Ideapad U400

Hello all.

Does anyone know when the U400 will be release via Lenovo's or Microsoft's website? And does anyone know if it will be different from the one featured on Amazon right now?

If you have any other relevant links to reviews/videos/user photos, please post them! I am having a very difficult time finding reviews of it.


Thanks!

 

I too am very interested in more information on this machine. I have all but given up on the release of the Samsung Series 7 Chronos and hope that, in the U400, Lenovo will save me from having to shell out obscene money on an MBP.

I am particularly interested in the display and GPU performance. Both take a hit in comparison to both the MBP and the S7 but i wonder if they are up to much. I intend to use for moderate gaming, MMOs mostly but other modern games at moderate settings. Does this machine have what it takes?

 

I would not hold my breathe for Lenovo to fit a decent screen on the u400. The GPU performance will be only slightly better than the lower-end Macbook Pro 15.

 

I'm trying to decide between the U400 and the samsung series 7 chronos.


I like the design of the U400 better, although the 7 is nice too.


I think the 7 series has a few things that better the U400, being the backlit keyboard, 'max' matte screen w/ 1600x900, and the 8gb ssd on the motherboard, assuming that makes a significant difference, and possible i7.

The U400 is lower in price, slimmer, and has a better design in my opinion. And to my knowledge the 7 series comes with a 7200rpm standard whereas the U400 is only 5400.

 

I looked at the 15.6" Samsung Series 7 today at BestBuy. I need to see the 14" because I didn't like the big 15.6".

It also appeared the demo unit in BB wasn't working fully. The function keys for screen brightness weren't working so I could not tell how it was set.

I was impressed with the design. It looks pretty cool. The slim bezel around the LCD panel looks nice.

I bet the 14" is killer. I'd much rather have the Series 7 machine over the Series 9.

 

My thoughts exactly. I'm trying to remain optimistic though. It seems insane to me that only Apple offer the mix of design, style and performance that i am looking for in a laptop. The high end 15" MBP with the hi-res screen will cost around $2000 dollars. I have waited and waited for a suitable Windows based competitor but to no avail. It seems all the Windows machines are doomed to have something not quite right about them and therefore i may just be forced to bite the Apple shaped bullet and deal with the Mac price tag

 

I know exactly what you mean. Regardless of manufacturer or how long I wait, there's always one thing that throws me off which isn't very insignificant. There really is no perfect laptop. Maybe the mythical LG P330, but will be in MBP pricing territory if it ever is released. In the case of the U series for me, it's the screen. Asus, Samsung, Apple, and Sony are putting resolutions beyond 720p in their note/ultrabooks. I was in Best Buy yesterday manhandling a MBP 13" and can't believe I was momentarily considering one after how much smack I talk about them! In reality it is a very good computer, but it's heavier, more expensive and battery life is worse than the current wave of new ultraportables. Also I have no idea how Linux compatible they are and of course, there's always looking like a complete tool when I take it out in public.

However if you look on Lenovo's pages for the U300 and U400, they show that it's able to be fitted from the factory/retailer with a 32 gig SSD and either a 500 or 750 gigabyte hdd and for the U400, it seems this is all without removing the optical drive. That's pretty sweet.

The 8gig ssd on the Samsung, that's just for caching like in a Momentus XT, right?

 

Yes it's indeed just for caching and tweaks that Samsung does to improve the performance of the laptop.

I agree that Apple makes some of the best laptop in the world, I just cannot believe that other manufacturer can't match the experience on their device. Great input device(mouse and trackpad), great out put device (monitor quality), build quality, and form factor.

 

Where does it say you can configure the U400 with a 32gb ssd? I can't seem to find that.



If the U400 had a higher res screen / matte screen, it would be perfect. Why would lenovo as a business company leave that out

 

I think a different business division handle that decision. So they are cater to a different market segment. I really hope that Lenovo get rid of the regular HD resolution on all their laptop. I really like most their laptop, but the screen resolution one reason I'm still consider a Mac and the 7 series from Samsung.

 

Here is Lenovo's page for the U300e. If you look in the specs, there's a small * next to RapidDrive SSD Technology. Down near the bottom of the page that star signifies that the 16 sec boot time is for a U300 of xyz config, including the 750 gb hdd and 32 gb ssd. The U400 shows the same.

However the U300 tech specs pdf from that page shows it can have as much as a 64 gig ssd and 1tb hdd. Amazon has 2 U400 models listed. One with the i3 for $850 and 500gb hdd and the other with the i5 and 750 drive for $944. Neither mention the rapidstoragessddrivethingie but for $850, I dunno if I'd expect there to be one.

 

Should not really be too much to ask for should it? Samsung had me feeling very optimistic but given the appalling manner in which S7 release is going forward i think i may avoid that machine. I utterly lover the form factor of the U400, the whole book thing really has me however i just cannot see why it has such a terrible screen and GPU.

Given the spec refresh on the MBP line its looking like the base 15" with hi-res screen is going to be what i end up buying. Seems a shame no windows based company can convince me not to make this decision though

 

Guess you will still be running window on you new Mac. You will be the outcast of Mac owner.

 

Like that matters. Trust me, running Windows 7 on the new MacBook Air is perfectly fine.

 

Thanks! I didn't notice that.

So could you save files to the ssd? Or is it just for performance in some places. Would you be able to install /would it come with the OS installed on that?

And where on earth are the backlit keys! At least its spill proof though, right?



It's also strange that they are available on amazon and tigerdirect yet it says available in november from lenovo..

 

The new Lenovo U Series IdeaPads that are coming in November 2011 do not have backlit keys. I can't tell for sure from the specs and pics, but I don't believe they have the spill drains either.

They are designed to take in fresh cool air from the keyboard. You'll notice they are marketing the "breathable" keyboard and the ability to set the machine on a pillow or bed because there's no intake or exhaust on the bottom.

Interesting design.

 

I not very convince able the battery life on any Ideapad laptop, especially with their u260 that they introduce last year.

 

I don't think the series 7 has the 'breathable keyboard' like the u400, yet from photos i've seen that the series 7 has no intake or exhaust on the bottom or on the side, like the u400 has on the left.

So either the S7 has more efficient cooling technologies, or it gets more hot.

I've read up to 6 hours although I'm assuming thats best case scenario..

 

Assuming it gets an average of 7min/whr, which is about what the Thinkpad T420s which has similar internal components gets, we are looking at about 5.5hr for the U400.

 

I was referring to the U300, U300s and U400.

 

Keep in mind the U300 and U400 have normal 35w TDP cores. Supposedly even available with an i7 2620m. One of the things I'd do is swap any core in the U series out for an i5 ulv.

The U300s has either the i5 or i7 ulv cores already. I don't know how much of a difference it should make in battery life. Maybe a half hour?

Ideapads I've always read aren't known for their battery life against competitors. Then again, all these ultrabooks coming out are surprisingly power hungry. I would have bet the MBA and UX31, having everything stripped out with an ssd and Sandy Bridge ulv core (remember they're supposed to be worlds more efficient than anything else EVAR!) would give a definite, solid 7+ hours of web usage. No way.. Maybe this is a job for Llano?

Someone asked about the SSD, for a full 32 or 64 gig drive, that's holding the OS, not just for caching purposes and there's no reason why the OS couldn't be reinstalled.

How long until someone makes an official U300/400 thread?

 

1. ULV/SV doesn't really make a significant impact in battery life. Per watt hour, the Thinkpad X1 gets more battery life than the MacBook Air 13, but uses a Standard Voltage CPU. There are more important components of battery life. The only time ULV makes a difference is when you are putting the CPU under constant 100% load, if you are doing that regularly, chances are you will greatly enjoy the speed benefit of a Standard Voltage CPU.

2. You aren't going to get great battery life on an ultrabook. Its hard to fit more than a 3 or 4 cell ~50whr battery into them. For comparison, the 6 cell on an X220 is 57whr, the 9 cell is 94whr. To get similar battery life to a traditional ultraportable, ultrabooks would need to be nearly twice as efficient.

 

Yeah, isn't that ironic? Aren't ultrabooks supposed to bridge the gap between netbooks and notebooks? Ultrabooks have taken the looks dept to the next level and are 2 pounds or so lighter (not in the case of the U300/U400 though) compared to other 13" & 14" models. However when you put all the specs on paper, it reeks of gimmick. I want to fast forward 2 years to see how ultrabooks have evolved. Hopefully the form factor remains while better screens and battery life become priority.

I think I said this in the U300s thread, but the 300 and 400 aren't ultrabooks by design. Their notebooks with 4 cell batteries. The U400 even has a Radeon GPU! I just want some reviews of these things. That will shut me up and maybe Lenovo will release a 6 or 8 cell battery for these. Daydreaming is great.

And thanks Pseudorandom for input on the ULV vs SV cores.

 

What battery life did you get with each on your tests?

 

Right right, sorry for the confusion, I was just commenting that while the U400 does have the breathable keyboard and no vents on the bottom, the series 7 has no vents on the bottom or side (like the u400), and lacks a breathable keyboard. so its cooled more efficiently or it gets more hot i suppose..

 

I used battery life from reviews. I think LaptopMag, but I got all the battery life numbers from the same source.

The MBA13 gets 7.8min/whr, the X1 gets 8min/whr, the X220 8.3min/whr.

 

That's what I thought, a paper review. I've had both. The MacBook Air gets longer battery life than the X1. Nearly twice as long. But the X1 recharges from 0 to 80% in about 25-30 minutes which is way cool. If you need really long battery life, the X220 is certainly a good choice.

I guess the real question on the U400 will be answered pretty soon.

 

Though the X1's battery life is much worse than the MBA13, its efficiency is slightly better. The MBA13 gets more battery life by virtue of having a larger battery. The X1's battery is too much larger than the X1 battery for the X1's .2min/whr (2.6%) advantage in efficiency to compensate.

 

I thought SSD was supposed to be standard on all ultrabooks. Some of the reviews on Amazon seem to indicate that the u400 doesn't come with an SSD.

 

The U300 and U400 aren't Ultrabooks. The U300S is the Ultrabook, that does come standard with an SSD.

 

Today, LeNovo US has posted an initial U400 models selection with pricing at:

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/lenovofamily/StdAffinityPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-category-id=0F9E19F03A401BCD9A011DBACE824526&current-catalog-id=1A6A3D02F7AA4873976FC8168DDA8C77&action=init

However, while the main page mentions I7 2nd gen processors in a couple of places, I did not see any I7-based models or options.
Ideas anyone?

G.

 

I have a Macbook Pro running Window7 and the experience is bad. The most annoying thing is that battery life is only about 1/3 as long as Lion. About 2.25 hours.

 

Not a single piece of hardware is available to customize.

 

And nothing about the ssd & hdd combo as mentioned in the spec sheets. Maybe the page isn't fully complete yet?

 

My mid 2011 MacBook Air 256GB SSD model gets 6.5 hours of battery use on Lion. It gets 6 hours using bootcamp and Windows 7 Ult x64.

In all of my testing the WIFI network was up and operational with email, twitter and a browser being used. There was plenty of idle time in all tests.

I'm curious about your MacBook Pro. Which one is it? 2.25 hours is pretty sucky.

 

the battery life on windows in a mbp is pretty different than in a mba. Simply put expect 2/3 to half of what you get on OSX, at least thats what I get on my mbp 13 2011.

 

Called Lenovo....They confirmed that on Ideapad there is no hardware customization available per se.... Each model is sold as is. The young lady I spoke to also added that perhaps some I7-based model(s) may be added soon.... She recommended that I should check the U400 page again on Monday. G.

 

I hope so, I was really looking forward to the ssd option.

Any guess on the battery differences between the i7 and i5?

That doesn't sound too promising. I guess all we can do is wait.






If you click customize and buy, it says it takes more than 4 weeks to ship

 

Expected shipping date has been changed to 11/30. Still no I7 models listed.

 

Weird. Some models from their other lines are also showing that ship date. I wonder...what's causing the shipping delays? Or maybe Lenovo is finally being realistic/upfront about their lead times. Regardless, a month out is really not acceptable or competitive IMHO.

This coming from the second largest PC company in the world. Lenovo Newsroom | Lenovo Statement on Becoming the World?s Second Largest PC Company You think there would be a better TQM showing. Just saying.

EDIT: Sorry for sounding like a hater, but I too am waiting for my new lappy from them. It's been 2.5 weeks and counting.

 

"Regardless, a month out is really not acceptable or competitive IMHO."

Hmmm, I am shopping for THE MACHINE that will be my primary work/leisure tool for the next 3 to 4 years.... One month delay, or three months for it matters, is not a huge deal. I am more concerned about vague hints about I7 processors, without any such models showing up this far. I hope Lenovo engineers have not hit a technical snag, or production parts shortages. It is also possible that Lenovo may have planned to release I7 models at a later date all along.

Typically, overenthusiastic marketeers--particularly close to the Holidays Season--try to pry product features and delivery dates out of manufacturing that are just over the engineering and production feasibility horizon.... I know this for a fact, and am guilty as charged... And No, I do not work for Lenovo.... Am only a retired Big Bluer.

 

Mine is a 2010 model, I think it is a "6". The problem is that the external Graphics processor runs all of the time. The interal Intel Graphics processor can not be turned on in Win7. Unit gets quite warm.

 

So it is not the new Pro with the Sandy Bridge processor and chipset. I would expect the current MBP to get 6-7 hours like a W520.

Your MBP is like my W510. You guessed it, I'd be lucky to get 3 hours of life. Probably more like 2 now. Runs a LOT hotter than the W520. Huge difference.

 

May I recommend that Mac discussions unrelated to U400 be continued on the appropriate Apple threads? Thank you all for being considerate.

 

Yea, sorry about that. To bring this back to the U400 and other new U products, it will be interesting to see how the owners do on battery life and heat.

 

Yep is uses the Sandy Bridge. So the MBP is not a good substitute for the U400 if you are running windows and care about battery life.

 

why is the U400 battery life listed as "up to 4 hrs" on Lenovo's website? is it really that bad? Was expecting around 6hrs or so

 

really strange. The german site says "up to 7 hours" - but it's incomplete and maybe old. I really don't get what lenovo is gonna do...

 

If you look at the pdf on the USA website here you will see it says up to 7hrs.

Prob will get around 4 1/2hr normal usage.

 

I'm a user of a lenovo u400 currently. i don't think it can last up to 7 hours!

So far it only lasted me 4hrs!