Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) White Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I originally bought the tiny Asus eee PC for a good friend, basically as an "upgraded thumb drive with a screen" capable of web browsing. Needless to say, with Linux, a 4 gb "drive..." wi-fi, web cam and not much else, it was pretty sad and limited - but at the same time, it clearly showed some potential. But let me be perfectly clear: DON'T buy one of these.... It's basically a quirky toy. I can't tell you about the newer models.
I decided to pick up an Acer Aspire One for myself and overall, I was extremely pleased. With the familiar XP interface and a 160gb drive, a noticeably better web cam and far better performance via the extra 512 memory even running XP. It felt substantial, the monitor was gorgeous, keyboard far better than the baby Asus, battery life was good - but not great. The only rub came when it was time to upgrade the memory. The Aspire One came with one gb on board with the potential to add only an additional 512 memory chip. Still, every bit helps on the small netbooks.
And there's when you find the nightmare. The Aspire One is an absolute NIGHTMARE to upgrade memory OR replace a hard drive. It involves removing the keyboard, the mainboard, numerous levels of wires, screws and connectors. There are "how to videos" on YouTube - but they are not for the faint of heart.
While I could have gone on being generally happy with the Acer, I was really disappointed in the absolutely and uncharacteristically WRONGHEADEDNESS (for Acer especially) of this consumer unfriendly design flaw - especially since there is an easy access door on the bottom that only leads to an empty compartment for a possible future LAN card upgrade which many, if not most, users will never use. Then there was a growing amount of consumer complaints concerning overheating, thermal shutdowns, defective fans and more. Two more of my friends has bought Aspires after seeing and playing with my machine and one friend nearly immediately had thermal problems. Not a good average.
The final "temptation" to switch came when Lenovo managed to release it's S10 model with the 10.2 inch screen earlier than expected. Among the most prominent kudos in almost every review was the absolute EASE OF CONSUMER UPGRADE. One panel on the bottom accesses BOTH your *hard drive and memory slot. You can upgrade *either or both easily in under five minutes. I had the extra half gig in and running with virtually no effort nor silliness and the little extra punch made the already speedy little machine feel even quicker. Definitely worth the time and small price.
The unit feels light but sturdy, much like the Aspire. The monitor is simply spectacular! Bright and crisp!
*Note: Among Lenovo's more interesting features is a "one button restore" feature which enables the user to restore the hard drive back to the original factory computer configuration with all original programs and drivers intact and ready to go should something turn the drive into an unrecoverable basket case. (Of course this is why God invented ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE and made it so easy to use...)
BE WARNED: IF YOU PHYSICALLY REPLACE YOUR EXISTING HARD DRIVE, LENOVO'S MANUAL SAYS THAT THE ONE BUTTON RESTORE FEATURE WILL NO LONGER WORK. So far, I have not been able to get a clear answer as to whether another drive cloned with Acronis WILL work or not as the restore function seems to depend on files already stored on the original drive and not some physical recognition scheme. I can't help but believe that a clone, even one of a different sized hard drive SHOULD be recognized, but I'm not going to risk the restore feature just to experiment right now. I'll just save an identical sized clone drive for down the road.
Strangely - VERY strangely - probably the biggest reason I switched came from the difference in the 10.2 in screen. I'm a newspaper reporter and I frequently have to do photos and graphics modifications on site. You will be absolutely amazed in the jump from 8.9" to 10.2". ESPECIALLY when you are doing something that you have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS DOING on a netbook... RE: Graphics mods and retouching.
The Keyboard is just about as close to a full sized notebook as you'll come. It's more comfortable and responsive than the Acer which is not bad in it's own right.
So all in all, it's really close. I've had great luck with Acer products over the years, but this time the LENOVO S10 just had a "LITTLE" too much of an extra edge to ignore.
BTW, regardless of which netbook anyone finally decides on, I should share that I was able to find one of the new Total Micro Technologies flat Power Station batteries ([...]) and these things are nothing short of AMAZING! They generally run over $400 each but I was able to find a gentleman who overstocked for a major project and bought two brand new for $99 each. Long story short: They will power the LENOVO with FULL POWER, NORMAL TO HIGH VOLUME, FULL SCREEN BRIGHTNESS, EXTERNAL USB DRIVE AND DVD for WELL OVER SEVEN CONTINUOUS HOURS. Prowl around Amazon and Ebay. You might get lucky!
Hope this helps! Do remember to check out the ACER, ASUS and LENOVO USER FORUMS - especially under TROUBLESHOOTING and KNOWN ISSUES before you take the final plunge. Good luck!

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Lenovo Ideapad S10: 10.2"/Atom-N270/1G/160G/XP/10.2"/White

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Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series 064656U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Purchased this laptop in the 8GB RAM version about a month ago. I always wait at least that long to render judgement so I have time to put it through all sorts of normal operations. After extensive work/play/school use I think the following best describes this unit. You can do better in this price range.
Pros:
Super fast!!
Keyboard key press feel is good
Can do basically anything and everything
Nice looking design
Can play current games on mid-high settings
HDMI output
Cons:
Screen glare is terrible, good luck using this thing outside.
Case and especially the lid are flimsy
Battery life is atrocious when cranking the graphics card during gaming (to be expected with MOST gaming worthy laptops)
USB port location is seriously misguided (right near my hand/mouse? really lenovo???)
Will constantly mess with your screen brightness / power settings until you manually disable those functions (stupid ambient light sensor)
Bloatware (mostly from lenovo) easily removed but still..when will they get the hint?
Bugs: I list this seperate from cons because these generally are not systemic but some users may experience them. (As I did.)
Tries to boot from USB ports occasionally, had to disable boot function for all but the HD and DVD drive. This should have been done by the factory.
Has frozen / hung up several times when returning from standby mode.
Summary: after a month of tweaking and adjusting I finally got this thing setup to my liking. But for the price I would at least expect some aluminum in the case construction and a better laid out set of I/O's. I expected better from lenovo given the quality of the (IBM) thinkpad.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series 064656U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey)

Mobile Movie Theater.Fun is a notebook that brings multimedia to life.Introducing the IdeaPad Y560 notebook with OneKey™ Theater II. The Lenovo® IdeaPad™ Y560 notebook, powered by an Intel® Core™ i7 processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, can automatically adapt its performance to your needs.This multimedia notebook also comes with discrete ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD graphics, Blu-Ray Disc Drive and OneKey™ Theater II to deliver sharp and vibrant video with stunning clarity on a 15.6" HD widescreen, while Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound and JBL® speakers make for an exhilarating sound experience.And with SlideNav, an intelligent touch-sensitive slide bar, there\'s a new way to navigate your favorite desktop shortcuts.The IdeaPad Y560 also features Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows® 7, which provides faster boot and shutdown times, plus a richer multimedia experience.Best of all, it\'s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Key Features
Key Specifications

Intel® Core™ i7-740QM processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64 bit
15.6 inch HD LED backlight display, 16:9 widescreen
High-performance multimedia: 6GB DDR3 memory and 640GB HDD storage
Integrated high-speed WiFi
Blu-Ray Disc Drive
Lenovo Energy Management 5.0 enables extended battery life, long-term battery durability and lower noise output through dynamic fan control

GET ENTERTAINED

Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound with JBL® designed speakers
Discrete ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5730 Graphics
OneKey™ Theater II - intelligent one-touch audio-visual optimization for clearer, brighter images and richer audio
SlideNav - intelligent touch-sensitive slide bar for easy desktop navigation
Integrated web camera

REST EASY

Ambient Light Sensor protects your eyes by automatically adjusting screen brightness based on ambient light conditions
OneKey Rescue System for quick and easy data recovery with antivirus protection
VeriFace facial recognition technology - a fun way to log in to your PC

A BETTER WINDOWS 7 EXPERIENCE

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 provides a faster, richer and easier way to use your PC







OneKey Rescue System
VeriFace Face Recognition
Lenovo Energy Management
Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7

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Lenovo IdeaPad Y530-7343U 15.4-Inch Laptop (2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my second Lenovo notebook. The first one was a ThinkPad R61 which I liked very much. It got stolen out of the back of my car. So, liking the Lenovo product, I bought a new one. The product I am reviewing is similar to the "item being reviewed," the main differences being that I have a 2.0G processor where this one has a 2.13G processor.
Build Quality:
Lenovo is the company which manufactured IBM's laptop computers. IBM's laptops were designed for business users. They were tough enough to be dragged around everywhere. It continues to make laptop computers which are more road friendly than the competition, even in this unit which is "home user" oriented. On most of the competition's laptop computers for school and home use, you can twist the lid/screen and there is a good deal of flex. Not so here. This means the screen is less likely to get damaged or cracked. The rest of the case similarly has little flex which means it is well built. While the keyboard is not up to the quality of the ThinkPad line, it is still very good and does not have much flex or bend when you type on it. It is a bit heavy weighing in at over 6 lbs, but it is worth it to me when I consider that it is less likely to break.
XP Drivers available on-line:
The Y530 comes with Vista Home Premium. Mine has the 64 bit o/s. I hate Vista. It is bloated, slow, overly intrusive, the Start Menu was modified poorly from XP, it is cumbersome to find any administrative tools and it does not work with many pieces of business software. When Microsoft updates their operating systems, it seems that only their software works on the newer o/s. WordPerfect X3 (the better word processor!), Paperport 11.0, older versions of WordPerfect and Legal Solutions Plus and many older game programs simply won't work properly, even when you tell the system to run the program in XP mode. This, I suspect, is the reason about 75% of the business computers still run XP.
Vista Ultimate and Business come with downgrade rights to XP. Here, no such rights exist; HOWEVER, Lenovo provides drivers and software on line so you can load XP!!! (XP is faster than Vista and runs everything I need!) I will be downgrading.
Performance:
I get the following benchmarks with Vista:
Performance Test 6.1: 525.7
PC Wizard (not valid because of 64 bit o/s) = 2047
3DMark 01 = 5193
3DMark 03 = 2269
3DMark 05 = 1199
3DMark 06 = 905
SuperPI calculation of PI to 1M places takes 29.25 seconds.
PLEASE REMEMBER, MINE HAS THE SLOWER PROCESSOR SO THIS SHOULD BE ABOUT 5 - 10% FASTER!
In short, this machine is not as fast as my 2 year old XP based desktop which has a 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo with 2G of memory, an ATI All In Wonder X800XL video card on a Gigabyte 965G-DS3 motherboard running XP. This box is not up to speed for modern gamers. It has good speed as a home entertainment and business/school oriented system. An O/S downgrade to XP would no doubt give you an extra 10% or so of speed.
Appearance and Functionality:
Lenovo still goes with the industrial black look. The outside is plain dull black which is textured so as to make it easier to grip. None of the high gloss colored plastic stuff that is on so many HPs and Dells and Sony Vaios.
Inside, you get a piano black high gloss plastic surrounding the 15.4" screen. The hinge is in the back of the machine, and rather than clamp the screen on the top of the box, the lid is bent and wraps around the computer/keyboard/electronics bottom section. The keyboard is surrounded by a single piece of brushed metal with a black touch sensitive multimedia controls above the keyboard and an orange volume control on the right side of the touch controls.
The box contains five speakers, including an alleged subwoofer which fires downward under the computer. I would look at the Toshibas with the HK speaker systems for a better audio performance.
It comes with a multi-card reader slot, dual layer dvd/CD writer, HDMI output, VGA output, 3 USB ports, modem, ethernet port, built in WIFI, Dolby Digital sound system, microphone and 1.3 megapixel camera in the lid. It includes Veriface software which allows the computer to enter your log-on password using just your image. The Veriface software is very sensitive, and works only from the right distance and at the same angle. It does not seem to be available on XP.
Cons:
Unlike HP, the keyboard has no angle to it, so you are typing on a slightly uncomfortable surface if you have it on a desk or table. There are four small rubber pieces which protect the screen when the lid is closed. Two are right under your wrists and my writs rub against them unless I wear a long sleve shirt. It comes with Vista and a trial version of Norton Anti-virus, which I find ineffective and annoying.
The high gloss screen is a little too high gloss and too reflective under certain circumstances.
Conclusion:
Based on the price to performance ratio, excelent build quality and availability of XP drivers on line, I would not hesitate to purchase this unit again.

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Lenovo 59-018790 IdeaPad (Black)

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Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 28479XU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have a long history with ThinkPads at work. As my company's standard laptop, I have had the priveledge to use a IBM ThinkPad T20, IBM ThinkPad T42, and a Lenovo ThinkPad T61. all have been bulletproof and I have always said that ThinkPads are the only PC laptops I would buy for myself. At home, I use Macs as my primary computers, but with Windows 7, and my aging home-built PCs, I figured it was time to buy a new PC.
You may or may not be familiar with ThinkPads. Relatively bland design and always encased in a black enclosure, these laptops have a reputation in the business community. It is much like the reputation Macs have, in that you may pay a little more, but you also get a little more in terms of build quality.
So about this SL510. It is a ThinkPad at an affordable price. While that is true, the price is higher than you would pay for current laptops from other manufacturers for similar, or even more current hardware. For example, there are newer models with Core I3 and Core I5 chips for less money from other manufacturers. Knowing this, and weighing it against my history with ThinkPads, I still chose the ThinkPad.
My initial impressions after one hour of use:
This laptop is very wide. It is wider than my T61. The difference between 15.4 and 15.6 screens is very noticeable.
The "pencil eraser" pointer is very sensitive and sometimes registers unintentional clicks. I am finding this a little annoying and am still trying to find the settings where I can turn off using the pointer as a clicking input. I want to use it to move the mouse pointer around, but I do not want to use it to left click or selections. I prefer the pointer over the trackpad, which has changed dramatically. There is a strange texture on trackpad. It almost looks like perforations. It enables you to feel the trackpad without looking at it, but this has never really been an issue for me in the past. I'd switch back to the traditional trackpad materials if I were Lenovo.
There is no cd included. You must create your own restore diskfrom the Lenovo utilities installed.
This laptop has not discovered my 5GHz wireless-N network. The wireless card is an Intel WiFi Link 1000 BGN. After some research, a forum post indicated that this card only supports wireless-N over the 2.4GHz frequency. While I can change my 2.4 GHZ band to Mixed G/N on my D-Link Dual Band router, I may just live with this laptop's limitation for now.When you first boot up, an install wizard includes options to install Diskeeper 2009 (a nice option), Norton Security 2009 (which wait suntil after you register to tell you that you are signing up for their subscription service after 30 days of use), and several ads for Net-zero, Microsoft Office, Lenovo Online Backup, and Identity Guard (if you register with Lenovo). There was an on-screen note that said you could still register and skip the Identity Guard software. I skipped this altogether.
The Lenovo Central software started upon the first desktop load. It is an application that houses a lot of annoying adware, including ads for OneBiz Small Business Mgmt Software and Staples. I was not pleased with this. However, with the exception of Microsoft Office, there were no free trials for anything else installed and the Desktop was clean. This was nice.
Overall, my initial impressions were quite positive. I am proud to own my own ThinkPad, as I have a lot of respect for the product. This laptop is solid and fast, even with its somewhat-dated 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo. It only comes with 3GB of RAM. Generally, you can get more powerful hardware for this price from other brands, but I see it as a trade-off because I wanted a ThinkPad.
I may install the 64-bit Windows 7, but then I will lose all of the Lenovo customizations. Lenovo worked with Microsoft to create an "Enhanced Experience" by shortening boot times and shutdown times. Microsoft says that you cannot "upgrade" to at 64-bit version from a 32-bit version. Instead you must do a complete new installation. Perhaps a dual-boot scenario is what I need. It depends on what I end up doing with this laptop.
For the ThinkPad fan or for someone who wants business-level build quality, this laptop may suit your needs nicely.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 28479XU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

THE THINKPAD EVERY BUSINESS CAN AFFORD. Running a small business is no small task. Stay competitive, productive, secure and on budget with the new ThinkPad SL510 notebook, featuring legendary ThinkPad technology.The SL510 notebook offers multimedia and presentation capabilities, reliable wireless options and industry-leading security. It's the ideal combination of features for a wide range of business professionals; sales reps, road-warrior execs, behind-the-scenes desk jockies and anyone wanting best-in-class technology.Plus, it’s engineered with Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience for Windows 7, which means faster start-up and shut down times than systems without Enhanced Experience.It's an investment you can't afford to pass on.
Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 Key Features
LIGHT, STYLISH AND FEATURE-RICH

Trendy, clean design with discretely placed ports, a black matte top cover and scratch-resistant exterior
Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 processor
Genuine Windows 7 Professional (32 bit) - Work anywhere more easily and securely with Windows 7 Professional.Your PC, simplified.
High-performance DDR3 RAM - for high-bandwidth storage of working data
15.6 inch HD 16:9 LED-backlight display - The latest in display backlight technology, LED backlit displays are thinner, lighter and use less power than traditional notebook displays, but still provide the same level of brightness for easy viewing.
HDMI enables you to connect to external TV or monitor with high definition video and multi-channel audio. Intel High Definition Audio delivers high-end performance equivalent to an add-in audio card.
2.0 megapixel integrated web camera

BUILT-IN PROTECTION

ThinkPad Shock-Mounted Hard Drive - a rubber isolator and metal cage to protect the hard drive. The ThinkVantage Active Protection System uses an accelerometer to monitor movement of the system and stop the drive, and help protect against damage when a fall or similar event is detected
The spill-resistant keyboard helps protect your laptop and data from accidental spills
OneKey Rescue System restores your data at the touch of a button

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES

Ergonomically designed best-in-class keyboard and a new UltraNav multitouch TouchPad for easier navigation. TrackPoint Navigation gives an easy-sailing experience during exhaustive typing tasks and with mouse-free computing.
Convenient Access Connections software to manage your connectivity options as you move from location to location.
Toolbox of wireless and connectivity options including b/g/n WiFi and gigabyte Ethernet

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE

Energy Star 5.0, EPEAT Gold, and Climate Savers Certified ensure this is the greenest ThinkPad SL ever
One of the first ThinkPads to use post consumer recycled plastics and renewable energy accessories.

A BETTER WINDOWS 7 EXPERIENCE

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 provides a faster, richer and easier way to use your PC

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7
Windows 7 Professional
ThinkVantage Technologies
Additional Features

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Lenovo G530 4446 - P T3400 / 2.16 GHz - RAM 2 GB - HDD 160 GB - DVD-Writer - GMA 4500M - WLAN : 802.11b/g - Vista Home Basic - 15.4" Widescreen TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) VibrantView - camera - matte black - Microsoft Office Ready Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have purchased this laptop a little over a month now and it is definitely a great buy. The only issue I have with it is I have to wipe off my finger prints regularly because of the quality of its exterior but that is a minor matter. When I first bought this laptop, I thought I would not have been able to do video editing on it because of the limited video graphics but I have been using a video editing program by Magix and it works flawlessly. However, I have been having some trouble with vista recognizing drivers for an audio interface that I have been trying to use with this laptop . For the price of this laptop, this is real deal. Amazon.com had my purchase shipped to Trinidad in a less than a week with no problems. Great service.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo G530 4446 - P T3400 / 2.16 GHz - RAM 2 GB - HDD 160 GB - DVD-Writer - GMA 4500M - WLAN : 802.11b/g - Vista Home Basic - 15.4" Widescreen TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) VibrantView - camera - matte black - Microsoft Office Ready

pEngineered for value, designed to suit any budget, lenovos 3000 G530 Notebook offers well-equipped, smartly configured notebook for your home or home office. This high quality notebook comes with a powerful intel processor plus hard drive and memory to suit your lifestyle needs./p

Click here for more information about Lenovo G530 4446 - P T3400 / 2.16 GHz - RAM 2 GB - HDD 160 GB - DVD-Writer - GMA 4500M - WLAN : 802.11b/g - Vista Home Basic - 15.4" Widescreen TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) VibrantView - camera - matte black - Microsoft Office Ready

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Lenovo S10-2 10-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Cell Battery Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Im gonna start saying that this is such a nice netbook, from the design to the functionality, size and weight.
Some say this has an issue with the fan and claim that is too noisy but thats not true mine is very quiet, doesnt overheats.
keyboard is good not as normal keyboard but you get used too it.
the 6 cell battery is a charm,with low brihtness you can get up to 8 hours.
some key features are 1key recovery,web cam mic,face recognition.
I love lenovo this is my first netbook and im already using it more than my primary laptop (wich is an ideapad y510)its just so easy to get on the web.
It has an quick boot option that puts you on the web or skype or im in less than 30secs, this option is so handy.
overall i recommend this netbook its good on design, price, and performance, i have never had any issue with my other lenovo and this one seems to be good as well.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo S10-2 10-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Cell Battery

Small on the outside. Big on the inside. The IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook is just over an inch thin and only 2.65 pounds, but comes packed with features like VeriFace™ Facial Recognition Technology, OneKey™ Rescue System and stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone™ technology. But the coolest feature of all is the QuickStart button that lets you access your music, pictures, games and the web, even before the Windows loads. So flip open this ultra-small netbook and discover a powerhouse of unique features. Best of all, it\'s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.


IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook Key Features


Thin and light: Just over an inch thick and only 2.65 pounds.
10.1-inch widescreen, glossy display with LED backlight.
Battery life: Up to 6 hours with 6 cell battery


Get online in seconds with Quick Start \'instant on\' function
OneKey™ Rescue System for easy data recovery & backup
VeriFace™ Facial Recognition for convenient login
Stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone technology
Multi-touch Touchpad
89% Full Size Keyboard
Integrated web cam for quick and easy video messaging.
3 USB 2.0 ports
4-in-1 card reader
VGA outlet for external monitor

Tiny technology
Display
Mult-touch pad
Stay connected
Eco-smart and Energy Star® compliant

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Lenovo ThinkPad SL410 2842F7U 14-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was big IBM laptops fan since X31. But SL410 is last drop. I can't stand it any more.
My sound card messed up in less than 6 moth. I had to restore whole laptop to its factory defaults twice in less than a year. To be exact 9 month.
Despite having good specs, performance is just more than disappointing.
Sorry my French, but I'll never buy Lenovo crap any more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo ThinkPad SL410 2842F7U 14-Inch Laptop (Black)

THE THINKPAD EVERY BUSINESS CAN AFFORD. Running a small business is no small task. Stay competitive, productive, secure and on budget with the ThinkPad SL410 notebook, featuring legendary ThinkPad technology.The SL410 notebook offers multimedia and presentation capabilities, reliable wireless options and industry-leading security. It's the ideal combination of features for a wide range of business professionals; sales reps, road-warrior execs, behind-the-scenes desk jockies and anyone wanting best-in-class technology.Plus, it’s engineered with Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience for Windows 7, which means faster start-up and shut down times than systems without Enhanced Experience.It's an investment you can't afford to pass on.
Lenovo ThinkPad SL410 Key Features
LIGHT, STYLISH AND FEATURE-RICH

Trendy, clean design with discretely placed ports, a black matte top cover and scratch-resistant exterior - just 5.11lbs
Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 processor
Genuine Windows 7 Professional (32 bit) - Work anywhere more easily and securely with Windows 7 Professional.Your PC, simplified.
High-performance DDR3 RAM - for high-bandwidth storage of working data
14 inch HD 16:9 LED-backlight display - The latest in display backlight technology, LED backlit displays are thinner, lighter and use less power than traditional notebook displays, but still provide the same level of brightness for easy viewing.
HDMI enables you to connect to external TV or monitor with high definition video and multi-channel audio. Intel High Definition Audio delivers high-end performance equivalent to an add-in audio card.
2.0 megapixel integrated web camera

BUILT-IN PROTECTION

ThinkPad Shock-Mounted Hard Drive - a rubber isolator and metal cage to protect the hard drive. The ThinkVantage Active Protection System uses an accelerometer to monitor movement of the system and stop the drive, and help protect against damage when a fall or similar event is detected.
The spill-resistant keyboard helps protect your laptop and data from accidental spills
OneKey Rescue System restores your data at the touch of a button

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES

Ergonomically designed best-in-class keyboard and a new UltraNav multitouch TouchPad for easier navigation. TrackPoint Navigation gives an easy-sailing experience during exhaustive typing tasks and with mouse-free computing.
Convenient Access Connections software to manage your connectivity options as you move from location to location.
Toolbox of wireless and connectivity options including b/g/n WiFi and gigabyte Ethernet

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE

Energy Star 5.0, EPEAT Gold, and Climate Savers Certified ensure this is the greenest ThinkPad SL ever
One of the first ThinkPads to use post consumer recycled plastics and renewable energy accessories.

A BETTER WINDOWS 7 EXPERIENCE

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 provides a faster, richer and easier way to use your PC

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7
Windows 7 Professional
ThinkVantage Technologies
Additional Features

Click here for more information about Lenovo ThinkPad SL410 2842F7U 14-Inch Laptop (Black)

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Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 019624U 13.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We have numerous laptops in our household. Our oldest daughter has an Apple laptop through school. I have a Dell Inspiron through work. I also have an ASUS 1000H netbook for myself, an Acer 1410 with SU3500 processor for our younger daughter, and an older 15" Toshiba Satellite for my wife. I purchased the 13.3" Lenovo Edge with SU7300 processor as a replacement for my wife's computer. She had been complaining about the poor battery life and poor WiFi signal of the Toshiba for months, but did not like the small screen of either the 11.6" Acer or the 10.1" ASUS. She had also been complaining of wrist pain. This unit seemed to have the best of all worlds. Light weight, long battery life, very nice screen, an incredible keyboard, and a fairly reasonable price tag. We have not had the laptop very long, but my wife seems to really like it, especially the keyboard, track point, and multiple mouse buttons. Build quality appears to be much better than the Acer, although there does appear to be a slight flex in the lid as you open and close it. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to perform the initial set-up. In about 30 minutes, I had configured WiFi, had the computer automatically find drivers for our all-in-one HP printer (a first, usually need CD), and had downloaded and installed Open Office, Panda Cloud Antivirus, free PrevX3.0, McAfee SiteAdvisor, and IOBit Advanced System Care (primarily for Smart DeFrag and SmartRAM). This probably has more to do with Windows 7 Professional than the Lenovo Edge. The only minor negatives that I can think of are: 1) the touch pad seems less responsive than that of my ASUS, although I did not try to update drivers or change settings, and 2) the 32-bit version of Windows 7 limits you to 3 GB RAM, although 3 GB of DDR3 RAM is more than sufficient for my wife's needs. Very happy with purchase thus far. Still debating whether AMD version may be better value IF you do not mind less battery life. I have read some recent reviews of Lenovo laptops complaining about bloat-ware, but personally did not notice anything egregious on the Lenovo Edge. Especially when compared to the HP laptop that I owned prior to my ASUS netbook OR to the Toshiba Satellite that the Edge is replacing.
UPDATE: Been using Edge for a couple of weeks and extremely happy with everything EXCEPT touch pad. Touch pad works fine as a normal mouse, but virtually none of the multi-touch functionality is usable. Shame considering the utility of the multi-touch features on my ASUS 1000H netbook (toggle between windows, zoom in & out, rotate, scroll vertically & horizontally, page back & forth, etc.) UPDATE2: Starting to get hang of touchpad. I am able to use more multi-touch features. Tapping gestures work fine. Scrolling and paging work OK, but sometimes have to try a few times. Still have not gotten rotate to work very well. Multi-touch does appear to work, but takes some time and effort.

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Sophisticated Design Meets Legendary ThinkPad Quality and Reliability
Project the right image for your business with the affordable new ThinkPad Edge notebook. Progressive. Streamlined. No fluff, just clean lines and legendary ThinkPad engineering and performance. The new ThinkPad Edge 13 inch is a stylish and sophisticated notebook, with a perfect blend of business and consumer features. Excellent and efficient performance is guaranteed with an Intel Ultra Low Voltage processor, wireless connectivity, and long battery life. The spill-resistant keyboard and Active Protection System ensure that the ThinkPad Edge meets the rigorous demands of everyday usage scenarios. Plus, the ThinkPad Edge complies with environmental standards such as EPEAT Gold, ENERGY STAR 5.0, and RoHS. It exceeds the industry's green requirements by using 100% recycled, recyclable packaging, and non-toxic ink. Best of all, it's engineered withLenovo's Enhanced Experience for Windows 7, which means faster start-up and shutdown times than systems without Enhanced Experience.

With a strong focus on ease of use, the ThinkPad Edge notebook introduces a new contemporary "island style" keyboard layout and keycap design thatreflects modern usage patterns. Now, navigation is made easy and comfortable with UltraNav, the combination of TrackPoint and large, multi-gesture touchpad. Its high-sensitivity webcam lets you enjoy excellent image quality and video performance even under dim-light conditions.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Key Features
STYLISH AND FEATURE-RICH

Elegant new design - sophisticated, confident, straightforward, progressive
Ultra-low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor
Genuine Windows 7 Professional (32 bit) - Work anywhere more easily and securely with Windows 7 Professional.Your PC, simplified.
High-performance DDR3 RAM - for high-bandwidth storage of working data
13.3 inch HD 16:9 LED-backlight display - The latest in display backlight technology, LED backlit displays are thinner, lighter and use less power than traditional notebook displays, but still provide the same level of brightness for easy viewing.
HDMI enables you to connect to external TV or monitor with high definition video and multi-channel audio.
Integrated web camera
Active Protection System - uses an accelerometer to monitor movement of the system and stop the drive, and help protect against damage when a fall or similar event is detected
Convenient Access Connections - software to manage your connectivity options as you move from location to location.

SIMPLIFIED USER EXPERIENCE

Legendary ThinkPad keyboard feel with streamlined "island style" keyboard layout
UltraNavnavigation - the combination of the famous ThinkPad TrackPoint pointing device and multitouch touchpad with zoom, rotate and scroll functionality
Spill resistant keyboard
Easy password management to protect your business files
Intelligent system updates

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE

Energy Star, EPEAT Gold, and RoHS compliance

A BETTER WINDOWS 7 EXPERIENCE

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 provides a faster, richer and easier way to use your PC

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7
Windows 7 Professional
Stylish, Totally Redesigned ThinkPad
Greener Business
Additional Features

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Lenovo ThinkPad T60 2623 15-Inch Laptop Review

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(More customer reviews)The Thinkpad T series is IBM/Lenovo's standard business laptop, and as a college student, I have found it to be perfect. I have the T60 model with the specs listed above: T2500 (2GHz Core Duo), 1 GB Ram, 100 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, Wireless Internet, Fingerprint Reader, Windows XP SP2, 128 MB ATI Radeon x1400. The laptop is very well constructed and sturdy. The keyboard is excellent, and very responsive. The screen is slightly dim, but I usually use it at an even dimmer setting anyways to conserve battery life. I also have a dock and a 21" widescreen monitor. Recently, when my computer became infected, I merely used the backup sector (which takes away 20GB from your hard drive) to reload everything - it was a lot easier than manually reformatting, installing Windows, installing the thinkpad drivers, etc. The drivers are also very good, with the exception of the Thinkpad Access Connections, which I uninstalled immediately. The embedded security chip works well, if you need to use that. I prefer to key in a password rather than use a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader will not work if there is moisture of your fingertip. It also needs to be recalibrated (i.e. reprogram your fingerprint) every know and then. Since getting a dock though, I've chosen to forego the fingerprint reader completely.
I purchased this thinkpad with the accidental damage protection warranty, which means I can do nearly anything to the thinkpad I want, and it will be replaced. Why would I though - it's a great computer.
Battery life is pretty good - the 6 cell battery is rated at 3.5 hrs and will give you a decent 2.5. You can always upgrade to a 9 cell battery and/or take out the DVD-burner and stick in an extra battery there.
Opening up the T60 is also easy, and allowable under the warranty to some extent - for example, adding RAM or replacing the keyboard (replacement keyboards are shipped overnight!)
I also like the matte-ish finish off the laptop cover as well as the screen. All in all, a wonderful laptop, and with a student discount, very affordable. The newer Thinkpads have Core 2 Duo processors (marginal performance increase over the Core Duo in this laptop), and are Vista Ready. You can always upgrade. Highly recommended laptop.

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Think Express models of the ThinkPad T60 and T60p notebook computers are ideal for frequent travelers who need high performance in a lightweight package. ThinkPad T60 and T60p notebooks meet the needs of small and medium business.

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Lenovo G550 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good solid computer for the price. Have had mine for about a month and quite impressed so far. The computer has a nice sized, clear screen and plenty of power to run applications and basic everyday computer needs. It has the basics for everyday computing... Little flimsy on the design but wouldn't stop me from buying it again.

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The fully-loaded notebook that doesn't unload your wallet. The all purpose Lenovo G550 notebook comes with features like a 15.6" LED backlight display, integrated graphics and high-quality stereo speakers with 3D audio enhancement to deliver edge-of-the-seat entertainment. Plus its OneKey Rescue System and VeriFace Facial Recognition Technology help safeguard data at all times. What’s more, with its affordable price tag, this feature-loaded notebook won’t empty your wallet either. Best of all, it’s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad. OneKey Rescue System - With the touch of a button, you can restore the system and recover valuable data. The OneKey Rescue System also recovers essential system files in the event of corruption, and can be used to initiate a virus scan before entering Windows. VeriFace Facial Recognition Software - A cool and fun way to login to the PC – VeriFace uses the integrated webcam to detect your face and authorize your Windows login. It can also be used as a password management system for other applications. 3D sound enhancement - Creates virtual 3D sound effect, for a more immersive sound experience when watching video or playing games. High-Def LED backlight display - A High-Def display with LED backlight technology which improves energy efficiency and battery life. The Planet’s best keyboards with Numeric Keypad - The same engineers that brought you the legendary keyboard design on ThinkPad notebooks bring you great tactile feel with intelligent layout and performance on the G530 notebook. Thoughtfully designed – Just 1.4" thick and at 5.6lbs, with a 15.6 LED backlight screen and numeric keypad, the G550 has everything you need at an affordable price.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X100E 11.6-Inch Netbook (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have used this as my main work machine, doing office / productivity work, for about a month now. It is a great small laptop, especially for the price.
Build quality is superb. The X100e does not have a roll cage (i.e. internal metal skeleton) like some higher-priced X and T series Thinkpads, but you'd never know it, probably because the small size makes it largely unnecessary. The case is nice and stiff; the hinges are superb; and in general the build quality seems to be a cut above the T6x series, at least. However, I do miss the slightly rubbery paint from my other Thinkpads; this black matte paint is smoother. Still nice, but not as nice.
The keyboard is the best I've used on a laptop. It is superior to the ones on my T60 and T61, previously my favorites.
The touchpad is also superb.
I've disabled the camera, partly because I'll never use it and partly to save on battery life.
The screen is very nice and bright. In fact I have to turn it down from the brightest setting sometimes indoors, as it can hurt my eyes due to the extreme brightness. The resolution is just fine for doing research, writing, etc. After a quick period of adapting, the screens on my T6x series feel huge and overly tall by comparison. It is enough resolution to dock side-by-side windows and work with dual documents, barely.
I haven't had any problems with heat. I think this may be because I don't stress the video card much if at all. The bottom gets quite mildly warm under prolonged use.
Performance is just fine in my book. With 9 windows of Google Chrome open, two Word documents, one Notepad text file, Windows Media Player playing an HD movie, two Windows Explorer windows, Adobe Reader 9 opened to a large PDF file, TrueCrypt drive encryption running, AVG, and Warcraft III-- RAM usage was around 1.2 gigs, and processor use hovered around 60-70%.
I am not a big gamer. Playing Warcraft III against my 4-year-old, though, at full res with all eye candy turned on runs smoothly.
Going further on the performance angle, the AMD MV-40 is often roughly compared with a Pentium M 1.6 GHz or thereabouts. That is probably pretty accurate, but my machine feels a bit faster than machines of that rough vintage, such as the T4x series. This is probably due to the SSD, faster RAM, faster better everything else etc. in the X100e. So you would essentially get a better-than-X41 performer in the X100e in my opinion, for a budget price. Not bad for doing productivity work at all, though it is no speed demon by today's standards.
I spent roughly $100 to upgrade to an X25-V SSD, which noticeably improved performance. After the upgrade, my Windows boot time is 25 seconds, shutdown time is under 10 seconds, sleep/standby mode time is 4 seconds, and resume from sleep/standby is 2 seconds. The 160 GB drive my machine came with went into an $8 enclosure and now serves backup duty.
Battery life easily goes beyond 5 hours for the type of work I do (before the SSD upgrade it was generally around 4:30). I have the processor set to max out at 60% in battery mode, and the screen is generally set to around 5-6 brightness, which is usually enough.
I still don't have Photoshop loaded on this machine. I think that's where the processor's shortcomings would be most noticeable, processor- and ram-hungry applications like that. But this is not a slow machine IMHO.
I also don't think most people would need more than 2 GB of RAM, unless using something like Photoshop where they wanted better performance. Simple multitasking that most people would do probably wouldn't need more than 2 GB. Even with music running in the background, a slew of browser windows, etc. I just don't see how it could stack up to 4 GB. It seems to be an increasing practice to load a machine with 4 GB or even 8 GB of RAM, but I wonder how many eager buyers realize that the RAM they're buying will never be used.
Of course, I am running Windows in a minimal way. I guess some OS features could consume extra RAM, although I wouldn't know what they are. I tend not to like a lot of junk running in the background, unless it will actually help me run my programs or the machine.
The machine is very attractive and professional-looking. People constantly ogle it, and I've received many questions about it. I personally prefer the size to that of the X200 (the X100e is noticeably smaller).
The lack of an optical drive is definitely a negative for me. It makes it much mroe of a hassle to install things. If you don't already have an external drive, take this into account.
The lack of the Thinklight is also a downer. It is one of my favorite Thinkpad features, and I wonder why Lenovo couldn't have charged an extra 25 cents or whatever it costs for a single LED light and a bit of wire. I suspect it was intentionally left out to differentiate the X100e more from the X200.
Another really disappointing drawback, for me, is the tiny half-size media card reader. An SDHC card will only insert halfway, meaning I cannot have a built-in, always-ready backup device for my most important files. I understand the machine is tiny, but they still could have squeezed in an extra few millimeters for a bigger card reader. The card reader also has no documentation, apparently, meaning I have no idea if any of the formats it supports (which I cannot figure out) would fit completely inside the reader. I plan to follow up with technical support on this.
The ordering process was not so smooth. Lenovo customer service sent me an .xls file, telling me to update it and send it back them to start my service contract. Eventually they caved on this, after I griped. It just didn't seem fair to make people install Microsoft Office or similar program to get what they bought, and in any event I didn't have an office program installed at the time. The machine itself was back-ordered and took weeks to produce, and the status was seldom updated. The machine and accessories came piecemeal: first the extra power supply, followed weeks later by the machine, followed later by the neoprene sleeve.
However, I am really glad to be able to take advantage of Lenovo warranty service. I bought next-business-day support for three years. I have never been anything but impressed with IBM or Lenovo warranty service, and since this is my work machine I needed it.
All in all, this is my favorite notebook, ever. I would buy a Thinkpad netbook if they made one, but this is not a netbook. Netbooks are characterized by super-cheap price, excellent battery life, poor performance, and usually by poor ergonomics and durability. This machine offers perfect ergonomics, great durability, enterprise-class service options, middling battery life, and middling performance. I'm not bothered by the "netbook" name some apply to this machine, but I would not, could not do my everyday work on a netbook. This machine, I can.
The single biggest drawback, for me, is the battery life. But if I wanted longer than 5 hours of battery life, and wanted better performance and even better durability, I would have saved up for an X200 series. For what it is, this machine is perfect for me.

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Black Lenovo ThinkPad X100e 11.6in Netbook 350829U, Athlon Neo MV-40, 2GB DDR2, 250GB HDD, ATI Radeon HD3200, w/ Webcam, GB LAN, Wi-Fi, Windows 7 ProfessionalThe New ThinkPad X100e Notebook. Cool, confident, with a slick new design and bold color. But make no mistake, this notebook is all ThinkPad - reliable, rock-solid and well-equipped. Best of all, it's the most affordable ThinkPad ever.

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Lenovo G550 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a presentation technology specialist and I use laptops everyday for presentations and normally I would never buy a computer that costs less than $1200. Anything less than that and you're asking for performance problems on all fronts; processor, RAM, graphics and hard drive.
First things first, this computer only cost $549 dollars or less.
This computer is not a workhorse by any means and is ugly as only a mother could love.
That being said, this is what can you expect.
Flimsy plastic body construction? Check.
The plastic looks and feels as cheap as what you paid for. Think of a low end DVD player that you can pick up at Walmart for $30 dollars. This computer does flex on the bottom but as long as you don't handle it like the "American Tourister Gorilla" you'll be fine. It does have a raised texture pattern on the surface to help you grip it better. The screen does not have a latch to secure it but that is not detrimental to me. One reviewer commented that the DVD drive popped open a couple of times because of the flexing of the case and I would refute that claim and suggest that it happens when a thumb or finger presses the eject button, inadvertently, as has happened to me.
Intel shared video performance? Check. Poor lcd viewing angles? Check.
The Intel chipset can use as much as a Gb of RAM to help with graphics. Mine is currently using 57Mb. This screen is great for direct viewing only. As for off viewing angles, I often laugh when people complain about this. How often do you view your work on a laptop from any position other than directly in front of the screen. I have been using it to watch DVD and Streaming movies on Netflix with no performance problems. I also use Corel Draw 13 and Corel Painter 10 and it runs those programs equally fine. It also runs TrialDirector, a special presentation software, surprisingly well for non-dedicated video graphics. I won't be running Maya or Max or any highend 3-D apps or games on it so there is no expectation to be crushed on that point.
Windows XP Professional loaded? Check. Windows 7 Professional 32 bit on disk? Check.
Netbooks primarily ship with Windows 7 Starter and that version is severely diminished in functionality. I highly recommend setting this computer to dual boot keeping both operating systems intact. You can always reformat later.
Large 15.6 inch screen? Check. Fullsize keyboard with numeric pad? Check.
I bought this as opposed to a netbook because of the screen. My eyesight is pretty bad and I prefer having a larger screen.
The keyboard is fullsize and typing in numbers on the numeric key pad is a plus for me. The only flaw I find on the keyboard is the placement of the Function key. It is located on the outside of the left hand side Control key which is counter-intuitive to the better quality laptops I'm using.
This Lenovo is considered their "value line" series so don't buy this and expect alot and you will most likely be pleased with the performance.

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The fully-loaded notebook that doesn't unload your wallet.The all purpose Lenovo G550 notebook comes with features like a 15.6-Inch LED backlight display, integrated graphics and high-quality stereo speakers with 3D audio enhancement to deliver edge-of-the-seat entertainment. Plus its OneKey Rescue System and VeriFace Facial Recognition Technology help safeguard data at all times. What’s more, with its affordable price tag, this feature-loaded notebook won’t empty your wallet either. Best of all, it’s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.OneKey Rescue System - With the touch of a button, you can restore the system and recover valuable data. The OneKey Rescue System also recovers essential system files in the event of corruption, and can be used to initiate a virus scan before entering Windows.VeriFace Facial Recognition Software - A cool and fun way to login to the PC – VeriFace uses the integrated webcam to detect your face and authorize your Windows login. It can also be used as a password management system for other applications.3D sound enhancement - Creates virtual 3D sound effect, for a more immersive sound experience when watching video or playing games.High-Def LED backlight display - A High-Def display with LED backlight technology which improves energy efficiency and battery life.The Planet’s best keyboards with Numeric Keypad - The same engineers that brought you the legendary keyboard design on ThinkPad notebooks bring you great tactile feel with intelligent layout and performance on the G530 notebook.Thoughtfully designed – Just 1.4” thick and at 5.6lbs, with a 15.6 LED backlight screen and numeric keypad, the G550 has everything you need at an affordable price.

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Lenovo Y550P 324156U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)After using Macs exclusively for 3 years, I switched back to Windows because of one reason: I wanted a quad core laptop (i7 specifically) and Apple has yet to make one. Furthermore, I know that when they do it will only be offered at first on the highest end of the 15" and 17" MacBook Pro models and will likely cost between $1800-$2200. When this laptop went on sale for $999.99, I knew I could no longer justify staying with Apple because $999.99 just happens to be the price of their lowest end laptop. For $999.99 (PC vs Mac) you can get processor quad core vs. dual core, HD 500GB vs 250GB, Ram 4GB vs 2GB, max ram 8GB vs 4GB, LCD 13.3" vs 15.6", and internal graphics of 256MB shared vs 1GB discrete. To me this is no contest. I was able to switch my Adobe programs over to PC by calling Adobe customer service and performing a cross platform swap. I needed to update my MS Office suite anyway so I didn't mind spending $170 to get MS Office Home/Student 2007 plus Outlook 2007. I will describe my experience with the Lenovo through a Pro/Con list, and I will compare the Apple and PC experience where necessary.
Pros:
*i7 quad-core laptop for $999.99
*i7 quad-core = very, very fast
*1GB discrete graphics will satisfy every need except only the highest of professional/gaming graphics processing needs.
*looks very nice and seems well-built
*4GB of ram is enough for now and the option to expand to 8GB later is great
*ExpressCard 34, eSATA and SD card slots are most welcome
Cons:
*fan is audible a good bit of the time, and most of the time during even moderate application usage. I was aware of this issue with quad-core laptops prior to purchase so it did not come as a surprise, but at the same time I do think it belongs on the con list
*terrible sound output quality and volume from the built-in speakers
*terrible sound output quality and volume as well as crackling/popping while using external speakers, so terrible that I had to buy a Creative XFI Expresscard Sound Card (which did, incidentally, fix all of the audio issues)
*audio out jack located on the front of the laptop (I know this is all too common on today's laptops but it is annoying nonetheless; the Creative XFI card also solved this issue)
*occasional high pitch whine (the source of which is still under investigation) which can be quite annoying
*location of the cooling fan inlet vent means that you will not be able to use this on your lap or on top of a bedspread unless you first put a hard flat object under the laptop first; the laptop essentially is designed to only be placed on hard flat surfaces
*no DVI, mini-DVI or mini-DisplayPort ports; HDMI and VGA (VGA?!?!?!?!) are the only video ports
*the built-in trackpad experience is truly atrocious: the trackpad has a raised grid surface (instead of a flat smooth surface like 99% of the laptops made) which makes navigation uncomfortable and imprecise. In addition, the scrolling bar is laughably unusable. It is made for hands with fingers the size of baby's fingers and using it requires tapping down once first to turn it on; one can not simply move their fingers over it to scroll
*battery life is terrible, but I knew this going in because all quad-core laptops have terrible battery life as a result of their power-hungry processors. You will not get the 4.5 hours of battery life as advertised, trust me. I don't know how they were able to achieve that number but virtually everything must have been disabled and/or turned all the way down.\
*a moderate amount of bloatware which I am still deleting/tinkering with after a week of ownership
*built-in LCD not particularly stunning but I find nothing objectionable about it either
*would have liked to get Windows 7 Professional/Ultimate considering this is a high-end laptop but I did know prior to purchase of course that I was only getting Windows 7 Home
*hard drive came partitioned into 4 parts which is very, very annoying. In addition a few of them took up massive amounts of hard drive space for no apparent reason. It took me a few days of messing around with various freeware utilities to get all (but the essential) of them deleted. (hint: check out the free "Ultimate Boot CD" it is what finally got rid of the pesky partitions that Windows disk utility wouldn't let me touch)
In my opinion, this is your basic garden-variety "desktop replacement" laptop. With an external keyboard, mouse and monitor this makes a great desktop that can sometimes be carried out of the home when need be. I find the "laptop only" experience to be sub-par. This is perfectly suitable for someone like me since my laptops have always spent over 95% of their time at home plugged into external I/O devices. If you are someone who is just the opposite, however, I can not recommended this unit because of the issues described above. Overall, I am satisfied with the unit primarily due to the performance specs and the price. There is just no arguing with the value of an i7 laptop with 1GB discrete graphics for $999.99. The length of the con list, however, was sufficient to cause me to drop the rating to 4/5.

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Small on the outside. Big on the inside. INTRODUCING THE LENOVO IDEAPAD Y550 NOTEBOOK. Have your own private movie theater and hear your music concert style—wherever you like. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 notebook comes with OneKey Theater — a single button that effortlessly optimizes your audio and video settings for high-definition entertainment.Plus, Dolby Home Theater brings the concert hall into your PC, with crystal-clear surround sound effect, rich bass and wide audio spectrum.Go on, let the show begin. Best of all, it’s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad business notebook. And with Windows 7 Lenovo Enhanced Experience certification, you’ll appreciate fast boot and shutdown, rich multimedia capabilities and easy system maintenance tools.

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Lenovo Ideacentre H215 Series 08931EU Desktop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pros:
Very low price
Attractive glossy case
Great expansion possibilities
Cons:
Integrated graphics architecture
Wired mouse & keyboard
Includes bloatware
No WiFi
Overall:
I'm very happy with my purchase. We had a laptop go dead in my house and needed a quick'n'cheap replacement. Benchmarks online indicated that the new Radeon 3000 graphics chipset was very good as far as integrated graphics go. Even though this computer had less storage, RAM, and an inferior CPU for the price to many competing computers, that was enough to make me go with this one.
Quick and easy, out of the box, turned on, it was ready to go in very short order. It comes with a 15-day McAfee installation that needs to get shown the digital door, and a variety of Lenovo-branded applications that are likely useless, but at least they're harmless. For such a cheap computer, this is a very low level of bloatware. I would have liked a wireless mouse and keyboard considering how cheap they are, but what they offer isn't bad. The integrated memory card reader is a nice touch, but the lack of WiFi was sorely missed.
320GB of storage is fine, the optical drive is an optical drive, and the memory is good. It comes with Windows 7 x64, but only has two memory slots and as such maxes at 4GB of memory with 2GB included in one of those slots. Hopefully, memory sticks with greater than 2GB will arrive soon, thus allowing you to take advantage of the x64 architecture and install more than 4GB of memory. Even if that never happens, though, 4GB is enough to keep you happy for at least five years, and very likely more.
Performance is as expected. It pushes a 1920x1080 monitor perfectly well. Online Flash videos play in high-def without issue. Adobe Lightroom runs smoothly. This would do well as a media PC for your television setup since the fans inside are very quiet.
What this computer will NOT do is play games. I figured it would be comparable to the five-year-old laptop (that came with desktop gaming hardware), but it does not. World of Warcraft is entirely unplayable at the monitor's native resolution. You will NEED an external video card. This has the added bonus of freeing up the 256MB of RAM that the video architecture hijacks. Stock, the computer turns out ~1,100 in 3DMark06. Very good for this price range, but not good enough.
It's here that I'm so glad I went with this computer. The motherboard inside has lots of room to breath and everything is easily accessible. Better still is that it has a PCI slot, two PCI-Express X1 slots, and a PCI-Express X16 slot. Wow! Usually, discount computers skimp anywhere they can, and expansion slots on the motherboard are some of the first things to go. Totally kickass. Also kickass, installing the new video card automatically disables the integrated video card. No need to go into the BIOS to disable it. Is this new? I haven't been building computers in awhile. I still remember DIP switches and jumpers. Sigh. Those were the days.
Moving on. Consider before you buy a video card, though. I bought a Radeon 5750 to guarantee Warcraft nirvana and it requires a 500 watt power supply, where the included PSU is only 180W. You can buy a silent 500W PSU for $35, but that's more money, and if budget is a consideration, every dollar counts. Still, I think it's worth it. The overall component choices made by Lenovo are quite solid, and with an extra $165 spent on the video card and power supply, the computer can run World of Warcraft at max graphical settings at the monitor's native resolution and maintain framerates above 30fps. The 3DMark06 score is now ~12,000. With a little money spent now and then, this super-cheap computer could remain modern and usable for many years.
You can find this computer for about $20 cheaper ($359) at BestBuy. Just thought you'd like to know.

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Safe, Fun, Family Computing. Fun is non-stop multimedia from a PC that takes care of all the family\'s needs - the affordable Lenovo H215 desktop computer. For homework, family finances, editing photo albums or watching movies, the Lenovo H215 desktop computer is the ideal family PC. The AMD Athlon II X2 processor combined with plenty of DDR3 memory makes the Lenovo H215 powerful and flexible enough to handle most all home computing tasks. Plus the Lenovo Rescue System provides peace of mind by making data backup and recovery simple and easy. Best of all, it\'s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad and legendary service and support.

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Lenovo Ideapad G550 2958-9PU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was excited to get this laptop because the price was fantastic for the configuration.
I have had it for two weeks and so far I really like it. However, just one thing about it is kind of annoying: 1. The volume of the speakers is very very low. I'd go as far as saying it is not usable. Volume is fine with headphones or connected to my wireless speakers.
But its got lots of pros: Set up was a breeze, nice screen, super light, fast,doesn't get hot at all.
I have not been with it unplugged yet so can't speak for the battery life.
I do not believe there is a perfect laptop for $500, so considering the configuration, I think I chose well.

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AFFORDABILITY REDEFINED.Fun is an affordable notebook that won\'t let you down—the Lenovo G550 notebook with OneKey™ Rescue System. An affordable notebook that doesn\'t compromise on the basics, the Lenovo® G550 notebook delivers outstanding performance for everyday tasks thanks to the Intel® Pentium® Dual Core processor. It also features OneKey™ Rescue System for easy data backup and recovery, so you can spend more time on the things you love most - like listening to music on the stereo speakers and viewing videos on the 15.6" widescreen display. Plus, with VeriFace facial recognition software, your face is your password.Best of all, it\'s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.
Lenovo G550 Notebook Key Features
KEY SPECIFICATIONS

Intel Pentium Dual Core T4500 processor
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
15.6 inch high-definition LED backlight display, 16:9 widescreen
250GB 5400rpm SATA hard drive
4GB DDR3 memory
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M
Integrated web camera
High quality stereo speakers
DVD reader/writer
Numeric keypad for easier data logging and gaming

RELIABLE PORTABILITY

Designed as a versatile but affordable notebook, built with durability in mind from the makers of ThinkPad®
6-cell battery. Battery life up to 4.5 hrs
Integrated Ethernet/802.11b/g

REST EASY

OneKey Rescue Systemfor quick and easy data recovery and antivirus protection
VeriFace facial recognition technology - a fun way to log in to your PC
Microsoft Office Trial version









OneKey Rescue System
VeriFace Face Recognition

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Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI - sd300v Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you have a MacBook Pro, you can connect a monitor to the notebook via an inexpensive adapter. This Kensington dock product allows you to connect a second monitor to the notebook so that you have a total of three screens including the notebook screen.
If you follow these instructions, then this device works fine with the latest (April 2010 refresh) MacBook Pro notebooks running 10.6.3.
1. Buy and set up the dock but DO NOT INSTALL THE SOFTWARE THAT COMES WITH IT
2. Download the 64-bit driver (currently a beta) from DisplayLink and install it:
[...]
The 32-bit driver (which is not a beta) will work fine on Snow Leopard unless you need a portrait mode (screen rotation). The 64-bit driver fixes that. I'm running 1200x1920 (the max resolution) in portrait mode with no problems.
Previous to this, I was using ScreenRecycler, which is a lot slower. The video speed of this dock isn't "native", but it's acceptable for browsing and word processing, and it even runs YouTube fine in windowed mode (but NOT in full-screen mode -- you can see the lag).

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Universal USB Docking Station

Get 41% OFF

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IBM Numeric Keypad For Thinkpad USB Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Unfortunately, Lenovo has not yet seen fit to release a Vista-compatible driver, so the laptop's keyboard and the numeric keypad's number lock feature are in sync under Vista. In other words, if you want to type numbers on the numeric keypad (why else would you buy it?) using Windows Vista, the portion of your laptop's keyboard that substitutes for a numeric keypad will also type numbers. Obviously, for quick data entry, it quickly becomes annoying to have to constantly toggle the "Num Lock" key.
Targus makes a similar keypad that does include a Vista driver to avoid this annoying behavior, so that you can input text on your laptop keyboard and numbers on your numeric keypad. It does not, however, have the standard 10-key layout, which is the feature I like most about this model.
Updated (Sept. 2007): Lenovo has released a Vista driver for this keypad, so it now works as it should. You can activate Num Lock on the keypad and still type properly on the laptop keyboard.

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Black - USB

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