This is the third sub-$400 Lenovo laptop I've owned in the past 3 years (since 2009). I've purchased and resold one annually. The first was a 15-inch model (forgot which one exactly) with no number keypad and the second was a G560.
All three had Core2Duo's running under the hood, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and 320Gb hard drives. All were made entirely of plastic and came in essentially the same simple packaging.
In terms of build, I am under the impression that all Lenovos are very solidly built and the plastic feels adequate.
The sub-$400, and now sub-$300, Lenovo laptop product line has progressively become lighter, quieter, and cooler.
I think about my first Lenovo (the one that I can't remember the model number for); it was not terribly light, the fan was loud enough that it was audible from several feet away, and after 45 minutes to an hour, was hot enough to cause discomfort in certain parts underneath.
The Lenovo G560, although a definite improvement in terms of weight and fan noise, still ran hot.
This new Lenovo G580 is not only the lightest Lenovo I've owned thus far, it's also completely silent. After using it for several hours, the fan runs completely silently. Perhaps the biggest improvement in the 580 is the absolute lack of heat! This puppy runs completely cool, even after several hours of continuous use!!
I purchased mine from Fry's on Nov. 7th for $288 ($328 with tax) and I couldn't be happier.
Any potential buyers should note that this model's Core2Duo processor is more than sufficient for web browsing, Word and Excel processing, and even playing high-quality Blu-Ray discs!
I mostly use this laptop for CAD drawing (I produce architectural blueprints using AutoCAD 2007). I've even install the Adobe Master Suite CS6 and although it's nothing like my desktop Core i7 (2600K), this laptop surpassed all my performance expectations.
I was looking for a value laptop but not a cheapo laptop that would struggle to run things like HD YouTube. I settled on the G580 and so far it's met my expectations. I am not going to review Windows 8 (I happen to like it), this is a hardware review only.
Pros:
Nice bright colorful screen
Quality build, feels sturdy, not cheap even though its a value laptop
Runs very quiet and cool
Not Ultrabook thin but its pretty light and thin enough for a casual user
Good keyboard, works well and easy to type on. Like having 10 digit keypad
Touch pad works fine, messed with a little. Still prefer usb mouse but it works fine
Most needed ports-hdmi, sd card, usb 3.0
Color is nice (but see cons)
Speakers sound pretty full (but see cons)
Not the top of the line processor but it's zippy for casual use (Office, Internet, Flash games, etc.)
Plays 1080P HD and Flash content easily
Battery life is pretty good, it probably goes 3.5 hours with light moderate use and decent settings
Webcam works fine, quality seems good
Cons:
Color and design is nice but it's a fingerprint magnet, don't even bother trying to wipe it clean daily (or every 5 minutes it seems)
Speakers sound pretty decent and full for a laptop, but I am not a big fan of speakers placed in the front underneath. Prefer them up top near the screen. Sounds more natural to me, this is only minor and a personal preference of mine they still sound pretty good for laptop speakers.
Placement of usb 2.0 port, too close to power plug, again, minor annoyance. Use that port for something like your nano usb mouse.
It's nice that Lenovo makes it easy to setup for recovery but I would still prefer having physical media of some kind. But better embrace it as that's the way the worlds moving. There are no Windows discs or any discs for that matter included.
A lot of bloatware, but what PC brand doesn't come loaded with tons of unnecessary crap? Again minor, just go on your uninstall rage fest.
I'm very happy with my purchase and recommend this laptop if you are like me and need a good value laptop without having to compromise too much performance. Cons are mostly minor (except for fingerprints, it annoys me) but overall I think you will be very happy with the quality of Lenovo and the value performance you get with this G580.
Buy Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop Now
I just received my computer and I am completely in love with it. Windows 8 is amazing and this computer its amazing too. I love the camera to take pictures and videos. Its not heavy and the color its nice too. I was doubting about this laptop, but I think so far its great! Totally recommended you get a lot for the price you pay
Read Best Reviews of Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop Here
I'm on my new Lenovo right now as I type this. It's a great laptop and has a ton of value for what you pay. The only thing I had a hard time getting used to was the keyboard. I've never had a laptop with a numerical pad on the right, so I've had to learn to shift everything to the left when typing. No biggie though, after a few days of typing it wasn't an issue. I'm so glad I took a chance on this laptop!
Want Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop Discount?
Laptop was nicely priced. It does everything I want it to, but HDMI port stopped working after a few weeks of use. May return it, or pay to have it repaired, as everything else is exactly what I want.
I bought this computer to work with some older software to run my vinyl cutter. But in comparison with my Mac I just didn't feel like I wanted to invest my money towards a computer like this so I returned it. It was worth the price that I paid for it though.
