Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook review

At $455 (about £291, AU$739), the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook is more than twice as expensive as many Chrome OS-powered laptops. And if you're comparing based on its hybrid features, the Yoga 11e is $100 more than the Lenovo N20p Chromebook.

Still, it's one of the few Chromebooks – if not the only – that is a true 2-in-1 laptop. Plus, the Yoga's ruggedized exterior will help it endure the wear and tear of classroom use.

We liked

The Yoga 11e is a fine Chromebook for the classroom. The notebook can take some serious abuse, thanks to its rubber edges, thick bezel and strengthened hinges. Furthermore, the fact that you can rotate the screen 360 degrees makes the Yoga an excellent teaching tool and visual aid.

The Yoga 11e also performs admirably as a productivity tool. The keyboard and touchpad are both excellent, and the 1366 x 768 touchscreen looks vivid. The speakers also deliver impressive audio for the price.

We disliked

Although the touchscreen is responsive, Chrome OS doesn't take full advantage of touch input. The browser buttons are small and sometimes difficult to touch accurately, and many websites haven't been optimized for touch. Overall, this reduces the utility of the Yoga 11e in any mode other than the standard.

The viewing angles could also be better, as could the battery life. My biggest complaint is the price, as the Yoga 11e is significantly more expensive than most Chromebooks. Adding a ruggedized exterior seemed to bump the price up another $100, which seems steep. (Keep mind that Lenovo likely strikes deals with school institutions that purchase these machines in bulk to dull the sticker shock.)

Final verdict

While expensive, the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook makes up for its relatively steep price with excellent, classroom-friendly features. Lenovo offers a truly rugged design, a flip screen that rotates a full 360 degrees, an excellent keyboard and touchpad, a bright and vivid touch screen and surprisingly good speakers.

Given the Yoga's steep price, however, I would have appreciated a longer battery life and an operating system that takes full advantage of the notebook's touchscreen. Some Windows 8-powered notebooks offer superior touch experiences for the same price or less.

Still, the Yoga 11e Chromebook should be on every teacher's shortlist. Its sturdy exterior, flippable screen and outstanding keyboard make it a great laptop for even the rowdiest of students.