Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black Review
I've had this little gem for almost 5 months, and it's become my primary computer. I'd been dreading an upgrade from Windows XP, which is compatible with everything I run - while Vista and Win 7 are not. This machine is much faster and roomier than the two computers I'd been using, and for the price I paid, has been an unbeatable deal. Thus far, I've no immediate plans to upgrade to a Win 7 computer (and there's no reason to run Win 7 on this one).
At home, I use a full-size monitor and full-sized pointing devices (I alternate between a Kensington trackball - which would not have been compatible with Win 7 - and a Wacom pen tablet / mouse). Because I'm running XP and not Vista or 7, the machine has plenty of power for my needs, including graphics work and video editing (I use Windows Movie Maker, Paint Shop Pro, Koolmoves, and a bunch of other creative software). It's also running OpenOffice and all my legacy software.
Performance is on par with entry-level desktops of several years ago, which is by far not bad if you don't intend to run gaming or other CPU-intensive software. That said, I run some pretty demanding programs, and often have a bunch of them open at the same time without any problems. The computer doesn't get all that hot, either. Most of the time, it runs pretty cool, much more so than my old Compaq notebook, with which you can iron a shirt after using it a while.
I purchased a padded carrying case especially designed for this model, an external DVD-burner, and an external hard drive. When I'm traveling, I find no need to bring the DVD drive. That makes for compact, light, and easy toting, whether I stow this computer in a backpack or carry-on bag.
The screen is brighter and easier on my eyes - even for text - than most of the larger laptop screens I've seen. Battery life is good; I get about 3 hours without having to dim the screen or make other power-management sacrifices. The webcam is much better than those you'll find on most notebooks. And it's no big deal about having only two USB ports; I have two USB hubs, one for home and one for travel, if and when I need to plug in more than two devices.
The small keyboard, however, does take some getting used to. I was originally going to buy a full-size keyboard for home use (and may still do so), but thus far I've gotten quite acclimated to this one. The shift key on the right is in a weird spot, so much so that you'll probably keep hitting an arrow key when you first start working with this netbook, but now I'm no longer having that problem and can type just as quickly as ever - without looking down.
If this computer holds up, it may convince me to buy more Lenovo products (I know their desktops are good - they're just like the IBM Aptiva I used for 8 years without any major problems - as are their Thinkpad notebooks). The build quality of this netbook is much better than I'd expected. Just be careful about buying one with Windows 7 Starter installed. That OS will probably slow down the computer while making it less functional (Win 7 Starter is a restricted OS, while XP is a complete one). So, get one of these with XP if you still can.
I gave this computer 5 stars because I got it at a great price. If it had another USB port and better placement of its right-hand shift key, that would be great, but I still think it's an excellent value for the money.
UPDATE - July 30, 2010: one thing I forgot to mention is that the internal fan sometimes kicks in stronger and more frequently than I'd like. I did some research and found out that Lenovo S10s are known for fan problems. At its highest rpm, my S10's fan sounds like it's got a bit of dust in it, or maybe it's just getting cranky from too much use.
So, I cleaned the vent area with some compressed air - and that seemed to help a little. I also bought a laptop cooling pad for around (see my review for that), and thus far, that seems to keep the internal fan quiet. Ironically, just as I ordered that cooling pad, my Lenovo started running cooler and more quietly. Go figure.
But the cooling pad, which is a compact model good for both home and travel, is a wise investment for any netbook or notebook, as all of them can get pretty warm from time to time.
Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black Feature
- Express Card
- OneKey Rescue System 6.0
- 4-in-1 Card Reader(SD/MMC/MS/MS pro)
- 1.3 megapixel integrated camera
- VGA Port (included)
Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black Overview
Netbook
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 07, 2010 00:25:04
