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IFA 2018 | Lenovo Yoga Book C930 uses a 1080p E-ink touchscreen for a keyboard because why not

Lenovo Yoga Book C930 comes with an impressive 1080p 10.8-inch E-ink touchscreen (Source: Lenovo)
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 comes with an impressive 1080p 10.8-inch E-ink touchscreen (Source: Lenovo)
Why use a boring ol' physical keyboard when you can use a 1080p E-ink touchscreen instead? The second generation Yoga Book is as unique as a netbook can get with its combination of a primary 10.8-inch 1600p IPS display and a secondary 10.8-inch 1080p E-ink display for a launch price of $999 USD.

It's been two years since the experimental Star Trek-inspired 10.1-inch Yoga Book and its unique full-size touchscreen keyboard. Lenovo has since been silent on a proper successor, but we can now expect the second generation Yoga Book to launch this year with an even bigger and crazier touchscreen keyboard.

Called the Yoga Book C930, the convertible ups the ante with a primary 10.8-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS touchscreen and a secondary 10.8-inch 1920 x 1080 E-ink touchscreen in place of the traditional keyboard. Imagine connecting together an Amazon Kindle e-Reader to a regular Windows tablet by a hinge and it will give you a good idea of what the Yoga Book C930 is all about.

The move to a haptic virtual E-ink keyboard instead of a tradition tactile keyboard allows for more versatile options not found on any other laptop. The E-ink keyboard can switch between different pre-set layouts and languages and its display can also be used to open PDF pages or e-Books for outdoor or bedroom reading. Special note-taking apps replace the awkward pen-and-paper approach on the original Yoga Book.

There are a few disadvantages to keep in mind. First, the passively-cooled Core m3 or i5 CPU must power both the primary 1600p IPS touchscreen and the secondary 1080p E-ink touchscreen at all times. The extra processing strain can be felt when changing settings on the E-ink screen as frame rates and responsiveness are both choppy and far from smooth. We're hopeful that the eventual retail SKUs will address some of these issues exhibited by these pre-production models on show.

Our table below summarizes the core differences between the 2016 Yoga Book and the upcoming 2018 Yoga Book C930. Expect the latest model to launch for $999 by this October. The system should not be confused with the Yoga C930.

2016 Yoga Book2018 Yoga Book C930
Displays10.1-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS touchscreen10.8-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS touchscreen
10.8-inch 1920 x 1080 E-ink touchscreen
CPUAtom x5-Z8550

Core i5-7Y54
Core m3-7Y30

GPUHD Graphics 400 (Braswell)HD Graphics 615
RAM4 GB LPDDR34 GB LPDDR3
Battery32 Wh35.8 Wh (8.6 hr advertised)
AudioStereoStereo Dolby Atmos
Wireless802.11ac dual-band802.11ac dual-band
Dimensions256.6 x 170.8 x 9.6 mm260.4 x 179.4 x 9.9 mm
ConnectivityMicro-USB, Micro-HDMI2x USB Type-C Gen 1
MSRPCurrently $549 at retail$999
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 (Source: Lenovo)
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 (Source: Lenovo)
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 will succeed the original 2016 Yoga Book
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 will succeed the original 2016 Yoga Book
1080p E-ink virtual keyboard
1080p E-ink virtual keyboard
SKUs overseas will have LTE options whereas the U.S. model will likely lack the feature
SKUs overseas will have LTE options whereas the U.S. model will likely lack the feature
New model is slightly thicker than the last generation model
New model is slightly thicker than the last generation model
Change the virtual keyboard between English, Japanese, Chinese, German, and more
Change the virtual keyboard between English, Japanese, Chinese, German, and more
The trackpad is virtual as well, though it unfortunately cannot be resized
The trackpad is virtual as well, though it unfortunately cannot be resized
Included WACOM active stylus with 4096 pressure levels
Included WACOM active stylus with 4096 pressure levels
Fingerprint-enabled Power button
Fingerprint-enabled Power button
Last generation Micro-USB charging has been dropped in favor of USB Type-C
Last generation Micro-USB charging has been dropped in favor of USB Type-C
Smooth and sleek matte finishing from top to bottom
Smooth and sleek matte finishing from top to bottom
Watchband hinge lives on in the Yoga Book C930
Watchband hinge lives on in the Yoga Book C930
Bezels are unfortunately thicker than expected
Bezels are unfortunately thicker than expected
Change E-ink settings directly on the touchscreen
Change E-ink settings directly on the touchscreen
Open any PDF file on the E-ink touchscreen. Unfortunately, drag-and-drop is not supported between the two independent displays
Open any PDF file on the E-ink touchscreen. Unfortunately, drag-and-drop is not supported between the two independent displays
No need for a dedicated E-ink e-reader when the new Windows Yoga Book can double as one
No need for a dedicated E-ink e-reader when the new Windows Yoga Book can double as one
Yoga Book C930 (top) vs. Yoga C930 (bottom)
Yoga Book C930 (top) vs. Yoga C930 (bottom)
Yoga Book C930 (top) vs. Yoga C930 (bottom)
Yoga Book C930 (top) vs. Yoga C930 (bottom)
Yoga Book C930 (top) vs. Yoga C930 (bottom)
Yoga Book C930 (top) vs. Yoga C930 (bottom)

Source(s)

Lenovo

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2018 07 > Lenovo Yoga Book C930 uses a 1080p E-ink touchscreen for a keyboard because why not
Allen Ngo, 2018-08-30 (Update: 2018-08-30)