Lenovo S10 Netbook Review

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Why a Netbook?

I have been sceptical about netbooks since they started getting popular. Why would a person pay $350 when they could pay $500 and get a full laptop? Size and convenience is the only reason. These things are small and have mobile computing as their primary function. Mobility is the only thing that makes them desirable.

How limited is the Lenovo S10?

The main limitation is the screen size. At only 10 inches with a 1024×600 resolution screen, it’s small. I find it clear enough to do most web browsing, but it’s not nearly enough for photo editing. It is good enough for most document editing. You can connect to a large monitor for better viewing, but the video card still is not going to compare to a regular laptop.

The keyboard is tiny also. You have to get used to a cramped keyboard. This can be solved by connecting an external keyboard when you are not mobile. It’s not so bad that you cannot use it, it’s just more uncomfortable than a regular laptop keyboard.

The Intel Atom processor is less powerful than other new processors. In an effort to make the system consume less power, the Intel Atom 1.6ghz processor was used. This has plenty of power for most applications, but activities like video editing are going to be limited.

There is no DVD/CD player or recorder. You must network to a shared drive on another computer or use a USB External Drive .

What are they good for?

Photos

Your camera and it’s accessories are enough hassle. At the size of a large Bible, the netbook can be protected and stowed in your luggage easier than a full laptop. The 160 gig hard drive is large enough to transfer the photos to. The network capability will let you send them over the Internet anytime you get near a WIFI connection. You will not be able to do much quality editing, but you can get photos uploaded and saved.

Video chat, Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, Music, Etc.

There is a built in camera, speakers, and microphone for video chat. If you just want to get on the Interenet with basic communication functions, there is a 5 second startup system that allows quick on and off just for this.

Just Convenience

Most people do not want lug a laptop without a good reason. The netbook is small enough that you do not need to have a purpose to carry it. It’s there and ready for up to 6 hours of use on a charge and you can carry it with the same convenience that you would carry a book.

The Lenovo S10 also has Bluetooth capabilities for any compatible devices that you may have.

In Conclusion

I would recommend the IBM Lenovo S10 for any computer user that likes the convenience and/or does not need the full power of a laptop. The S10 has the quality build that you would expect from IBM and the extra features are worth the slightly higher price. There are a few available for about $50 less, but they are so lacking that you lose some important functionality. Some cheaper netbooks have a Linux operating system. The Linux systems are great for many reasons, but much more difficult to do anything more advanced than web browsing and e-mail.