Gizmodo: ideapad

Lenovo U350 Is Pretty Thin, Pretty Light, and Pretty Cheap

John Herrman — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:30:00 EDT

Just last week Intel was all "Hey! Thin, light and cheap laptops are the next big thing, TRUST US!" The Lenovo IdeaPad U350, a $650, 13.3-inch ultrathin notebook, is exactly what they were talking about.

Intel and Lenovo's concept makes enough sense: take those ultrathing, ultra-expensive notebooks like the MacBook Air, Dell Adamo or VooDoo Envy and sacrifice a little performance, a little weight and a little thinness to bring the price down. After all, they're already sluggish, so why not? What makes it genius, though, is how this compromise manifests itself. It turns out, these mild design and performances compromises knock a tremendous sum off the price.

The U350 is a sub-1-inch-thick, 3.5lb 13.3-inch notebook which, aside from its thin profile and conspicuous lack of an optical drive, is a fairly standard piece of notebook hardware. You can get just about anything you want in one of these guys—Core 2 Solo, Pentium ULV or Celeron processors; up to 8GB of RAM and up to 500GB of storage—but after a while you'll start to lose the price advantage that makes it attractive in the first place. It'll be around that $700-$800 pricepoint that the U350 shines. Available from July, full press release and spec sheet below. [Lenovo]

IdeaPad U350 Laptop
Display: 16:9 aspect ratio, 13.3 inch LED, HD 1366 X 768
Processor: Intel ultra low voltage CPUs and small form factor chipsets: Intel® Core 2 Solo SU3500 (1.4G, 800 MHz, 3 MB), Intel® Pentium® SU2700 (1.3G, 800 MHz, 2 MB), and Intel® Celeron 723 (1.2G, 800 MHz, 1MB) processors. Mobile Intel® GS40 and GS45 Express Chipset.
Graphics: Mobile Intel® GMA 4500M and Mobile Intel® GMA 4500MHDMemory
Memory: Up to 8 GB DDR3 800/1066 MHz DRAM
Hard Drive: Up to 500 GB 5400 rpm
Battery Life: 10 hours with 8 cell, 5 hours with 4 cell
Weight: 1.6kg
Dimensions:328mmX228mmX17-24.9mm
Connectivity: Ethernet 10/100/1000m/Intel WiFi Link 5150 1 X 2 AGN, Intel WiFi Link 5100 1 X 2 AGN, non-Intel wireless b/g/Bluetooth
Other: 1.3 megapixel camera, ambient light sensor technology, multi-touch touchpad, Dolby Sound Room/two 1.5 watt speakers, Active Protection System, Ambient Light Sensor, VGA ports, 4-in-1 multicard reader, Dolby Headphone, VeriFace 3.5, Quick Start
Software: VeriFace 3.5, Vista Home Basic/Home Premium, OneKey Rescue System

IdeaPad U350 Laptop
Lenovo is pushing the envelope on design to bring consumers ultra-thin, ultra-light and ultra-loaded PC technology. Encased in a sophisticated sleek silver shell, the IdeaPad U350 laptop starts at 3.5 pounds and measures less than one inch thick1. While thin and light to the touch on the outside, Lenovo loaded the PC inside with the latest entertainment and computing features to enhance and simply users' digital worlds. A 16:9 aspect ratio high definition 13.3 inch LED panel and an HDMI connector allow users to fully enjoy watching movies or other multimedia in high definition.

The IdeaPad U350 laptop also packs in several unexpected features, such as Ambient Light Sensor technology, borrowed from the IdeaCentre desktop line. This technology automatically adjusts the screen's brightness when in different lighting environments for the best picture quality. Also, Dolby Sound Room complements the video experience by providing a high quality surround-sound audio experience. And with VeriFace facial recognition technology, they can make their face their password for easy log in. A camera also comes in handy for video messaging or making Skype calls using the laptop's WiFi connectivity2.

The laptop's entertainment features are powered by a backbone of computing technologies, including choices of Intel Core2Solo and Pentium ultra low voltage processors, up to 8 GB high speed DDR3 memory and up to 500 GB of hard drive storage. The technologies help users to do more, faster, such as burning DVDs, compressing and opening documents and enjoying smoother, more realistic gaming. For high reliability important to individual business users whether on the clock or off, Lenovo borrowed a component of ThinkPad laptop design with the Active Protection System. This helps protect data by temporarily stopping the hard drive if the laptop should fall. The IdeaPad U350 laptop also comes with OneKey™ Rescue System to help recover data if it becomes corrupted in just a few simple steps.

Lenovo First to Pack Nvidia Ion HD Graphics Into Netbooks

matt buchanan — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:10:00 EST

We're gonna see Nvidia's Ion platform in dirt-cheap desktops first, but Taiwan rag Commercial Times says Lenovo looks like the first to put it in netbooks, starting with 11.6 and 12.1-inch IdeaPads. [Digitimes via Electronista]

Lenovo IdeaPad Y650 Is Thinnest, Lightest 16-Inch Notebook Thanks to Carbon Fiber

matt buchanan — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:01 EST

Lenovo's IdeaPad Y-series consumer notebooks are all going 16:9 widescreen, teed off by the 16-inch Y650, which is the thinnest, lightest notebook in that class, thanks to carbon fiber.

Rounding out the series are the Y550 and Y450, which are the 15 and 14-inch versions of the same notebook. They're all LED-backlit, and weirdly, at least according to the spec sheet all have the same 1366x768 resolution. Also bizarre is that the 15.6-inch Y550 weighs more than the Y650—6 pounds to 5.6. Blu-ray and discrete graphics options in all (though not the kind you can turn off or off like in the unibody MacBook Pros or some of Toshiba's notebooks).

Still, they do start fairly cheap: $1200 for the Y650, $830 for the other two when they roll out in March.

IdeaPad Y650, Y550, Y450 Laptops

Lenovo’s latest IdeaPad Y Series laptops deliver powerful Hi-Definition entertainment in new sizes that are smaller, thinner and lighter than the previous generation to give more choices to consumers. The three Y Series laptops – the Y650, Y550, and Y450 – share the same modern soft black design featuring an interlocked hexagon pattern on the top cover along with a discrete copper accent around the perimeter of the laptop.

Lenovo delivers its first 16-inch widescreen laptop, the IdeaPad Y650, to the distinction of being the thinnest and lightest laptop in its class1. In fact, the laptop weighs even lighter than many 15-inch laptops, providing users with an additional inch of screen space without compromising on mobility. Making use of special materials like carbon fiber, as used in the aerospace and automotive industries, Lenovo has engineered the laptop down to a slender one-inch at its thinnest point with a weight of just 5.6 pounds.

The expanded Y Series add three new 16:9 screen sizes: the 16-inch Y650, the 15.6-inch Y550, and the 14-inch Y450 laptops. The new Y Series laptops are configurable with up to 500GB of hard drive storage space and up to 4GB of DDR3 memory.

Designed for HD and Multimedia

To provide an exceptional Hi-Definition entertainment and multimedia experience, the Y Series laptops are equipped with 16:9 format glossy widescreen panels, optional latest generation NVIDIA GFX graphics for gaming and smooth HD video playback and Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound. The IdeaPad Y650 laptop also features JBL speakers for a rich, resonate sound.

The Y Series includes the new Lenovo OneKey™ Theater software to enhance the audio and visual experience. By pressing a button, OneKey Theater gives users an easy way to adjust the PC’s display and sound effect settings. Users can switch from normal mode to movie mode on the fly to optimize the picture when watching movies or playing games. The Y Series also includes Lenovo Desktop Navigator so users can toggle between shortcuts, files and other frequently used programs just by placing their finger along the touch-sensitive slide bar. For extra convenience, users can simply use the multi-touch touchpad below the keyboard and use their fingertips to enlarge or reduce image size. Additionally, an ambient light sensor on the IdeaPad Y650 laptop automatically adjusts screen brightness based on surrounding light conditions, helping to reduce eye strain.

Lenovo has added new levels of performance to its Y Series by equipping them with the latest Intel processors as well as DDR3 memory to help applications respond more quickly under multi-tasking conditions. Now users can burn DVDs in less time, compress and open large documents more easily and enjoy smoother, more realistic gaming. Y Series laptops have several wireless connectivity options including WiFi and optional Bluetooth.

For added convenience, Lenovo’s latest VeriFace™ facial recognition technology combines Windows log-in and file encryption for logging onto the PC and for password-protecting individual files.

The new Y Series also features Lenovo’s OneKey™ Rescue System to help users to recover their data and restore critical system files after system failures, viruses and other mishaps.

IdeaPad S10 Netbook

Lenovo’s IdeaPad S10 netbook – an affordable secondary PC for the home or for the first-time PC user – is ideal for connecting to the Internet, messaging with friends, completing homework or even making Skype calls. Lenovo is updating the popular IdeaPad S10 netbook with new multimedia and networking tools for social networking enthusiasts ranging from newbie’s to the most social of socialites.

While many early adopters are familiar with the world of social networking, some mainstream consumers are only taking the first steps. Through a new Lenovo tool called LenovoSocial, that comes preloaded on the netbook, users can easily connect to a resource portal that will help them navigate the vast options for participating in social networking.

Other new features on the IdeaPad S10 netbook include Lenovo Quick Start. With this functionality, users will have the ability to access a number of frequently used applications including a web browser, music player, photo viewer, instant messaging tools and Skype. New to the netbook is Lenovo’s VeriFace™ facial recognition technology, a convenient tool for easy log-in. Similar to the IdeaPad Y Series laptops, the netbook features multi-touch functionality on the trackpad and Lenovo’s OneKey™ Rescue System.

The new IdeaPad S10 netbook’s 10.2-inch LED backlight display, 0.9 inch thick frame and 2.4 pound weight make it an ideal companion to tote in a backpack or shoulder bag. Color choices include black, white, red, blue, or pink.

Pricing and Availability4

The new IdeaPad Y650, Y550, Y450 laptops and S10 netbook will be available beginning in March. Manufacturer suggested retail pricing (MSRP) for models starts at $1,199 for the IdeaPad Y650, $829 for the IdeaPad Y550 and Y450, and $349 for the IdeaPad S10 netbook. The IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one desktop will be available beginning in April with MSRP for models starting at $999.

IdeaPad Y650

16:9 16-inch HD 1366 X 768 WLED type display

Intel Centrino 2 – Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 1066 MHz FSB and 6 MB L2 cache, Intel GM45 Chipset, Intel GMA 4500 MHD graphics

Memory - Up to 4 GB, DDR3 800/1066 MHz DRAM

Graphics - Up to Discrete nVidia N10M-GE1/256M GDDR3 VRAM

Storage - Up to 500 GB, 5400 rpm

Battery – 3.5 hours with UMA, 2.5 hours with discrete, 6-cell 2000mAH

Weight – 5.62 pounds

Dimensions – 390 X 260 X 26.1 mm

Intel® WiMax/ WiFi Link 5100 a/g/n, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Bluetooth® (Option)

9.5 mm SATA Optical (DVD Rambo, Optional Blu-Ray Combo & Rambo)

Dolby Home Theatre sound

Lenovo Desktop Navigator

Ambient Light Sensor technology

VeriFace 3.5 facial recognition

2 X 2 watt JBL speakers

Integrated 1.3 megapixel USB 2.0 LCD camera

6-in-1 multicard reader

2 USB 2.0 ports, E-sata, RJ45, VGA, Mic-In, Headphone, HDMI, TV, optional 34 mm Express Card slot, mini-PCIe slot (WLAN)

VeriFace™ 3.5, EasyCapture 3.5, Power2GOBD 5.5 (w/ BD optical support), Power2GO(W/O BD optical support), PlayMovie 1.51.3928(For Home Premium and BD optical), WinDVD(For Home Basic w/o BD Optical ), Dolby control center, OneKey Theater, Napster 4.1.0.4(Only for US), Wild Tangent, Norton Internet Security 2008, Lenovo Energy Management Software 3.1, OneKey Rescue System, Lenovo ReadComm 4.0, Carbonite, Microsoft/Lenovo Portal, Microsoft Office Ready, Adobe Reader 8.1, Windows Live 1.0, Office Ready 2007, Lenovo Desktop Navigator, DDNi (Only for USA)

IdeaPad Y550

16:9 15.6-inch HD/full HD, 1366 x 768 display

Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 800 MHz FSB and 2 MB L2 cache, Intel GM45 Chipset, Intel GMA 4500 MHD graphics

Memory - Up to 4 GB DDR3 800/1066 MHz DRAM

Graphics - Intel GMA x4500, Up to Nvidia NB10P-GE1 w/512 MB GDDR3 VRAM

Storage - Up to 500 GB, 5400 rpm

Battery – 4.5 hours with UMA, 3.5 hours with discrete

Weight – 6 pounds

Dimensions – 385 x 255 x 26-37 mm

Latest 5100 a/g/n wireless, Ethernet, optional Bluetooth

Dolby Home Theatre sound

Lenovo Desktop Navigator

VeriFace 3.5 facial recognition

Touch sensitive controls

One Key Theatre, One Key Rescue software, Easy Capture 3.5, Power2Go, Lenovo Ready Comm 4.0, Win DVD, Dolby control center, Napster 4.1.04, Wild Tangent, Norton Internet Security 2008, Lenovo Energy Management Software 3.1, Carbonite, Microsoft/Lenovo Portal, Microsoft Office Ready, Adobe Reader 8.1, Windows Live 1.0, Office Ready 2007, DDNi

Home Premium SP1 32/64 bit

IdeaPad Y450

16:9 14-inch W LED 1366x768 display

Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 800 MHz FSB and 2 MB L2 cache, Intel GM45 Chipset, Intel GMA 4500 MHD graphics

Memory - Up to 4 GB DDR3 800/1066 MHz DRAM

Graphics - Intel GMA x4500, Up to Nvidia NB10P-GE1 w/512 MB GDDR3 VRAM

Storage - Up to 500 GB, 5400 rpm

12.7 mm SATA optical (DVD Rambo, optional Blu-Ray Combo and Rambo)

Battery – 4.5 hours with UMA, 3.5 hours with discrete

Weight – 4.6 pounds

Dimensions – 340 X 232 X 21-34.8 mm

Dolby Home Theatre sound

Lenovo Desktop Navigator

Touch sensitive controls

VeriFace 3.5 facial recognition

One Key Theatre, One Key Rescue software, Easy Capture 3.5, Power2Go, Lenovo Ready Comm 4.0, Win DVD, Dolby control center, Napster 4.1.04, Wild Tangent, Norton Internet Security 2008, Lenovo Energy Management Software 3.1, Carbonite, Microsoft/Lenovo Portal, Microsoft Office Ready, Adobe Reader 8.1, Windows Live 1.0, Office Ready 2007, DDNi

Home Premium SP1 32/64 bit

Lenovo's Ideapad U8 MID Under Starter's Orders at Olympics

Kit Eaton — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:59:00 EDT

Way back in April was when we first showed you details on Lenovo's Ideapad U8 mobile internet device, and Lenovo's just launched it at the Beijing Olympics. The palmtop phone/PC has an Intel Atom Z500 ticking away inside at 800MHz, GPS, dual cameras, and with 1GB of RAM and a sizable 6GB SSD. Connectivity-wise, it's fully loaded with 802.11 b/g wi-fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G support and apparently "WiMAX support." There's also a dongle for picking up China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting signals so you can watch the Olympics for free. But therein lies the rub: The 10.6-ounce, vaguely PSP-like U8 is a China-only gizmo, so you won't care that it'll have a price "equivalent" to other smartphones. [Pocketables]

Specs and Prices for Lenovo's Ideapad S9 Lite Notebook Hits Web

Kit Eaton — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:43:38 EDT

Lenovo recently went official with details on the upcoming Ideapad S10 ultra-portable notebook, and now there's data on a little brother version, the S9 Lite. The S9 will have a slightly smaller screen, at 8.9-inches, with a 300-kilopixel webcam, 512MB of RAM and a 4GB SSD. It's got the same Atom N270 and 945 GSE chipset, though, so it sounds very much like its bigger S10 brother, and comes with Linux and a "multitouch function" trackpad. In three colors, the diminutive PC will cost you $370 upon launch in Hong Kong. [UMPCFever via Engadget]

Lenovo IdeaPad S10 To Ship With XP In US; No Linux Option

Matt Hickey — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:29 EDT

If you're interested in the recently announced Lenovo IdeaPad S10, and you're in the US, we hope you like Windows XP. The US market won't get the Linux option the rest of the sub-notebook's customers will, but any self-respecting Linux user would wipe the drive and put their own favorite flavor on, right? [IT World]

Lenovo's Ideapad S10 Ultra-Portable Notebook PC Officially Due in September

Kit Eaton — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Lenovo's gone official with details on its Ideapad S10 ultra-portable notebook: it'll come with Windows XP pre-installed, measure 9.8 x 7.2 inches, weigh just 2.4-pounds in its lightest configuration, and pack in a LED back-lit 10-inch screen. Powered by Intel Atom N270 and 945 GSE express chipset, the diminutive PC also has some advanced heat-dissipation tech so that your lap and wrists won't get overheated. Interestingly Lenovo notes that "In some countries there will be 9-inch versions," different colors and "Linux preloads"... but doesn't say if those systems will hit the US eventually. Initially then, the S10 will cost you either $399 for a 512MB memory, 80GB HDD model or $450 for a 1GB, 160GB HDD model, and comes in black red or white. Press release info below.

• Integrated 1.3M Camera
• 2 stereo speakers
• Multi-touch Pad & near full size Keyboard (85% full size)
• Integrated Wireless 802.11 b/g,10/100 Ethernet, Bluetooth
• Express card slot for WWAN expansion
• Up to 2-GB Memory
• 4in1 Multi-card Reader
• Form factor: 250.2 x 183 x 22-27.5mm, lightest configuration of 1.1 kg
• Large Panel 10.2” wide, LED backlight 1024x600 WSVGA
• Intel Integrated Graphics GMA 950
• Intel N270 CPU 1.6 GHz & Intel 945GSE Chipset
• Large HDD capacity 160G 9.5mm 2.5” SATA HDD (5400 rpm)
• Battery up to 3 hours with 3-cell battery, and up to 6 hours with 6-cell battery

The S10 also comes with a dedicated Lenovo graphical UI for best energy management options so you can optimize its battery life, and a "one-touch" rescue data recovery system. With Lenovo's might behind it, does it sound like an Eee PC killer? What do you think, chaps? [Lenovo]

Lenovo's Ultra-Cheap Notebooks: IdeaPad G-Series

matt buchanan — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Yes, netbooks and ultra-cheap lappies are being pumped out by everybody, and frankly, boring. But a Lenovo-made cheapie that brings some of their standard features and serious build quality down to a netbook pricepoint would be a bargain-bin laptop worth looking at. Supposedly the first in their IdeaPad G-Series will be 14.1-incher running on Centrino 2. Hopefully the pricepoint is in line with (or better than) its smaller competition. [DigiTimes via I4U]

Lenovo IdeaPad U330 is Super Shiny and Slim

Adrian Covert — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:01:45 EDT

Lenovo launched the 13.3" IdeaPad U330 laptop tonight at Intel's Centrino 2 launch event, and it looked pretty nice. As far as specs go, the Centrino 2-powered device is 0.9 inches thick, under four pounds and has five hours of battery life, with a Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz P7350 at 2GHz, and Lenovo's standard active protection system.

The U330, which is the cousin to the U110, also has an integrated webcam with facial recognition software, touch sensitive media controls, HDMI out, and an LED-backlit display. Lenovo is also dropping a couple other consumer notebooks: Y730 and Y530 update the Y710 and Y510, while Y430 throws in a 14-inch version. Lenovo expects to release the U330 in the fall.

IdeaPad U330
Lenovo designed its "U" series to be all about expressing ideas with style. The IdeaPad U330 notebook is a super-slim ultra-light addition to the widely-acclaimed IdeaPad U110 notebook, introduced in the spring. Available in a glossy Indigo blue and Bold black, the notebook starts at 0.9 inches thin and weighs just over four pounds. Equipped with the latest version of VeriFace™ facial recognition technology, consumers can now access encrypted files and record a 30-second video message for other users. Designed with Dolby® Home Theatre and touch-sensitive multimedia controls, the notebook comes equipped with HDMI and an optional built-in DVD burner.

The IdeaPad U330 notebook also includes switchable graphics. This enables the user to run energy efficient integrated graphics while on battery power and then switch to discrete graphics for more powerful performance when "plugged in." The notebook also includes an LED backlit display, five hours of battery life and Lenovo's Active Protection System (APS), a feature pioneered on ThinkPad notebooks. Lenovo's APS technology helps protect the data on the hard drive if the notebook should fall. And if the operating system should crash, users can recover their data at the touch of a button with the One-Key Rescue System1.

IdeaPad U330

Black/Blue

Display – 13.3 WXGA LED AG panel

Graphics – ATI M82SCE-256M

Processor – Penryn P7350, GM45 chipset

H2G (1066) DR3

320G (SATA-9MM/5400)

Wireless card – Intel 5100 a/g/n

Optical – Rambo tray in (9.5mm)

Vista Home Premium 32

Lenovo Active Protection System

Fixed camera

Array mic

HDMI

Bluetooth, 10/100M Ethernet

IdeaPad Y430

Black/Red

Display – 14.1 WXGA

Graphics – Intel integrated

Processor – Intel GM45

250 or 320 GB hard drive

Wireless card – Intel 802.11n

Optical – DVD + RW

Fixed camera

6-in-1 card reader

HDMI

IdeaPad Y530

Black

Display – 15.4 WXGA (anti-glare)

Graphics – NB9M-GS-256M

Processor – Penryn P7350

Memory – 1G + 2G (667) DDR2

Hard Drive – 250G (SATA-9MM/54)

Wireless card – Intel 5100 a/g/n

Optical – Rambo tray in (12.7 mm)

Vista Home Premium 32 – SP 1

Fixed camera

Array microphone

Bluetooth, 10/100 Ethernet, modem

6-cell battery – 2.6 A

90 watt adapter

IdeaPad Y730

Blue, Game Zone models come in Valencia orange

Display – 17.1 in WUXGA glossy

Graphics – ATI M86-ME-512M

Processor – Penryn P8400

Memory – 2*2G or 1 + 2G (1066)

Hard Drive – 320G (SATA-9MM/5400)

Wireless card – Intel 5100 a/g/n

Optical – Rambo tray in (12.7mm)

Vista Home Premium 32-SP 1

Fixed camera

Bluetooth, 10/100M Ethernet, modem

Fixed camera

Array microphone

GameZone has secondary display

6 cell battery – 2.6A

135 watt adapter

[Lenovo]

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 Review (Verdict: Short Ride In A Reasonably-Paced Machine)

Mark Wilson — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:30:00 EDT

The Lenovo IdeaPad U110 comes in the wake of America's new obsession with tiny laptops. I could tell you that it's powered by a 1.6Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (4MB, 800 MHz), packing 120GB of PATA storage and up to 3GB of RAM (2 tested), but all you want to know is that it's over half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air and will impress the fellow yupps at Starbucks. Still, if you're interested in seeing if beauty is more than ultra-glossy skin deep, hit the jump to see what I loved and hated about the Lenovo IdeaPad U110.

The Decor
The top is a sharp red with tendril textures—actually quite classy in person. Flip it upside-down and you'll see that even the air vents feature a touch of style.

The Weight
Lenovo's U110 weighs just 2.42 pounds (and 2.92 with the larger battery). That's only .4 pounds more than the Eee and, trust me, it's freakin' light. So you know though, 2.92 pounds feels way, way heavier than 2.42. The "ohhh" factor is lost with the bigger battery.

The Screen
In the past, I've found that the Eee screen was too small for enjoyable use. The HP Mini Note was borderline. Now I've found the perfect size. 11.1" WXGA (1366x768) is just right for comfortable multitasking. And it's LED. Ooooh!

The Keyboard
I'm digging the keyboard. The Backspace button has been chopped a bit beyond my penchant for typos, but the keyboard is generally spacious enough for sure. And the subtly concave "piano painting" buttons feel excellent to the touch.

Glowy Button Things
Touch the panel above the keyboard for a tattoo-like glow of buttons. They offer some hot key support and extra sound control. Looks kinda neat, works kinda crappy.

The Footprint
The 10.8" by 7.7" by .72"-.88" dimensions can be tough to picture. That's quite small. Just know that it's officially beyond impulse purse stuffing size.

The Hookups
Tons of good stuff here: 3 USB ports, FireWire, multi-card reader, Mini-PCIe, Express Card, mic, headphones, Ethernet, and VGA out.

Little Extras
Lenovo packed in the little details. You get two batteries (4-cell and 7-cell) depending on your desired weight load. You get an external USB DVD drive since it lacks one of its own. Oh, and you get a cloth for the unbelievable smudgetastic glossy finish.

The Speed
The Lenovo U110 is not a speed machine. You can look at Vista's performance rating of 3.5 to draw your own conclusions (3.0 is Aero graphics minimum), or you can know that, more often than not, it can become a bit irritating waiting for programs to launch. It's not a "OMG THIS IS SOOOO SLOOOW" slow, but it is "Boy, I wish Office would load a bit faster" slow.

The Battery
The 4-cell 1750mAH battery is rated at two hours. In the default "balanced" processing mode, I received less than an hour of runtime from normal use. Since the 7-cell battery is rated at six hours of use, expect only three.

VeriFace 2.5
VeriFace scans your face and loads your computer without the need for typing. And it works great...when it works. Booting Vista, a Veriface animation pops up for about three seconds and loads with no problem. But for some reason—and correlation is by no means causation—I found that when waking the computer, VeriFace had recognition problems quite often. You are left sitting there like an idiot, double checking your lighting, positioning and hairdo...realizing that maybe you aren't pretty enough to touch this beautiful computer.

The Price
It's $1899. That's $100 more than the MacBook Air. For that, many Windows lovers may consider Lenovo's X300. And they'd be right to. EVDO and a solid state drive would be great additions to the U110. And for not much more money, size or weight, you can get that with the X300.

Should You Buy It?
Let's put it this way—it's buyable. It's not the fastest Vista laptop, and if you want any decent battery life you'll lose a chunk of the ultra-sexy form factor. But if you want a fully-capable laptop that's extremely mobile—one that I'd say can conceivably function as your main computer—then sure. Because while the smaller battery's life may be less than optimal, the real purchase-preventer here seems to be the price. And if you don't care, neither do we.

Final Specs for Lenovo IdeaPad U110 Notebooks, On Sale Tomorrow

matt buchanan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:48:50 EDT

We've got the final spec sheet for Lenovo's 11-inch LED-backlit U110 lappie, and it looks like past price/specs line up, though this is the first we're hearing of the "bezel-less screen that looks like an infinity pool." Inside is a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo L7500 (4MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB), up to 3GB of RAM (part of retail package), Intel X3100 integrated graphics and up to 120GB hard drive. It's also got facial recognition security jazz, not to mention the swirly design lid. Goes on sale tomorrow at Lenovo.com starting at $1899, hits retailers mid-May for $1999.

Processor (speed, L2 cache, FSB) Intel® Core™2 Duo L7500 (1.60 GHz, 4 MB, 800 MHz) Operating system Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium Display/resolution 11.1" widescreen WXGA (1366 x 768) LED backlit Video graphics Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 Hard drive 120GB 4200rpm Parallel ATA Memory 2GB PC2-5300/667 MHz (up to 3GB in retail) Optical drive Dual Layer CD/DVD Recordable (external via USB) Camera 1.3 megapixel integrated camera Sound 2 speakers, Dolby® Home Theater™ Integrated communications 10/100 Ethernet, Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG, Bluetooth (select models) Weight 2.4 lb. with 4 cell battery (1.09 kg) Dimensions 10.8'' x 7.7'' x 0.72''-0.88'' (275mm x196mm x 18.4 -22.4mm) Warranty 1 year system /1 year battery Battery life (4-cell Li-Ion plus 7-cell Li-Ion) Approx. 8 hr. (4-cell approx. 2 hr., plus 7-cell approx. 6 hr.) Expansion 3 USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, VGA, 6-in-1 card reader (SD/SD Pro, MS/MS Pro, MMC, XD), Mini-PCIe slot, Express Card slot, microphone jack, headphone jack Included software VeriFace™ 2.0; EasyCapture 2.5; OneKey Recovery 4.65; Energy Management 3.1; Adobe Reader 8.1; Power2GO 5.5; Shuttle Center 2.0; Norton Antivirus 2007 (90 days of virus definitions); Microsoft Windows Live™ portal; Microsoft Office® (trial version)

[Lenovo]

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 Ultraportable Notebook Surfaces for $1999

matt buchanan — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:10:00 EDT

Lenovo's IdeaPad notebook line basically takes their staid but solid engineering and design and candycoats them with more consumer-oriented flourishes, like textured magnesium lids, shiny keys and touch media controls. J&R has a "coming soon" listing for the sweet 11.1-inch widescreen U110 shown at CES for $1,999, configured w/ a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo L7500, 3GB DDR2 RAM and 120GB hard drive. It also has HDD crash protection in case you drop it, plus face recognizing biometric logins. It weighs in at 2.3 pounds, actually a little lighter than the CES spec. If the X300 is a bit too boring or pricey, this might be your ultraportable. [JR via JKontherun]

IdeaPad U8 from Lenovo Has Intel's Atom, GPS, EDGE

AddyDugdale — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:22:00 EDT

This is the IdeaPad U8 from Lenovo. With Intel's Atom chip inside it, the Mobile Internet Device has an optical mouse to let you fiddle one-handed, supports 3G and EDGE, has GPS, a 4.8-inch touchscreen, a Paul Smith-esque striped back (hope that stays) and an annoying ambient bongo player (either that goes or I do.) Video after the jump.

Engadget also reckons you'll be able to make phone calls as well, and that it's Linux-based. I couldn't possibly comment. [UMPCPortal and Engadget]

Lenovo IdeaPad Y710 and Y510 Laptops Have Facial Recognition, Touch Controls, Frameless Screens

Jason Chen — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

You'd think that most companies are going down the cheap, low-end laptop route (Eee PC) in order to differentiate themselves and bring in more customers, but Lenovo is one brand that still focuses on shoving in as many features as possible. Their IdeaPad Y710 and Y510 laptops are focused at both entertainment and general-use users, but have some very interesting unique features such as VeriFace facial recognition and a frameless screen.

Both laptops offer that frameless screen and a hinge that offers a larger separation between the keys and the screen so the display doesn't get in the way as much. They also have touch-sensitive controls at the top, which are designed more for multi-media functions than for no-look typing.

Then there's the built-in webcam with VeriFace facial recognition, which is present on both models. The Y710 has Halo Lighting, which is side bezel and logo lighting, and can hot swap a secondary hard drive in. The Y510 has a projected LED battery life indicator, and a light weave texture on top. Both models have OneKey recovery and battery management (don't all laptops?). There are also Dolby Speakers (two main, two secondary and a sub). The 710 has a 17-inch LCD and the Y510 has a 15.4-inch LCD, and both have a 1.3 megapixel camera.

Internally, there's a Intel Core 2 Do T5450 and T9300, ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600 with 256MB RAM, 250 or 500GB hard drive, and up to 4GB RAM on the Y710. The Y510 has an Intel Core 2 Duo T2330, T545 or T5550, Intel X3100 graphics, 160GB or 250GB hard drive, and up to 4GB RAM. The 710 will be $1199, and the 510 will be $799.