Lenovo ThinkPad Twist S230u-33474HU
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Price comparison
Average of 14 scores (from 17 reviews)
Reviews for the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist S230u-33474HU
Windows 8 with a twist. Lenovo’s unique ThinkPad Twist adopts the x-series’ design of a swivel-mounted screen alongside all the obligatory ThinkPad traits. But can it fulfill its intended role as a practical next-gen alternative to a conventional business notebook?
Source: Ubergizmo English Archive.org version
One of the few things I wish was different in the ThinkPad Twist was its display. I felt that it didn’t impress enough with its screen size and its brightness as it was difficult to use when in direct sunlight. Its 12.5-inch display felt small, especially when the Twist features such a large bezel for its screen. Hopefully Lenovo might want to consider equipping a future Twist with a better screen.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/11/2013
Source: Comp Reviews Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist Basic uses a well tested design for its Windows 8 convertible that works extremely well as a laptop thanks to its great keyboard and very adjustable screen. It also is surprisingly affordable for a business class touchscreen system. The problem is that its running time is far too short and it is very heavy to be used as a tablet.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 03/08/2013
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: PC Pro Archive.org version
Apart from an excellent display and generous connectivity, then, the ThinkPad Twist provides little in the way of excitement. The pricier £999 model, which adds 3G and a speedier SSD, makes the Twist more viable for businesses, but it’s still no award-winner.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/11/2013
Rating: Total score: 67% price: 67% performance: 67% features: 67% workmanship: 67%
Source: It Pro Archive.org version
Lenovo combines tablet and laptop for its first hybrid ThinkPad - does the Twist offer the best of both worlds for businesses? Lenovo has joined the Windows 8 party with the Twist, a ThinkPad that uses the traditional hinged method to switch between its laptop and tablet modes, and it's a good piece of design - but, while the usual ThinkPad visuals are in place, build quality isn't quite up to scratch.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/14/2013
Rating: Total score: 67%
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
The snazzily named ThinkPad Twist S230U is a generally great little Windows 8 touch-enabled convertible Ultrabook in a tried and proven swivel form factor, surprisingly let down by minor build quality niggles and poor battery life, while we also miss a Wacom stylus with digitizer option. Otherwise it offers good connectivity including 3G, flexible specs, nice ergonomics and excellent usability. If you can live with the Twist’s foibles, its relatively low starting price makes it an attractive option.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/04/2013
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 80% performance: 80% features: 90% display: 80% mobility: 40% workmanship: 70%
Source: Notebooks.com Archive.org version
The ThinkPad Twist is a well designed Ultrabook Convertible for the business world with a great typing experience and offers more value to business users than the Surface RT, especially for businesses that need to run legacy apps on a device that pulls double duty as a tablet and a notebook. While the ThinkPad Twist is more unwieldy than an iPad, it does offer more in out of the box productivity for businesses.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 01/02/2013
Source: Mobile Tech Review Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist has relatively little competition in the convertible Windows 8 touchscreen camp. In fact, Lenovo's own IdeaPad Yoga 13 may be its biggest competitor. Even in a more populated field, we can see why the Twist has sold so well since it came out: the price is very reasonable, the laptop offers capable performance, a sharp and bright IPS display, a fantastic keyboard and Lenovo's usual sturdy build quality.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/30/2012
Rating: Total score: 75%
Source: PC Perspective Archive.org version
There were a few areas of concern with the Twist, even after the stellar user experience I had with the device. After initial inspection, it seemed an odd design choice on Lenovo's part to not allow user accessibility to the system memory or battery. Memory and hard drive upgrades are one of the easiest ways to increase a laptop's performance, so not being able to easily access the system memory for an upgrade could affect the long-term viability of the product. I also had issues with the placement of the USB ports, one on each side of the ultrabook. If you want to use a device that requires two connections, one for power and one for data transmission, then you will need to have some type of USB extension for one of the cables.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 12/21/2012
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
What's old is new again with Lenovo's ThinkPad Twist. The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist sports an old-school design that fits the new-school Windows 8 like a glove. It shines as the first Win 8 hybrid with a firm business focus, but the ultrabook's scanty battery life could turn off frequent travelers.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/14/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is a solid notebook that offers the performance and utility needed from a business notebook. The ability to easily switch between different modes in conjunction with the display's wide viewing angles makes the ThinkPad perfect for everything from casual web browsing to presenting information in a meeting. The device is also easy to transport thanks to its light and durable design.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/14/2012
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 60% performance: 50% features: 80% mobility: 80% workmanship: 80%
Source: ITNews Australia Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is a 12.5-inch ultrabook/tablet hybrid computer built specifically for Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is not particularly powerful when compared to other ultrabooks on the market and some aspects of the design feel underbaked. That said, this is a highly versatile Windows 8 laptop that will suit business users migrating to the new OS.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/13/2012
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
In summation, the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist excels at some things (keyboard, familiar layout, screen quality), yet is middling at others (battery life, weight, five-point touch). It lacks the ThinkPad X230t's included stylus and stylus support, so it's certainly not as capable as that Editors' Choice laptop. At this price point, the Editors' Choice for ultrabooks the Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 is still a better choice, since for the time being Windows 8 and it's touch functions aren't a must have for the small business. However, if you want to be ahead of the curve and start using Windows 8 for business or development, then the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist and its cousin the IdeaPad Yoga are decent choices. Try them both out at a big box store and see how they feel. Both have merits and drawbacks to their respective designs, but both work as clamshell laptops that can work part time as tablets.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/13/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
Although the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist has its flaws, it does what it's designed to do very well. That is, it's a fantastic business-oriented tablet-Ultrabook hybrid, and it's a great choice for a business user. The Twist's performance is a little on the low side for systems in its class, but it's nothing to be too concerned about. The twisty screen is particularly useful if you're working with someone and you want to quickly show them what's going on on your screen (assuming they're sitting on your left – the screen only twists one way). And of course, the spill-proof keyboard and mobile data option are great for traveling businesspeople. Don't get me wrong – the ThinkPad Twist has some issues, and it's not designed for entertainment. But if you're just looking for a business tablet-Ultrabook hybrid, then this laptop is definitely worth a look.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/12/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: PC World Archive.org version
Although the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist has its flaws, it does what it’s designed to do very well. That is, it’s a fantastic business-oriented tablet-Ultrabook hybrid, and it’s a great choice for a business user. Don’t get me wrong – the ThinkPad Twist has some issues, and it’s not designed for entertainment. But if you’re just looking for a business tablet-Ultrabook hybrid, then this laptop is definitely worth a look.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/10/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
We weren’t surprised to find that Lenovo’s new convertible is a good laptop. The company’s experience in this area has paid off with Microsoft’s move towards touchscreen devices. No other convertible on the market can match the value proposition of the Twist. The Twist is a great laptop, even when the convertible hinge is taken out of the equation.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/06/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: CNet Archive.org version
Long before the iPad, Galaxy Note, or Nook HD, a tablet was usually a Windows device that spent most of its time set up as a traditional clamshell laptop, but could also twist or swivel its display around to form a touch screen slate.Slightly less conservative-feeling than the average ThinkPad, the well-made ThinkPad Twist offers one of the better tablet modes from the first wave of Windows 8 convertibles.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/30/2012
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 80% mobility: 60%
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
At first glance, the ThinkPad Twist has a lot of things going for it: a luxurious soft-touch design, a keyboard with the best tactile feedback on the market, a colorful responsive touch screen and solid performance. However, we wouldn't recommend any ultraportable notebook that gets just four and a half hours of battery life and that goes double for a tablet, which is supposed to be used on the go.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/21/2012
Rating: Total score: 50%
Comment
Intel HD Graphics 4000: Processor graphics card in the high end Ivy Bridge models. Offers a different clock speed in the different CPU models (ULV to desktop quad core) and therefore a different performance.
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
3317U: Ivy-Bridge-based ULV-CPU in Q2 2012. Offers a core clock of 1.7 - 2.6 GHz and an HD 4000 GPU (350 - 1050 MHz). The TDP is rated at 17 W.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
12.50":
This range of display format is largely the upper limit for tablets and the lower limit for subnotebooks.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small in size and therefore easily portable. The tiny display has the added advantage of requiring little power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is exhausting for the eyes. High resolutions, which one is used to from a standard laptop, are almost not usable.
The same applies to tablets in this size range.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.
In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.
In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.
70.64%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.