Lenovo IdeaPad U110 unboxing and hands-on
By Darren Murph 
posted May 3rd 2008 12:07PM
posted May 3rd 2008 12:07PM
Update: Impressions, notes and video are all live. Check 'em out right here. Oh, and a few more comparison shots with larger machines were added to the gallery.
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Eh, I've been using thinkpads for a while now, I've gotten used to that.
Remap the keys as mentioned above. Then on most units, you can swap the CTRL and FN keys -- pop them off, look as the way they are designed, and then you can easily snap them back on.
i dnt know why lenovo is more expensive in china then in usa ?
what kind of policy is this man !! !!
If I had the money I would be cradling it in my arms right now :P .
Lumix?
Never head of them.
*googles*
Ah, Panasonic.
From now on I refuse to buy another computer or indeed any device without vents like those. Really, check them out.
I agree fully. Best vent design ever
http://www.engadget.com/photos/lenovo-ideapad-u110-unboxing-and-hands-on/786554/
For those who can't be bothered to look.
uhm ok this is akward... we have the same avatar...
YAY ITS A LAPTOP
why isn't there any complete picture of the bottom? and "complete" picture of the thing itself compare to a standard object, like a can of soda or something?
time to sack the photographer man
Why the ugly design on top.
Leave it plain, especially in a business class notebook.
Take a lesson in design from the Sony TZ.
That's why you have ThinkPads(the exspensive ones only)
Pointer stick and Ctrl-Fn key is not an issue. The stock model don't come with Bluetooth and I hate to use USB-dongle for frequent mobile sync and btooth mouse.
This is nice. So, how much does it cost?
Apple wannabe.. right down to the packaging :)
Looks good, I'd like to have a blue one. Hard to visualize the size, what is that silver thing it is compared to in images 1 and 2?
A lenovo that doesn't look like it was designed and built in the late nineties \o/
Looks sexy, how come most of their laptops look so old and terrible? When I saw the Thnkpad T61 review I though "lol, they have a pic of an old Thinkpad!" But nope, it was the T61
http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/27426.jpg
Maybe for the same reason that Porsche has kept its design very similar for the last 30 years? The Thinkpad-brand is legendary in the world of computers, a design icon as large as the ipod among "us older folks".
ha! Maybe you should hold onto your original 33mhz Thinkpad? Or maybe they should release a "Nostalgia Edition"
Also, Have you seen a porsche recently? Unlike the thinkpad it has been updated externally as well as under the hood.....
I like the design, but not so sure about how practical the keyboard is... With hardly any divide between the keys, it looks clumsy to type on.
If you consider any other laptop keyboard they all are crammed together.
The mac keyboards have slightly larger space between the keys and it feels like my other notebook.
One thing I'd like from that keyboard is glow, if it hasn't already (like MBP's keyboard).
The metallic body of the U110 looks sleek and sexy, but is it a major finger print magnet? I might consider this when I'm upgrading from my laptop.
You can already see their fingerprints on it just from opening it, and in the closeups it's already attracted dust and fibers....
that looks so clean, love the design. The screen and the keyboard just looks so classy :)
Now days I'd like a small and light laptop to carry it anywhere that has decent specs.
Am I the only one who thinks that the keyboard looks less ergonomic than the usual Lenovo fare?
Not that I've even touched a Lenovo before, but certainly, those flat keys look pretty awesome, but the lack of space between them must make it easy to accidentally hit the wrong key.
don't buy chinese company products
FREE TIBET
why are you using a computer then?
Can you guys take comparison pics of it with the similar Vaio TZ since I own that notebook myself?
I especially want to know how the display adds up.
For example, the other 11.1" WXGA laptop on the market, Asus U2E also has an LED-backlit screen like the TZ and U110. But I compared the U2E and TZ side-by-side and the TZ does blow it away in contrast and brightness.
The U2E looked fine by itself but put a TZ next to it and you see its not so great.
I love the Chinese patterns this notebook features top and bottom. And I agree with the poster about the vent design, this is the only way I'll take vents from now on. :-)
To summarize:
1. It's great to see Lenovo finally break from that atrocious ThinkPad design. And I'm glad they're ditching the TrackPoint too. I returned my only ThinkPad because my fingernails kept hitting the "nipple," an awful feeling to be sure. If I want to massage a nipple, I know where to find one. :)))))
2. The price for the U110 (US$1,900) makes it an attractive alternative to the lower-priced MacBook Air, whose 13-inch screen is way too big for roadwarriors, so someone, phuleeze, get Leopard running on the IdeaPad! ;-)
I remember when IBM first began integrating both Trackpoints and Trackpads into the same system at the same time. They should offer that on all laptops.
Trackpoints are better for precision, and trackpads are better for speed and scrolling. That's why I'd like to see them in the same laptop simultaneously.
On another note, I like some of the glossy finish on this unit, but not on the keys. Keyboards should never be glossy because that isn't going to hold up. Over time, the gloss is going to wear off on the keys - and not evenly across the whole keyboard; and before you know it, it's gonna look like rubbish. A keyboard should always have a matte finish (which can also wear down, but the gloss will just amplify matters).
Speaking of the finish, the imprinting looks really nice.
And I want manufacturers to stop integrating VGA ports. Can we get past that already? It's 2008 - we've passed even DVI and are on HDMI now. Hey look, if OQO can integrate an HDMI port on their little handheld Model 02, then what's Lenovo's (or any other manufacturer's) excuse?
Actually, the clear coating on the keys will hold up way better than the texture on your typical uncoated key. I design similar products for a living. When we want better material hardness or scratch/abrasion resistance, we use a clear coating.
That said, I've never been bothered by my T30, T41p, T60p, X61T keys getting glossy and shiny after 3 months use as the texture wears away on the uncoated plastic.
Anyway, if Lenovo used the right kind of clear coating (and I imagine they did, knowing the lifetime testing regiment to which ThinkPad keyboards are subjected during development), then you've got nothing to worry about in terms of the coating wearing off on the keys.
For reference, HP has been clear coating some of their consumer notebook keyboards for over a year now (many of them are silver colored).
@Scoopster
Well, if that's the case, then that's great news. The only thing people would need to fiddle with is wiping off the fingerprints.
Doesn't a hands-on imply that you're gonna give impressions, not just pictures?
check this:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/03/lenovo-ideapad-u110-review-and-video/
Yep! They're posted now at:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/04/lenovo-ideapad-u110-overview-and-video/
why are you using a computer then?
sorry this was meant to reply ryan, failed...
i like laptop
There should be an LG logo on that thing.
Typical crap here in Australia. The U110 in the US costs $1899. given current exchange rates I could expect this machine at roughly AU$2100.
Not so. It's listed at AU$2999 or approx US$2800 How can they justify a near $1000 mark up on an identical item? I don't care if shipping etc is added in, this is BS plain and simple.