The Bottom Line
Pros
- ExpressCard Slot
- Small Dimensions For 10-inch Screen Unit
- Easy Access To Drive And Memory For Upgrades
Cons
- Runs Very Warm
- Only Available With Three-Cell Battery
- Just Two USB Ports Due to ExpressCard Slot
Description
- Intel Atom N270 Mobile Processor
- 512MB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 10.2-inch WSVGA (1024x600) Wide LCD with 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
- Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
- Fast Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wireless
- Two USB 2.0, ExpressCard/34, 4-in-1 Card Reader
- 9.8" x 7.2" x 1.2" @ 2.6 lbs.
- Windows XP Home
Guide Review - Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Netbook Subnotebook Laptop PC
10/13/08 - Many of the internals of Lenovo's IdeaPad S10 are similar to what one would expect from just about every other netbook on the market. It is powered by an Intel Atom N270 low power processor designed for this market segment and is matched up with 512MB of DDR2 memory. This gives it enough performance for your basic web browsing and productivity applications. Don't expect much in terms of more demanding tasks like photo or video editing but that isn't what the netbook market is designed for.
What really sets the IdeaPad S10 apart from other netbooks (other than HP) is the inclusion of an ExpressCard/34 expansion slot on the side of the unit. This allows for a wide range of standard laptop expansion cards to be used with the IdeaPad S10 for extra capabilities. Examples of such cards are cellular wireless cards that allow for wireless wide area networking beyond its Wi-Fi or an eSATA card for use with high performance external storage. The drawback to this flexibility is the loss of a USB 2.0 port leaving it with just two ports.
Expansion of the memory and replacing the hard drive are a fairly simple task thanks to a removable panel on the bottom of the unit. This makes it easy to users to upgrade the memory for additional performance or to swap the drive out for a larger model. Many other models require don't have this flexibility.
To keep costs down, the IdeaPad S10 uses just a three cell battery that has limited run times. Many other companies are offering larger six cell batteries but no such option exists yet from Lenovo. The unit also runs fairly warm that would make it unpleasant to rest on one's lap for extended periods.
