subject: Lenovo Ideapad U300s: Light, Luxurious [print this page] If there is certainly a laptop computer that deserves the moniker "Ultrabook"--a term that Intel introduced (and trademarked) previously this yr for the class of extremely slim and light laptops--it's the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s. Not since it is more quickly or beefier as opposed to competitors (it is not), but because it actually looks like a thin coffee-table ebook when closed. It is also the Ultrabook that lots of within our labs gravitated towards because of to its luxuriously minimalist styling and superior input ergonomics. No less than they did till they heard it value $1595, a price tag tag that reflects the expense with the U300s's significant (256GB) solid-state drive, or SSD.
Despite an Intel Core i7-2677M CPU, 4GB of DDR3 technique memory, and that aforementioned 256GB SSD on board, the U300s efficiency lagged at the rear of the Asus Zenbook UX31e. Still, a WorldBench score of 114 signifies lots of energy for every day chores. Gaming frame charges delivered from the built-in Intel Hi-def Graphics 3000 max out at 31 frames per 2nd at 800 by six hundred resolution--with the particulars turned way down lower, which won't minimize the mustard for modern game titles.
However, battery daily life is six hours and 34 minutes, which compares nicely with all the rest with the Ultrabook crowd. At two.nine kilos it is on the list of lighter Ultrabooks, however you will not notice significantly distinction among the heft with the U300s and the Zenbook or the Acer Aspire S3, all of which weigh near to three lbs.
Video clip playback at any resolution is smooth as may be, even though you obtain the usual down-converting problems with 1080p playback about the 13.3-inch, 1366 by 768 screen. The shades rendered from the display are rich, nevertheless the shiny surface is inclined to glare--one with the handful of questionable design selections within the U300s. Audio is stellar by way of headphones, but sounds somewhat muffled through the speakers. Tweaking the integrated SRS sound enhancement computer software aids immensely.
The U300S's keyboard is "breathable" (to utilize Lenovo's expression), which can be a helpful alternative term for "ventilated." This trick is now used on the quantity of laptops (notably Apple's) to ensure that no ventilation holes are necessary on the bottom of the unit in which they are often blocked whilst sitting with your lap. Additionally, it implies that the unit feels fairly calme with your thighs. A ventilation port is on the left edge of the laptop computer, although.
The keyboard alone incorporates a quite good experience for getting these a brief stroke (a common problem with ultrathin laptops). That's partially a textural impression--the whole unit includes a deluxe come to feel as a result of fine grain about the aluminum case's paint occupation (offered in Clementine Orange and Graphite Grey). The glass, buttonless touchpad is equally satisfying--in lieu of scroll regions, it makes use of two-finger swiping. So there is no inadvertent straying into your scroll area--nice.
Depending with your demands, you could uncover the port choice within the U300s missing. It's got a USB three.0 port for rapid knowledge transfers and backup, an HDMI one for video clip output, plus a further USB 2.0 port, but that's about this. There is certainly no VGA for older shows, no SD/MMC card slot, no eSATA, and--probably most surprising--no ethernet. The lack of eSATA just isn't remediable, but is ameliorated by the existence of USB 3.0. For VGA, SD, and ethernet you will require USB adapters. Connectivity is made up of 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0, as well as WiDi for wireless show.
The U300s is the very first laptop I've dealt with that ships with Microsoft's free of charge Safety Necessities in lieu of the trial of shell out protection software. MSE is just as efficient for the majority of users, but stays from your way except if there's a problem, as opposed to most spend options. You will find no array of junk software package possibly; just Cyberlink's YouCam utility for that 1280 by 720 webcam, a free of charge subscription to Absolute Data Protect for encrypting data and remote disabling with the laptop computer, Google Chrome, and Cyberlink's OneKey recovery for backing up your system. The latter operates along with a button around the left rear from the U300s that initiates recovery if the bundled Windows seven Specialist running system stops booting correctly.
Irrespective of which way you lower it, the U300s is a expensive laptop computer, though only moderately more so compared to equally configured opposition. It can be obtainable within a slower, much less capacious configuration that has a Core i5-2457M CPU plus a 128GB SSD for $1195, and Lenovo's U260 and its just lately launched U400 are only somewhat thicker and heavier, with less costly configurations. The missing ports really are a little bit of puzzler, but in any other case the U300s delivers a very enjoyable Ultrabook experience.
