Meet my new baby…

No, not a REAL baby…(believe me, if I’d had a real baby, I’d have some real explaining to do!) I’m actually talking about this darling here…

Yup, I went and got myself the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 (called the S10 because of its 10.2" screen size)…and boy, am I ever loving it! Lenovo may be one of my clients, but since I bought this – what better endorsement than me actually buying the product? I’ve been using ThinkPads for as long as I’ve had a laptop – my first one was an R41, which went with me to Australia during my student days. Super huge, super heavy – GOD my shoulder hurt after lugging it around, but it behaved perfectly. It’s since been passed to my mum, but is still in use today, almost 7 years later!

When I started work with my present company, I was issued a ThinkPad T60 to work on – there was no other choice, seeing as Lenovo was one of my primary clients. The T60 is definitely very solid, since I’ve seen my colleagues drop their laptops, stand (!!) on them (yep, we actually put our laptops through hell), spill water and coffee on the keyboards, carry it by the screen…and this is over the past 18 months or so. And they’re all still working fine (serious!)

However, for size, the two just can’t compare – check out the size difference when I placed my IdeaPad S10 on my Thinkpad T60!

Oh, and if you’re wondering why there’s a Think and Idea line, it’s actually because Think was built for business – high security, durability and performance – while Idea was built for consumers – still as durable, but with specs built for activities such as gaming and home entertainment.

I love the look of this PC – compact, and so sleek…the colour is Pearl White, by the way. I did contemplate getting a Ruby Red one, but in the end I guess I’m just a classic at heart!

This is one of the things that drew me to the IdeaPad S10 – the keyboard is 85% of a standard notebook keyboard, which means that typing is quite comfortable on this. I’ve always loved the keyboards on the ThinkPad – the feel and tension of the keys is quite different from any of the other brand keyboards I’ve tried…if you haven’t tried one, I’d strongly recommend you do!

Width-wise, there’s not too much difference as the T60 is already quite thin, but the weight is quite drastic – the T60 is almost 2.3kg, while my baby weighs in at a lightweight 1.25kg. This is a bit more than the ordinary 1.1kg outside, but only because I opted to get the 6-cell battery, which can last me up to 6 hours.

But speaking of battery, even the S10 charger is smaller than my T60 battery, so needless to say this baby is going to be my default choice to take around.

My IdeaPad S10 comes with a snug neoprene sleeve – shown in pink here, but it’s also reversible to a light grey cover.

Cost-wise, I paid RM1890 for a total package, which came with the following specs and items:
- IdeaPad S10 (Intel Atom Processor, 160GB SATA HDD, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 128MB 945 Intel Accelerator Graphics, Modem, Wireless LAN, 2xUSB ports, VGA port, Bluetooth, 1.3MP Camera, 6-cell battery, 1-yr warranty)
- Upgrade to 2-yr warranty
- Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 RAM
- Charger
- S10 reversible neoprene sleeve
- Optical mouse
- Notebook backpack (can fit up to 15” notebook)
- Sonicgear Speakers

I know, sounds like a lot of technical bits and pieces hor? To me, these were the clinchers:
- 160GB hard disk (HEAPS of space!)
- Atom Processor and 2GB RAM (it’s a lot faster, and boots up in just under 70secs!)
- 6-cell battery (the 3-cell only gives about 2.5hrs usage…6-cell boosts it up to almost 6 hours)
- 2-yr warranty (just in case!)
- Wireless LAN (can’t live without the Internet, right?)


So there you have it. Not exactly a beauty-related post, but when I think about it, the IdeaPad S10 really is a thing of beauty. I *heart*!!


The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is available at all Lenovo stores (I got mine from Lowyat Plaza) and prices start from RM1,699 depending on specifications, and the selection of colours include Pearl White, Glossy Black and Baby Pink. There are currently also limited quantities of the Ruby Red units, available while stocks last.


Rating: 5 / 5
Value: $$$


PS: What can I say? I really REALLY love this netbook…and by the way, my client doesn’t even know I bought it (yet)!