Opinions on Lenovo IdeaPads

[Heartful]

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I need a new laptop and was thinking of getting an IdeaPad from Lenovo (I don't know which one yet). I was curious to see if anybody owned one or had an opinion on Lenovo's IdeaPad product line.

If it makes a difference, I will be starting medical school this fall and want a computer I can rely on for the next several years.

As an aside (just in case), please don't turn this into a mac thread. I am just searching for opinions on Lenovo. Thank you.

 

[Forthegood]

I need a new laptop and was thinking of getting an IdeaPad from Lenovo (I don't know which one yet). I was curious to see if anybody owned one or had an opinion on Lenovo's IdeaPad product line.

If it makes a difference, I will be starting medical school this fall and want a computer I can rely on for the next several years.

As an aside (just in case), please don't turn this into a mac thread. I am just searching for opinions on Lenovo. Thank you.

I have one and my roomate has one. He loves his, I love mine. IMO, the by-far leader in laptops.

DDR3 is standard and increases battery life/lowers heat, core-2duos, lots of extras, but no extra programs and useless crap that takes up space... I could not give a higher recommendation. If you need any other help with this... feel free to PM me.

 

[BlueElmo]

I need a new laptop and was thinking of getting an IdeaPad from Lenovo (I don't know which one yet). I was curious to see if anybody owned one or had an opinion on Lenovo's IdeaPad product line.

If it makes a difference, I will be starting medical school this fall and want a computer I can rely on for the next several years.

As an aside (just in case), please don't turn this into a mac thread. I am just searching for opinions on Lenovo. Thank you.

Do you know IdeaPad is a netbook computer? I have a IdeaPad and it's pretty good. Great for carrying around because it's so light. It's great for surfing the web, doing Microsoft Office, etc. And it's pretty cheap, I got mine for $350.

 

[Naijaba]

I have not used one, but I am familiar with the history of Lenovo. Lenovo took over IBM's Personal Computer Product line in 2005:

2005: Lenovo completes the acquisition of IBM's Personal Computing Division, making it a new international IT competitor and the third-largest personal computer company in the world.

Source: http://www.pc.ibm.com/ca/about_lenovo/companyhistory.html

Lenovo's in general are regarded as robust and dependable, a tribute to their foundations in IBM.

 

[SpaceDementia]

I've always heard really good things about Lenovos. My impression of them (though I've never owned one) is that they make the best PC laptops.

 

[vickpick]

they are nothing better than what u can build on ur own..

and I hate how simplistic they look... just like a black box.. haha, but ive heard good things abt them too.. u cant go wrong with it..

 

[qmcat]

Does the Lenovo Ideapad you're talking about have the really small shift, ctrl, and tab keys? I'm looking to get a netbook also for school, but I didn't really like the Lenovo because of the weird keyboard.

 

[BlueElmo]

Does the Lenovo Ideapad you're talking about have the really small shift, ctrl, and tab keys? I'm looking to get a netbook also for school, but I didn't really like the Lenovo because of the weird keyboard.

Mine has it.

 

[Excelsius]

I need a new laptop and was thinking of getting an IdeaPad from Lenovo (I don't know which one yet). I was curious to see if anybody owned one or had an opinion on Lenovo's IdeaPad product line.

If it makes a difference, I will be starting medical school this fall and want a computer I can rely on for the next several years.

As an aside (just in case), please don't turn this into a mac thread. I am just searching for opinions on Lenovo. Thank you.

Ideally, you should get the Thinkpad. The reviews said that these are much more sturdy and not even comparable to Ideapads. That's what I got and I'm very happy with it. If you really utilize coupons and students discounts (plus clearances), you can get one for under a $1000.

 

[Forthegood]

I chose the ideapad over the thinkpad for reasons other than price. One major factor is that stupid little ball thing in the middle of the keyboard... drove me crazy. I like simple things that function well.

So for the "plain black box" comment, that is exactly what i was looking for! I hate all the ugly designs and stickers and stuff that come on these other laptops...

BTW, mine has a completely normal keyboard... which was a huge deal for me in selecting mine. I like normal keyboards... only!

 

[Depakote]

I chose the ideapad over the thinkpad for reasons other than price. One major factor is that stupid little ball thing in the middle of the keyboard... drove me crazy. I like simple things that function well.

So for the "plain black box" comment, that is exactly what i was looking for! I hate all the ugly designs and stickers and stuff that come on these other laptops...

BTW, mine has a completely normal keyboard... which was a huge deal for me in selecting mine. I like normal keyboards... only!

I wound up with a thinkpad and I'm very happy with it... I thought that little ball thing in the middle of the keyboard was pretty stupid to begin with too, but it's surprisingly intuitive. It functions just like a mouse and has it's own set of keys you click with your thumb. It's great for scrolling and other navigation.

 

[Uisa]

I have a thinkpad and I love it. It really depends on what you want to do, but I feel like Thinkpads are better for everyday use than Ideapads anyway; they are capable of more, look better IMO, and solidly made. If I were you I'd pick up a thinkpad, say perhaps the t-series

 

[Snowy]

OH WOW - the perfect thread for me. I am currently searching for a new laptop. I've had an IBM thinkpad for the last seven years (!) and it finally brokedown on me recently (actually I dropped it out of my backpack while running, haha). Because the IBM was so durable for me, I'd like to get a lenovo. I'm thinking of getting an ideapad because I like the idea of having a small, portable laptop for med school. However, I absolutely loved the red dot in the middle for scrolling, and couldn't imagine not having it. Therefore, I'm conflicted between getting a thinkpad (which has the red dot) and the ideapad (which is smaller but doesn't have the red dot). Ahhh, I can't decide! What an important decision...

 

[Cardiac]

Lenovo is pretty much the best non-mac computer hardware maker. I used one (thinkpad) for about a year and it was pretty reliable hardware-wise. That said, I'm no longer a PC-user but I won't get into that.

Did you check with your med school? Some places have computer recommendations - you might want to look into that before you buy one on your own.

 

[Heartful]

A lot of the reviews I read about ThinkPads said that their speakers have pretty poor sound quality and that you really need to use headphones if you're going to listen to any music. Do those of you that own ThinkPads find this to be the case? I'm not looking to blast my music or anything but I do enjoy playing music on my computer.

I know this is a small detail, but if I'm spending the money, I care about all the details.

 

[nick_carraway]

A lot of the reviews I read about ThinkPads said that their speakers have pretty poor sound quality and that you really need to use headphones if you're going to listen to any music. Do those of you that own ThinkPads find this to be the case? I'm not looking to blast my music or anything but I do enjoy playing music on my computer.

I know this is a small detail, but if I'm spending the money, I care about all the details.

Do any laptops have good speakers? None of my Apple laptops have ever had good speakers and I prefer my headphones anyway. Sure, it's inconvenient when it's hot, when your hair is long, when you just want to listen to something quickly, but music/shows/movies with laptop speakers drives me insane nowadays.

 

[nfgsjklgnsdfkjn]

A lot of the reviews I read about ThinkPads said that their speakers have pretty poor sound quality and that you really need to use headphones if you're going to listen to any music. Do those of you that own ThinkPads find this to be the case? I'm not looking to blast my music or anything but I do enjoy playing music on my computer.

I know this is a small detail, but if I'm spending the money, I care about all the details.

The X300 I've used had atrocious sound, however, the thinkpad X300 is an ultraportable like a Macbook Air, so the sound might not be so shoddy on a regular thinkpad

 

[Excelsius]

A lot of the reviews I read about ThinkPads said that their speakers have pretty poor sound quality and that you really need to use headphones if you're going to listen to any music. Do those of you that own ThinkPads find this to be the case? I'm not looking to blast my music or anything but I do enjoy playing music on my computer.

I know this is a small detail, but if I'm spending the money, I care about all the details.

You're right, this is a small detail. Do you have a desktop computer at home? If you do, then you'll find that there is no issue because the vast majority of time when you try to listen to something on your laptop outside of your home has to be on headphones so that you don't bother anyone around you. Just try to think about circumstance when you will really need your laptop to be a perfect sound producing device.

Anyway, as far as quality goes: I have the ThinkPad T500. Before this I had MacBook Pro. Is there any difference between these? I don't think so. Let's just say that for watching movies or for listening to regular music both are pretty good. The only caveat is classical music. I mean I still can drag my laptop to the shower and don't have to blast it all the way to listen to some Bach, but the quality is obviously not up to par (same way with Mac). Considering that my desktop "speakers" are very large, professional monitors with an amp and a special soundcard (and lossless music), I might be too picky. The bottom line is that if I can use the laptop to listen to piano sonatas without too much loss in quality, then you can use them for pretty much anything.

As a side note, if your laptop is going to be your main computer and you are an audiophile as well, then I'd say you should invest in an external soundcard made by EMU, buy professional monitors (at least $300/per piece), shielded cables, an amp/preamp, and you'll be set. Make sure you bypass windows sound management by using ASIO. This way whenever you're at home you can enjoy music at a higher quality than most stand-alone stereos can produce these days. And oh yeah, don't even think about playing mp3s.

 

[BlueElmo]

Do any laptops have good speakers? None of my Apple laptops have ever had good speakers and I prefer my headphones anyway. Sure, it's inconvenient when it's hot, when your hair is long, when you just want to listen to something quickly, but music/shows/movies with laptop speakers drives me insane nowadays.

Toshiba has good speakers.

 

[245399]

I have a Lenovo Thinkpad T61 with extended battery.
Great computer. Highly recommend Lenovo.

 

[Concubine]

I have a lenovo thinkpad X61 that my medical school "gave me" and it's the biggest piece of crap ever. After 1 year of heavy use its having a lot of problems (and I'm not the only one in my class). The only dependable computer I have ever owned is my imac...and I've owned a lot of computers (4 different brands of laptops and 3 different brands of desktops). Buy an apple with the applecare warranty.

 

[JJMrK]

Lenovo laptops are waaaay overpriced.

 

[BlueElmo]

Lenovo laptops are waaaay overpriced.

IdeaPads are pretty cheap, IMO.

 

[JJMrK]

IdeaPads are pretty cheap, IMO.

Yeah, the ideapads are decently priced, but the value isn't there. You're only getting 2-4 GB RAM, integrated graphics, relatively small hard drives, etc. When you start to add small graphics cards and faster processors, the price shoots up way too high.

 

[butac]

Ideapads are netbooks. I hate when people start citing how they lack a "graphics card, optical drive, big hard drives, etc" when the product is not a laptop in that sense. Netbooks are meant for light work such as web-surfing and word processing, not editing home videos, storing HD video and playing games. I commonly hear, "I will buy a netbook once they start putting in an optical drive, increase the ram and processor speed, and a bigger hard drive." They already make those - they are called laptops and they are much more expensive than the $300 range that most netbooks fall into.

I have a lenovo laptop and it is fine for most students, very portable and does my school work. I also have a desktop that I use for entertainment and more intense computing. I would consider the ideapad a supplementary computer if you are using it for much more than surfing the web and word processing.

 

[BlueElmo]

Ideapads are netbooks. I hate when people start citing how they lack a "graphics card, optical drive, big hard drives, etc" when the product is not a laptop in that sense. Netbooks are meant for light work such as web-surfing and word processing, not editing home videos, storing HD video and playing games.

Yup. I think it's one of the best out there. I love my IdeaPad.

 

[JJMrK]

Ideapads are netbooks. I hate when people start citing how they lack a "graphics card, optical drive, big hard drives, etc" when the product is not a laptop in that sense. Netbooks are meant for light work such as web-surfing and word processing, not editing home videos, storing HD video and playing games. I commonly hear, "I will buy a netbook once they start putting in an optical drive, increase the ram and processor speed, and a bigger hard drive." They already make those - they are called laptops and they are much more expensive than the $300 range that most netbooks fall into.

I have a lenovo laptop and it is fine for most students, very portable and does my school work. I also have a desktop that I use for entertainment and more intense computing. I would consider the ideapad a supplementary computer if you are using it for much more than surfing the web and word processing.

Then why does it cost as much as one?

 

[david594]

Then why does it cost as much as one?

Because they are smaller, lighter, and ideally have better battery life. Before the current netbook craze "ultra-portable" laptops sold at a huge price premium.

It costs money to make things smaller and more efficient. The netbooks now are really a pretty amazing value.

 

[JJMrK]

Because they are smaller, lighter, and ideally have better battery life. Before the current netbook craze "ultra-portable" laptops sold at a huge price premium.

It costs money to make things smaller and more efficient. The netbooks now are really a pretty amazing value.

I guess I just don't understand the fad.

A standard laptop is cheaper, and faster. It weighs 8 pounds.
A "netbook" is has a smaller screen, is slower, and doesn't have a CD drive. You get less for the same price. It weighs 3 pounds.

Both fit in a backpack, both can be carried easily. What's the benefit?

 

[nfgsjklgnsdfkjn]

I guess I just don't understand the fad.

A standard laptop is cheaper, and faster. It weighs 8 pounds.
A "netbook" is has a smaller screen, is slower, and doesn't have a CD drive. You get less for the same price. It weighs 3 pounds.

Both fit in a backpack, both can be carried easily. What's the benefit?

I'm not too big on netbooks, but I've used several ultraportables (<3lbs, generally expensive), and the weight and size make them more pleasurable to use. Little things like being able grab the notebook off the floor with two fingers instead of two hands, and balancing it on your knee or chest easily, comfortably holding it by your side with one hand. They also tend to be less power hungry and produce less heat because of special processors.

Whether those little pleasures are worth $500-800 more is all about how much cash you've got and how much you use them. You have to really use something like a Macbook Air for a couple weeks to realize why they are so appealing. It's not just shallow "look at how thin and fashionable my notebook is!" They are more user friendly and unobtrusive. I'd really recommend either the Lenovo X301 or X60 for class notes. They are incredibly well-reviewed machines that are built pretty solid. You really do get what you pay for.

 

[Vihsadas]

Ideapad's are great, but I would strongly suggesting waiting until mid-august before you get one. Soon they will be the first netbook with the Nvidia ION graphics chipset, which will really boost their performance compared to the previous Intel GMAs that are normally shipped with netbooks. The ION can render full-res HD very efficiently and supports a lot of higher level 3D rendering functions. It's worth the wait, and will start at only $449 I think.

 

[JJMrK]

I'm not too big on netbooks, but I've used several ultraportables (<3lbs, generally expensive), and the weight and size make them more pleasurable to use. Little things like being able grab the notebook off the floor with two fingers instead of two hands, and balancing it on your knee or chest easily, comfortably holding it by your side with one hand. They also tend to be less power hungry and produce less heat because of special processors.

Whether those little pleasures are worth $500-800 more is all about how much cash you've got and how much you use them. You have to really use something like a Macbook Air for a couple weeks to realize why they are so appealing. It's not just shallow "look at how thin and fashionable my notebook is!" They are more user friendly and unobtrusive. I'd really recommend either the Lenovo X301 or X60 for class notes. They are incredibly well-reviewed machines that are built pretty solid. You really do get what you pay for.

Not my cup of tea, I guess.

 

[david594]

I guess I just don't understand the fad.

A standard laptop is cheaper, and faster. It weighs 8 pounds.
A "netbook" is has a smaller screen, is slower, and doesn't have a CD drive. You get less for the same price. It weighs 3 pounds.

Both fit in a backpack, both can be carried easily. What's the benefit?

My desktop is cheaper, much faster, has a much larger screen and a DVD burner. My laptop has no need for any of those features?

My biggest consideration for a netbook is that I really don't want to be carrying my 4.5 pound 14" laptop to class every day. I wont need it for class, so it would largely just be used for checking email between classes. For me portability is the mostly highly valued feature. My laptop is also fairly high end, so I would prefer not to risk it getting stolen, when I have no real need for its benefits.

 

[JJMrK]

My desktop is cheaper, much faster, has a much larger screen and a DVD burner. My laptop has no need for any of those features?

That make sense. I don't have a desktop, so my laptop has to do everything.

My biggest consideration for a netbook is that I really don't want to be carrying my 4.5 pound 14" laptop to class every day. I wont need it for class, so it would largely just be used for checking email between classes. For me portability is the mostly highly valued feature. My laptop is also fairly high end, so I would prefer not to risk it getting stolen, when I have no real need for its benefits.

Wait, so you have a desktop, a laptop, and a netbook? Somebody is a technology geek. 😉

 

[david594]

Yup, laptop is 6 years old and what I got when I started undergrad.(where I did my degree in computer science, go figure).

Desktops are a pair of mac mini's driving three 24" LCD's. They provide for the general computing needs.

Netbook would be the essentially disposable computer I would drag with me everywhere because it cheap(<$300), capable enough, and weights next to nothing.

Now if a laptop is going to be your only computer then a netbook is definitely far from ideal and not something I would recommend. It compromises everything for the sake of portability.

And there is no doubt I am a geek. Technology is great when it does what it is intended to do. Simple things like wireless printing from all devices, and network shares between all systems just make the computing experience more enjoyable.

 

[JJMrK]

Yup, laptop is 6 years old and what I got when I started undergrad.(where I did my degree in computer science, go figure).

Desktops are a pair of mac mini's driving three 24" LCD's. They provide for the general computing needs.

Netbook would be the essentially disposable computer I would drag with me everywhere because it cheap(<$300), capable enough, and weights next to nothing.

Now if a laptop is going to be your only computer then a netbook is definitely far from ideal and not something I would recommend. It compromises everything for the sake of portability.

And there is no doubt I am a geek. Technology is great when it does what it is intended to do. Simple things like wireless printing from all devices, and network shares between all systems just make the computing experience more enjoyable.

Cool setup. Your 3 monitors are essentially just one big screen, correct?

 

[Excelsius]

Yup, laptop is 6 years old and what I got when I started undergrad.(where I did my degree in computer science, go figure).

Desktops are a pair of mac mini's driving three 24" LCD's. They provide for the general computing needs.

Netbook would be the essentially disposable computer I would drag with me everywhere because it cheap(<$300), capable enough, and weights next to nothing.

Now if a laptop is going to be your only computer then a netbook is definitely far from ideal and not something I would recommend. It compromises everything for the sake of portability.

And there is no doubt I am a geek. Technology is great when it does what it is intended to do. Simple things like wireless printing from all devices, and network shares between all systems just make the computing experience more enjoyable.

Let's compare that to my 19" square monitor; now that I saw your picture I want to throw my monitor away. It's just too small.

By the way, you have hooked up three monitors into the same computer? If so, you got two videocards or what?

 

[david594]

Let's compare that to my 19" square monitor; now that I saw your picture I want to throw my monitor away. It's just too small.

By the way, you have hooked up three monitors into the same computer? If so, you got two videocards or what?

Two separate computers. The left monitor is run off an older mac mini while the right 2 are run of the latest mac mini. I then use a program called Teleport(or synergy) which allows the mouse and keyboard from one computer to control a different computer. So when I drag the mouse off the left side of the middle screen, it then shows up on the right side of the first screen. The clipboard is also shared across the two computers using the same software.

 

[nick_carraway]

Two separate computers. The left monitor is run off an older mac mini while the right 2 are run of the latest mac mini. I then use a program called Teleport(or synergy) which allows the mouse and keyboard from one computer to control a different computer. So when I drag the mouse off the left side of the middle screen, it then shows up on the right side of the first screen. The clipboard is also shared across the two computers using the same software.

What do you run on the third screen with the older Mini?

Offer some examples, if you don't mind, since dual screens seems like the optimum between (in)convenience & efficiency.

 

[BlueElmo]

Two separate computers. The left monitor is run off an older mac mini while the right 2 are run of the latest mac mini. I then use a program called Teleport(or synergy) which allows the mouse and keyboard from one computer to control a different computer. So when I drag the mouse off the left side of the middle screen, it then shows up on the right side of the first screen. The clipboard is also shared across the two computers using the same software.

hey, that's pretty awesome. I want to try something like that.

 

[Trexate]

Two separate computers. The left monitor is run off an older mac mini while the right 2 are run of the latest mac mini. I then use a program called Teleport(or synergy) which allows the mouse and keyboard from one computer to control a different computer. So when I drag the mouse off the left side of the middle screen, it then shows up on the right side of the first screen. The clipboard is also shared across the two computers using the same software.

<3 Synergy

I use it at work to connect my personal laptop with my desktop and work laptop.

I'm not exactly sure everything you'd be using the laptop for. Personally, I use my laptop mostly for internet stuffs and use my desktop powerhouse for everything else. You can buy, or build, a desktop for very little money. If it were me, I'd get a net book (~$350) and a desktop (~$350).

 

[MossPoh]

We are given a Lenovo x200 tablet and I hate it with every fiber of my being. No touch pad, it freezes all the time, no built in disc drive (which is more of a problem than I anticipated), sluggish to start up after the first week and did I mention it has locked up or failed to start several times already? It also makes an obnoxious beep which I have to instruct my entire class on how to turn off. The speakers sound like crap. Keep in mind...I also despise vista with a passion, so I might be a bit biased.

Pros: long battery life and fairly tough case.

 

[NickNaylor]

I've never used an IdeaPad, but I've had a ThinkPad (T60p) that rocks. Others around here have said that the IdeaPads are crap since they're consumer computers. I would recommed upgrading to a ThinkPad if you can afford it. I promise you won't be disappointed.

 

[david594]

What do you run on the third screen with the older Mini?

Offer some examples, if you don't mind, since dual screens seems like the optimum between (in)convenience & efficiency.

Haha.... the truth is I built the screen mount when I only had 2 screens, so it looked kind of lopsided without the third. Dual screens was a nicer upgrade than adding the 3rd on the second computer. But at $270 a monitor, it wasnt too hard to justify the 3rd.

The 2nd computer and screen is used for pretty much everything but web browsing and CPU intensive applications. Playing movies, watching tv, Itunes, chat client, buddy list.

 

[Chemdude]

I need a new laptop and was thinking of getting an IdeaPad from Lenovo (I don't know which one yet). I was curious to see if anybody owned one or had an opinion on Lenovo's IdeaPad product line.

If it makes a difference, I will be starting medical school this fall and want a computer I can rely on for the next several years.

As an aside (just in case), please don't turn this into a mac thread. I am just searching for opinions on Lenovo. Thank you.

Who?😕 Benny Lava?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA1NoOOoaNw

 

[hal9000]

Who?😕 Benny Lava?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA1NoOOoaNw

I hate you.

 

[Chemdude]

I hate you.

Why?

I love you. 😍. No Homo.

 

[hal9000]

Why?

I love you. 😍. No Homo.

Why? I'm Tamil. That video mocks my people and our funny sounding language... and that's fine and dandy. But it's because of people like you that video has more than 13 million hits. I mean, come on... LENOVO as a segue?! REALLY NOW?

I'm just playin though. Love you too.

 

[JJMrK]

Two separate computers. The left monitor is run off an older mac mini while the right 2 are run of the latest mac mini. I then use a program called Teleport(or synergy) which allows the mouse and keyboard from one computer to control a different computer. So when I drag the mouse off the left side of the middle screen, it then shows up on the right side of the first screen. The clipboard is also shared across the two computers using the same software.

That's cool. For a while I had a desktop hooked up to 2 monitors. That was easy though; I just used both outputs on the video card.

 

[Forthegood]

Wow... too many fish for me to fry on this one.

First, I got my Ideapad for under 750 bucks, and it has a core 2 duo with over 2GHz and 3GB of DDR3 (not ddr2 like every other mainstream manufacturer), has over 300GB hard drive @ 7200 and of course has a dvd-rom drive and a 15.4in screen (why do you think these dont?). It also has hdmi out and a host of other little goodies, all in a nice, succinct, simple package. Right, you are not going to want to produce a movie on this thing, but really, you are not engineering the body in medical school, you are just studying it.

Also, the speaker system is fantastic. Read that again. It has by far the highest quality built in speakers (and sub) of any laptop I have heard BY FAR. Of course, it is not loud enough to play in MSG, but why would someone want that anyway? It has beautiful clarity, and easily matches my logitech setup on my PC or my boston acoustics in my vehicle.

I have used 3 laptops in my life, and my sister has had 2. This will be the 4th that I have used frequently, and it has my highest recommendation by far. Of course, I am biased because it didn't come with all the extra useless s*** that most laptops come with. It took an hour to clean it up to my liking, unlike weeks with most computers. I don't like messes and I don't want my laptop to be filled up with crap I never use. Simple is elegant, my life is complicated enough.