Review: Lenovo's ThinkPad Yoga 260 Offers Both Durability and Security

The ThinkPad Yoga 260, Lenovo’s ultramobile, ultraversatile notebook, turns out to be a surprisingly excellent choice for government users and IT managers alike.

The convertible Yoga has both strength and durability, combined with top-flight security and innovations such as an active stylus. Added security through a state- of-the-art fingerprint reader and all-day battery life make the workhorse Yoga 260 a solid choice.

Typically, as notebooks become thinner and more lightweight, they tend also to feel a bit flimsy — not so with the Yoga 260. This carbon-fiber hybrid is so rough and ready, in fact, that it passes 15 of the U.S. Defense Department’s MIL-SPEC tests for durability, altitude, vibration and temperature.

Added Flexibility 

The device runs the 64-bit Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, so it’s able to tackle legitimate business apps and fairly intense end-user demands. Bottom line: It’s not just a notebook with a clever design feature; it’s a productivity tool for the office and the road.

The Yoga 260’s powerful hinges let the user bend the notebook around — as its name implies — into a “tent” formation for collaboration, or all the way back to tablet mode.

In tablet mode, the raised keys sink into the backlit keyboard to prevent accidental typing.

A key to any fine Windows tablet is an active stylus, and Lenovo’s ThinkPad Pen Pro is one of the best. It slips into the right side of the device, where it automatically charges when not in use.

With 2,048 levels of pressure, the stylus feels very natural in the hand. If given just a little pressure, the pen delivers thick strokes that lessen as soon as the writer eases up on the stylus.

At 4.5 inches long and 0.37 inches in diameter, it feels like a narrow pen or pencil and lets the user “write” on the screen much like writing on paper.

Hardened for Security 

With any mobile device, security and battery life are key components.

The 260 employs the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which assists in platform integrity, whole-disk encryption (which is a staple these days) and password protection. The fingerprint reader, intended for agencies that want to deploy two-factor authentication, does not involve swiping a finger; it’s more of a press.

The finger press improves fingerprint reading, so users don’t have to swipe over and over again to get a good read. And it works seamlessly with Microsoft’s Windows Hello login.

Productivity Throughout the Day 

As for battery life, the replay of a high-definition NASA rocket launch video at 75 percent brightness lasted 8 hours, 35 minutes before the Yoga 260 shut down. In everyday use, the device worked for more than nine hours.

For an organization in which mobility matters, the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 260 offers a secure and flexible option that lets users easily maneuver between notebook and tablet modes.