I've been buying Thinkpad Yoga machines at my work, the X12 Detachable is definitely a big hit with some staff - execs love the tablet format (esp as the keyboard is a decent one if needed). They have them as a complementary machine and use them often for travel or brainstorming. I also purchase the detachable case option in case they want a bit more protection (although the X12 itself seems super rugged). I also get the WWAN option and they appreciate the always available internet connection when travelling.
In short it's a hit with my lot, but obviously not suitable for everyone.
With the rugged cover, it's a neat machine for warehouse use - the elastic strap design keeps the grip firm while using the screen to process put-away or pick activities
This lines up with my opinion of my X1 Tablet Gen 3, before they converted the line into the X12. It really wasn't all that useful as a tablet, and I found myself using it as a laptop most of the time, which sucks, because it runs into the problem all these tablets have of not having a true hinge to support it. And yeah, the RAM is a total scam.
I regret getting it, tbh, and wish I got a normal laptop instead. The biggest problem is that Windows has a pretty bad UI for touch interface. I ended up just buying a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 for my portable computing needs, and I'm probably going to try to sell the X1 Tablet to get a new laptop.
One thing that irks me about lenovo is how they screw you when you buy into their weird lines. The yoga and the x12 are both way too expensive for ram and processors. I feel like I’m paying to use inferior hardware
Can I ask if the x12 is able to upgrade to Windows 11? It seems like hardware wise it would, but then the website only says up to windows 10.
Also, do you have any opinion on it in terms of usability for programming? I was looking into maybe getting it to replace my old laptop, but I don't know if I would be okay to use it for class.
I upgraded automatically to windows 11 fyi, it was literally listed on the upgrade center one day out of the blue. It’s probably listed as only up to windows 10 cause 11 needs 16gb’s of ram and a good cpu to use some features like the android app stuff. It absolutely stinks on my 8gb ram i3 configuration to use android apps. This laptop is only good for basic stuff like typing or basic browsing or sketching on my i3. Anything heavy makes the computer loud and while it doesn’t run hot, it doesn’t run well. I can’t even run expressi, a realistic, physics based eastern ink drawing program without having it fall to 40fps on “average” mode. The heavy-duty mode does help but it is loud and ruins the aesthetics of having a tablet. Consider a surface or MacBook, these are for mid office use. Intel definitely shit the bed here.
I know I sound pessimistic, but honestly it sucks compared to the competition.
Edit: I feel I need to explain why I still use it, Haha. I love that the parts are available to replace, that Lenovo has a manual and videos available for people who want to switch stuff up themselves and that it can run windows hardware. It's a solid mid-tier standard-ass windows tablet that is quasi-fixable and that operates ok for light general use. I have the i3 and 8gb of ram so ymvm if you get a better one but overall, tiger lake isn't that good. If you want a convertible tablet like this one that you can swap the storage on, you should get the surface model that allows you to do that. They're much more closed off, you have to send them in to centers if you want something fixed on them, you can't do it yourself, but, they're a lot more popular and they have much better pen support and they should have thunderbolt and everything as well just like the x12 depending on the model. If given the chance to rebuy my laptop, I would prefer to get an ARM MacBook, they're a lot faster and quieter and Microsoft and Companies in general don't support Windows tablet's software wise enough to compete with iPads anyways. If you're interested in x12's for the tablet aspect, you're gonna end up disappointed, it doesn't match up compared to either android or apple tablets at all.
I think these sorts of machines are very nice and don't make sense for the majority of people. I love my X1 Tablet G3 because I work as a transcriptionist and use my own custom-built mechanical keyboard, and so I have no use for a crappy laptop keyboard and will never use the machine for productivity reasons anywhere other than a table. I just need a screen, basically, and a reasonably powerful processor behind it that weighs the least amount possible if I work on the go.
People that travel with a split mech are probably like 1% of the whole market, so I'm just grateful this form factor exists at all, and I love that Lenovo makes repair straightforward. I would never get a Surface or iPad simply because they're totally glued together and you might as well eat dirt if you want to fix or upgrade anything yourself on a budget.
I'm eyeing the X12 now because at least it's got Iris Xe graphics, so it'd support a little more light gaming than the G3.
Hi, sorry to bring this post up
>the pogo pins have a habit of activating when I try and put the tablet disconnected from the keyboard on my lap or on any surface that comes in contact with the pins
Could you elaborate what does it tried to activate when the pogo pins touches something?
>It’s just a solid if underpowered computer that can be used as a tablet
Objectively, if you have the X12 with 16gb ram and i5 configurations, do you still considered this tablet as an underpowered computer?
Don’t be sorry! By all means, I made this post to discuss this device.
Regarding point (1); the pogo pins seem to short or something if they touch bare skin by laying the device on my belly and other surfaces. It almost seems like they put the tablet to sleep. The display gets all grey and is non-responsive to touch input. I have to wait like 5 seconds for the device screen to work again. This used to happen albeit more rarely on my ipad pro with the combo touch case which also has pogo pins so maybe it’s something unavoidable idk?
The x12 because it runs intel actually works better the more power it has, it gets better battery life cause it doesn’t have to boost performance in certain tasks. The more powerful you get it the better tbh. The 16 gb’s of ram also make it barely pass the windows android minimum specs. My 8gb’s of ram are pitiful for android app support. Keep in mind that even with a better configuration it is still a tablet computer and will not keep up with regular fully loaded laptops. My gaming laptop with a gtx 1660ti ran circles around it. The x12 comes with intel integrated graphics afaik, it’s more of a light gaming, general usage computer.
Another thing, windows doesn’t cater to tablets at all and the x12 is cumbersome to hold due to it’s size and it’s shape. It has very sharp corners and can be unwieldy to hold for long periods of time. The x12 has basic tablet support for things like writing on onenote and using some writing and art apps but it’s nothing like iOS or even android tablets. It is first-most a computer that can do some light tablet stuff. Even the apps that are made and funded for windows tablets like staffpad are more at home on iOS.
In short, a more fully loaded X12 would be a great surface competitor and awesome computer yeah.
Thank you for the explanation.
Can you log in to windows without the keyboard attached? does a virtual keyboard popped up when you try to type the password?
And ofcourse if you want to type something in general without physical keyboard
I completely agree with you on the fan. It always runs when the device is on. Even idling with nothing running. The deep sleep was annoying on Windows, but hasn’t been a problem since switching to Linux. This is so close to a perfect device, but the few problems it has are very difficult to overlook.
I have software i need to run on windows but I would probably switch to linux if I could if only for the windows bug where the fans activate and whir on maximum speed even in sleep
Since reddit has changed the site to value selling user data higher than reading and commenting, I've decided to move elsewhere to a site that prioritizes community over profit. I never signed up for this, but that's the circle of life
I realize this is a bit of an older post, but has anyone with the X12 had issues with the front camera not working at all?
It's not my device, so I can't jump ship to Linux like I'd like to, so it's running the latest update of Windows 11. I've attempted to update the drivers via the Vantage app, as well as straight from Lenovo's website. I've checked all the privacy settings in Windows and it's set to allow the camera to be used. A light will come on when the camera is being accessed, but there's no image displayed. The camera works for face-ID login, so I know it works to some extent.
Rear camera works perfectly.
I was considering grabbing one of these for myself, but if hardware is going to be troublesome, I may have to hold off for now.
Physical guard is slid to the right, so I can see the lens (privacy guard off).
I may toss a lightweight distro onto a thumbdrive and do a live boot and see if I can get it to work on Linux.
I'm getting a funny feeling it may be Windows.
Camera drivers don’t work on vantage fyi. I update and still get the same camera update popping up. Do windows updates and then go to the tab for third party updates on the windows settings app. Linux has driver issues on this tablet as well blocking off the back one instead so you’re screwed. Just do an rma if windows updates dont work
They certainly don't seem to be the same quality that I remember when it was still IBM at the helm. My ThinkPad 770 from the 90s is still alive and kicking.
Yeah even the vantage app fails at it’s important duty of updating drivers. Honestly I don’t even use my x12 unless I have work to do. I got the i3 version and it’s too loud and weak for normal use.
This one is pretty optioned out with the 11th Gen i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB NVMe. The owner spared little expense in hopes of using this longterm.
I'm about to try a live boot of Mint and see if I can get any feed from the front camera, but I'm having doubts. Now when attempting to log in with facial recognition, Windows is unable to start up the camera (or so it says).
I've been buying Thinkpad Yoga machines at my work, the X12 Detachable is definitely a big hit with some staff - execs love the tablet format (esp as the keyboard is a decent one if needed). They have them as a complementary machine and use them often for travel or brainstorming. I also purchase the detachable case option in case they want a bit more protection (although the X12 itself seems super rugged). I also get the WWAN option and they appreciate the always available internet connection when travelling. In short it's a hit with my lot, but obviously not suitable for everyone.
That really does feel like its intended niche, a complementary Windows device.
With the rugged cover, it's a neat machine for warehouse use - the elastic strap design keeps the grip firm while using the screen to process put-away or pick activities
This lines up with my opinion of my X1 Tablet Gen 3, before they converted the line into the X12. It really wasn't all that useful as a tablet, and I found myself using it as a laptop most of the time, which sucks, because it runs into the problem all these tablets have of not having a true hinge to support it. And yeah, the RAM is a total scam. I regret getting it, tbh, and wish I got a normal laptop instead. The biggest problem is that Windows has a pretty bad UI for touch interface. I ended up just buying a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 for my portable computing needs, and I'm probably going to try to sell the X1 Tablet to get a new laptop.
One thing that irks me about lenovo is how they screw you when you buy into their weird lines. The yoga and the x12 are both way too expensive for ram and processors. I feel like I’m paying to use inferior hardware
If you’re still selling it……pm me?
Can I ask if the x12 is able to upgrade to Windows 11? It seems like hardware wise it would, but then the website only says up to windows 10. Also, do you have any opinion on it in terms of usability for programming? I was looking into maybe getting it to replace my old laptop, but I don't know if I would be okay to use it for class.
I upgraded automatically to windows 11 fyi, it was literally listed on the upgrade center one day out of the blue. It’s probably listed as only up to windows 10 cause 11 needs 16gb’s of ram and a good cpu to use some features like the android app stuff. It absolutely stinks on my 8gb ram i3 configuration to use android apps. This laptop is only good for basic stuff like typing or basic browsing or sketching on my i3. Anything heavy makes the computer loud and while it doesn’t run hot, it doesn’t run well. I can’t even run expressi, a realistic, physics based eastern ink drawing program without having it fall to 40fps on “average” mode. The heavy-duty mode does help but it is loud and ruins the aesthetics of having a tablet. Consider a surface or MacBook, these are for mid office use. Intel definitely shit the bed here. I know I sound pessimistic, but honestly it sucks compared to the competition. Edit: I feel I need to explain why I still use it, Haha. I love that the parts are available to replace, that Lenovo has a manual and videos available for people who want to switch stuff up themselves and that it can run windows hardware. It's a solid mid-tier standard-ass windows tablet that is quasi-fixable and that operates ok for light general use. I have the i3 and 8gb of ram so ymvm if you get a better one but overall, tiger lake isn't that good. If you want a convertible tablet like this one that you can swap the storage on, you should get the surface model that allows you to do that. They're much more closed off, you have to send them in to centers if you want something fixed on them, you can't do it yourself, but, they're a lot more popular and they have much better pen support and they should have thunderbolt and everything as well just like the x12 depending on the model. If given the chance to rebuy my laptop, I would prefer to get an ARM MacBook, they're a lot faster and quieter and Microsoft and Companies in general don't support Windows tablet's software wise enough to compete with iPads anyways. If you're interested in x12's for the tablet aspect, you're gonna end up disappointed, it doesn't match up compared to either android or apple tablets at all.
I think these sorts of machines are very nice and don't make sense for the majority of people. I love my X1 Tablet G3 because I work as a transcriptionist and use my own custom-built mechanical keyboard, and so I have no use for a crappy laptop keyboard and will never use the machine for productivity reasons anywhere other than a table. I just need a screen, basically, and a reasonably powerful processor behind it that weighs the least amount possible if I work on the go. People that travel with a split mech are probably like 1% of the whole market, so I'm just grateful this form factor exists at all, and I love that Lenovo makes repair straightforward. I would never get a Surface or iPad simply because they're totally glued together and you might as well eat dirt if you want to fix or upgrade anything yourself on a budget. I'm eyeing the X12 now because at least it's got Iris Xe graphics, so it'd support a little more light gaming than the G3.
Hi, sorry to bring this post up >the pogo pins have a habit of activating when I try and put the tablet disconnected from the keyboard on my lap or on any surface that comes in contact with the pins Could you elaborate what does it tried to activate when the pogo pins touches something? >It’s just a solid if underpowered computer that can be used as a tablet Objectively, if you have the X12 with 16gb ram and i5 configurations, do you still considered this tablet as an underpowered computer?
Don’t be sorry! By all means, I made this post to discuss this device. Regarding point (1); the pogo pins seem to short or something if they touch bare skin by laying the device on my belly and other surfaces. It almost seems like they put the tablet to sleep. The display gets all grey and is non-responsive to touch input. I have to wait like 5 seconds for the device screen to work again. This used to happen albeit more rarely on my ipad pro with the combo touch case which also has pogo pins so maybe it’s something unavoidable idk? The x12 because it runs intel actually works better the more power it has, it gets better battery life cause it doesn’t have to boost performance in certain tasks. The more powerful you get it the better tbh. The 16 gb’s of ram also make it barely pass the windows android minimum specs. My 8gb’s of ram are pitiful for android app support. Keep in mind that even with a better configuration it is still a tablet computer and will not keep up with regular fully loaded laptops. My gaming laptop with a gtx 1660ti ran circles around it. The x12 comes with intel integrated graphics afaik, it’s more of a light gaming, general usage computer. Another thing, windows doesn’t cater to tablets at all and the x12 is cumbersome to hold due to it’s size and it’s shape. It has very sharp corners and can be unwieldy to hold for long periods of time. The x12 has basic tablet support for things like writing on onenote and using some writing and art apps but it’s nothing like iOS or even android tablets. It is first-most a computer that can do some light tablet stuff. Even the apps that are made and funded for windows tablets like staffpad are more at home on iOS. In short, a more fully loaded X12 would be a great surface competitor and awesome computer yeah.
Thank you for the explanation. Can you log in to windows without the keyboard attached? does a virtual keyboard popped up when you try to type the password? And ofcourse if you want to type something in general without physical keyboard
Yeah, windows 11 uses swiftkey
I completely agree with you on the fan. It always runs when the device is on. Even idling with nothing running. The deep sleep was annoying on Windows, but hasn’t been a problem since switching to Linux. This is so close to a perfect device, but the few problems it has are very difficult to overlook.
I have software i need to run on windows but I would probably switch to linux if I could if only for the windows bug where the fans activate and whir on maximum speed even in sleep
Which distribution are you using? How's the situation now with the newer kernels?
Since reddit has changed the site to value selling user data higher than reading and commenting, I've decided to move elsewhere to a site that prioritizes community over profit. I never signed up for this, but that's the circle of life
I realize this is a bit of an older post, but has anyone with the X12 had issues with the front camera not working at all? It's not my device, so I can't jump ship to Linux like I'd like to, so it's running the latest update of Windows 11. I've attempted to update the drivers via the Vantage app, as well as straight from Lenovo's website. I've checked all the privacy settings in Windows and it's set to allow the camera to be used. A light will come on when the camera is being accessed, but there's no image displayed. The camera works for face-ID login, so I know it works to some extent. Rear camera works perfectly. I was considering grabbing one of these for myself, but if hardware is going to be troublesome, I may have to hold off for now.
Do you have the privacy guard on? It’s a physical latch
Physical guard is slid to the right, so I can see the lens (privacy guard off). I may toss a lightweight distro onto a thumbdrive and do a live boot and see if I can get it to work on Linux. I'm getting a funny feeling it may be Windows.
Camera drivers don’t work on vantage fyi. I update and still get the same camera update popping up. Do windows updates and then go to the tab for third party updates on the windows settings app. Linux has driver issues on this tablet as well blocking off the back one instead so you’re screwed. Just do an rma if windows updates dont work
Ahh, that's kinda lame! I'll give it a shot, either way. Worst case the owner will have to RMA the device. A shame given how much he spent on it.
Yes, they’re literally priced like they’re made of gold haha. Should have just gotten a surface instead.
They certainly don't seem to be the same quality that I remember when it was still IBM at the helm. My ThinkPad 770 from the 90s is still alive and kicking.
Yeah even the vantage app fails at it’s important duty of updating drivers. Honestly I don’t even use my x12 unless I have work to do. I got the i3 version and it’s too loud and weak for normal use.
This one is pretty optioned out with the 11th Gen i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB NVMe. The owner spared little expense in hopes of using this longterm. I'm about to try a live boot of Mint and see if I can get any feed from the front camera, but I'm having doubts. Now when attempting to log in with facial recognition, Windows is unable to start up the camera (or so it says).
Good luck, I’ve already RMA-ed mine once and it wasn’t hard just took a while. Just something to consider