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Even though the benchmark numbers seem low, performance from the Yoga Tablet 2 is surprisingly snappy for general computing tasks. However, you won't want to play graphics-intensive games or do processor-stressing tasks, like Photoshop or video editing, on this tablet.
Unfortunately, I ran into many issues installing 3DMark, and Fire Strike is simply incompatible with this slate's quad-core Intel Atom (Bay Trail) processor. Worse off, I wasn't able to install Maxon's Cinebench to measure CPU and GPU performance, as the tool was designed for 64-bit systems. The Yoga Tablet 2 with Windows was loaded with a 32-bit version of Windows 8, and sadly, Lenovo does not offer the tablet with a 64-bit version of the OS.
Benchmarks
- 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 1259; Sky Driver: 483; Fire Strike: N/A
- PCMark 8 Home Test: 1,020
- PCMark Battery Life: 6 hours and 1 minute
- Cinebench: N/A
In observed performance, compared to Intel's more powerful Core series of processors, you won't notice any difference in surfing the web, streaming YouTube videos or opening the occasional Microsoft Word document or Excel spreadsheet.
If your life is in Google Apps and you play in the clouds of Netflix, Pandora, and Amazon, the Yoga Tablet 2 does a great job displaying photos and videos on its vibrant display. Audio from videos sound rich on the tablet's Dolby-tuned speakers, but don't expect the volume to fill a room.
Another issue that professional users will encounter is the limited amount of storage space on the tablet. Available in a single configuration with 32GB of space, the Yoga Tablet 2 with Windows shows only 19.4GB of free storage out of the box.
A micro SD card slot located behind the kickstand will alleviate some of your storage needs, but users who install a lot of applications will find that the available storage on the tablet will quickly disappear. Lenovo says the Yoga Tablet 2 supports up to 64GB micro SD cards, a 128GB card works fine in my test.
Battery life for the Yoga Tablet 2 is strong. Lenovo claims the 6,400mAh battery lasts up to 15 hours on a full charge. Using PCMark 8's home battery life test, the tablet recorded just over six hours. In real world use, I squeezed 12 hours and 45 minutes before the tablet powered itself off.
Bundled software
The Yoga Tablet 2 with Windows comes with minimal software installed. Aside from the standard pre-loaded Windows 8 apps from Microsoft, you'll find a one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365. There is also a Lenovo Yoga 2 demo app with videos highlighting some of the features of the slate for new users.
Aside from your Office 365 subscription, the most useful pre-loaded app on the tablet is the SHAREit app. The app allows you to share files between your tablet, a desktop PC or a smartphone.
You'll need to install the SHAREit app on your other companion devices to transfer files and share photos. Given that the tablet doesn't come with a USB port, unless you acquire a USB OTG cable, SHAREit comes in handy as you can't readily plug in a USB flash drive.
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