Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Netbook
By Clint ~ July 24th, 2009. Filed under: Other, Reviews.
Product: Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Netbook
Manufacturer: Lenovo
MSRP: $359.00 Find Lowest Price @ PriceGrabber
Author: Clint
Date: July 24, 2009
Once upon a time, if you wanted a “ultra-light” laptop, you would have to spend close to $1500. However, times sure have changed. Now netbooks which are smaller and more powerful than yesteryear’s Ultra-lights can be commonly found in the $300 – $500 range. Today we are going to take a look at Lenovo’s S10 netbook to see just how it stacks up.
Specifications/Features
- Processor: Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
- Operating System: Windows XP Home
- Display/Resolution: 10.2” (1024×600)
- Video Graphics: Intel GMA 950
- Hard Drive: 150GB @ 5400RPM
- Memory: 1GB PC2-5300
- Sound: High Definition Audio, two stereo speakers, stereo microphone/headphone jack
- Integrated Communications: Broadcom 802.11g
- Weight: 2.42 lbs
- Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.2 x .09 – 1.1
- Battery Life: Up to 2.5 hrs
- Expansion: Mini PCI Express, 4-in-1 Multicard Reader, VGA, 2 USB ports
Packaging/Contents
The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 comes in a cardboard box , which is uncluttered and provides very little information about the netbook instead. However, even when shopping for a netbook in a brick and mortar retail store, the packaging does not play as significant role as other products because they are usually stored in an area off limits to buyers.
Inside with the S10 is a power adapter, 6 cell battery, and of course the standard paperwork.
First Impressions
I received the red version of the S10 but it is also available in white, pink, and blue. While I can’t speak for the other colors, I found the red S10 to be a fingerprint magnet. I really do not care for this type of finish, especially on a device such as a netbook, which is meant to be handled on a regular basis. Also only the outside casing of the red S10 was red. The keyboard and trim around the LCD were white. I really did not care for this because white tends to be hard to keep clean and will show signs of discoloration after use.
Within seconds of pushing the power button, the Splashtop instant-on OS was loaded and ready to go. If the mouse was not moved for 5 seconds, Windows XP would automatically begin to load. However, moving the mouse before 5 seconds was up allowed you to stay in the Splashtop. For those unfamiliar with Splashtop, it is basically a stripped down Linux distro designed to load almost instantly. Included in Splashtop are a web browser, media player, chat and Skype clients, and photo viewer. The usefulness of Splashtop is debatable and will vary from user to user. Most of the time I found myself booting straight into Windows due to the lack of an email client in Splashtop.
The build quality of the S10 was rather exceptional for a netbook of this size and weight. While the whole casing was made out of plastic, there was very little flex anywhere on the casing. I also found the hinges of the Lenovo S10 to be sturdy and I did not have to worry about them breaking.
Weight is a major advantage with any netbook and the S10 is no exception, which weighs just under 2.5lbs. Before leaving home or the office, I would always throw the S10 in my bag and many times would forget I even had it with me.
The S10 features a 10.2” WSVGA display with a matte finish. The display was bright enough to be used in a variety of lighting situations, including outside in the sun and I found the color reproduction to be fairly accurate.
Using the keyboard required a little practice since it is roughly about 85% the size of a standard keyboard. Even after using the Lenovo S10 for several days, I still typed slightly slower than normal due to making more typos than usual.
I was rather impressed with the integrated speakers on the S10, considering the size and price of this netbook. They were able to produce volume levels loud enough to hear in most situations with minimal distortion. The only real problem here was the speakers being placed on the front edge of the netbook. While this doesn’t present a problem when used on a test, table, etc, when used on one’s lap, the sound is directed into your waist area instead of up towards your ears. I did not have a problem with this setup but a few other people using the S10 during the review did.
One of the biggest downfalls of the Lenovo S10 is by far the inclusion of only 2 USB ports. As with virtually every netbook, the USB ports are many times the only way to connect a mouse, external storage, printer, etc. Several times I found myself having to choose which USB device to disconnect so I could plug something else in. In addition, many other netbooks of similar size have at least 3 USB ports, which might not be enough but is still at least better than 2.
While upgradability of any netbook is fairly limited, Lenovo has made it easy upgrade the memory to a maximum of 2GB and the hard drive, by simply removing 2 screws on the bottom of the netbook. A panel is then easily lifted out of the way revealing both the hard drive and the memory. The hard drive used by Lenovo in the S10 is a standard 2.5” SATAII hard drive and could easily be swapped out for an SSD. There is only one memory slot so the original stick must be replaced with a 2GB stick if a memory upgrade is desired.
Pages:
1 2Tags: atom, IdeaPad, intel, Lenovo, Netbook, S10
