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Lenovo IdeaPad S10e netbook
The ThinkPad of laptots?
Although a 4GB SSD version of this notebook is said to be available, we couldn't find them anywhere listed, let alone in stock, so the only option is the 160GB hard drive version – plenty of room for media, but not as sturdy.
Readily accessible innards
With the screen at full brightness, volume at 50 per cent, Wi-Fi on and Bluetooth off, we managed to get 2 hours 11 minutes out of the conservative 2500mAh battery with full-screen standard-definition H.264 video playback. Expect this to double when doing less intensive tasks such as word processing. This places it at around the same battery life as the original Eee PC 701.
Boot up time was just over one minute to a working XP desktop. We also installed Ubuntu 8.10 and had very similar boot up times. For those interested, with Ubuntu, everything “just worked” - wireless, Bluetooth, function keys - no extra tweaking was needed and the S10e dual-booted happily.
The S10e weighs in at 1.3kg, an average weight for a netbook. The rounded edges and thin profile make it perfect for slipping into a bag, but we were surprised not to see a carry case included. It certainly felt comfortable to carry around and more convenient than a notebook – and that's what counts.
Not a bad trackpad
Benchmark results were as expected, due to the standard Intel Atom setup. In PCMark 05, it closely matched machines such as the Samsung NC10 or the Asus N10. It's evenly matched on the Gimp test too.
Verdict
The Lenovo S10e is a great netbook. The Quick Start feature is lacking and the battery life could be better. At £249, it's competitively priced and worthy of consideration. If you need extra battery life, consider the similarly specced Samsung NC10, with double the battery life, for only £50 more. ®
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