Lenovo IdeaPad Hands-On Roundup

by Jerry Jackson

As we mentioned earlier this week with our Lenovo IdeaPad U110 article, Lenovo's new line of IdeaPad notebooks is getting plenty of attention at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). We also had the opportunity to take a closer look at the new IdeaPad Y710 and the IdeaPad Y510. There's plenty to get excited about, but will these notebooks impress existing ThinkPad users, or will the IdeaPads be destined for the kiddy table?

For starters, the design of the IdeaPads marks a significant change for Lenovo. Unlike the "all business" classic ThinkPad line that Lenovo inherited from IBM, the IdeaPads have a sleek, refined look with a very consumer-focused feel. The glossy screens feature a flush-mount bezel which makes the transition from LCD to keyboard look incredibly smooth.

Speaking of keyboards, the keyboards on both the Y510 and the Y710 have a distinctive "ThinkPad feel" when typing ... despite the loss of the iconic red trackpoint in the middle of the keyboard. The touchpad and touchpad buttons were also smooth and responsive.

The orange "Shuttle Key" and touch-sensitive media buttons above the keyboards on both the Y510 and Y710 put playback, volume, and equalizer controls at your fingertips.

A sneak peak at the Y510. (view large image)

The new "VeriFace" facial recognition software offers next-generation biometrics security for the IdeaPads without the need for a fingerprint reader. The sample notebooks on display at CES suggest that VeriFace might be the next must-have security feature ... but it remains to be seen how it will perform during "real life" tests.

An image of the VeriFace security screen on the Y510. (view large image)

Y510 Specifications

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T2330, T5450, or T5550
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit
• Screen: 15” widescreen WXGA VibrantView (1280x800)
• Video Card: Intel X3100 (up to 256MB shared)
• HD: 160GB or 250GB 5400rpm
• RAM: 2x1GB (4GB max)
• Optical: DVD-Burner
• Webcam: 1.3mp
• Sound: four speakers, one subwoofer
• Network: 10/100 Ethernet, Intel 4965AGN wireless
• Weight: 6.4lbs
• Size: 14.1 x 10.3 x 1.14-1.42”
• Warranty: 1 year system/1 year battery
• Battery: 6 Cell, up to 4 hrs
• Ports: three USB, Firewire, VGA, S-Video, 6-in-1 card reader, Expresscard, Mic/Headphone jacks
• Starting price: $799

The IdeaPad Y710 is an impressive 17-inch version of the Y510 and offers improved graphics performance and Blu-Ray for a true HD video experience. In addition to the larger, higher resolution screen and improved graphics/video performance, the keyboard includes a dedicated number pad.

IdeaPad Y710 keyboard. (view large image)	Ports on the Y710, including HDMI. (view large image)
Blue LEDs on the Y710. (view large image)	Another view of the Y710. (view large image)

As with the Y510, the Y710 features an integrated subwoofer for improved built-in audio performance. We were reasonably impressed with the sound quality coming from the built-in speakers on these IdeaPads and we hope the combination of traditional speakers and subwoofers is something we see in multimedia notebooks from other manufacturers as well.

Subwoofer on the bottom of the Y710. (view large image)

Y710 Specifications

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 and T9300
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit
• Screen: 17" widescreen WXGA VibrantView (1400x900)
• Video Card: ATI HD2600 256MB DDR2
• HD: 250GB 5400rpm or 500GB (250GBx2)
• RAM: 2x1GB (4GB max)
• Optical: DVD-Burner or Blu-Ray DVD
• Webcam: 1.3MP
• Sound: four speakers, one subwoofer
• Network: 10/100 Ethernet, Intel 4965AGN wireless
• Weight: 7.9lbs
• Size: 15.5 x 11.2 x 1.02-1.53”
• Warranty: 1 year system/1 year battery
• Battery: 6 Cell, up to 4 hrs
• Ports: four USB, HDMI, Firewire, VGA, S-Video, 6-in-1 Card reader, Expresscard, Mic/ Headphone jacks
• Starting price: $1,199

Overall, the IdeaPad Y510 and Y710 are solid alternatives for consumers who are interested in a 15-inch or 17-inch notebook from HP, Dell, or Toshiba. That said, these notebooks have to live with the trusted heritage of the Lenovo ThinkPad line.

While these IdeaPads certainly aren't ThinkPads, the overwhelming majority of consumers are likely to compare the Y510 and Y710 to the ThinkPad line simply because the name "Lenovo" is attached to it. If that is the case, ThinkPad build quality and reliability will win over the IdeaPad good looks every time. Only time will tell if consumers embrace the smooth looks and impressive features of the new IdeaPads.

We look forward to getting our hands on review units for all of the Lenovo IdeaPads in the near future. So keep checking back to see our full reviews. More information about the Lenovo IdeaPads is available on the Lenovo website.

 

Thank you JerryJ.

 

I think what really hurts the Y510 is the integrated graphics card. A dedicated card would have really been nice.
Tim

 

+1. At least the keyboards are just as good as the Thinkpad keyboards. I would definitely consider the Y510 were it not for the integrated graphics. Perhaps dedicated graphics options will come later?

Also, are there any additional pictures of the Y510? I would have liked to have seen more of it.

On another note, I'm surprised that the Y710 uses blue LEDs on the lid. Wouldn't red-orange look better? It would match the rest of the notebook much better.

 

The 15" should had the option of dedicated video. Other than that, I think Lenovo did a good job on this. The similar ThinkPad keyboard and the audio setup is a nice addition.

Thank you, JerryJ.

 

Ugh. What could be awesome computers, crippled by a lack of advanced hardware.

 

If Lenovo offers more GPU solutions for both (8800GTX or 8600GT for instant).
It would be a big competitor to Dell and HP. I'm hoping the build quality is not too bad.

 

im getting one. i dont game much.

but i have a question. is the video card in the y510 better than an ati radeon 9000? Thats my current graphics card and it does OK. So is the intel x3100 better than an ati radeon 9000? If so, I should be fine for my moderate gaming (Starcraft, GTA San Andreas, Vice City Madden, etc.) right?

 

I'll have to leave it to someone else to do a head-to-head comparison of the ATI Radeon 9000 and the Intel X3100. That said, the X3100 should be able to play the games you mentioned without any trouble.

 

I would like to buy Lenovo Ideapad Y510. Can you please post a review and more pictures on Ideapad Y510.

If any one knows about Lenovo Ideapad Y510 Hands on and Complete review. Please let me know.

I have been looking for Ideapad Y510 review since 3 days. No web site has this information and normally I relly on Notebookreview website but it also doesn't have. Please help me in buying this new Ideapad Y510. Can I buy this laptop or not?

 

We should be getting review samples during the middle of this month (so just a few days). We'll certainly post a review as fast as possible and maybe some first thoughts to go ahead of that. So, stay tuned! (sorry to be such a tease)

 

Thanks Andrew!!!

 

hmm lenovo would have nailed it in the head if they include higher end gpu options, at least include the 8600gt as an option for the 15'' and the 8800m gts/gtx for the 17''.

 

Thanks for the sneak peek Jerry.

Great stuff Andrew. Looking forward to that.

Any more news on the U110, btw? Did you have a chance to (or could you) test out the audio capability of this small ultraportable? I'm interested about the so-called "Dolby® Home Theater™ audio" capability, which is quite unusual for such a small notebook.

 

I really like the whole design of it except for the orange buttons on the side. Yea that really kills it.

 

I really like what Lenovo did with the design. It's very mature looking, but isn't plain either. Very nice. Hopefully they'll allow a bit more customization of hardware.

 

Personally, I don't like the orange buttons, nor the LED's. I would like to know whether the LED's can be disabled. Could you mention that in the review?

I would also like to know whether the Y710's HDD's can operate in RAID 0 (I assume not), or whether 7200 rpm are available.

More generally, I would like to know whether the Y510 and Y710 will be configurable online.

 

Since I wasn't impressed with the quality of Lenovo non-thinkpad laptops, I wonder how this one will fare quality-wise...

 

These look fantastic. If they are creak free and made of quality materials like ThinkPads Lenovo will have a hit.

There is a market for well-designed quality notebooks - look at HP and now Dell.

 

Great reviews these notebooks look nice.

 

There appear to be two versions of the Y710. The one reviewed above has a numeric keypad, but some other sites show a version where the numeric keypad has been replaced by a "Game Zone" that has enlarged cursor keys, programmable keys and a separate LED. See:
http://www.hothardware.com/News/Lenovo_Launches_A_Trif_New_IdeaPads/
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/01/lenovo_ideapad_y510_y710.html

 

thry might have updated the design

 

Looks hot, can't wait for the review.

 

As with previous Lenovo/Thinkpad notebooks, there are various configs available. The Y510 available where I live comes with nVidia graphics (not sure which one, but the spec sheet says "nVidia 1 GB").

 

In Asia it comes with nVidia 8600GT with 256mb of gddr3.
And the CPU is not T5xxx but T7500 or T9300.