Lenovo IdeaPad Miix review

Of the multifarious form factors we’ve seen from Windows 8 devices over the past year or so, none has come as close to [A HREF =”http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/tablets/379795/microsoft-surface-rt”]the Microsoft Surface[/A] blueprint as the Lenovo Miix 10. Given that the Miix is £350 cheaper than the cheapest Surface Pro, does this make it an irresistible bargain?

The Miix is certainly less stylish than the Surface. Instead of a kickstand that emerges from the back of the tablet, the Miix comes with a plastic keyboard case. That may sound like a compromise but we found it a much more practical solution than Microsoft’s kickstand and keyboard cover combo. For one, you can use it on your lap, unlike the Surface, whose Type Cover keyboard flexes under your fingers, rendering some keys inoperable. The Surface is a good inch or so deeper in laptop mode, making the Miix more suitable for use in confined spaces such as aeroplane seat trays or train tables.

The Miix is also much lighter and slimmer. When popped out of the keyboard case – a process that involves a little more wrestling with stiff plastic clips than we’d like – it weighs a mere 574g, only 60% of the weight of the Surface Pro. That makes it more comfortable to hold as a tablet, and its rounded edges don’t dig into your fingers like the Surface’s. The weight and size difference is negligible with keyboards attached, however, although the Miix is 100g lighter at a shade over a kilogram.

The Miix’s keyboard is perfectly adequate for a mobile device. The keys are fairly lightweight but offer sufficient travel, and they’re well spaced. There’s one enormous fly in the ointment, though: the absence of a trackpad or trackpoint. That’s not a serious concern in Metro apps, which are designed for touchscreen use, but trying to navigate the Windows desktop on the Miix’s 10.1in screen without a trackpad or stylus is like trying to drive a tractor across a tightrope. And don’t think you’ll simply be able to plug in a USB mouse when working – the only micro-USB port is completely inaccessible with the keyboard case clipped in place. A Bluetooth mouse is your only salvation.

Specs wise, the Miix doesn’t come close to the Surface Pro. It has a dual-core, 1.8GHz Atom Z2760 processor and 2GB of RAM, as opposed to the Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM lurking beneath the Surface’s metal shell. That’s reflected in our Real World Benchmarks, with a score of 0.2 suggesting this device is fine for mobile work and web browsing, but isn’t seriously in the running for day-to-day desktop use.

The screen is also comparatively second-best, but by no means poor. The 1,366 x 768 resolution is lower than the Full HD of the Surface Pro, although that isn’t a serious disadvantage on such a small screen.

Indeed, a lower resolution can actually prove advantageous for Windows desktop apps that haven’t been adapted for high-DPI displays. Colours are strong and the maximum brightness of 466cd/m[sup]2[/sup] is sufficient to make the tablet usable outdoors. The Miix’s display picks up greasy fingerprints with annoying ease, though.

The tablet’s speakers are surprisingly perky, delivering a respectable wallop of volume for a device that’s so slender. That said, there’s certainly some distortion with the Windows 8 volume cranked up to 100, and the rear speaker grill directs the sound away from the viewer, which isn’t particularly sensible.

Battery life has been the bête noire of Windows 8 tablets, but the Miix 10 lasted 11hrs 35mins before keeling over in our light usage battery test, which is testament to the Atom processor’s modest demands. It’s still blighted by the familiar Windows 8 tablet problem of running down even when in standby, but you’re unlikely to need the mobile-phone-sized charger with you on a day out.

So what to make of the Miix 10? It has several advantages over the Surface Pro, not least when it comes to paying off the credit card bill at the end of the month. The absence of a trackpad or stylus is a major oversight, and renders the Windows desktop near inoperable without outside assistance from a Bluetooth mouse, which adds to the weight and cost.

Yet we remain enamoured with Lenovo’s Miix 10. It’s a capable performer for work, and for sitting back on the sofa and keeping an eye on Twitter feeds, and it’s light enough for both purposes. It falls short of an award, but by a margin slimmer than its slender frame.

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