Convertible Ultrabook THE LENOVO IDEAPAD YOGA 13 UNIqUE 13” MULTI-MODE 360O FLIP DESIGN at Stores Across America
LENOVO IDEAPAD YOGA 13[/caption]LENOVO IDEAPAD YOGA 13 At Glance
Up to 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor
Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro
13.3" Ultrabook™ with an HD+, IPS display
Starting at 1.5Kgs
Up to 8 hours' battery lifelife
Up to 256GB SSD storage
Up to 8GB memory
LENOVO IDEAPAD YOGA 13 Overviews
The new transformer-like Ultrabook from Lenovo, the IdeaPad 13 dubbed the “Yoga,” appears to be an ultra-hot item in retail this season based on checks at several Best Buy stores where many of the latest Ultrabook devices are also on display.
The Yoga is a convertible, meaning it’s a full-fledged Ultrabook and tablet in one device. It is one of several new Ultrabook devices in stores now from such companies as Acer, Dell, Asus, HP, Samsung, and Sony. At Best Buy, one of the nation’s top technology retailers, the Yoga is doing backflips.
Andy Voung, a technology reporter at the Denver Post, said he had been searching for about 2 weeks before he finally saw one available at his nearby Best Buy store in Aurora, Colo. last week. “As soon as I saw it online I snatched it up,” Voung said. “And then when I went out to get it, it wasn’t there because some other lady had also ordered one, and I said, ‘Oh my God, they better not have given mine to her.’” As it turns out, Voung got his in-store that day, but the same store is now out of stock. In fact, a check of all Denver-area stores revealed only a single Yoga available.
It’s a similar scene elsewhere around the country. In Chicago, the Best Buy on Michigan Avenue had only one Yoga in stock, and according to a sales associate they were selling them as fast as they could get them.
“We can’t keep them in the store, we sell them as fast as they come in,” said sales associate Nathan Konieczko, adding that it is selling well because it’s not just a PC, “it’s also a tablet.”
In Skokie, Ill., it was the same story: none in stock, and sales associates said they were selling as many as they could get their hands on, which so far appears to be 3 to 4 units per store. Supplies may be limited and Lenovo indicated that demand has been stronger than forecast.
Lenovo Vice President David Bent said, “We are pleased early sales results have exceeded even our high expectations. The response from consumers has been positive.”
The Yoga looks a bit like traditional Lenovo IdeaPad laptops but the multi-touch screen flips backwards, folding into the keyboard to transform it into a touch-based tablet. It has 13.3-inch screen and is available with either an Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 processor and either a 128 GB SSD or 256 GB SSD. Most Best Buy stores had the Intel Core i5 version for $999.
Checks on store availability outside Chicagoland and Denver metro revealed a similar situation. In the heart of Silicon Valley, the Best Buy in San Jose had none in stock when asked. In the Seattle area, both the Bellevue and Issaquah Best Buy stores—the backyard of thousands of Microsoft employees—had none in stock. An associate in Bellevue said it was the most sought-after computer in the store right now. “It’s so popular it’s first come, first serve—we’re not doing waiting lists,” he said.
The situation was similar in Atlanta, Dallas, and Northern Virginia, where sales associates confirmed the Yoga was “flying off the shelves” and that in some cases they were only getting 3 to 4 replacements at a time. Many sell the same day the stock comes in.
One place where there does seem to be Yoga devices available is, surprisingly, New York City. Both the Union Square and Upper West Side Best Buy stores had at least 10 units in stock when called.
One of the reasons the Yoga may be selling well, in addition to its unique design, is that they have their own special end-cap display inside Best Buy stores. This allows them to stand out, even from nearby “Ultrabook Zones” sponsored in part by Intel.
Jeff Haydock, a spokesperson for Best Buy, said he couldn’t comment on the correlation of end cap- promoted products and actual sales, but he said there had been a lot of interest in the Yoga.
“We don’t comment on specific products, but I can tell you that it [the Lenovo Yoga] has been one of our best sellers from a Windows 8 perspective. There’s been a ton of interest. It’s a really cool form factor and product and it’s one you really need to see in person to understand what it can do for you.”
Haydock said they were working to increase inventory in time for the holidays. “We’re doing everything we can in terms of working with Lenovo to increase inventory in stores.”
Ultrabook products are offered in multiple models. Some models may not be available in your market. Consult your Ultrabook manufacturer. For more information and details, about Ultrabook Evolution.
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