Peanut butter and chocolate. Batman and Robin. Jeans and a T-shirt. Some things were just meant to go together. Lenovo wants to add a new pairing to the list: Chromebook and Yoga. The education-oriented Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook takes the best of both and throws in some ruggedization for good measure. In many ways, it's the best Chrome-OS-based laptop we've seen yet, but it's also one of the most expensive. At $479 (as tested), the Yoga 11e Chromebook is far more expensive than the top-performing Acer Chromebook C720P-2600, and that's enough to keep it from getting our full recommendation. But while it's no bargain, Lenovo's education-oriented Chromebook is still an undeniable contender, and if the company can figure out a way to knock a hundred bucks off the list price, it would get our emphatic recommendation.

Design
Measuring 11.81 by 8.5 by 0.87 inches (HWD), the ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook uses the same multimode hinge seen on the Lenovo Yoga 2 11, which allows it to convert between four different modes: Laptop, Stand, Tablet, and Tent. That's one more mode than the Lenovo N20p Chromebook and adds significantly to the usability of the system. It also makes the Yoga 11e the first Chrome-based device with tablet functionality.

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Metal and polycarbonate construction and solid hinges make this the sturdiest Chromebook I've ever handled. The Yoga multimode hinge is a revelation, giving the Chromebook tablet functionality with the same convertible design that has come to dominate Windows laptops. The thing is heavy, but it also feels substantial, thanks to MIL-SPEC-rated rugged construction. The hinges have been strengthened, and the entire device hardened against humidity, vibration, temperature, and dust. Around the edge of the glass-covered display is a rubber bumper that provides some protection to the display, and the display itself is covered with DragonTrail glass, which is both scratch- and crack-resistant.

The 11.6-inch screen has the same
basic 1,366-by-768 resolution seen on most Chromebooks, but it benefits from an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel, which makes for good color and viewing angles. The contrast also seems to be better than that of most competitors, resulting in very readable text, whether it's at arm's length (in Laptop mode) or held close (in Tablet mode). The display also has touch capability, with excellent accuracy in any mode.

The keyboard is also one of the best I've used, whether on a Chromebook or standard laptop. Gone are the shallow keys that barely move when pressed and rattle loosely in their frames. These chiclet-style keys have real travel, and provide some resistance when pressed, creating a typing experience that feels far more substantial than other inexpensive systems can offer. It's one of Lenovo's best keyboards, complete with sculpted keycaps and automatic keyboard shut-off when in Tablet mode.

The Chrome keyboard layout has a couple of small changes from the standard Windows or Mac setup—the Caps Lock key is now a dedicated Search key, the function keys have different functions, and there's no Delete key, just Backspace—but the basic QWERTY layout is the same. Just below the spacebar is a multitouch clickpad, which supports Chrome gesture controls, like two-finger tapping and scrolling.

Features
On the left side of the system is a power connector, a USB 2.0 port (with sleep-and-charge capability), an SD card slot, and a headset jack. On the right is a Kensington lock slot, a full-size HDMI-out port, and a USB 3.0 port. The USB 3.0 port isn't the usual bright blue, but the same dark gray as the USB 2.0 port on the other side, so you'll need to remember which port is which if you want to take advantage of USB 3.0's faster data transfer speeds. There are also physical buttons on the right side of the laptop for Power and Volume.