Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2

          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.

Reviews:

The good: The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 is an excellent ultrabook, even without digging into its hybrid abilities. This new model adds a backlit keyboard and an impressive 3,200x1,800-pixel display, while keeping the price under $1,000.

The bad: Battery life lags behind that a couple of more expensive higher-res laptops, some of the hybrid modes are of dubious use, and Lenovo still doesn't know what to do with the keyboard in tablet mode.

The bottom line: A major update to our favorite Windows 8 hybrid, the IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro is still a better laptop than a tablet, but the new version adds a future-proof better-than-HD display at a great price.