Review: Lenovo Upgrades The Ultrabook With IdeaPad U310

Since Apple’s release of the “world’s thinnest notebook” with the MacBook Air in January 2008, the competition rushed to offer comparable alternatives. Eventually, Intel coined the name Ultrabook to define any of these ultra lightweight, ultra-thin portables using their components. Even Lenovo, best known for continuing IBM’s ThinkPad line of durable but conservatively styled notebooks, got into the Ultrabook act with the IdeaPad U300 and U400, released by the end of 2011.

Now, Lenovo refreshes the IdeaPad line with the U310 and U410. I’ve been spending time with a U310 review unit with the standard configuration of an Intel Core i5 CPU at 1.7 Ghz, a 13.3″ LCD screen with native resolution of 1366 x 768, 4 GB of RAM, a 500 GB 5400RPM hard drive, and 32 GB SSD drive, 720p webcam, wireless b/g/n adapter and integrated gigabit wired Ethernet. With that mouthful of components, how does the IdeaPad U310 stack up? Let’s find out.

First Impressions

Upon opening the box, I found the machine neatly packaged, along with the essentials (quick start fold out poster and other documentation and AC power adapter). Though it’s clear you’re not paying for lots of flashy extras, a slipcase is thrown in. It’s made of tear-resistant but very thin material, reminiscent of what one might find used for a reusable grocery bag. At least the slipcase has a flap that folds over the opening, secured with a strip of Velcro — but don’t expect it to provide any protection beyond keeping dust and small scratches off the computer.

The IdeaPad itself is slightly heavy for an Ultrabook (at 3.75 pounds), but it gives a sense of sturdiness. The LCD display hinge has a good, tight feel as the lid is opened and closed, and like most Ultrabooks, it stays shut without need of any locking mechanism. A slight indent around the computer’s circumference makes it easier to catch the edge of the lid under one’s finger or thumb to open it. The unit I’m testing has a graphite gray colored metallic lid, but Lenovo offers models in aqua blue and cherry blossom pink as well.

Along the left-hand edge, two USB 3.0 ports are provided along with an HDMI video output port and an RJ-45 Ethernet jack. A long cooling vent occupies much of the remaining space here, followed by a small button that launches a system recovery process when pressed. On the right-hand edge, Lenovo provides a 1/8″ audio output jack, a single USB 2.0 port, and the AC power adapter jack.

The Software

As tested, the U310 includes Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edition. (Although custom orders are possible with Windows 7 Professional preloaded, the inclusion of Home Premium as the standard option emphasizes Lenovo’s targeting of the Ultrabook towards consumers rather than business customers.) Thankfully, Lenovo avoids bundling dozens of useless applications. Microsoft Office 2010 comes pre-installed in its unactivated state, allowing a user to choose to use it in its most basic form (after a 60 day trial expires) or to activate it with a purchased license key. Additionally, users get Adobe Acrobat Reader X (practically a necessity these days to open and view PDF documents found all over the internet), Cyberlink YouCam (a one-stop shop for playing around with the webcam, adding special effects to your video, etc.), and the Google Chrome web browser. Two remaining applications I can do without are a trial version of McAfee Anti-virus and Absolute Data Protect, a package offering tracking capabilities if your U310 is stolen. (Users interested in this functionality would likely be better served using a free alternative such as Prey.)

One last custom application worth mentioning is VeriFace, touted as a Windows enhancement allowing facial recognition as a user’s password. Upon first launching the application, VeriFace starts an enrollment process where you specify a password you’d like to use. Then, you’re asked to look into the webcam as the software analyzes your facial features and saves the information, associated with the standard password you selected. While the process sounds good in concept, I encountered difficulty getting the recognition to complete. I suspect my difficulty was caused by a ceiling fan in the room causing a slight flickering of the background lighting, but it makes me question the software’s ability to recognize a face properly in sub-optimal lighting conditions.