Product Listing

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 and Y530 Preview

By Aloysius Low - 25 Aug 2008

Lenovo's New Goodies

Lenovo's New Goodies

Some of you may have already seen Lenovo's latest netbook in action online since it's unveiling in Taiwan, but because the people over at Lenovo are really nice folks and we asked really nicely, we now have an engineering prototype to play with and for you to get a quick look at before the actual launch in September.

The S10 has a very polished feel and is really sleek to boot. The S10 feels much thinner than the other netbooks that we've seen so far.

The S10 places the speakers at the front instead of at the bottom of the unit and while the speakers were pretty decent, there were some distortions heard at the highest volume. Of course, this could be due to the prototype nature of our unit, so we'll have to wait till we get an official retail version.

The unit keeps to a similar theme that was seen on the front top of the unit. The power button is also conveniently placed in the center for easy access.

While the keyboard wasn't as big as some of the other keyboards found on other netbooks, it was still pretty comfortable to type with.

The microphone isn't located at the top of the screen like most notebooks and netbooks and is instead found just below the bottom left corner of the keyboard. We're slightly puzzled by this design aspect but we're sure it will probably work out fine (we'll know when we test the actual retail unit).

Lenovo definitely has a very nice netbook on their hands and with a very competitive S$739 retail price, we're expecting the market to warmly welcome this newest entrant.

We also got a much anticipated hands-on of the entertainment-class Lenovo IdeaPad Y530, which left us quite impressed with both its build and features and will also come with an optional Blu-ray drive. With its well designed feel and looks, the Y530 will probably leave you lusting and searching your wallet for cash. Tempting, don't you agree?

Looks like a Lenovo styled notebook....

A close up look reveals a very nice textured surface that's a definite change from the current crop of glossy covers.

The keyboard looks similar to the ThinkPad series but lacks the familiar pointing stick. It's still a great keyboard to type on though.

The glossy screen and simple layout also makes this a very interesting notebook. Audiophiles will be pleased to note that Lenovo has integrated a Dobly Home Theatre Speaker System for the Y530, and we found the audio to be pretty good indeed.

The audio quality of the Y530 prototype was very good as mentioned, and the subwoofer located at the bottom plays an integral part in making your ears happy.

One last thing before we conclude our preview, the unit may feel thick (as you can see) but the overall build and feel is solid. Try it out when it arrives and you'll know what we mean.

Do stay tuned when we get our hands on a retail unit for a full review with benchmarks and the low down on the units!

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