the first Windows RT hybrid systems, a laptop-style machine with a hinged touch-screen that can twist into a variety of configurations (hence the "Yoga" moniker). In fact, it can swing a full 360 degrees around behind the screen, effectively transmogrifying into a large tablet.
Neat, right? But at $649, the price tag back in March, most of us threw up into our mouths a little. Thankfully, as time marches on, overpriced (and underselling) products tend to see major cuts, at which point they're worth re-evaluating.
Obviously if you want a full-bore Windows 8 laptop, look elsewhere. Windows RT restricts you to the Metro (i.e., tiled) interface and whatever apps you can find to run there. The good news is that Microsoft Office 2013 is already among them (and it's bundled here), and at this point you can find most of the heavy-hitter apps (Evernote, Netflix, and so on) in the ol' app store.
I do recommend checking out CNET's review of the IdeaPad Yoga, which concluded with an overall 7.0 rating and found it "a great laptop alternative" -- but took issue with the bulk factor when using the Yoga as a tablet.
And the smattering of user reviews on Best Buy's product page average out to only 3.1 stars, though I suspect most of those buyers paid a higher price for the system. Ultimately, you'll have to decide if $379.99 is a good deal on a Windows RT-powered tablet with a built-in keyboard. Or a Windows RT-powered laptop that doubles as a tablet. Given that you could easily pay that much for a non-touch-screen laptop alone, I think it's worth some consideration.
Bonus deal: In case you missed it last time around, Silicon Power is once again offering the Rugged Armor A80 1TB portable hard drive for $74.99 shipped when you apply coupon code CNETA80X at checkout. As before, this code expires after a fixed number of purchases, so if you're interested, get a-clickin' in a hurry.
Bonus deal No. 2: Sony never gives anything away, and yet there's this: From now through Oct. 30, you can get DxO FilmPack 3 Essential Edition (Win) absolutely free. It's a photo-filtering program designed to add the look of "old film" to your digital snapshots. Original price: $79. Thanks to reader Eric for sharing this giveaway!
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