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Matthew R.

Matthew R.

Joined on 08/21/10

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 2
Most Favorable Review

Solid

Lenovo IdeaPad Intel Core i5-2467M 4GB Memory 128 GB SSD Intel HD Graphics 3000 13.3" 1366 x 768 Ultrabook Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit U300s (10802BU)
Lenovo IdeaPad Intel Core i5-2467M 4GB Memory 128 GB SSD Intel HD Graphics 3000 13.3" 1366 x 768 Ultrabook Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit U300s (10802BU)

Pros: Keyboard is terrific - Better than I expected from all the reviews I saw. Most said the keyboard was good, but I think it is great. It's very quiet, made of a very comfortable material, and very easy to type on. Trackpad is good - Responsive and very Macbook-like. Multitouch is good for scrolling. No fingerprints - I absolutely despise fingerprints on my laptop, and thankfully this is not a problem. Though it does get small smudges on the top somehow, it's not nearly as annoying as fingerprints. Elegant - Looks good without being flashy like the ASUS UX31. There is an attractive simplicity to it. Color is slightly darker than the images. Speed - very fast. No complaints. Games - I have some games from the Humble Indie Bundle I like to play, and they run fine. Star Wars Battlefront 2 runs well. Sins of a Solar Empire runs well. Minecraft doesn't run well, though. Just games to pass the time, really (that aren't programmed in Java).

Cons: Utterly moronic partitioning - ~80 GB is given to you, ~25 GB is used on a wasteful D drive labelled "Lenovo." It contains drivers and apps, and I expect that it is also meant to contain backups. I don't plan on making backups on the laptop itself, not with only 128 GB. You cannot easily repartition the drives, and you must have a very high tech level to do so. I managed to pull it off, but not within Windows. Some bloat - Some annoying software comes preinstalled. I'd reinstall Windows 7 if I could, but I don't have a CD drive or an ISO. Thinness - While it is technically about the same thickness of the UX31 and the Macbook Air, it doesn't LOOK like it. It LOOKS a little thicker, but a side by side comparison will show that it is not much. What's important to me, however, is how it looks. Just something to note. Resolution is rather low - It is somewhat low... compared to other computers, namely the UX31. This is a trade-off for stability, however.

Overall Review: This laptop is input strong - the keyboard and trackpad are solid and comfortable. The ASUS UX31 is output strong - the screen, sound, and style are slightly better. By choosing this computer you are really choosing stability over style. Ultimately I wanted a slick laptop that is good for school, and programmer (input) friendly. I think I found it. Do not buy from Lenovo's site! Not only are they more expensive than Newegg, but they also charge tax! Go ahead and calculate the extra tax (say, 8%) on a $1200 purchase. I bought this computer here for $1050 flat. Shipping is also ~4 weeks faster. Linux works on it, though you will obviously have to sacrifice your multitouch keyboard for it. The ASUS UX31 has problems with Linux. I also wasn't fascinated with the ultrabooks at CES, so I decided waiting for another ultrabook wasn't worth it. What is everyone's obsession with backlit keyboards and SD card readers? Neither had any weight whatsoever for me....

No complaints

EVGA GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Video Card 01G-P3-1430-LR
EVGA GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Video Card 01G-P3-1430-LR

Pros: Good price for some good specs. Runs all my games on my Windows 7 hard disk pretty well at optimal or sub-optimal settings (monitor is 1920x1080). Works on my Ubuntu x64 hard disk nicely. Works with my Hackintosh hard disk (after much wrestling and forum-reading). Hasn't run super-hot yet, which is impressive.

Cons: Nothing bad to say, really, other than no documentation or software came with it.

Overall Review: A nice card at a good price. It doesn't blow my mind or go above and beyond though, so I give it a solid 4 stars.