{"id":12272,"date":"2012-07-18T16:55:09","date_gmt":"2012-07-18T21:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcitement.com\/?p=12272"},"modified":"2012-07-19T13:20:19","modified_gmt":"2012-07-19T18:20:19","slug":"review-lenovo-upgrades-the-ultrabook-with-ideapad-u310","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/column\/review-lenovo-upgrades-the-ultrabook-with-ideapad-u310\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Lenovo Upgrades The Ultrabook With IdeaPad U310"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Now, Lenovo refreshes the IdeaPad line with the U310<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

First Impressions<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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The Software<\/h3>\n

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<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Performance<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>From the initial press of the power button, I timed the U310 as taking 18 seconds to reach the Windows 7 login prompt. It took an additional seven seconds to get from there to the desktop (matching Lenovo’s own claims of a 25-second boot time). I installed Novabench and ran its full testing suite, resulting in an overall score of 360. (On individual tests, the U310 scored 122 on memory, 162 on the CPU, 51 on graphics, and 25 for disk I\/O.) The IdeaPad’s overall score ranked it along-side numerous Intel Core 2 Duo based desktops and portables; not terribly bad for an Ultrabook, but probably hampered from achieving a higher score due to the limitations of the integrated Intel HD 4000 video, plus the relatively slow 500 GB hard drive. Lenovo’s hybrid solution of using a 32 GB solid state drive as cache for the 500 GB hard disk doesn’t give nearly the disk performance possible with a pure SSD solution.<\/p>\n

Battery life, in actual use, gave me at least five solid hours. Lenovo claims up to seven hours, which I imagine is only achievable under certain conditions. While this isn’t as impressive a runtime as some of its competitors, the AC adapter is small and lightweight — making it relatively easy to carry it with you.<\/p>\n

The Strengths<\/h3>\n

One of the best parts of the U310 is its keyboard. In a recent article<\/a>, I mentioned Lenovo’s switchover to a sculptured chiclet design it believes offers a superior typing experience. I’m happy to report that Lenovo largely succeeds. Compared to the chiclet keys of a 13″ MacBook Air, the U310’s keys felt like they had more travel and popped back up crisply when released.<\/p>\n

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Likewise, the U310 features a large glass trackpad with multi-touch finger gesture support (clearly borrowed from Apple’s original design). I like the ability to easily scroll up and down pages with a two finger swiping motion, and the trackpad is smart enough to detect one’s palm resting on it, so as not to perform false motions.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned earlier, the overall build quality is another strong point of the U310. The IdeaPad lacks the cheap plastic feel of many entry level notebooks, and its display hinge is tight enough to hold the lid open at almost any reasonable angle a user might wish to adjust it.<\/p>\n

The Lenovo also does a good job at staying cool. (This does, however, happen at the expense of silence. The cooling fan makes a noticeable amount of noise blowing air out of the left-hand vents.) I think the tradeoff will be welcome to those who’ve used other Ultrabooks in the past that became uncomfortably warm after 30 minutes of use.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Weaknesses<\/h3>\n

One of my complaints about the IdeaPad is the lack of Bluetooth in the standard configuration. As inexpensive as it is to include, there’s really no excuse for leaving it out. Especially on an ultra lightweight portable with a built-in webcam, I’d like to be able to pair up a Bluetooth headset for use with Skype.<\/p>\n

As nice as the U310’s styling is, it lacks some of the attention to detail found in the Macbook Air. For example, Lenovo has a piece of black plastic trim running around the edge of the LCD display that apparently helps hold the screen in place. This cheapens the look of the machine and may even become a source of problems if it starts coming loose. The keyboard has a bit of flex to it also, indicating plastic underneath instead of metal. And though it’s only a very minor gripe, I noticed its glass trackpad isn’t anchored quite as securely inside as the Apple version the U310 imitates. When tapping on it with a finger, it has a slight rattle and makes a quiet “clunk” when released after depressing it to click. Most users probably won’t ever notice this (or care), but I definitely felt the difference when using it side by side with a 13″ MacBook Air.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"And speaking of the trackpad? While the multi-touch gesture support is a welcome feature, I experience some usability issues. Most notably, when using the “pinch” gesture to zoom in or out on a web page in Google Chrome, the computer struggled to re-render the page, freezing the browser for several seconds at a time. I also notice the U310 is picky about how far up the trackpad I’m allowed to tap to constitute a left or right mouse click. This may be a purposeful decision on Lenovo’s part, but it takes some getting used to.<\/p>\n

Lenovo’s decision to include the Home Premium version of Windows 7 instead of Professional is unfortunate. Although I realize many home users will never know the difference, others will eventually be frustrated when they discover they can’t take remote control of the machine using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Client until they upgrade to Professional. Many business users will also require Professional if they need to connect to a Windows domain (a common scenario with corporate servers). It’s almost always much cheaper to buy the OEM version of Windows bundled with the computer hardware than it is to purchase it after the fact as an upgrade, so I’d prefer Lenovo included the Professional edition from the get-go.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h3>\n

If you’re in the market for an Ultrabook and feel the 13″ screen size is ideal for your needs, the IdeaPad U310<\/a> is worth serious consideration. At a retail price of $800, the U310 is relatively affordable too. This is a computer that makes a number of compromises, but they’re calculated ones. Potential buyers who plan on doing a lot of typing (including most college students) will likely find the U310’s superior keyboard feel to be a big advantage over many of the competitors.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the video performance isn’t really adequate for gaming, and its disk read\/write speed hampers some of the performance its Ivy Bridge chipset and Intel Core i5 processor could achieve otherwise. The 4 GB of system memory isn’t upgradable, but it’s arguably enough for the typical tasks a user would perform with a portable of this type. As with most Ultrabooks, there’s no built-in optical drive. (Those wishing to pop in a DVD movie to watch it will need an external USB DVD drive.) You could certainly spend more on a 13″ notebook and get more bells and whistles (such as a backlit keyboard, or the mag-safe AC adapter Apple offers, which safely detaches from the machine if the cord is accidentally yanked on), but this one offers a lot for under $800.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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