Koobten – Netbooks and moreNetbook reviews

Laptop Mag recently received its Lenovo IdeaPad S10 order, and a review is now posted. They praise the netbook in terms of its updated design (compared to the first-generation netbooks of old), and the speedy hard drive. However, battery life was disappointing at about 2:20, and the keyboard isn’t as big and comfortable to use as other 10-incher netbooks. While a 6-cell battery is upcoming, Lenovo’s only retail units these days include the three-cell pack. So it might be worth waiting for the six-cell if battery uptime is important.

The verdict:

More than half a dozen mini-notebooks are currently available with identical 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processors and Windows XP Home operating systems. With so few differences between competing models, any innovation—a stylish look, a better keyboard, a bundled piece of software, or even an extra port—becomes paramount. Lenovo’s first foray into the netbook space has some nice touches: a stylish and compact chassis, full-featured back-up software, a speedy hard drive, and a screen with great viewing angles.

Unfortunately, it also has a smaller keyboard and touchpad than its 10-inch rivals. At $449, the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is within $30 of the street price for the three-cell MSI Wind ($479 street) and comparable to the six-cell ASUS Eee PC 1000H. Consumers who want the most compact and stylish 10-inch netbook on the market will look past these flaws and snap up the S10. But those who need long battery life should look elsewhere or hold out for an S10 with a six-cell battery.

DailyTech reports that Lenovo is set on competing in the netbook market with its upcoming IdeaPad S10. The S10 will come in 10.2 inch widescreen form factor, and will sport the Intel Atom N270, whch runs at 1.6 GHz. According to Lenovo, the S10 will be super-slim. Pricing starts at $399 for the lowest-spec’d model.

The notebook will be sold in two different configurations. The first has 512 MB of memory and an 80 GB hard drive. The second, which likely be priced somewhat higher, ups the memory to 1 GB and features a 160 GB hard drive. No solid state drive options have been announced yet. Both configurations come with Windows XP preinstalled, courtesy of Microsoft’s stay of retirement on XP for ultra-portables.

Lenovo will also release 9-inch versions of the IdeaPad in some markets, and also plans to bundle some models with Linux instead of Windows XP.