I was able to have a first-hand look and feel of Lenovo’s IdeaPad 350 a couple of days ago during its launch. The IdeaPad 350 is Lenovo’s entry to the thin-and-light notebook category that’s been popping up these days.
The thin-and-light category is somewhat a cross between netbooks and the traditional laptops usually having 12″ to 13″ screen display and ultra-low-voltage processors.
Here are the specs of the IdeaPad U350:
- 13.3″ LED screen display (1366 x 768)
- Intel Core2Solo 1.3GHz Pentium SU2700 ULV processor
- Windows Vista Home Premium
- Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD
- 4GB DDR3 RAM (up to 8GB)
- 320GB HDD (up to 500GB)
- 4-cell battery
- Dolby Sound Room speakers
- HDMI output
- No optical disc drive
Love the design
The IdeaPad U350 is one sleek and thin looking laptop. Even though it’s screen is 13.3″, it’s body can fit a 14″ one. It doesn’t feel too heavy at 1.6 kg and has a sturdy feel to it.
I like the leathery feel of its lid with the textured carbon-fiber like pattern. The palm rest has the brush metal finish that looked pretty awesome.
The keyboard was inherited from the ThinkPad which I tried and it felt comfortable typing into it. I also like the responsiveness of the touchpad buttons. Just the right size and sensitivity.
One nifty thing is the dedicated WiFi and Bluetooth switch on the side.
Built-in features
The Windows Vista OS didn’t stutter from its Core2Solo processor although there wasn’t much stuff loaded onto it. There’s a free upgrade to Windows 7 if you really don’t like Vista.
They also included the ThinkPad’s well-known VeriFace system which allows you to log-in by simply showing your face in its 1.3 megapixel camera.
Another cool feature for the U350 is the Ambient Light Sensor which automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness according to the lighting environment which adds to longer battery life.
What’s not to like?
Probably the 4-hour cell battery which can only give you at most 5-hours of straight computing. They do give you the option for an extended 8-cell battery but better confirm how it would affect the sleek design. Based on their netbooks, extended batteries typically protrudes from the body.
It’s SRP is at a hefty P44,900. I guess ULV processors combined with DDR3 memory doesn’t come cheap yet. Good thing it’s a gorgeous thing to look at as well.
*Sorry for the crummy shots. If you want to look at really gorgeous photos of the U350, check out their site.