Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 Review: Specs Of 14-inch Windows 8 Convertible Notebook Delivers Great Performance On A Budget, ‘Compelling Option For Consumers & Small Biz’

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 review: Specs of the IdeaPad Flex 14 may not have made it as iconic as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon or Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S, but the features of this notebook does offer great performance on value.

“The IdeaPad Flex 14 is a compelling option for consumers and small businesses that want a budget-priced, touch-capable Windows 8 notebook,” says PC World writer Yadena Arar. The 14-inch dual mode notebook begins at $449.

According to PCWorld's review, the Flex 14’s display pivots 300 degrees, thus enabling you to operate it in tent mode or lay it keyboard-down on your desk just like a typical laptop. The laptop/tablet hybrid has the Lenovo ThinkPad X1’s Carbon tapered form factor, except that it’s 0.85 inches at it’s thinnest edge, slightly more than the 0.7 inches in the Thinkpad. Comparing the two machines when it comes to cost and the Flex 14 is $500 less than the IdeaPad.

The Flex 14 is the type of machine that allows you to always keep in touch, thanks to an integrated 720p webcam, which captures decent video during Skype calls. The speakers also deliver good audio when not obstructed.

The Flex 14 has great battery life, lasting 7 hours and 38 minutes and because it has a removable battery, a spare can be handy. With an almost 8 hour battery life, it shows that the Flex 14 can be a workday laptop. In PCWorld’s test, it noted that the IdeaPad Flex 14’s Notebook Workbench score is at 278, about what’s usually expected for a notebook with these specs (it runs on Intel Core i5). It’s slightly lower though than the comparably equipped Dell XPS 12’s score.

The Flex 14’s hard drive can be limiting and the test unit from PCWorld, which only had 128GB SSD drive, requires you to be choosy when it comes to what type of apps and media library additions you’d like kept. The onboard Wi-Fi adapter in the Flex 14 only supports 2.4GHz, a scenario which could slow down media streaming. Another downside is the disappearance of the signature red pointing stick, requiring you to only have the touchpad when you’re not tapping and swapping the multitouch-enabled display.

In terms of look, the Flex 14 has a sleek black soft-touch case, which PCWorld says enables the Flex 14 to make a good first impression. It also has 2 USB 2.0 ports, but only one USB 3.0 port, HDMI out, an SD/MMC card slot, a headset jack and 10/100 ethernet.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 proves enough value for its price. Though it’s not mean to wow or amaze, it’s a utilitarian unit that can go a decent way in terms of its use.