Tag Archives: chassis

Aug 26

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review

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Lenovo is justifiably proud of its ThinkPad X1 Carbon ultraportable laptop. the machine is incredibly thin—just 0.7 inch at its thickest point—and the chassis is built with carbon fibre, resulting in an Ultrabook that ships with a 1600-by-900-pixel LCD display and weights around 1.3kg. see also Group test: what’s the best ultrabook laptop?

In its zealous pursuit of ultrathinness, however, Lenovo did make a few compromises. like theAsus Zenbook Prime UX31A and the Vizio C14-A2, the X1 Carbon has no built-in ethernet port, though Lenovo does include a USB-to-ethernet dongle. the X1 Carbon’s LCD panel flexes enough to make me a little nervous, though a little flex won’t hurt the display—and in fact may improve the laptop’s resilience when dropped. Visit Asus Zenbook UX21E-DH52.

There are other, stranger shortcomings. for example, Lenovo supplies a USB 3.0 connector on the right side of the X1 Carbon, but a USB 2.0 port—instead of another USB 3.0 port—on the left. at least the USB 2.0 port delivers enough current to charge a smartphone or other mobile device. the only video output is a mini-DisplayPort connector, and the lone audio jack is a combination input/output jack. see also Lenovo IdeaPad U300s-1080.

The Lenovo lacks a dedicated wired ethernet port, instead offering integrated 3G (not 4G) cellular broadband. according to Lenovo, the chipsets needed for PC 4G support would have taken up too much system board space and consumed too much power. you can use the integrated 3G as a mobile hotspot, if you need that capability.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon test model we tested includes an Intel Core i7-3667U CPU, with a default clock frequency of 2.0GHz and a maximum Turbo frequency of 3.2GHz. like most Ultrabooks, this one uses Intel’s HD 4000 integrated GPU and ships with 4GB of DDR3-1333 memory. A 256GB SanDisk solid-state drive handles storage chores.

In our performance testing overall, the X1 Carbon essentially tied with Vizio’s C14-A2, despite having a faster CPU than the Vizio’s Core i7 3517u. the Vizio outpaced the X1 Carbon in PCWorld’s WorldBench 7 benchmark test suite, earning a mark of 158 as against the ThinkPad’s score of 144.

On the power side, the X1 Carbon uses Lenovo’s RapidCharge system, which allows the system to charge to 80 percent in just over 35 minutes. the system’s measured battery life was a solid 6 hours, 11 minutes, almost an hour longer than the Vizio C14-A2′s 5 hours, 17 minutes.

Not surprisingly, in view of the laptop’s Intel HD 4000 GPU, the X1 Carbon’s game performance was fairly weak. Even with detail settings at low, the Lenovo struggled to an unplayable 11.4 frames per second in Crysis 2, although its frame rate on the Dirt3 test was a more playable 36 fps.

Overall, Lenovo seems to have emphasized battery life over raw performance, a perfectly reasonable preference in designing an ultramobile PC.

As usual with ultraportable laptops, audio quality in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is limited. Lenovo did include Dolby Home Theater V4, which enhances the audio somewhat. Overall audio in music was neutral, but I could hear noticeable distortion in the speakers when volume levels were cranked too high. though the X1 Carbon can’t pump out sound at very loud volume, its speakers were definitely good enough for near-field use during travel.

The laptop’s 14-inch LCD panel offers an excellent resolution of 1600 by 900 pixels. Text looked crisp, but colours tended to be muted and brightness levels were on the low side. On the other hand, the matte-finish screen picked up almost no glare from background lighting, which your eyes will surely appreciate.

Video playback quality tended to be somewhat disappointing, due in part to the relatively unsaturated colours and in part to the screen’s limited viewing angles. Straight on, both high-definition and standard-definition content looked smooth, with little visible jerkiness or frame stuttering.

Lenovo includes both a TrackPoint stick-based pointing device and a large glass multitouch-enabled touchpad. the latter was a little too sensitive out of the box, but it does have good palm rejection, making for generally good cursor control.

The keyboard layout is good. the keys themselves are slightly indented and offer good tactile feedback, though keystroke travel is short. Lenovo also includes discrete page down and page up keys, a welcome addition to the usual Fn-key options.

Lenovo put some serious thought into mobile usability with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, including cellular broadband and the RapidCharge feature. the slightly flexible carbon-fibre chassis is an interesting departure from the rigidity of machined metal cases. though Lnovo’s failure to offer dual USB 3.0 ports and HDMI output is a little disappointing, the port selection isn’t radically different from what similar superthin Ultrabooks provide. If you’re a serious traveler, the X1 Carbon merits closer inspection.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review

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Aug 05

Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 Review: Almost The Perfect ...

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Overview

When Lenovo launched the IdeaPad line of consumer laptops back in 2008 more than a few people dismissed the IdeaPads as little more than than a cheaper alternative to Lenovo’s popular ThinkPad line of business notebooks. True, the IdeaPads have more plastic than their ThinkPad cousins and there are no business-friendly features like docking station connectors or slice batteries. but the IdeaPad line was never designed for the world of business … these laptops are meant to serve as affordable family and student PCs.

Build and Design

The IdeaPad Z580 doesn’t look like a typical budget notebook with its sleek brushed aluminum palm rest and lid. the design is quite detailed too; I like the fancy speaker grille above the keyboard and the touchpad’s beveled edge.

Like most Lenovo notebooks, the build quality is again surprisingly good for a budget laptop. the chassis is stiff and no ripples show up on the screen when you press in on lid from behind. Ideally a notebook’s internal parts should be subjected to as little flex as possible so they can last a long time; flex is bad for circuit boards. Thankfully, the Z580 feels very solid for a consumer laptop in this price range ($500-$750). Attention to detail is another positive aspect of this notebook; there are no rough or unfinished edges.

Users looking to upgrade the Z580 will find easy access to the storage drive, RAM and wireless card through a single access panel on the bottom of the notebook. the battery is also user-replaceable.

Input and Output Ports

The Z580 has a respectable array of input/output ports including two USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and a media card reader. It lacks an ExpressCard slot, eSATA and DisplayPort. still, you would be hard pressed to find a budget-priced, 15-inch consumer laptop with ExpressCard slot and DisplayPort so we can’t complain too much.

Front: Status lights, media card reader Back: Battery pack Left: Kensington Lock slot, cooling exhaust vent, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0 Right: Headphone and microphone jacks, USB 2.0, tray-load DVD burner, USB 2.0, AC power jack

Keyboard and Touchpad

Lenovo’s ‘Chiclet’ style keyboards are amongst the best out there in terms of feel. the Z580′s keys have plenty of travel and are able to provide ample tactile feedback. the keys make pleasant clicking sounds which add to the feedback. the keyboard feels solid with zero flex. the layout is good; all the keys are in their expected positions; the only nuance is that the keys on the number pad are about 2/3 the size, which takes some getting used to. Keyboard backlighting is not available on the Z580.

The oversized touchpad is actually a clickpad with a press-able surface. While I still prefer a traditional touchpad with separate buttons, this clickpad is actually quite good; it doesn’t take too much effort to push down and it has an excellent smooth surface. the clicks are a bit louder than I prefer but that’s my only real complaint.

Screen and Speakers

The Z580′s 15.6-inch display is as generic as they come. It has the lowest resolution available on a modern notebook, 1366×768; this means you’ll be doing a lot of scrolling in web pages and using two windows side-by-side is impractical. the display’s glossy surface is also impractical as there are a lot of reflections in well-lit areas. the quality of the display is poor; it needs a serious saturation boost as colors look lifeless; contrast isn’t impressive either.

Viewing angles are narrow and result in almost immediate color distortion when tilting the display back and forth. at this price point this kind of display is expected but not welcomed; we’d prefer at least a 1600×900 resolution. I look forward to the day when 1366×768 disappears.

There are two stereo speakers located above the keyboard; despite the “Dolby Home Theater” badge they’re more or less typical notebook speakers: tinny sound, almost no bass and a tendency to distort quickly at higher volume levels. the audio is somewhat adjustable via the Dobly Home Theater software interface but there is only so much you can squeeze out of small speakers.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 Review: Almost The Perfect Budget Laptop

Aug 02

Lenovo IdeaPad U310 Review – Watch ...

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The ultrabook revolution of 2011 has become a deluge in 2012, which means one thing: lower prices. If you were hunting for a reasonably thin Windows laptop with good battery life at a reasonable cost, you couldn’t have picked a better time. The Lenovo IdeaPad U310 is a perfect example: it’s an update of sorts to the IdeaPad U300s, one of the first Windows ultrabooks we reviewed last fall that carried a MacBook Air-like $1,195 price tag. this time, the cost is a mere $799 — but, with some compromises made along the way.

The IdeaPad U310 is a different machine: it’s got a significantly heavier and thicker chassis and a standard magnetic platter-type mechanical hard drive instead of a solid-state drive (SSD). however, its internal specs are very good, with a third-gen 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and all the ports you’d need (Ethernet, USB 3.0, SD card reader, HDMI). It’s still an ultrabook by definition, but not quite as sleek a product.

It’s a pretty similar package to what the identically priced Sony Vaio T offers, although the Vaio T is lighter and has a better battery life. It’s also similar to what the new Dell Inspiron 14z offers, although the Inspiron 14z also has dedicated AMD graphics.

(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)

So, where does that leave the IdeaPad U310? It’s not a bad deal for what’s under the hood, but the U310 doesn’t feel as surprising as last year’s U300s. nor is it. It’s really the smaller cousin of the IdeaPad U400: a MacBook-like Lenovo laptop with a good keyboard, a solid set of features, and a pleasing design that could make an excellent back-to-school computer. Students should look into the IdeaPad U310, especially if it’s on sale. you might want to comparison-shop the growing landscape of affordable ultrabook-alikes at the time of purchase and see if you can do better, but the bottom line is this: be happy. Ultrabooks have larger hard drives (without SSD), and are cheaper than ever. That’s a good thing.

Price as reviewed $799 Processor 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U Memory 4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 Hard drive 500GB 5,400 HDD Chipset Intel HM77 Graphics Intel HD 4000 Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) Dimensions (WD) 13.1×8.8 inches Height 0.7 inch Screen size (diagonal) 13.3 inches system weight / Weight with AC adapter 3.68 pounds / 4.2 pounds Category ultrabook

At 0.7 inch thick and 3.68 pounds, the IdeaPad U310 is thin and light, but not quite as thin and light as other 13-inch ultrabooks. It’s somewhere between “normal” 13-inch laptop and ultrabook, and feels more like the former. It’s heavier than the Sony Vaio T ultrabook, and lighter than the new Dell Inspiron 14z.

Unlike the sleek, black IdeaPad U300s, the U310 is both whitish and candy-colored. Its larger cousin that it looks the most like is the IdeaPad U400, a machine that was closer in size and function to a 13-inch MacBook Pro. The U310 is more backpack- and small-bag-friendly, but also ditches the slot-loading DVD drive in the process.

(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)

You’d better get used to hearing, “Hey, you’ve got a new white MacBook!” because you’re going to hear it a lot at coffee shops. The IdeaPad U310 is MacBook-like, and there’s no way around it. sure, the outer wraparound Aqua Blue aluminum on the lid and underside (also available in Graphite Gray and Cherry Blossom Pink) is distinctive, but open the lid and the white surfaces, black raised keyboard, and large touch pad — even the bezel around the screen and keyboard — practically scream “MacBookalike.” The anodized, colored-aluminum exterior sandwiches the slightly off-white plastic interior when closed, giving the laptop a two-tone look and a booklike profile.

It’s a comfortable laptop to use, too: the palm rest is spacious, the multitouch clickpad gigantic, and the keyboard nearly as excellent as most Lenovo keyboards.

Why nearly? Because the keyboard’s not backlit, and the keys themselves have an ever-so-slightly lower-quality feel compared with the high bar of ThinkPads. It’s still good, but I found keys not registering every once in a blue moon, and the column of keys on the right side makes the Backspace key very hard to locate by touch. to make matters worse, the keyboard exhibited some flex on our review model. at least the function keys are reversed (the media-control buttons for volume and screen brightness work without the Fn key held down).

(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)

The very large touch pad is the same size as that on a MacBook, but not as good. Pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling are less instantly responsive and more prone to jumpiness. Chalk that up less to Lenovo than to Windows 7.

The audiovisual experience on the IdeaPad U310 is similarly adequate but not outstanding. a glossy 13.3-inch screen has an utterly normal 1,366×768-pixel resolution, but is prone to screen glare. The screen isn’t all that bright at its highest setting, and off-axis viewing angles are poor. It’s fine for a budget computer. The stereo speakers are louder than you’d expect from an ultrabook, but sounded hollow and flat when playing back music or movie trailers.

On the other hand, the included 720p Webcam looked sharp via the preinstalled Cybervision YouCam software.

Lenovo IdeaPad U310 Review – Watch CNET’s Video & Read Our Review

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Jul 15

All-in-One PCs to outpace desktop PCs

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With their shipments projected to surge this year and beyond, all-in-one (AiO) PCs will help prop an ailing market for overall desktop PC systems.

Shipments of AiO PCs are forecast to reach 16.4 million units this year, up a robust 20 percent from 13.7 million units last year, according to research firm IHS iSuppli.

In comparison, worldwide growth of traditional desktop PC shipments in 2012 will amount to a dismal 0.2 percent — rising from approximately 132.0 million units to 132.3 million units.

The healthy pace of growth for AiO PCs will continue in the years to come. by 2016, shipments will hit an estimated 24.8 million units, equivalent to a five-year compound annual growth rate of nearly 13 percent.

The fast-growing AiO space may, in fact, save the overall desktop segment —already battered by competing consumer devices, like smartphones, media tablets and even mobile PCs such as laptops and ultrabooks — from going into further decline, IHS iSuppli said.

Unlike traditional desktop PCs that comprise a separate monitor, system base unit and power cable, all-in-one PCs utilize a different form factor — one that integrates the display and base unit into a common chassis, with the power cable permanently attached to the entire mechanism.

AiO examples on the market today include the iMac range of products from Apple, as well as the All-in-One desktops from Lenovo and HP.

“The AiO PC is especially appealing to consumers that have been waiting for a desktop-monitor combo that not only combines the strengths of a traditional desktop system but also offers a few more extras typical of the new versatile devices, such as a flexible form factor, a large screen size and touchscreen optical technology,” said Craig Stice of IHS.

For instance, AiO PCs no longer need to be bound to a computer desk but can fit into a variety of environments — including on a wall, from where the devices can be hung — bringing about new user experiences in the process. some models like Lenovo’s IdeaCentre a Series also offer a TV tuner option that allows the PC to function as both a personal computer and a television.

Often AiO PCs also come with larger screen sizes, with 22-inch screens being the average. many larger systems offer high-definition (HD) specifications, including HDMI inputs and outputs, options for 3-D, and high-end sound systems.

Most AiO systems also employ optical technology with sensors within raised bezel edges that will track touch in a typically two-touch or point-and-touch screen.

A more tablet-like experience with multitouch or swipe capabilities could likewise be possible when Microsoft launches its new Windows 8 operating system later this year.

Pricing for AiO systems is now comparable to standard desktops — anywhere from less than P25,000 for a modestly packed system with a 20-inch screen, up to nearly P100,000 for a fully loaded high-end system.

Still, AIO systems have their drawbacks. they cannot be customized with additional or upgraded hardware as easily because of the more enclosed environment and space constraints within the system, and the all-in-one form factor that makes them unique also makes the machines hard to repair.

As a result, their product life cycle is shorter than that of the traditional desktop PC, and the total cost of ownership may also come out higher, according to IHS.

Apple was no. 1 last year in AiO shipments, with 28 percent share of the market, followed by Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Sony.

All-in-One PCs to outpace desktop PCs

Jun 24

Lenovo IdeaPad U310

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A surefire sign that Ultrabooks are growing up is that prices are coming down. the latest example: the Lenovo IdeaPad U310, a $799 sequel to the U300s. this notebook features a faster Core i5 processor and pairs 32GB of flash memory with a 500GB hard drive to offer both fast resumes and gobs of storage. Lenovo also remembered to include an SD Card slot this time around (huzzah!) on the stylin’ aluminum chassis. so just how much Ultrabook do you get for the money?

Design

Click to EnlargeTo call the IdeaPad U310 an Ultrabook of a different color would be an understatement. we were immediately mesmerized by its aluminum Aqua Blue lid. the subtle sheen of the tiny metallic flakes danced with every flicker of light. A slightly raised diamond-cut chrome Lenovo insignia sits in the top right corner, creating a beautiful contrast.

The U310 is also available in Cherry Blossom and (boring) Graphite Grey for people who aren’t keen on blue.

The interior of the notebook uses matte eggshell white plastic that extends around the sides of the notebook. It’s cool and distinct. A lone chrome power button sits in the top left corner just above the black matte keyboard.

In terms of weight, the 3.6 pound, 13.1 x 8.8 x 0.7-inch U310 is smack in the middle of the 3.4 pound, 12.7 x 8.9 x 0.71-inch Sony VAIO T13 and the 4.6 pound, 13.7 x 9.5 x 0.83-inch Dell Inspiron 14z. However, it cuts a slim profile with its 0.7 inch thickness.

Display

Click to EnlargeThe U310′s 13.3-inch HD 1366 x 768p display delivered sharp text, making reading the latest headlines from NYTimes.com and CNN.com easy to read. the HD YouTube trailer of “Django Unchained” was a canopy of subtle beauty set against the violent backdrop of vengeance, such as delicate drops of crimson blood being splashed across pillowy plumes of cotton. our eyes were also drawn to Jamie Foxx’s electric blue suit against a rose and tangerine sky.

Unfortunately, the U310 doesn’t have the brightest display. Measuring only 148 lux, it was easily outshone by the 239 lux ultraportable category average as well as the VAIO T13 and XPS 13, which measured 163 and 254 lux, respectively. we were also disappointed with the shallow 45-degree viewing angles, which led to immediate washout if we ventured any farther from in front of the display.

Audio

Despite receiving a hearty assist from Dolby’s Home Theater v4 technology, the U310′s speakers barely filled a large room. However, the sound was nice and clear, and we appreciated Dolby’s optimized presets for Music, Movies and Games along with the ability to create our own custom presets.

As we listened to Marvin Gaye’s “Got To give It up,” we clearly heard the funky bass, distinctive cowbells and background party vocals accentuating Gaye’s silky tenor.

Keyboard

Click to EnlargeLenovo’s island-style AccuType keyboard provided a comfortable typing experience in our testing. Lenovo’s trademark smile-shaped keys are nicely spaced and provided springy feedback. we do wish that the Right Shift and Backspace keys were a tad larger. While we noticed some flex when we pressed with a bit of force, it wasn’t enough to cause concern.

Touchpad

Lenovo outfitted the U310 with a large 4.1 x 2.75-inch Synaptics touchpad. we enjoyed sliding our fingers over the smooth glass surface. Multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom, two-finger scroll, three-finger flick and four-finger flick were quick and responsive. Two-finger rotation, however, was rather sticky, forcing us to perform the gesture several times before we saw a result.

A four-finger swipe to the right opens the Easy Notepad app, and swiping up or down with three fingers allowed us to switch between notes. A four-finger swipe to the left launches an app where we were able to change the desktop background.

There are also a couple of frillware apps that provide nothing more than a few seconds of distraction. the MoodPad app cues up a black panel that changes color from black to bright yellow depending on the speed of your stroke on the touchpad. There’s also Pressure Graph, which displays how hard the user presses via red dots and lines of varying thickness.

Clicking on the touchpad delivered a firm satisfying click, with both hemispheres equally responsive and accurate.

Heat

After watching a full-screen video on Hulu for 15 minutes, the touchpad space between the G and H keys registered a cool 80 degrees Fahrenheit while the underside measured 82 degrees. we were able to watch video, play some “Bastion” and write this review with the U310 in our laps for well over an hour with no complaints.

Webcam

Click to EnlargeThe 1-megapixel webcam delivered sharp images overall. we saw better color in natural lighting, while images in fluorescent lighting were slightly oversaturated. the webcam can capture stills and video in 1280 x 720 using CyberLink YouCam 3.

In addition to video chatting in ooVoo, we used the webcam to add an extra layer of security via Lenovo VeriFace 4.0. the face-recognition software was quick and intuitive, taking about 30 seconds to record our faces and create a profile.

Ports

Click to EnlargeThe right side of the U310 houses a USB 2.0 port, a combination headphone/microphone jack and a jack for the AC adapter. an SD Card slot sits on the left front lip of the notebook. A pair of USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Ethernet and a button for Lenovo’s one Key Recovery service is located on the notebook’s left side.

Performance

Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors continue to impress, powering the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 to solid scores. Equipped with a 1.7-GHz Intel i5-3317U processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB 5,400-rpm hard drive with a 32GB SSD and an Intel GMA HD Graphics 4000 GPU, the U310 easily streamed video from Hulu while we played a few rounds of “Plants vs. Zombies” with seven open tabs in Google Chrome and Internet Explorer.

During PCMark 07, the U310 scored an impressive 3,480. That’s 781 points above the 2,699 ultraportable average. the VAIO T13 and the Inspiron 14z, which also have 1.7GHz Intel i5-3317U CPUs, notched a lower 3,334 and 2,984, respectively.

The U310 booted the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium in 33 seconds, much faster than the 0:47 category average. However, other Ultrabooks are faster. the Inspiron 14z and its 500GB 5,400-rpm hard drive loaded Windows in 0:28 while the VAIO T13 and its hybrid drive (500GB 5,400-rpm and 32GB MLC SSD) booted in a swift 0:25.

During the File Transfer Test, the U310′s hard drive duplicated 4.97GB of mixed media files in 3 minutes and 29 seconds for a transfer rate of 28.6 MBps, which is well below the 45.7 MBps average. the Inspiron 14z notched 29.8 MBps, while the VAIO T13 delivered a dismal 18.6 MBps.

On the OpenOffice test, the U310 took 6 minutes and 6 seconds to match 20,000 names to their corresponding addresses, blowing past the 8:33 ultraportable average. However, the VAIO T13 and Inspiron 14z finished slightly faster at 5:53 and 5:47, respectively.

Graphics

Although you won’t be playing some of the more graphically demanding titles such as “Max Payne 3″ with an Intel GMA HD 4000 Graphics GPU, you’ll definitely be able to watch HD video and play most of the MMORPGs out there.

During the 3DMark06 benchmark, the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 scored 3,975, 158 points above the 3,817 ultraportable category average. the VAIO T13 notched 3,829, while the Inspiron 14z and its AMD Radeon HD 7570M with 1GB of VRAM delivered an impressive 6,032.

On the “World of Warcraft” test, the U310 achieved 39 fps at 1366 x 768, just beating the 36 fps category average. the Inspiron 14z maintained its dominance with 64 fps, while the VAIO T13 scored 32 fps.

When we cranked the settings to maximum, both the U310 and the VAIO T13 scored 15 fps, below the 18 fps average. the Inspiron 14z delivered 32 fps.

Battery Life

During the LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi), the U310 lasted 5 hours and 19 mintues. That’s below the 6:51 ultraportable average, but in line with other Ultrabooks we’ve recently tested. (Many Ultrabook makers seem to be willing to trade endurance for a thinner profile and lighter weight.) the VAIO T13 and the Inspiron 14z managed only 5:05 and 5:35, respectively.

Software and Warranty

Click to EnlargeLenovo packages the IdeaPad U310 with a small suite of apps and utilities. the Power Management utility was one of our favorites. we liked how it resembled a car’s odometer as well as how easy it was to switch between settings.

Smart Update was also helpful, automatically monitoring for updates for programs such as Windows Live Messenger and Facebook. we set up refresh intervals and download settings with ease.

Third-party software includes Windows Live, Adobe Reader X, Oovoo, and a 90-day free trial of Absolute DataProtect, an anti-theft software. There’s also a 60-day free trial of McAfee AntiVirus Plus software.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U310 comes with a 1-year warranty. See how Lenovo fared in our Best and worst Brands Report.

Configurations

Our $799 review unit of the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 features a 1.7-GHz Intel i5-3317U processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB 5,400-rpm hard drive with a 32GB SSD and an Intel GMA HD Graphics 4000 GPU. There’s also the $749 base model that has identical specs as our review model but runs on an Intel Core i3-3217U processor.

Verdict

Click to EnlargeThose in search of an eye-catching portable Ultrabook at an affordable price should put the $799 Lenovo IdeaPad U310 on their short list. the notebook delivers fast Ivy Bridge performance and sound ergonomics inside a design that doesn’t look anything like a MacBook Air clone. However, the battery life could be better, and the display isn’t the brightest.

Consumers looking for more graphical oomph will want to check out the $899 Dell Inspiron 14z. For an additional $100, shoppers get an ultrabook with AMD discrete graphics. overall, though, the U310 is one of the best value-priced Ultrabooks yet.

Lenovo IdeaPad U310

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May 16

New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 ...

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That new Baidu Cloud phone we told you about last week? You’re looking right at it! Following the flagship Dell Streak Pro D43 (which was branded with what was then known as Baidu Yi aka version 1.0 of the platform), this Foxconn-built Changhong H5018 is the second smartphone to have its Android Gingerbread system enhanced by Baidu, meaning it’ll come with 300GB of cloud storage space (instead of the old 100GB), voice search, voice control and a set of other online services offered by the Chinese search giant.

as for the hardware itself, we’re looking at a 10.3mm-thick matte chassis housing a 650MHz MTK6573 processor, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a three-megapixel camera and a non-removable 1,400mAh battery, all of which would explain that highly affordable CN¥899 (US$140) off-contract price tag. that said, you’ll still find a dual-SIM (WCDMA plus GSM) tray and a microSD slot hidden beneath the bottom cover. not sure where ZTE is on this one, but for now, you can head over to Sina Tech for its hands-on report and photos.

New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 300GB of cloud storage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:49:00 EDT. please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 300GB of cloud storage

Apr 24

Toshiba Portege R835-P88

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In a world where ultrabooks are hip and happening, ultraportables can seem like yesterday’s news. The Toshiba Portege R835-P88 ($849.99 list) is the latest version of a model that’s been around for years. it weighs a third of a pound more than the average ultrabook. it has an old-fashioned optical drive instead of a newfangled backlit keyboard. it also costs less than virtually all ultrabooks and runs faster than any of them—and yeah, an optical drive can still come in pretty handy sometimes. For portability, performance, and value (especially at street prices markedly below its $850 list), the Portege R835-P88 is what we said its R835-P50X predecessor was 11 months ago: the epitome of what an ultraportable should be, and an easy successor to last year’s model as an Editors’ Choice in the category.

Design The R835-P88 weighs 3.2 pounds on PC Labs’ scale—more than the 2.9 pounds of the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299 direct, 4 stars) and numerous ultrabooks, though actually an ounce less than our Editors’ Choice ultrabook HP Folio 13 ($1,048.99 direct, 4 stars). its magnesium alloy chassis is a handsome dark blue, accented by chrome (plastic) screen hinges.

The screen feels solid, less flexible or flimsy than that of Toshiba’s 2.5-pound ultrabook models such as the Portege Z830-S8302. It’s a glossy 13.3-inch panel with the usual 1,366 by 768 resolution; vertical viewing angles are narrow enough that you’ll find yourself adjusting its tilt, but horizontal angles are sufficiently broad and brightness and color are fine.

The keyboard, as mentioned, isn’t backlit but offers a first-class layout, with dedicated Home, end, PgUp, and PgDn keys plus Ctrl and Delete in their proper lower left and top right corners, respectively. its typing feel is snappy and sure, if a little shallow. The touchpad works smoothly, its twin buttons giving just the right amount of tactile feedback.

Features on the right side of the R835-P88′s chassis, next to the DVD±RW drive, are headphone and microphone jacks, a USB 3.0 port, and an Ethernet port. on the left are VGA and HDMI ports and two USB 2.0 ports, one an eSATA combo port with Toshiba’s “sleep and charge” functionality for recharging handheld devices without turning the laptop on.

Bluetooth and WiMax are absent, but the R835-P88′s 802.11n Wi-Fi worked fine in our tests and Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) is on hand for users who want to zap audio and video to an HDTV set equipped with a Belkin or Netgear adapter. Toshiba preloads the system’s spacious 640GB (550GB free out of the box), 5,400-rpm hard drive with a slew of house-brand utilities and a scanty 30-day trial of Norton Internet Security.

The diminutive speakers above the keyboard pump out pleasant enough audio, but were occasionally drowned out during our tests by the Toshiba’s cooling fan—inaudible during routine productivity work, the latter grew noticeably loud during strenuous exercises such as our graphics benchmarks.

Performance Toshiba Portege R835-P88 while most Intel Core i5 ultrabooks we’ve seen use a low-voltage (17-watt) processor running at 1.6GHz, the R835-P88 ultraportable boasts a standard-voltage (35-watt) Core i5-2450M chip running at 2.5GHz. Teamed with 6GB of RAM, it delivers performance that not only bests those flyweights, but even edges Core i7 ultrabooks like the Toshiba Z830-S8302 (1 minute 59 seconds in our Handbrake video encoding test, versus 1:46 for the R835-P88) and Lenovo IdeaPad U300s (4:25 in our Photoshop CS5 image editing test, versus 3:55 for the R835-P88).

Toshiba Portege R835-P88

The R835-P88′s PCMark 7 score of 2,313 is only middling, because it has a hard drive instead of one of the SSDs that PCMark 7 adores. But its other benchmark numbers are thoroughly competitive with other ultraportables such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 and Panasonic Toughbook CF-S10, leading the field in Handbrake and tying the Lenovo X220 in Photoshop. The only reality check came in our gaming tests, where its Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics predictably fell short of playable frame rates—plus or minus 21 frames per second in Crysis and Lost Planet 2.

The R835-P88′s 66Wh battery will get you through a whole day’s work: though shy of the 9 hours 26 minutes of its predecessor, the R835-P50X (not to mention the 11 hours of the big-batteried Acer TravelMate 8481T-6440), it lasted a solid 8:40—longer than any ultrabook we’ve tested—in our MobileMark 2007 rundown test.

We’ve made it clear in other reviews that we’re fans of ultrabooks, but the Toshiba Portege R835-P88 is an eye-opener: almost light enough to forget it’s in your briefcase, it delivers ultrabook-beating performance plus the convenience (even if you only use it occasionally) of an onboard optical drive plus the appeal (even if it’s mostly due to a hard disk instead of SSD) of a bargain price. At the very least, it’s worth keeping our ultraportable category on the books so we can give it an Editors’ Choice.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS: Check out the test scores for the Toshiba Portege R835-P88.

COMPARISON TABLE:Compare the Toshiba Portege R835-P88 with several other laptops side by side.

More laptop reviews:•   Asus N56VM•   Eurocom Leopard 2.0•   Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7170•   Toshiba Satellite C655-S5542•   Toshiba Portege R835-P88•  more

Toshiba Portege R835-P88

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Apr 23

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) leak suggests $399 ...

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Earlier this week we received more than a couple of reports that the new Galaxy Tab 2, both the 7-inch and 10-inch models from Samsung had been delayed until late April. while things still seem to be on track for a late April release we now have a leaked price too. the folks from Engadget spotted the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 2 at Office Depot of all places, showing a price tag of only $399 for the Ice Cream Sandwich tablet.

The Galaxy Tab 2 is Samsung’s second attempt at a 10-inch tablet and has a few changes over the original. those include a slightly thinner chassis, and front facing speaker grills similar to a few models we’ve seen in Germany as of late. under the hood is the same 1280 x 800 resolution screen and 1.0 GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, so no quad-core here but still plenty fast.

The page has since been pulled, but the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 was spotted at Office Depot’s online store for only $399. a sign that Samsung might finally be realizing they’ve been asking a bit too much for their tablets. after a second look you’ll quickly notice that is for the 8GB model, and sadly the 16GB will probably still be $449. most likely they’ll also offer a 32GB model priced around $499, which seems high given the price of better tablets like the Transformer Prime.

The Tab 2 has already cleared the FCC, including once with AT&T bands and should be hitting stores in the US soon. Once Samsung makes any official announcements we’ll be sure to update with all the details.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) leak suggests $399 price tag

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Apr 17

Asus offers Transformer Prime owners hardware GPS ...

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A lot of owners of the Asus Transformer Prime Android tablet are complaining when it comes to seeing GPS satellites, the tablet is seriously lacking. Asus has tried to address the poor GPS performance with OTA software updates but has been unable to completely fix the issue. It appears Asus is ready to give up on software fixes, and offer some hardware to remedy the issue.

Owners of the Transformer Prime that register their devices on the Asus member site are being offered an application for what Asus calls a GPS Extension Kit. this GPS Extension Kit is being offered free and is a dongle that Asus says, “May help improve signal reception and optimize the user experience.” the “may help” doesn’t sound like what owners of afflicted tablets want to hear.

The extension kits are supposed to ship by the middle of April. if you own one of these tablets, you might be worried Asus is talking about a bulky flash drive style stick. Apparently, the dongle will be flush fitting on the bottom of the tablet when held in landscape mode and the same color as the chassis. Asus will offer the dongle to all customers who own or would be purchasing the tablet. I wonder whether the dongle will be included with the tablet in the box moving forward.

[via Engadget]

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Asus offers Transformer Prime owners hardware GPS fix – SlashGear

Mar 10

Apple’s new iPad: heavier and thicker, with ...

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Apple’s latest version of the iPad, announced on Wednesday is an incremental upgrade to the fantastically popular mobile tablet computer that adds a higher resolution screen, 4G LTE mobile wireless connectivity, higher resolution cameras, and a handful of other new features.

But these combined upgrades have taken a slight toll on the chassis of the device, making it slightly thicker and heavier to accommodate the bigger battery, which has been increased in capacity to provide Apple’s now standard “10-hour/9-hour” battery life promises.

Here’s how the device specs of the three generations of the iPad stack up, to show where the new iPad fares.

Size:iPad: 9.56″ x 7.47″ x 0.5″ iPad 2: 9.50″ x 7.31″ x 0.34″New iPad: 9.50″ x 7.31″ x 0.37″

Weight:(Wi-fi/mobile)iPad: 1.5 pounds/1.6 poundsiPad 2: 1.33 pounds/1.34 poundsNew iPad: 1.44 pounds/1.46 pounds

Display:iPad: 9.7″ (1024 x 768) resolution at 132 pixels per inch iPad 2: 9.7″ (1024 x 768) resolution at 132 pixels per inch New iPad: 9.7″ (2048 x 1536) resolution 264 pixels per inch

Capacity:iPad: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GBiPad 2: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB New iPad: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB

Processor:iPad: 1GHz Apple A4 iPad 2: 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 New iPad: Dual-core Apple A5X with quad-core graphics

Battery and Power:iPad: 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery”Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to musicUp to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network.”iPad2: Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery”Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to musicUp to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network.”New iPad: 42.5-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery”Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to musicUp to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network.”

Wireless and cellular:iPad: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR,UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)iPad 2: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR,UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)CDMA EV-DO Rev. a (800, 1900 MHz)New iPad: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth,LTE (700, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)CDMA EV-DO Rev. a (800, 1900 MHz)

Cameras:iPad: NoneiPad2: Back: .9 megapixel (720p) up to 30 frames per second, Front: VGA, video at 30 frames per second.New iPad: Back: 5-megapixel, Front: VGA, video at 30 frames per second.

Apple’s new iPad: heavier and thicker, with bigger battery