A review from quite a while ago. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Review. I can confidently say this is the best thing I've bought in the last few years.
What is the IdeaPad Duet Chromebook?
This is a fairly old review. It is an older model, but honestly, there is no problem using it even today, and I actually think it is quite easy to use. This review is from a few years ago, but I have written it including how it holds up today (^^)
Although I have sold it now, I recently had the opportunity to touch ChromeOS again, such as by installing ChromeOS Flex on an old 2013 iMac, and I was personally excited about it, so I decided to publish this again (^^;)
To be precise, it doesn't feel like a PC, nor does it feel like a tablet; it is a 2-in-1 tablet PC, which is common. It is not Windows or Mac, but a computer running ChromeOS, which is still quite rare. It seems to have started being introduced as school equipment recently.
I opened it after it arrived, and both in appearance and feel, it is smaller than an iPad and comes with a keyboard.
Please check the page above for specs and details. I think there are many parts of a Chromebook that cannot be measured by specs alone, so it is better to use them only as a reference.
Now, as for the user experience, it is a PC when you attach the keyboard, and a tablet when you remove it. Its usability as a PC is completely that of a PC. It feels like you can also use it as a tablet when you detach the keyboard. Similar designs were sold for Windows before, but its basic rival would be the iPad.
Its rival is the iPad, but how is it in reality?
I wrote earlier that it can be used as a tablet, but when you think of tablets, you think of the iPad, right? So, how does it actually feel when you use it as a tablet?
The user experience runs solely on the Chrome browser.
You turn on the power, and in a few seconds, it boots up and the Chrome browser launches. That is it. Basic operations are completed entirely within the browser.
You can use Chrome extensions or install Android apps, and while I happily install them, they sometimes work and sometimes don't, so in the end, you end up mainly doing things that can be done in the browser.
Most things you can do with apps can also be done in the browser, so you stop feeling the need to launch apps.
I was surprised that the tablet mode has become so good!
When you detach the keyboard, it switches from PC mode to tablet mode. I don't feel much difference between the modes while using it. Since you can touch the screen even in PC mode, there is no sense of discomfort, and even after using it for several hours, the only difference from an iPad is the response speed of the taps or the difference in tap precision.
I used it for a few days thinking that, but the user experience was completely different from the Chromebook tablet I used before; the tap precision is much better, and the inertial scrolling is not the slippery feeling common in Android, but a natural scroll like an iPhone, which I found very favorable. It is a very natural scroll.
That said, you will be disappointed if you think of it as an Android tablet.
It is often mistaken, but a Chromebook is a PC that uses ChromeOS, and it is better to think of it as something different from the Android used in smartphones—similar but not the same.
Personally, that is about the only difference from an iPad, and the annoying part is that you cannot use flick input when typing in tablet mode. Flick input can be used on the iPad, so I hope it can be used on a Chromebook too.
You can actually use flick input on a Chromebook.
This can be solved by installing Google's Gboard.
Since current Chromebooks can use Android apps, you can install a keyboard app to do this, so I tried installing Gboard... but it doesn't automatically switch to that mode when you enter tablet mode, so I end up using the QWERTY keyboard anyway.
This flick input issue still exists today, so if this were solved, I think more people would switch from Android tablets and iPads.
Honestly, there are many mediocre Android tablets out there, so I wish Google would release a ChromeOS tablet.
The screen is very beautiful.
One thing I notice while using it is that the screen is very beautiful. I think the iPad's screen is also beautiful, but I feel the sharpness and natural colors of this screen are quite impressive.
If I really push it, I can display things so finely that they become too small for my aging eyes to see.
It looks especially good because it's a glossy screen. Non-glare screens have their merits, but considering general appeal, glossy screens are better. Well, I like both, though (^^)
By the way, glossy refers to a shiny screen, while non-glare refers to a matte screen. Professionals seem to prefer non-glare because there is less reflection and it's easier on the eyes, but for things like image editing, I feel like a glossy screen is better.
Sometimes the site display gets weird.
Other than that, since its basic positioning is that of a computer, even in tablet mode, most sites display the desktop version, which can make them easier to see, though it depends on the site.
A common occurrence is that when you open the Yahoo Japan homepage on an iPad, the entire desktop site is displayed, but in tablet mode, the right sidebar gets displayed.
Since that happens quite often, I deal with it by setting the Chrome browser zoom to 90%. Once you set it, it's remembered, so it stays at 90% even when you visit the site again.
This happens on other sites too, and I tried various things to figure out what to do, but one temporary solution is that if you disconnect the mouse, the full view is displayed. Basically, I don't use a mouse that often, so I don't think it's much of a problem.
Honestly, I felt, "It's surprisingly usable. I hope it's as good as or better than an iPad," but after using it for a few days, my thinking changed to "This is actually more convenient than using an iPad!".
Now, I even use this over my main machine, the iMac.
Since my usage is primarily computer-based, the IdeaPad Duet, which is as close to a computer as it gets, is perfect for how I use it.
Using a laptop at a computer desk feels natural, but using a laptop on the kotatsu in the living room is a bit of a hurdle. It's also a hassle to prepare a separate keyboard for an iPad... In that sense, this IdeaPad Duet is a 2-in-1, and at 10 inches, it's about the same size as an iPad. It can be used as a tablet primarily for desktop sites, and it doesn't feel out of place.
I usually carry it around with a mouse like this, but I use it like a tablet, and since I touch the screen even when using the keyboard, the frequency of mouse use is lower than I thought.
The battery lasts all day
One thing I found good while using it is that the battery life is excellent. It lasts for about 10 hours.
Being able to use it without worrying too much about the battery is a point where you won't feel any discomfort even when switching from an iPad.
By the way, on this day, I kept using the IdeaPad Duet from the moment I woke up in the morning. There were times I didn't use it, but by 6 PM, there was still plenty of battery left.
I think I had been using it for over 6 hours since the morning, yet about 70% remained. It feels a bit strange, but it's not a bad thing, so please just take it as a reference.
It's fine even if you fall asleep while watching YouTube in bed (^^)
Be careful, because this Chromebook tablet is fundamentally different from an iPad.
Actually, with iPad updates, it has become possible to use it almost like a PC. So, I tried using it like a PC with an external keyboard and mouse, but I realized that I just couldn't use it like a PC. At this stage, no matter what I do, it feels half-baked.
You'll understand once you try it, but no matter how much you try to use an iPad like a PC, it is fundamentally different from a PC. I can't explain it well if asked what the difference is, but I feel there is a part of it that it just never reaches.
No matter how much you have a mouse and keyboard and try to use it as a PC, it doesn't work as a PC, and it's more convenient to use as a tablet.
Basically, if you want to use an iPad in a PC-like way, I think it's better to recognize and use the iPad as a different kind of computer than a traditional PC.
In that sense, I had high hopes for this PC-tablet, the Chromebook tablet. I think the IdeaPad Duet works well as both a tablet and a PC for now.
It is often said that Chromebooks are weak at video editing or offline use, but...
As an aside, even if I'm asked what a Chromebook is and I explain it, I think it ultimately comes down to how it compares to Windows or Mac. Its position is very subtle, or perhaps exquisite, and it's hard to explain.
It would be great if I could explain it in one word, but even for me as a user, it's difficult to explain...
And even if I manage to break it down and explain it, I think it's hard to understand, and in the end, people tell me that you can't do anything offline or you can't do video editing. Well, I think, 'I guess that can't be helped,' but what I think is,
There's no way you could do video editing on a Windows or Mac for the 30,000 yen price of this Chromebook, right?
That's what I mean. You might find a used Windows PC for 30,000 yen, and the same goes for a Mac, but they wouldn't run well. With an iPad, you might barely be able to do it with iMovie.
However, times have changed and you can now edit videos online, so I think it has become possible to complete both image and video work on a Chromebook alone.
And regarding offline work, I think,You can't watch YouTube on any of them unless you're online anyway!is what I think.
Even if I wonder what kind of work is done offline, I don't do it myself so I don't know, but Google Office also supports offline work for Office-like tasks such as Word and Excel, and you can also take notes offline...
Well, I think all of this comes from the fact that the Chromebook's position is hard to understand. In any case, I think people who don't use one must have some anxieties about it.
Regarding this, it depends on how you use it and what you use it for, so I hope it suits you, but if you use a smartphone daily, I think it will suit you.
The Smart Lock feature linked with an Android smartphone is very convenient.
A small but convenient thing is that I recently switched my mobile phone to an Android smartphone, and when I unlock the smartphone, the Chromebook also unlocks.
Of course, you can do the same thing with an iPhone and an iMac, but since I have two Chromebooks, it makes unlocking them much easier.
In this day and age, fingerprint authentication and face authentication are more mainstream, but it feels like that hasn't quite reached this world yet.
Nowadays, there are Chromebooks equipped with fingerprint authentication, so times are progressing.
One surprisingly convenient thing is that you can use the Kindle app.
Since recent Chromebooks can use Android apps, I often install various apps, but some apps surprisingly don't work. Among them, there is something I find very disappointing, which is that
sometimes the Kindle app cannot be used.
However, since this IdeaPad Duet can use the Kindle app, you can view Kindle books as shown in the image below. You can also see manga in a two-page spread, which makes reading much more efficient (^^)
How is the comfort of the keyboard, which is the most important part?
To use it as a computer, the comfort of the keyboard is important. I'm not particularly picky, but some keyboards are flimsy and unusable, or just don't feel good to type on.
However, although the size of this IdeaPad Duet's keyboard is a bit small, the key travel is good and it has enough depth, making it surprisingly easy to use.
The problem with the keyboard is the narrowness of the keys
However, the problem with the keyboard is that the keys on the right side are cramped, making the return button hard to press, which leads to frequent typos. Especially since I don't use my pinky to hit keys like 'P' or '-', but rather my ring finger, I make quite a lot of mistakes.
Well, for these issues, you just have to get used to them, and I think you will get used to them as you use it. I don't want to be too particular about how things 'must' be, so I intend to take it easy.
The kickstand is thick and heavy
When using the keyboard, I use the kickstand to stand the tablet up, but honestly, I wish it could stand on its own like Microsoft's Surface. I suspect Microsoft might hold a patent for that kickstand attached to the device itself.
Recently, a similar tablet Chromebook has appeared from ASUS, and it has a similar kickstand. But for some reason, it's bulky...
It's fine to use the kickstand, but it's a bit heavy. It's about half the weight of the tablet itself, so I hope they can somehow make it lighter or release a thin, separate kickstand. There is something called MOFT that attaches to the device, so I'm thinking of using that as a substitute if I need to.
The speaker is a point of concern
One thing that bothers me a little is that the speakers on this IdeaPad Duet are located on the top. So, when watching videos like YouTube or Netflix, the sound is somehow hard to hear.
Because of that, when I want to focus on a video, I bend the kickstand firmly so that the speakers are on the bottom, which makes the speakers face the floor and reflect towards me, making the sound easier to hear. However, in that case, you have to remove the keyboard.
Well, it's a point of concern if you think about it, but it's not really a big deal (^^;)
For now, I am using it with quite a lot of satisfaction.
I am actually using it to write this article on the IdeaPad Duet, and there are no major problems. I am satisfied because I can treat it very much like a computer. The keyboard is just a matter of getting used to it.
By the way, I don't use Microsoft Office; I use Google services for everything.
I don't do anything professional, and while I can't say the compatibility is high, it's enough for me to get by.
Then there's the weight when taking it outside, and how easy it is to handle when using it at home.
I think it can be a wonderful companion, as it can be used lightly as a tablet just like an iPad.
I suppose I'll end up using them together since they both have their good points, but I hope to be able to use them selectively as needed.
I really didn't like the bulky kickstand, so after a few months, I gave in to temptation and bought a MOFT X tablet stand.
My complaint after using it for a few months regarding the stand was that it was bulky and heavy. So, as I wrote above, I bought a tablet stand called the MOFT X.
It arrived, and I installed it right away. That said, it's as simple as peeling off the adhesive sticker and sticking it on while aligning it with the device. You can re-stick it, so try to find the best position.
My recommended way to attach it is, well, I think the most standard way is to attach it aligned with the back of the device, but if possible, I recommend setting the stand up and then bringing the device to it to attach it.
The reason I recommend such a troublesome way of attaching it is that when I first attached it, I stuck it on a bit crooked. Well, I thought it was fine, but when I folded the stand and stood it up, one side of the device lifted off the surface.
Even so, it was only about 1 millimeter, so I used it without worrying about it, but as I kept using it, the wobbling bothered me, so I re-attached it as I wrote above. Now it's stable, and I'm satisfied using it.
This is how it looks when it's firmly attached and in use.
This is its most stable state. It doesn't wobble and is quite stable, so it doesn't move even when I use the touch screen. When I operate the keyboard, the device moves slightly, but it's completely stable, and I think the keyboard is happy too (^^)
And this is it in portrait mode. I use it with touch controls while eating at the table. Of course, the keyboard is detached, but just like in landscape mode, it's stable and there's no chance of it falling over from minor things. You can also stand it on the other side, but it's stable then too, and there's less reflection, making it easy to see.
I don't feel any issues while using it; it's just comfortable.
You can choose from three angles even in landscape mode.
Looking at the photos, they look the same, but that's just a matter of how the photos were taken; they are actually quite different. I forget the exact angles... but it seems you can choose from three angles in both portrait and landscape modes, with landscape being "60, 40, and 30 degrees" and portrait being "60, 45, and 25 degrees."
Each one looks quite different, so I think every user will be able to find their best way to use it.
It has fewer angle adjustments than the kickstand, but the thickness and weight are better, so it was a good purchase.
Thanks to this MOFT X tablet stand, the thickness and weight of the kickstand that I felt while using it have been resolved, and carrying it around has become easier. Regarding angle adjustment, the kickstand could do more, but as I use it, I can adjust it to the same angle every time, and I don't feel any major issues.
As a result, I feel like I made a good purchase, and I plan to use this when I buy other tablets or smartphones. It's that convenient, so I could recommend it to anyone (^^)