Repair Laptop

Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 Specifications:

• Windows Vista Home Premium with SP2 (Now available with Windows 7 64-bit)
• Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 2.0GHz (2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (1066MHz)
• 320GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD
• 15.6-inch LED-backlit WXGA display (glossy, 1366x768)
• Intel X4500MHD integrated graphics
• Intel 5100AGN
• Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, eSATA/USB Combo, VGA, HDMI, SDHC-Card reader, RJ-45/Ethernet (Gigabit), stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Dimensions: (LxWxH) 15.2" x 10.0" x 1.02" to 1.5
• Weight: 5lbs 13.5oz
• 11.1v 56Wh 6-cell battery
• One-year standard warranty
• MSRP: $813

Screen and Speakers
The WXGA display on the Y550 appears to be the highest resolution offered on this model. Even the better configurations are limited to 1366x768. This is lacking when compared to the Dell Studio 15 that can be configured with a 1080p panel in configurations starting at less than $800. The panel offers good color and contrast, ranking middle of the pack compared to most notebooks. Black levels are good at low and middle backlight levels, but show some backlight creep near 100%. Peak brightness levels are great for viewing in bright office conditions with a comfortable home viewing level somewhere between 60 and 70%. Viewing angles appear average with colors showing significant inversion in as little as 10 degrees when tilted back. Horizontal viewing angles look much better, showing no notable color shift even when viewing from the very edge of the screen.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 has above average sounding speakers, making use of two primary speakers up top and a subwoofer below. Listening to music and movies the speakers have good midrange and bass, but is still weak compared to other notebooks with dedicated subwoofers. Peak volume levels sound strong enough to be listened to in a small or mid-size room, but not loud enough to over-power a lot of background noise. For watching feature-length movies in large rooms the HDMI-port is a great way to pass digital audio over to a home theater system.

The Y550 has a spacious Synaptics touchpad with a very nice texture. While some notebook manufacturers might carry the glossy palmrest surface onto the touchpad, Lenovo breaks it up with a barely-bumpy texture that is easier to slide over. Out of the box it was hard to slide across and almost tacky from the multitouch sticker over it, but with some oil build-up over the first few hours it broke in perfectly. Sensitivity is great out of the box... requiring only a light touch to move the cursor across the screen. Lag is not present under any circumstance including very fast movement. The touchpad buttons have a long throw and emit a mild click when fully pressed.

Ports and Features
Port selection is adequate although I feel there was enough room left unused to account for an additional USB port. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 offers two USB ports, one eSATA/USB combo port, VGA and HDMI ports, Ethernet, and audio jacks. Expansion slots include an ExpressCard/34 slot and SDHC-card slot.

Lenovo also includes a number of touch-sensitive and click-style buttons around the keyboard to control quick access functions. The standard buttons include one to switch video modes, another to load the Dolby audio control panel, and audio switches to adjust volume and mute the speakers. A blinking slider bar in the middle lets you quickly access four pre-set Lenovo applications.

Performance and Benchmarks
The Y550 performs well in average day-to-day activities like surfing the web, typing documents, listening to music, and watching movies. If you plan on using it as a multimedia-only rig the shortcomings of the integrated graphics dont become a problem, but if you do intend to game, you might want to look at a better configuration. In our tests the Y550 with Intel X4500 integrated graphics had no trouble playing 720p and 1080p video while still multitasking in the background. Using the HDMI port you could output a video with audio to an HDTV and still use the notebook for surfing the web. If your ideas of gaming include titles like Left 4 Dead 2 or Modern Warfare 2 instead of Peggle, one of the higher configurations with an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GT 240M graphics would be recommended.

Wprime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

HDTune storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
Thermal performance is good under normal conditions when the system is not under much stress. The palmrest and keyboard stay just above room temperature which is nice for longer typing sessions. Fan noise is excellent with a very relaxed cooling system. Under light usage the fan defaults to fully off; only coming on when needed. Increased system activity makes the fan stay on in longer intervals but overall the notebook still stays relatively quiet.

Battery Life
The Y550 offers reasonable battery life for a 15.6" notebook, but still shows some room for improvement. In our battery test with the screen brightness set to 75%, wireless active, and Vista on the balanced profile the system stayed on for 3 hours and 52 minutes. During the test the Y550 consumed between 13 and 14 watts of power; well above more power efficient notebooks.

Conclusion
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is a stylish and well built multimedia notebook offered with a wide array of options. Build quality is good overall with only a few areas sticking out at us as needing improvement. The design is very nice with a subtlety textured lid and an attractive color scheme. The keyboard proved to be comfortable to type on with an equally usable bumpy touchpad. System performance was more than adequate for everyday use with our configuration ... and if you have gaming in mind Lenovo has alternative builds for that purpose. Overall the Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 fits the bill regardless if you are looking for a basic desktop replacement or gaming system.

Pros:

• Textured lid design
• Better than average speakers
• Comfortable keyboard and touchpad

Cons:

• Some minor fit and finish concerns
• Low 1366x768 resolution with all configurations

Our Lenovo IdeaPad S12 review unit has the following specifications:

• Intel Atom N270 processor (1.60GHz)
• Windows XP Home Edition
• Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics
• 1GB RAM
• 12.1-inch widescreen display (1280x800) with LED backlighting
• 160GB 5400RPM hard drive (Hitachi HTS543216L9A)
• 6-cell Li-ion battery (11.1V, 52Wh)
• Broadcom 802.11b/g wireless
• One-year limited warranty
• White color (also available in black)
• Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.5 x 0.9 – 1.4 inches (W x D x H)
• Weight: Starting at 3.42 lb w/ 6-cell battery

As configured, our S12 is currently priced at $499. The base model starts at $449 with a VIA Nano 1.3GHz processor.

Build and Design
Since all netbooks have nearly identical specifications, manufacturers have to look at the design and build quality to differentiate themselves. Lenovos IdeaPad S12 is a docile and friendly-looking machine with a not a square edge in sight. The companys second generation of netbooks feature rounded edges and a slimmer chassis. The S12 looks well built; all of the parts fit together neatly.

The back of the lid has a "fashion" design with hundreds of little circles dotting the lid. The S12 would be at home in a Target store because I think all of those little circles resemble the companys bullseye logo. In addition, the majority of people I showed it to thought it was a girls machine, probably because it is white and has that circle design on the lid. Your mileage may vary – I suggest guys go with the black version.

The S12 is constructed of ABS plastic through and through. It looks and feels sturdy and is not fragile at all. The only part of the notebook that could be more solid is the battery, which wobbles ever so slightly. There is little flex anywhere on the machine, with the exception to this being the lid; ripples show on the screen when only mild pressure is put on the back of the screen. This should be a non-issue as long as the machine is not thrown around. The hinges that hold the display on are very solid as well. A point of interest about the lid is that it only tilts back about 20 degrees past vertical; given how light this machine is, it will likely be used in a variety of situations and therefore should probably tilt back another 10-20 degrees or so.

The entire base of the notebook has a matte finish, while the lid is glossy plastic front and back. The glossy plastic is surprisingly durable; I did not use a sleeve to protect the S12 in my bag during the week I had it and there were no scratches at the end of the review period.

The glossy screen attracts dust and fingerprints easily, so keep a microfiber cloth handy. As far as cleanliness goes, the white plastic stayed clean during the time I had it; only time will tell how it fares in the long term. Hopefully the plastic is not too absorbent and will not pick up stains and other discolorations. The black S12 is be better at hiding everyday wear and tear.

Compared to the Dell Inspiron Mini 12, a direct competitor to the Lenovo S12, the S12 is slightly smaller (albeit about a tenth of an inch thicker). The S12 feels deceptively heavy in the hands depending on how you pick it up (by the back, front, and so on). The stick-out 6-cell battery is the primary reason the S12 feels weighty.

Overall, the S12 has excellent fit and finish with an accommodating design.

Screen and Speakers
The S12 has a 12-inch widescreen display (16:10 aspect ratio) with a 1280x800 resolution and LED backlighting. Contrast and brightness are excellent; the LEDs lighting the display (instead of the traditional CCFL lighting used in most notebooks) make for a very even brightness distribution, with only a hint of bleed at the bottom. There are ten levels of brightness; I found level 7 or 8/10 to be the sweet spot, but dimming the screen to 4 or 5/10 are perfectly usable and will extend battery life. The top brightness level is almost too bright. Viewing angles are average at best – from above the picture washes out quickly, and from below it darkens. Side-to-side angles are better but there is noticeable color shift.

Unfortunately the glossy screen coating means a lot of reflections, so using this machine outside or areas with a lot of lighting sources could get annoying.

The 1280x800 resolution of the display is excellent for a netbook; most have 1024x600 or less. The display also has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is unusual since most manufacturers are moving to 16:9 displays. The higher resolution makes the S12 feel more like a full computer than other netbooks with lower resolutions.

There are two speakers located beneath the palm rests on the S12. These are essentially stereotypical notebook speakers – they get loud enough to hear sounds and are reasonably clear but for situations where audio matters, like movies and music, do make use of the headphone jack.

Speaking of the headphone jack, it is unfortunate that some background hiss is present. It is easily drowned out with audio and most people probably will not even notice it, but to a headphone audiophile like myself, it is disappointing.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The IdeaPad S12s keyboard is, in a word, superb; it is full-size and requires no adjusting from a standard notebook keyboard. There is no flex and key travel is just right. The keyboard feels of high quality and allows for precision typing; each key is anchored securely and does not wobble at all. It has excellent tactile feedback and enough resistance that you can rest your hands on the keyboard in typing position without pressing keys accidentally. Lenovo designers made good use of the keyboard real estate – I am pleased to see the PrintScreen key is its own key and not mapped as a secondary function (as in, needing to press the [Fn] key in conjunction with the corresponding key to use it), and that the PgUp and PgDn keys are near the arrow keys. The Home and End keys are secondary function keys, but looking at the space the designers had to deal with, it was clearly not an option to make them separate as well.

All in all, this is one of the best netbook/notebook keyboards I have used in a long time.

The touchpad has its ups and downs. While tracking is easy and it is reasonably accurate, it is a bit too small – I found myself running out of room often. If it measured a half-centimeter more in diameter, it would be perfect. The touchpad buttons provide good feedback and make an audible but not annoying click when depressed. The buttons are easy to find by feel and other than wishing they were slightly larger, I have no complaints about them.

Ports and Features
The IdeaPad S12 has a limited selection of ports – lets take a picture tour. All descriptions are left to right.

Left Side: Power jack, exhaust vent, wireless on/off switch, two USB, media card reader (MMC/MS/MS Pro/SD)

Right Side: ExpressCard/34 slot, headphone and microphone jacks, USB, VGA out, 10/100 Ethernet, Kensington Lock slot

Front: Stereo speakers

Back: Battery

The S12 has the essentials; given what a netbook is designed to do, the port selection is difficult to complain about.

Conclusion
The IdeaPad S12 is excellence in a small form factor at a low price. The overall design is very pleasing to the eyes and it has the best netbook keyboard I have used to date. Build quality is solid and the screen is beautiful. There is little complain about on the S12 – sure, the touchpad could be a bit larger and the screen could tilt back further, but other than that, if you are in the market for a netbook with a larger screen, it is difficult to go wrong with the Lenovo IdeaPad S12.

Pros:

• Pleasing design
• Solid build quality
• Excellent keyboard and screen
• Five hours of battery life

Cons:

• Touchpad could be a bit larger
• Screen could tilt back further
• Back of the lid could use a bit more protection