Basically, this is the same netbook as the older U110, but subs the 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 for a 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z530. The new processor is better for power efficiency, but has shown less performance punch than the typical netbook Atom. The system still has the same 1GB memory and 160GB hard drive. It's also offered with either Windows XP or Vista.

The real difference here is that giant 9-cell battery which supposedly gives a 15-hour run, and I guess the "Eco" name, which doesn't seem to refer to any particular environmental update. That battery doesn't only give the netbook a larger behind, but it adds to its weight. List price is $430, though Newegg has it right now for $400. [MSI]

Subnotebook: Judging by Google results (1,660,000) and the presence of a Wikipedia entry, "subnotebook" appears to be one of the most popular and closest-to-legit terms, with a history going back to at least Toshiba's Libretto, according to our friend Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief at Laptop. The real sticky point appears to be on the edges—when does a UMPC become a subnotebook, and when does a subnotebook become a real notebook? At 11 inches, Lenovo's IdeaPad U110 is probably the breaking point for subnotebook. In fact, that's our new rule: to classify as a subnotebook or ultraportable (see below), you've gotta be 11 inches or under, and less than 3 pounds. (Sorry Walt, the MacBook Air might be light, but its ginormous, full-notebook footprint means it ain't really a subnotebook in most people's eyes.) Judgment: Like a pair of loafers, "subnotebook" is unsexy, but it gets the job done.

Ultraportable: That's a really tricky term, probably the most amorphous. Spoonauer classifies small notebooks with fuller keyboards and displays like the IdeaPad U110 or HP's Mini-note 2133 as "ultraportables," leaving the "subnotebook" moniker to devices in the UMPC class, like the HTC Shift. However, added confusion comes from the fact that ultraportable sounds like ultramobile, as in UMPC (see below). Still, it's the most compelling alternative to subnotebook, because it sounds sexier, and has over 3 million Google hits alone and 1.27 million tagged to notebook or laptop. The big knock against "ultraportable" is that it redirects to "subnotebook" on Wikipedia. Judgment: I don't mind it, but without a firm identity it'll never be useful. Plus I feel like it's trying too hard.

Mini-Notebook: While "mini notebook" seems like a less popular and unwieldy derivative of "subnotebook," with fewer Google results (1,110,000) and no Wikipedia page (it doesn't even direct back to subnotebook), Spoonauer says that it's distinguished from subnotebook as being the class of small form-factor notebooks that are under $600, like the Eee PC. Judgment: I think this one should be junked, though determining a class on price is probably a good idea.

ULPC: This most generally stands for ultra low-cost PC, though I've seen ultra-light PC, too. (How about that for a red flag?) It isn't overly popular, but it obviously refers to small, cheap notebooks like the Eee or XO OLPC Laptop. While it might be useful in distinguishing the Eee from, say, the pricier U110, overall the term seems pointless, especially when there's already a better alternative. Judgment: Garbage heap.

Netbook: This is actually the brainchild of Intel's marketing department to describe sub-$500 notebooks centered around internet-connectivity, such as its Classmate PC. The original Eee PC, XO OLPC Laptop and Cloudbook would fall into this category. While it is technically flackspeak, I actually like it because it's short and fairly specific. Besides being endorsed by Intel (obvs), Ubuntu has officially picked up the term. Judgment: A keeper, even if it was coined by the Man.

UMPC: The term stands for ultra-mobile PC, and actually has fairly concrete origins in the Project Origami catastrophe headed up by Microsoft. Under Intel and Microsoft's guidelines, technically the form factor is defined as touchscreen mini-tablet smaller than eight inches with a resolution of at least 800 pixels wide. However, we (and most others) include the OQO in this category. Even though it doesn't have a touchscreen, it otherwise fits the slabby form factor to a T. Update: To be clear, the OQO has an active digitizer, not a touchscreen. It won't recognize your finger, you need a special stylus. Judgment: Works, we just have to disabuse people of using it in reference to stuff like the Eee.

Conclusion
Hopefully focusing on three terms that bear the least ambiguity will help with this confusion. Here's where you guys come in, since believe it or not, we do like standards. So while UMPC has dried to a firm, tasty shell, Netbook and subnotebook are still pretty jelly-like. Or maybe you'd prefer ultraportable to subnotebook? Should low-cost dwarfish notebooks be called netbooks, or is there a better term? Help us clean up this semantic cesspool.

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.

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)