I write this review as someone who has experience with a 1st generation ACER and a 3rd generation ASUS...The Acer lasted 2 years of heavy usage... the 5400rpm hard drive eventually started dragging, and I wiped Windows XP for Google Chrome... It is still functional, I no longer use it.
The Asus replaced the Acer, lasted 2 years... but it really was even cheaper made than the ACER... and the 5400 RPM hard drive eventually started dragging, and I wiped Windows 7 for Google Chrome.. It is still functional, but I no longer use.
The Lenovo replace the asus, and so far... it has been absolutely fantastic.
1) The extra 1.5 inches makes a much more pleasant viewing experience.
2) It's rock solid -much stronger build... appears to be more durable.
3) Screen is built for NO GLARE... So much better for using when you are driving along the high way.
4) Built in Bluetooth -works perfectly with PDA.net, Verizon 4g, and PDA.net.
5) The size is perfect for my usage... I want a computer that can do EVERYTHING short of high fps gaming... and I don't want any of the limitations of a notebook... this was perfect for me.
The only complaint I can even muster, is that the laptop needs to be heavily cleaned from the manufacturer, because of all the bloatware... Once you clean it, it works beautifully! The only two non-core drivers I would even recommend keeping is the lenovo thinkvantage backup software and the lenovo thinkvantage airbag software. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON VIRUS SCANS, please download Microsoft Security Essentials, it's the best and it's FREE.
You can drop 300-400 on a Asus/Acer and have a computer than will last 2-years with heavy use... or spend a little more and get a well built rock.. that will last you 5+ years.
-Great battery life (6+ hours regularly)
-Great matte screen
-Rubberized outside and matte body means it keeps looking new
-Lots of ports (including HDMI, VGA, USBx3)
-Love the touchpoint
-Skype works well with built-in camera, mic, and speakers.
Cons:
-Because it is extra-durable, it is also larger and heavier than most 11.6" laptops. It is closer in size and weight to a 13" or 14" machine.
-Combo headphone port. The mic and speakers are in a single combo port. You either have to use a special headset or use an adapter.I needed to replace my laptop and this Lenovo has been perfect for my needs. I have had it for several months now and I have had no problems. It even survived a drop to a tile floor. It is very well-made and responsive. I have a few minor quibbles that have been mentioned before such as the speakers being located on the bottom making it very hard to hear and I prefer a mousepad that clicks on the bottom and not the top of the pad. However, I rarely need speakers and I used a wireless mouse most of the time. For the money, I highly recommend this unit.Ive used it as my primary home computer for about a year. Beyond the junk-ware installed by default(which didn't bother me as a GNU/Linux user), it was a nice machine. Costly but well built. However, the other day I went to upgrade the wifi card. Evidentially, all Thinkpads lock down their bios to only a few wifi card so you cannot replace it even though it uses a standard connection/size. That alone caused me to write this review and take off two stars. And to make matters worse, you cannot even get a copy of the "approved" ( aka white-listed ) wifi cards for a given Thinkpad model! Shame on Lenovo!I am a writer and needed certain things. they say the netbook is going away but for writing, we can't use a tablet without a real keyboard. this is the answer for many of us.
to start, I own the x130e which has the lesser 1.3ghz processor and only comes with 2 gig or ram. otherwise, the two laptops are identical. reason I am also posting this review here.
1. battery longer than 3 or 4 hours. This one is 6 1/2 without a horribly dimmed monitor. btw, the only way to get the 8.5 stated is to have the monitor so dim it's almost black. stupid for them to even begin to count that! but 6 is good for writing anywhere there is no plug. I'm NOT limited to certain coffee shops etc.
2. Has windows 7 pro64 which I found amazing. Most have windows starter a real stripped down version of windows. Wanted 7 because 8 seems to be a nightmare. More work to learn a system to do the same thing in the end. (without a touch screen, windows 8 might as well not exist.)
3. runs on the amd equivalent of the intel i3. Many run on ATOM (stay clear!), the new ones run on chrome which means you can't run your own programs (like celtx, photoshop, indesign etc.) You can only run google apps and they all get stored on the cloud instead of in your personal computer. NOT ok for writers or anyone who wants the document on their OWN computer. no better than a tablet without a real hard drive. This one had only 1.3ghz rather than the newer version which has 1.66 but for about $300 less, i'm good with the slower processor. I'm not intending to run the world from here! :)
3. 320 gig and NOT a 5400 hard drive. For those who don't know, the faster hard drive is quite amazing! it's rare to find such a fast hard drive in such a small device. Lenovo seems to mostly use faster hard drives which is a very pleasant surprise and speaks a lot to me of the company. (doesn't just stick in the least expensive parts even if you have no idea what a fast hard drive is.)
4. upgradable to 8 gigs of RAM/memory! most gateway 10in netbooks have 1 gig and difficulty upgradable to 2 max. This one has two ram slots and can be good enough to run all adobe products you want to run in a small screen.
5. speaking of which, an 11.6 inch screen rather than the traditional 10.1. great.
6. AMD dual core is the semi equivalent of the i3 intel. same system I have on my "real" laptop and it works fast enough for me (a graphic designer). good enough sometimes is financially good enough right?
8. this is a "built tough" netbook which I frankly didn't know when I bought it. (got it from woot.com for $300 + $5 shipping on special.) it's almost 4 pounds because the plastic on the computer casing is much higher quality than any other I looked at. it's not flimsy. there is a rubber rim all around the monitor which encases all the edges when it is closed. Less chance to bump and dent and have a "mild" drop and have it no longer work it seems. The keyboard is spill proof or resistant. forget which. it's made specially for grades 1-12 which doesn't turn me off at all since the plus is "tough built". works for me, an adult wanting my netbook tougher and the extra 3/4 pound is ok with me.
***there are two problems I have already seen in 3 days. One is that the mouse track pad is really bad out of the box. you put the mouse somewhere and it slides away. a real PIA and enough to make me want to return it. You can't put the mouse between letters and next thing you know, you are typing elsewhere. NOT ok.
I googled the issue and found that on December 18th, they came out with an update to the drivers for the ultranav system on thinkpads. I installed it and bam, problem fixed. yeah.
the other thing that matters to me and may not to the casual user, is the placement of the fn key. I am used to the control key being at the end of the lower row of the keyboard. I use "control A" "control C" and "control v" tons. Its not working for me since I find myself always pushing the fn key instead. that will take adjustment is all. I wish they had put the function key closer to the space bar like it is on many laptops like my viao. bad design decision in my mind but I will adjust. also, i find myself hitting the cap locks instead of the shift. time will fix that as well.
otherwise, and with the ultranav update, this seems like it will be perfect for me. the ultranav update is on the lenovo website. don't have the link handy.
hope this helps.
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