Lenovo IdeaPad Z360: College Student’s First Impressions

Carter SprungerDecember 7, 2010

Last month, we posted our first impressions of the Lenovo IdeaPad Z360. Below is a first impression from a college student’s perspective.

First off, the island-style keyboard is great. It has a great feel to it and was very easy to type on. However, I have to agree with Josh that Lenovo should not have messed with the right Shift key. The fact that it is smaller than a normal shift key almost ruined the entire user experience because I would constantly hit the arrow up key instead. Though I eventually got used to this re-sized shift key, attempting to write a paper on this proved to be problematic.

Along with that, I found the trackpad to be in the way while I was typing. I would frequently hit the corners of it that would then click somewhere on the screen, messing up where I was typing. Other than that, the trackpad has an interesting tactile feel to it. I personally liked the little bumps, but some of my friends that used the notebook were not fans of the dimpled surface.

One big selling point of this notebook is the Dolby Advanced Audio. I decided to test out the Lenovo against my 2007 Apple MacBook Pro. Honestly, it was fairly close, but the MacBook Pro was still the winner. Turned up to maximum volume, the Lenovo had some distortion, with the high tones sounding a bit tinny. Playing the same song at maximum volume, the MacBook Pro did not experience any of this. That being said, is the Lenovo IdeaPad Z360‘s audio quality above average when compared to other notebooks? Absolutely, it’s just not the best that I have heard from a notebook.

One major complaint is the overall build quality of the Lenovo. The notebook feels, for the lack of a better word, flimsy. It does not securely latch by any means when you close it. When carrying the notebook around while closed, it made a squeaking noise with every step that I took, sounding like plastic rubbing against plastic. The cover has a glossy black finish that shows every single fingerprint. The only aspect of build quality that I particularly liked was the metal alloy used on the interior, which brought a much needed premium feel to the notebook.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad Z360 is a great notebook and would be a great fit for the average college student so long as they carry it around ins a form fitting case. The shift key and the trackpad may take some getting used to, but aren’t dealbreakers. Also, seeing as college students want better audio quality in their notebooks, the Lenovo IdeaPad Z360 fits the bill. With its Dolby Advanced Audio, the sound quality should provide ample satisfaction to most students.

Currently, the Lenovo IdeaPad Z360 is on sale from Lenovo for $749, though we have seen it as low as $649 from select retailers. For more information, stay tuned for a full review of the IdeaPad Z360, or check out our previous Lenovo IdeaPad Z360 first impression.

Video Overview of the IdeaPad Z360: