Multimedia Laptop with Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d

The IdeaPad Y560d is a consumer multimedia notebook featuring a powerful Intel quad-core processor and ATI graphics. The most interesting aspect of this notebook is the 3D-capable screen. Does this feature make the notebook worth extra money? Read our review to find out.

Conclusion
The Y560d is a typical consumer-grade multimedia notebook with a high-performance core. Highlights of the machine include excellent overall performance (especially for gaming), a good keyboard and touchpad, a thin-and-light design, and fantastic speakers. The downsides of this notebook are significant. At the top of the list is the so-so build quality; the Y560d's flexible plastic construction does not inspire confidence. Furthermore, glossy plastic covers all visible surfaces and is impossible to keep clean. Another design issue is the gaudy-looking tattoo on the back of the lid – what is that all about? The sub-three hour battery life may be a turnoff for some. Last but not least, the low resolution (1366x768) screen hurts usability and productivity.

Despite being one of the least expensive 3D notebooks on the market, the Y560d still demands a premium. Unless you deem the 3D feature worth an extra few hundred dollars, the standard Y560 represents a better value; it is the same notebook minus 3D (and that lid tattoo). I find it tough to recommend the Y560d because of the aforementioned cons. Its small target audience (gamers looking for 3D) will likely be very pleased with this system; but average consumers can find more practical notebooks for less.

Pros:

• Excellent overall performance
• Fantastic speakers
• Good keyboard and touchpad
• Thin and light
• Runs cool
• 3D is sorta-kinda cool

Cons:

• Low screen resolution
• So-so build quality
• Weird design on back of lid (why?)
• Covered in glossy plastic
• Sub-three hour battery life
• 3D adds a few hundred over the base Y560

Our Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d review unit has the following specifications:

• 15.6-inch 720p (1366x768) glossy panel with LED backlighting and 120Hz refresh rate
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i7-720QM quad-core processor (1.6GHz/2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB L3, 2.5GT/s QPI, 45W TDP)
• Intel PM55 chipset
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 w/ 1GB GDDR3 video memory
• 4GB DDR3-1333 dual-channel RAM (2x 2GB)
• 500GB 7200RPM Hitachi 7K500 hard drive (HTS725050A9A364)
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 AGN wireless
• Built-in Bluetooth v2.1+EDR
• DVD burner (Slimtype DVD A DS8A4S)
• 1-year limited warranty
• 6-cell Li-ion battery (11.1V, 57Wh)
• Weight: 5.95 lbs
• Dimensions: 15.1” (L) x 8.5” (D) x 0.8~1.30”” (H)
• MSRP: $1,599

The specifications are enthusiast-grade; the most noteworthy components are theIntel Core i7 quad-core processor and 1GB ATI graphics card. The Y560d's screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is what allows it to produce the illusion of 3D when combined with the included special polarized glasses and TriDef software. The Manufacturer's suggested retail price is a bit steep; however this notebook can often be found for several hundred less online.

Build and Design
The Y560d has an aesthetically pleasing design. The notebook is quite thin and light for its class, coming in at six pounds and just over one inch thin. The chassis has a standard rectangular shape. All corners are generously rounded off, giving the Y560d a soft appearance compared to business notebooks. Numerous white status lights dot the chassis, including a backlit “IdeaPad” logo in the bottom right of the palm rest. The keyboard is flanked by two impressive-looking JBL-branded speakers.

The back of the lid is where the design gets interesting. A gaudy-looking tattoo covers the entire surface; I am not sure what it is supposed to be. It will likely be a deal-breaker for some. Fortunately the standard Y560 non-3D notebook is available with a plain lid. The Y560d is constructed entirely of plastic. The chassis willingly flexes when twisted by the corners, which indicates the internal frame is not that strong. Surfaces around the keyboard also bend visibly when pressure is applied. The lid is again easy to twist, however no ripples appear on the screen when pushed in from behind; there is some measure of protection there. The display hinges are rather weak; I can move them around where they connect to the chassis. The hinges should also be stiffer than they are; the display wobbles for some time after abruptly letting go of the screen while opening/closing it.

The biggest problem I have with the Y560d is the fact that every visible surface is covered in glossy, smudge-prone plastic. It is nearly impossible to keep clean and is not all that durable. Overall, the build quality is below average for a notebook priced north of a grand. The glossy plastic and gaudy lid tattoo may turn off prospective customers.

Screen and 3D
The Y560d has a 15.6-inch screen with a 720p (1366x768) resolution and LED backlighting. Its glossy mirror surface allows colors to stand out but means lot of reflections from nearby light sources. This display is on par with displays in other consumer notebooks; nothing out of the ordinary, in other words. Brightness is good; even 3/10 is quite usable on battery. Colors are acceptable and do not look washed out; contrast measured 184:1 which is satisfactory, with ample black levels and stark whites. The backlighting is relatively even, measuring 214 nit at its peak. Side-to-side viewing angles are good however the vertical viewing angles are rather poor; the display can only be viewed about 10 degrees off-center in either direction before colors start distorting.

The fundamental problem with this display is the resolution (viewable area). 1366X768 might be acceptable on a 11” screen but is out of place on one as large as 15.6”. Such a low resolution hampers productivity – just 768 pixels of vertical space means only one-half of a page in a Microsoft Word document is viewable at a time. Using two windows side-by-side is impractical because not enough of each window can be seen, and lots of scrolling is needed on web pages. Lastly, forget about editing high-resolution photos – not enough detail can be seen without zooming excessively.

Now, the part everyone has been looking for – the 3D experience. The Y560d comes with special polarized glasses that work with the 120Hz screen to trick your brain into thinking you are seeing in three dimensions. This is passive 3D, which is not quite as good as active 3D like Nvidia 3D Vision-equipped notebooks. However, passive 3D is typically less expensive. No matter how much money you spend though, there is no getting away from wearing some kind of glasses.
How well does it work, you ask? It actually works just like it does in the movie theater (and I'm talking about modern 3D movies, not the 1970s red/blue nonsense). That is, the 3D effects are convincing. Image and videos have perceivable depth – but no, you can't touch them (I tried).

3D is only useful for entertainment purposes at this time. One of the problems with 3D right now is actually finding 3D content. All 3D content works through the included TriDef 3D software. Some newer cameras can take 3D photos and there are some videos floating around out there, but otherwise the audience is limited. 3D gaming – perhaps the reason to spend extra for the Y560d -- is another story; as of this review, 210 games have TriDef profiles. I tried Valve's Left 4 Dead 2, which was immersive and a lot of fun. There were some minor issues – for example, my aim was slightly off because the crosshairs location was not exact. I almost forgot I was wearing glasses while playing (read: almost). However, after about a half hour I started to get a headache.

Is the 3D feature worth extra money? It depends on how much money – as it stands, the standard IdeaPad Y560 is the same notebook sans the 3D screen and goes for a few hundred dollars less. For monetary reasons alone I'd say no. 3D is a controversial technology and I’m not totally convinced. While I was playing Left 4 Dead 2, for example, I can’t say I had more fun playing in 3D than in 2D. Additionally, I felt awkward wearing the glasses while looking at a computer screen, and I never quite forgot I was wearing them. Your experience may vary – my recommendation is to go see a movie in 3D and judge the technology for yourself.

It is important to understand that 3D, as it pertains to consumer electronics, is brand new at this point and will take years to mature. There is no single 3D standard yet; early adopters will pay a premium and run the risk of investing in a 3D technology that loses to another (think HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray).

Speakers
The Y560d has two large JBL speakers above the keyboard. They sound positively excellent for notebook speakers; there is ample bass and a good mix of mid and high frequencies. There is very little distortion at max volume.

Keyboard and Touchpad
Something Lenovo has historically done well is input devices; the Y560d is no exception. The full-size keyboard has great tactile feedback and is fun to type on. The Y560d's keyboard has a softer feel than other Lenovo IdeaPads I tested, but that is not a bad thing. Key travel is just right and the keyboard is very communicative as a result. The keys' matte surface firmly holds fingers in place. There is no flex unless abnormal pressure is used. I found it easy to type quickly and accurately on this keyboard. Another positive aspect of this keyboard is that it's quiet – there should not be any issues using this notebook in a library or classroom.

The touchpad has a glossy dimpled surface and two large buttons below. Even with damp fingers I was able to track my fingers across the surface with ease. The touchpad is appropriately-sized for a 15.6” notebook with large buttons that are easy to operate without looking down to see which buttons are in use. The touchpad buttons are quiet and have good multilevel feedback.



Ports and Features
The Y560d has an ample array of input/output ports, including three USB ports, a USB/eSATA combo port, and HDMI. The Y560d does not have USB 3.0 or ExpressCard. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Front: 6-in-1 reader (MMC/MS/MS PRO/SD Card/SDHC Card/, xD-Picture Card), wireless on/off switch

Back: Battery pack

Left: VGA, HDMI, cooling exhaust vent, RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, microphone and headphone jacks

Right: USB 2.0, USB 2.0/eSATA combo port, optical drive, AC power, Kensington Lock slot

Performance and Benchmarks
The Y560d is a high-performance notebook housing the latest technology. Key features include a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of memory, a fast Hitachi 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, and an enthusiast-level Radeon HD 5730 graphics card with 1GB of its own memory. We ran an extensive suite of benchmarks on the Y560d to demonstrate its performance capabilities. The Y560d is one of the faster 15.6” notebooks on the market as shown by the numbers below.

Wprime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

PCMark Vantage (x64) measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures video and gaming performance (higher scores mean better performance):

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance results:

Gaming Performance
Synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark only tell part of the story; what really matters is how well the notebook performs in actual games. For reference, 30 frames per second (FPS) is the minimum required for playability i.e. without stuttering.

The Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics card is quite powerful but is held back by the Y560D’s low resolution screen. Gamers should not have any problems running the latest games at high settings on the Y560D.

Battery Life
I measured two and a half hours of battery life from the Y560d's six-cell battery while surfing the Internet and typing this review. The test was conducted in power-saving mode with the screen at 30% screen brightness. Two and a half hours is on the low side for a typical 15.6” notebook, but not bad for a high performance machine like the Y560d. The powerful ATI Radeon HD 5730 graphics and quad-core Intel Core i7 processor draw a considerable amount of power and take their toll on battery life accordingly.

Heat and Noise
The Y560d makes a moderate amount of noise under full load; the sound is a combination of the fan motor and air escaping. The sound is not annoying; with conversations going on in the background, I doubt it will cause a disturbance. Nevertheless, the sound is not ignorable. At idle the sound is a different story; the fan seems to be on all the time but at a low speed; it is barely audible except in a silent room. For general usage, the Y560d should be suitable for use in any normal environment.

Heat is handled by a single fan jetting exhaust out of the left side. The cooling system does a good job keeping the notebook cool; the only areas of the notebook that get warm are directly above and below the fan exhaust.

From : http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5855&p=2

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Test Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 is the biggest notebook in the Edge family that also includes 13 and 14-inch models. The Edge series is known for its stylish looks that set it apart from other models in the ThinkPad series as well as its chiclet style keyboard. In this review, we see if the ThinkPad Edge 15 holds up as well in our testing as the two previous models.

Readers who pay a close attention to detail will notice that the ThinkPad Edge 15 has a lot in common with both the Edge 13 and Edge 14. Some parts of this review are reused for areas with identical components.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 Specifications:

• Windows 7 Professional 32-bit
• Intel Core i3-330M processor (2.13GHz, 3MB cache)
• 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 WXGA glossy display
• Intel GMA HD integrated graphics
• 2GB DDR3 RAM (2GB x 1)
• 250GB Fujitsu 5400RPM hard drive
• Intel 1000BGN Wi-Fi, Realtek Gigabit LAN
• Built-in web camera
• 6-cell 10.8v 5.2Ah 57Wh battery
• Dimensions: (LxWxH) 14.96 x 9.72 x 1.33 - 1.56"
• Weight: 5.56 pounds
• MSRP: $869 ($649, street)

Build and Design
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 is a lower-cost consumer and small-business oriented laptop. Unlike the SL-series ThinkPad the Edge models don't share the common look and feel of other ThinkPad models. The all-black exterior has been replaced with a silver-trimmed border with multiple glossy and matte screen cover options. Our Edge 15 review unit included the glossy Heatwave red screen cover. I think an overlooked design touch would have been changing the ThinkPad logo from silver to black on this model to better contrast against the red background. Lenovo matched the letter background to the lid cover, but it has the same effect as over saturating a picture and losing distinction between the silver logo and red background.

Another change is an LED-illuminated ThinkPad logo with the dot above the "i" glowing red when the notebook is turned on. This replaces all other activity indication lights, which might be problematic if you expect to see hard disk activity or visual indications of the wireless interface being active. Inside the Edge, there is a consumer-focused design with a flat palmrest and bezel set around a Chiclet-style keyboard. While the Edge series includes a touchpad and pointing stick interface, it doesn't have the same contoured ergonomic sections around those items that you might find on other ThinkPads.

The Edge 15's build quality seems to be a step down from the 13 and 14-inch versions. While the Edge series in general feels under built when compared to higher ThinkPad models, the Edge 15 fares much worse. The right side of the palmrest has a moderate amount of flex under strong pressure. The structural support needed for the span across the optical drive bay is inadequate, which shows when you grip the notebook by that area. Pressing the keyboard there - even with a light press - causes the keyboard tray to flex inward. This is unacceptable on any notebook, but on a ThinkPad model, it seems even worse. The smaller Edge 13 and 14 maintained their rigidity since the open spans were smaller than they are on the 15-inch model.

The ThinkPad Edge 15 has easy access to internal components through two access panels on the bottom of the notebook. One panel houses the SIM-card and WWAN PCIe slot while the other is to access the system memory, CPU and hard drive. Most ThinkPad models include a SIM-card slot and extra mini-PCIe slot even if the systems aren't configured with it from the factory. Like the Edge 14, the Edge 15 doesn't have those parts soldered to the board. The larger panel gives you full access to the processor, heatsink and fan, memory slots and hard drive bay. Our review unit was configured with 2 GB of memory using a single memory slot, which allowed one slot to remain open for cheaper future upgrades.

Screen and Speakers
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 has a matte-finish 15-inch WXGA panel. Compared to other 15-inch panels on the market, this one rates below average with very poor contrast. Black levels were closer to light grey, which caused a domino effect, muting most vivid colors like red, orange, green or blue. We also noticed a "screen door effect" where individual pixels appeared visible at normal viewing distances. At full screen brightness, the center of the screen measured 225 nit with corners measuring between 160-180 nit. Viewing angles were average with colors starting to invert or wash out after 15 degrees when tilted forward or back.

The Edge 15 has thin speakers incorporated into the screen bezel beneath the LCD. Compared to most speaker drivers, they are fairly small and don't produce the best audio. Compared to consumer notebooks, they would rate below average, but against other business notebooks - which Lenovo is positioning it against - they are average. Sound quality would be fine for video conferencing using the built-in webcam or listening to streaming music or video throughout the workday. The notebook also features HDMI out, which is beneficial for connecting the system to a home theater to watch movies or listen to music.

Keyboard and Touchpad
When I first saw the leaked images of the new ThinkPad keyboard, I have to admit I was unimpressed. The keyboard is among the few remaining original parts of ThinkPad notebooks. The layout has been updated over the years, but the keyboard could always be identified as "ThinkPad." With the new design, Lenovo took a hint from other new keyboard designs hitting the market and blended a combination of form and function.

The keyboard takes a Chiclet/island-style that's common on notebooks ranging from the latest netbooks to the newest Apple MacBook, and merges it with a traditional ThinkPad design. What makes the keyboard unique is that it's the first Chiclet keyboard I have found that's very comfortable and easy to type on. Most Chiclet-style keyboards have flat top keys, different spacing and a shallower throw than a normal keyboard. The ThinkPad Edge 15 doesn't have these problems, creating an ideal hybrid keyboard that I can easily say is among the best implementations I have used to date. The keys have a shallow concave shape that cups your fingers and quickly centers them. For touch-typing the keyboard layout is excellent and is easily adaptable.

Typing pressure and feedback is similar to a typical ThinkPad keyboard, so similar in fact that if you type with your eyes closed, you might not even realize the key shape changed. Throw distance seems to be identical to my T60 with the same type of click sound made when fully pressed. Removing the keytops reveal the familiar scissor-action found in traditional ThinkPad keyboards. My best guess would be Lenovo kept the original frame and action assembly, only updating the keytops and adding an internal bezel structure. The keyboard on the Edge 13 and Edge 14 has excellent support with little flex, but on the Edge 15, has considerable flex even under light to moderate pressure. It had the most flex on the right side of the keyboard above the optical drive.

The Edge 15 offers a generously-sized Synaptics touchpad, having nearly three times the surface area compared to my T60. If you regularly use smaller touchpads, you might have a bit of a learning curve before it becomes second nature. During the first couple of days, I would frequently touch the bottom of the touchpad surface instead of clicking the left or right buttons, which would move the cursor off target. It was annoying until I adapted to its size. Overall, the touchpad was pleasant to use, with a fast response time and no discernable lag. Sensitivity was excellent and no adjustment was needed out of the box. This particular touchpad has some multitouch capabilities, including pinch-to-zoom and pivot-rotation. After extended use, I didn't have any problems with the touchpad texture; its smooth matte finish was easy to glide across with dry or slightly damp fingers. The touchpad buttons seem to have a slightly shallower clicking motion compared to other ThinkPads, but still provided good feedback.

Ports and Features
Compared to the Edge 13, the Edge 15 has additional ports and a spring-loaded SDHC-card reader. The Edge 15 gains eSATA through a combo port that includes three USB ports and one eSATA/USB connection. The larger Edge models also offer an ExpressCard/34 slot for future expansion and an optical drive, making use of their larger chassis.
One aspect of the clean design I disliked on the Edge 15 is its lack of both hard drive indicator and wireless activity lights. Compared to other notebooks, this setup prevents you from seeing if wireless cards are currently powered on, which is handy if you have multiple wireless devices like Bluetooth and WWAN or if some activity is really tasking your hard drive.

Front: SDHC-card reader

Rear: One USB

Left: VGA, eSATA/USB combo port, LAN, HDMI, headphone/mic combo port

Right: Two USB ports, optical drive, AC-power, Kensington Lock slot

Performance and Benchmarks
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 is packed with some of the latest Intel hardware, including a 2.13GHz Core i3-330 processor and GMA HD integrated graphics. Even with a simple configuration with 2 GB of system memory and a 250GB 5400RPM hard drive, we found the system to be more than powerful enough for most tasks, excluding gaming. Office productivity applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook loaded quickly and worked with very little lag. Entertainment-related applications worked very well, with the Core i3 processor and GMA HD graphics having no trouble handling HD video playback. Using the latest Flash 10.1 RC4 plug-in, the Edge 15 had no problem playing assorted 720P videos on YouTube, although 1080P Flash videos with a lot of movement caused some stutter. Local video playback was no problem either using the latest CCCP codec pack and Divx.com h264 decoding package. Playing 1080P trailers downloaded off Apple's website showed roughly 20% CPU activity with plenty of overhead leftover for other background activities.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):



We also recorded a PCMark Vantage score of 3919.

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
The ThinkPad Edge 15 maintained fairly good thermal performance throughout the duration of our review, including the time during benchmarks, with low keyboard and palmrest temperatures. Lap temperatures under heavy use increased to a level warm enough to be noticed, but still stayed below 100F. Fan noise was low under normal use. The fan was near-silent or off when the processor had no load and just above a whisper level under a continuous load. At full speed, we measured noise between 39 and 40dB at 12 inches with a background noise level of 33dB.

Battery Life
The Edge 15 includes a 6-cell battery in all current configurations. In our battery test with the screen brightness reduced to 70%, wireless active and Windows 7 on a balanced profile, we recorded a time of 4 hours and 10 minutes of battery life. The CULV-based Edge 13 managed 7 hours while the Core-i3-based Edge 14 stayed on for 4 hours and 33 minutes. With a similar configuration, the Edge 15 only cost 23 minutes of life compared to the Edge 14.

Conclusion
The Edge series has brought a lot of changes to the ThinkPad name. Most prominently, the glossy painted lid and Chiclet keyboard. With the smaller Edge 13 and Edge 14, build quality wasn't a huge problem; we only had a few minor concerns like screen protection and hinge quality. The Edge 15, with its larger size, seemed to hit the breaking point where the lack of an internal framework created considerable chassis flex around the palmrest and keyboard areas. The Edge 13 had panels that felt as hard as rock with absolutely no keyboard flex, which obviously didn't carry over as the size was increased past a certain point. In the end, our only recommendation would be to steer toward the smaller Edge 13 or 14 if you like the design or look at higher ThinkPad models if you need a 15-inch screen.

Pros:

• Good performance
• Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
• Quiet cooling system

Cons:

• Keyboard and palmrest flex
• Build quality not up to ThinkPad standards

From : http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5656

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Thin and Strong with Lenovo ThinkPad X100e

Business owners rejoice! The first affordable ThinkPad ultraportable laptop has arrived. The ThinkPad X100e is an 11-inch notebook packed with a low-voltage AMD processor, powerful ATI integrated graphics, and one of the best keyboards we've tested on an ultraportable laptop. Is this the ideal companion for road warriors? Take a look at our review to find out.

Lenovo ThinkPad X100e Specifications:

• 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo Single-Core MV-40 Mobile Processor
• 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 (667MHz)
• Windows 7 Professional 32bit
• 11.6" WXGA HD anti-glare LED Backlit display (1366x768)
• 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• ATI Radeon 3200 Graphics
• 802.11b/g/n, Gigabit LAN
• 4-in-1 card reader and 0.3-megapixel webcam
• 6-Cell Li-ion battery
• Dimensions: (W x L x H) 11.1" x 8.2" x 0.6"/1.2"
• Weight: 3.3 pounds (with 6-cell battery)
• Price as configured: $569.00

Build and Design
If there is a single laptop brand name that is synonymous with business it has to be ThinkPad. Extremely solid build quality, excellent keyboards, precision TrackPoints (that red dot in the middle of the keyboard) and fantastic warranty support have been the cornerstones of the ThinkPad legacy going all the way back to the days when IBM still owned the brand. The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e continues this tradition with one of the best built ultraportable notebooks we've seen in our office.

With a starting weight around three pounds and a simple black industrial design, the designers of the ThinkPad X100e attempted to deliver the ThinkPad heritage at an extremely affordable price. Lenovo admits that their customers have demanded a "ThinkPad netbook" for several years now, but the ThinkPad engineers debated whether it was possible to deliver a durable, reliable, business-class laptop at "netbook" prices.

The solution? Don't call it a netbook. That might sound funny, but it's no joke. Lenovo engineers started from the ground up with the goal of creating an "affordable ultraportable notebook" at a netbook price. In ThinkPad terms, engineers had to deliver a product that was built for business in terms of durability, usability, connectivity, serviceability, and warranty coverage ... all while keeping this laptop as inexpensive as possible. Businesses still demand the best, but in this economy they now also demand it for less money.

At first glance, the exterior of the ThinkPad X100e shares many of the same design features as the rest of the current ThinkPad lineup. Indeed, the 11-inch X100e borrows much of its looks from the 12-inch ThinkPad X200 business notebook. The simple plastic rectangular screen lid on our review unit features a "midnight black" color scheme and, just like the new ThinkPad Edge series, the X100e is also available in "heatwave red" in case your workplace needs a splash of color.

Those customers familiar with the famous ThinkPad keyboards will probably notice the new layout of the ThinkPad X100e's keyboard. The new "Chiclet" keyboard is a radical shift from the traditional ThinkPad keyboards and is again similar to what you'll find on the ThinkPad Edge series of notebooks. That said, this is still a ThinkPad keyboard in every way that matters. Lenovo uses a new keycap design that prevents the caps from popping off like they would on cheaper keyboards. The key spacing and support structure underneath the keyboard help deliver a fantastic tactile feel an prevent typing errors despite the small footprint of the keyboard.

Screen and Speakers
The 11.6" LED-backlit screen on the X100e is similar to the 1366x768 display used on most ultraportable budget notebooks. The biggest single advantage of this screen over ultraportables like the Alienware M11x or the Dell Inspiron 11z is the fact that this screen features a matte surface. Unlike the glossy displays on consumer notebooks, the matte screen on the X100e doesn't reflect sunlight or strong indoor lights, making it easier to read what is on the screen in any environment. Horizontal viewing angles are good out to at least 60 degrees to either side before you start to notice color distortion. Vertical viewing angles are below average as the display becomes over exposed or colors begin inverting after moving the screen 15 degrees forward or back.

Speaker quality is average as the maximum volume output is loud enough to fill a large meeting room with clear sound. There is a little distortion at the maximum volume setting and bass output is minimal, but the speakers deliver good enough quality for a good video conference or webcast. That said, the speaker location on the bottom of the notebook means sound is directed down and away from you rather than up toward your ears. If you plan on using the X100e like a "laptop" rather than using it on a desk then the speakers might be muffled on your lap.

Keyboard and Touchpad
As previously mentioned, the new "Chiclet" keyboard on the X100e is a radical shift from the traditional ThinkPad keyboards. Despite the change, this keyboard maintains the same level of quality that business users expect when they hear the ThinkPad name. Lenovo uses a new keycap design that prevents the caps from popping off like they would on cheaper keyboards. One of the main benefits of choosing a Chiclet-style keyboard is that it allows for more space in between the keys on an ultraportable laptop. This means fewer typos compared to netbooks with cramped keys. The individual keys on the X100e have a springy, responsive action and each key has a curved surface similar to the traditional ThinkPad keyboard. Typing noise is minimal, with no loud "click clack" noises while typing. The palmrests are a little small for average adult male hands but they support the wrists without causing additional stress points while typing.

It's hard to complain about this keyboard since it is genuinely fantastic, but if there is one flaw to the X100e's keyboard it is the lack of backlighting. We're starting to see more and more laptops with backlit keyboards and business travelers would likely appreciate the ability to see their keyboards on dimly-lit airplanes.

The Synaptics touchpad and TrackPoint provide a fantastic pair of control points for moving your cursor in various applications. If you regularly use the larger touchpads found on MacBooks and desktop-replacement notebook PCs, you might consider the tiny touchpad on the X100e to be a little cramped. However, compared to the touchpads on most netbooks, the X100e delivers a great touchpad surface with a nice pair of touchpad buttons. The TrackPoint buttons include the traditional middle button found on most ThinkPads. Overall, the touchpad and TrackPoint were both a joy to use, with a fast response time and no discernable lag. Sensitivity was excellent and no adjustment was needed out of the box. This particular touchpad has some multitouch capabilities, including pinch-to-zoom and pivot-rotation. I didn't have any problems with the smooth touchpad texture even after weeks of use. The touchpad buttons seem to have a slightly shallow clicking depth compared to other ThinkPads, but they still provide a deeper press than most netbook touchpad buttons.

Ports and Features
Port selection is good enough to get the job done while on the road. In fact, the port layout on the X100e looks almost identical to what you'll find on most consumer netbooks. Unfortunately, most ultraportable notebooks with Intel-based low-voltage processors now also feature either HDMI or DisplayPort. In addition, since the X100e is aimed at business professionals we would have liked to see either an eSATA port or a USB 3.0 port for extremely fast data transfers.

Front: Indicator lights

Rear: AC power jack, battery, and VGA out

Left: Heat vent, two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, and combo audio jack

Right: 4-in-1 card slot, one USB 2.0 port, and Kensington Lock slot

Performance and Benchmarks
When we first tested the AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor inside the HP Pavilion dv2 more than a year ago we were reasonably impressed by the performance. While this single-core processor was an excellent choice in 2009 it is starting to show its age in 2010. The Athlon Neo certainly performs better than a single-core Intel Atom processor, but for roughly the same price you can buy a netbook equipped with a dual-core Atom or Intel CULV processor that delivers faster multitasking and quicker application switching.

In terms of day-to-day activities like working with Microsoft Office or browsing the web it's fair to say that most business users won't notice much (if any) performance difference between the ThinkPad X100e and an Intel Atom-based netbook. HD video playback for both 720P and 1080P content was flawless, and unlike Intel-based netbooks, the ATI Radeon 3200 graphics are powerful enough to handle video without stressing the processor. This means you can run Office and a video player at the same time without as much lag.

Indeed, if you compare the X100e against a typical netbook with a single-core Intel Atom processor and Intel integrated graphics then the X100e is an obvious winner. Unfortunately, the performance of the X100e looks less impressive compared to dual-core Atom netbooks and netbooks with Nvidia ION now on the market.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
Noise levels were average during normal daily use. The default fan speed is always on at a low setting, pushing hot air away from the CPU and out of the notebook. The fan doesn't get much louder even if you stress the system with a game or video encoding. Unfortunately, the quiet fan means you get higher than normal case temperatures when the notebook is left on for more than 30 minutes. The external case temperatures on the X100e are quite a bit higher than similar-sized netbooks and ultraportable notebooks on the bottom surfaces. The bottom of the X100e nearly reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit after 40 minutes of moderate use (one wPrime test, watching several YouTube videos, and typing a text document). This makes the X100e less "lap friendly" than business netbooks like the HP Mini 5102. You'll probably want to keep it on an airline tray table or a hotel desk when working on the road. All temperatures shown below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit.

Battery Life
Although the AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor offers as much (or more) performance than the Intel Atom in day-to-day tasks, the AMD processor simply didn't deliver as much in the way of battery life. In our battery test with the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Windows 7 set to the "balanced" profile the system managed 3 hours and 41 minutes before shutdown. This is more than enough battery life for business travelers who are only crossing a few time zones during a flight, but if you need "all day" battery life you aren't going to find it here.

Granted, it wasn't too long ago that we used to praise any notebook that delivered more than three hours of battery life. Unfortunately, the ThinkPad X100e competes against netbooks and ultraportables that get six or more hours of battery life on a single charge. Three and a half hours might be "acceptable" to most business professionals, but it isn't as impressive as the competition.

Conclusion
The ThinkPad X100e is an extremely well-designed business ultraportable that will no doubt meet the needs of most business travelers who are looking for a small, ThinkPad-quality laptop at a low price. That said, this configuration of the X100e falls short in two key areas: processor performance and battery life.

Lenovo should have avoided using last year's single-core AMD processor and stuck with the latest generation of low-voltage dual-core processors from AMD. Lenovo will begin shipping the X100e with the dual-core AMD Turion Neo processors soon, and the higher performance and better battery life of the new processors will make the X100e a far more compelling option.

As it currently stands, the ThinkPad X100e is a surprisingly solid little netbook (Yes, I called it a netbook. Sorry, Lenovo.) that would have been perfect if it delivered just a little more in terms of performance and battery life. This configuration falls just a little short of earning our Editor's Choice Award, but we still think it will be a popular choice for a number of business buyers.

Pros:

• Great keyboard
• Good integrated graphics performance
• Solid build quality at a low price

Cons:

• Weak processor (as configured)
• Average battery life
• Keyboard not backlit

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