Another midsized notebook stepping into the entry-level arena is the Lenovo Essential G460. Even though the G-series is Lenovo’s standard basic notebook, the G460 that we got still boasts of impressive specs which you will find out later.
Look and feel
The Lenovo G460 sports a simple but sleek design. I find its 34.4mm thickness a plus, rather than a limitation because it makes the laptop sturdier since it is made of hard plastic. The 14-inch LED backlit display has a 1366 x 768 resolution and is still good even under bright conditions.
It has a full-sized keyboard with enough space for the palms to rest on while typing. I’ve noticed that the palm rests are somewhat made of aluminum but it is really made of brushed plastic. The keys are nice and big and have a concave surface making it really easy to use.
The TouchPad allows multi-touch scrolling and zooming but I have experienced a bit of lag when using it. There were times that the pad wasn’t that responsive. In that case, use a mouse if you want to have better navigation control.
Buttons and other controls are pretty intuitive. At the top left side of the keyboard, you will find the boot button, one-click restore button, and the power mode button. And at the top right side, you will find four touch sensitive controls for sound and video display.
Key Features
The restore button enables the OneKey Rescue System feature which facilitates system recoveries and file backups.
The built-in webcam supports the Veriface software which is standard in new Lenovo notebooks and empowers security for your system. This feature allows the user to login through the image captured by the camera. It verifies the distinct facial profile of the user and it can detect if an unauthorized person is trying to login. It sounds cool but you will find it easier to just key in your password as you use the notebook for a while.
Performance and battery life
With an Intel Core i3 processor, multi-tasking was never an issue. I tried multiple tabbed browsing, downloading, and video playback all at the same time and the performance was still flawless. I was also impressed by the sound and video output which is empowered by a 512MB nVidia GeForce chipset. It is also ideal for playing games although at low settings.
Here’s the Windows Experience Index of the Lenovo Essential G460 which is quite impressive thanks to the nVidia graphics.
A fully charged battery will last about 3-4 hours. The ventilation system is effective because the unit never heats up even after using it for many hours. I’ve also noticed that the fan is pretty quiet.
Conclusion
I can see myself buying this machine since it will be perfect for my work and entertainment needs. It is definitely an all-around laptop. The whole system was very impressive except for the trackpad issue. If you are looking for a laptop that has a balance between performance and style, then the Lenovo Essential G460 could be your best pick.
Lenovo Essential G460 Specs:
- 14.1″ display (1366×768 pixels)
- Intel Core i3-350M at 2.27GHz
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
- nVidia GeForce 310M 512MB graphics
- 2GB DDR3 RAM
- 320GB Hitachi SATA HDD
- 4400mAh Li-Ion battery
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
- eSATA port, HDMI port
- 2 x USB port (+1 on eSATA)
- Bluetooth 2.1
- CD/DVD+RW drive
- 4-in-1 card reader
- SRP: Php39,996
Please note that there are different configurations for the Lenovo Essential G460 so make sure you have the specs that you want before buying.
Editor’s note: This post is contributed by Jai Katipunan with some slight revisions by the editor. Jai is a runner and a surfer and also moonlights as a disc jockey from time to time.
