Lenovo IdeaPad hands-on

We got to mess around with Lenovo's new IdeaPad lineup tonight -- those new ThinkPads were mysteriously absent, however -- and while we'd say Lenovo is playing it pretty safe at the moment, we still like what we see. The hinge design that first emerged in the U110 is now present in the whole line, and while the ThinkPad heritage has been hidden under mounds of glossy plastic, it's still fairly evident in the build quality of the laptops, and particularly in those well-loved keyboards. The new Y-series laptops are rather serious contenders in their respective categories, with the 15-inch Y530 matching up nicely to any mid-tier 15-incher from the Likes of Sony, HP or Dell, while the 17-inch Y730 offers an easily hot-swappable second drive bay, a switch for graphics card overclocking, a performance-oriented secondary display and function buttons, and secondary arrow keys for rocking that dastardly "The World's Hardest Game" -- though most gamers will be sticking with AWSD for the other relevant FPS niceties those keys offer. We'd say our biggest disappointment is the U330, which loses the U110's distinctive (and comfy) glossy-flush keyboard, and whose inclusion of a disc drive leaves it with none of the U110's strikingly small stature. Sure, 13.3-inches and switchable graphics are nice, but it really hardly stands out from the Y-series IdeaPads, which is no good considering the premium prices Lenovo expects for its U-series laptops.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad hands-on

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[RedJediUK @ Jul 15th 2008 8:25PM]

Lenovo, Lenovo, Lenovo.

When are you guys gonna talk about the iPhone???

(Disclaimer : The above statement is completely tongue in cheek)

[Guzzie @ Jul 15th 2008 8:28PM]

Nobody cares if it's a joke or not.

GET OUT

[neofolklore @ Jul 16th 2008 9:36AM]

there's only so many angles to take a picture of a laptop

[Kurian @ Jul 15th 2008 9:04PM]

Stupid. Awful specs. Overpriced junk.

[Shoumik @ Jul 15th 2008 9:15PM]

??? there aren't even specs in the article.
Plus it's better than an apple.

[KAIKAI @ Jul 15th 2008 11:33PM]

would rather get a x200

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 15th 2008 10:55PM]

I personally prefer bananas over apples. At least they can make a milk shake.

[chrisaroz @ Jul 15th 2008 9:09PM]

The hinge looks like the Dell Studio... or does the Dell Studio look like the Lenovo?

[Bob Sintas @ Jul 15th 2008 11:03PM]

That hinge is not new for the Lenovo line. My Y510 has the same type of hinge. Personally, I don't like it. The center of gravity is too far towards the back side, which causes the laptop to want to fall back and there are also no room for ports on the back of the laptop.

[Michael LaFramboise @ Jul 15th 2008 9:12PM]

ZOMFG! IT HAS A TURBO BUTTON/SWITCH!

come on... srsly?

[Joshua.JWilliams @ Jul 15th 2008 9:17PM]

Holy hell ... these pictures remind me of all the hatred I know for glossy screens. This Lenovo takes it to a whole new level. Imagine trying to type anything on battery power and your display dimmed to conserve power.

The hinge is just like the Studio, which the Studio copied the Lenovo.

Either way, looks sharp -- but the glossy screens ruin it for me.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 15th 2008 10:57PM]

I second that. I absolutely HATE glossy screens. It makes NO point to have a glossy screen as it reduces functionality.

[Itamar @ Jul 15th 2008 9:24PM]

Ideapad....I got excited for a second...but you are discussing old fashioned laptops. I want to hear about the Ideapad U8 MID. Lenovo, please bring it to the states. Pretty please.

[Reid @ Jul 15th 2008 10:16PM]

No trackpoint, no sale.

(posted from a T60 *with* trackpoint)

[michas_pi @ Jul 15th 2008 10:17PM]

Why the hell are those game keys on the right hand side?

Unless, they are catering to the southpaw market :)

[WickedEast @ Jul 15th 2008 10:33PM]

Very nice, solid and clean design. But pleeease, stop that glossiness excesses.

[Olivier @ Jul 15th 2008 10:47PM]

Can somebody explain to me why in 2008 laptops still have vga
outputs?
Why this archaic, useless technology wont die? As far as I'm concerned,
it's pretty much as useful as a floppy drive. It looks horrible went
you plug it to a flat screen tv and if you still one of the few who
use it, a dvi to vga adapter cost a buck on ebay. Enlighten me,
please!

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 15th 2008 10:56PM]

Many users will want to plug it into projectors.

[db cooper @ Jul 15th 2008 10:55PM]

Seconding the trackpoint requirement. And bonus points for a model without a touchpad. Posted from X61 - with trackpoint and without touchpad. ;)

[fh @ Jul 15th 2008 10:57PM]

Paul, do you have any information about the mini-USB (or proprietary?) connector spotted in the removable hard drive tray? While it seems to me to be a bit counter-intuitive to carry the extra weight, I think it's an interesting design -- say, if it held a second hdd (filled with multimedia) which you could pull out and quickly hook up to a desktop or even a set-top media player.

[Michael Scrip @ Jul 15th 2008 11:00PM]

Is the Ctrl key in the correct place yet? Lenovo likes to switch the Ctrl key and the Fn key... grrrrr...

[Jason @ Jul 15th 2008 11:03PM]

They took out the knob? WTF?

[posted from a x61]

[Alex @ Jul 15th 2008 11:55PM]

@ Bob Sintas:

I was thinking of getting a Y510, what do you think of it?

[wintermute @ Jul 16th 2008 8:46AM]

I believe the correct terminology is "WASD". Not like I'm about to play games on this thing, but for correctness..

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Jul 16th 2008 9:35AM]

IdeaPad... hmm, why don't they just call it the iPad? Oh yeah, no one can do that anymore...

[Sebastian @ Jul 17th 2008 11:03PM]

The Magellan Maestro 3250 provides the best navigation experience possible at a highly affordable price. It features a new ultra-thin design and a highly intuitive user interface that guides drivers to their destination via voice and on-screen prompts. ( http://www.highspeedsat.com/car-gps/maestro3250.php )Advanced, easy-to-use features include voice command and control, live traffic reports, built-in AAA travel information, and much more.

[fatjax @ Aug 28th 2008 6:22PM]

Cmon not even, the U330 is $700 cheaper than the U110 and is thinner and lighter than the Macbook, with features like that at prices that low you guys are saying you're dissapointed? And by "distinctive glossy keyboard" do you mean that fingerprint magnet? I think Lenovo has fixed all the issues of the U110 and made a better laptop, although slightly heavier and with a disc drive it is still a superior successor to the U110 with those prices. Not only that, Lenovo offers a coupon to go along with it and it comes under $1000.