Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 Netbook

We have covered, and will cover practically the whole spectrum of netbooks, for the sole reason that we think they are the future for mobile computing, at least for work purposes. Lenovo is one of the leading elements of that spectrum, and today we have their much coveted IdeaPad series with us, with the new IdeaPAd S10-3.

Design
Compactness is the key here; this model really has taken the “Dandy and lightweight” route seriously. It’s easily on the lightest netbooks out there, plus it opens up to a futuristic and definitely beautiful interior view. This is mainly because the wristrest and touch pad are lead colored, faux finished surfaces, a recipe for class IMO. Unfortunately I cannot extend this praise to the outer lid, it’s textured with a alternate gloss and matte chequered finish, and its cherry red. There is a black model, we wish we could describe that one, I’m sure it looks better.The one great thing, and I would like to emphasize this point, is that there are no fingerprint problems on this pattern; we heave a sigh of relief.

The keyboard is pure chiclet, with a considerable gap in between keys. This straightaway makes it hard for the few of us with chubby fingers, plus the "getting used to" phase when moving from a regular keyboard to a lighter flex of the chiclet style keyboard, is not to be ignored. The touch pad is neat, with embedded buttons on the bottom.

For the keyboard, ergonomically there are not so many complaints though, the response of the keys are good enough, except one issue that unnerves me really. That is the interchanging of the "Function" and "Ctrl" keys, this always leads to some goof ups while working. For the touchpad, I was quite disappointed. It’s like the Dell Mini models, integrated buttons really are bad news for ergonomics, I don’t get why manufacturers cannot fathom this simple point. The cursor jumps around, selecting text is hard, scrolling also gets a tricky. You have use it slowly.

One mention that it deserves is the addition of Dolby powered stereo speakers, meaning one can enjoy surround sound through any set of headphones thanks to the Dolby Pro Logic II algorithm, which enables you to listen to music, watch movies, or play video games with artificial surround sound. It’s not like the real thing, but yes, it’s great fun.

Specs and features
Operating System                Genuine Windows 7 Starter
Display                                 10.1" LED Backlight WSVGA Screen (1024x600)
Intel CPU & Chipset             Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHZ, 512 cache, Intel NM10
Graphics:                             Integrated GMA 3150
Memory                                DDR2 1GB
Storage                                250GB 2.5” SATA2 HDD 5400rpm
Camera                                1.3M Pixels
Battery                                 6 cell Li-ion 2.2 A
Input / Output                     1 x Mini VGA Connector
                                            3 x USB 2.0
                                            1 x LAN RJ-45
                                            2 x Audio Jack (Headphone / Mic-in)
Card Reader:                       MMC/SD(SDHC)
Battery                                6 cell Li-polymer battery
Dimensions                          9.8 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
Weight                                2.19 lbs

Benchmarks

Verdict and Analysis
At a price of Rs 19,990, this model really has some nice looks, and lightweight for good portability. There are ergonomic issues, one must run a physical demo and see if it works for you. The battery is great; it’s at the higher end of the range. CPU performance hovers around the average readings, which is quite OK for regular office work, internet etc. H.264 video runs well on the GMA 3150, plus overall multimedia experience was not bad, at least in Standard definition.