The Lenovo IdeaPad Z370 is a consumer notebook with a bright blue design that stands out in the crowded $600 notebook market.

With a 13.3 inch display and compact dimensions, the Z370 is an attractive option for students and home users who don’t want to carry a bulky notebook to class or the cafe, but aren’t ready to pay up for an Ultrabook.

The IdeaPad Z370 is missing the latest features like USB 3.0, but users will find it tough to argue with sale prices that drop to $569 on a regular basis.

Who is the IdeaPad Z370 for?

The IdeaPad Z370 is a notebook for consumers and students who want a well-built machine that will stand out in the crowd. The bright blue patterned lid and blue interior won’t appeal to everyone, but students drawn in by the looks will find more than enough power for school and personal tasks thanks to an Intel Core i5 processor.

Design

The IdeaPad Z370 has a distinct plastic feel I’m not a fan of, but that doesn’t mean the Z370 isn’t sturdy or a nice look to it. The base of the notebook is very well built, with no flex under pressure and no flex in the center of the notebook, which helps deliver a better typing experience.

The lid has a solid feel and hinges that keep it in place at the angle you open it to. As I mentioned, the Z370 has a very loud color scheme, accentuated with the transparent 3D design that catches the eye.

The Z370 weighs in at 4.41 pounds, which isn’t going to win any contests, but is light enough to carry in a backpack to and from class without too much weight. The IdeaPad Z370 is .08 to 1.3 inches thick, which is still thin enough for most users, but I wouldn’t want to take it on a trip all the time.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The IdeaPad Z370 has an island style keyboard with good spacing and a nice tactile feel. The keys have a slight indent and offer an OK amount of travel, but there were definitely times where I missed a letter because I didn’t push in enough.

The key layout is OK, but Lenovo continues the trend of placing keys to the right of Shift and Enter, which can slow down touch typers and cause odd spelling errors due to pressing Home or End. The right shift key is also smaller, so you’ll be pressing up accidentally on a semi-regular basis.

The touchpad has a nice tactile feel that makes it easy to mouse to a specific place, but the accuracy is lost when you are trying to select multiple lines of text while holding down the left side of the single mouse button.

Scrolling is smooth with the right side of the trackpad, but if you want to use two fingers be ready for a jumpy scrolling experience. Overall the trackpad is usable, but for extended sessions I suggest a good travel mouse.

Display

The 13.3 inch display on the IdeaPad Z370 has a standard 1366 x 768 resolution which makes it difficult to compare two documents at the same time, such as a web source and Word, or to surf the web and carry on chat conversations.

Unless you plan to spend significantly more though, you’ll be stuck with this relatively low resolution. If you tend to focus on one task at a time, this isn’t a huge deal.

The display is glossy, one of the glossiest I have used recently, kicking back glare from a ceiling light at home and ruling out use outdoors.

Still, the display has good horizontal viewing angles and offers good colors, making it useful for sharing a few YouTube clips with a friend or two. Vertical viewing angles go bad fast, but the display opens up to a wide angle, so you can find a position that works in most settings.

The OneKey Theater button allows you to tweak display settings for a better viewing experience.

I’d recommend using the HDMI connection to mirror to an HDTV if you plan to watch a full movie with more than two people.

Performance and Graphics

The IdeaPad Z370 has an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM which combine with the integrated Intel 3000 HD graphics to offer plenty of performance for students and home users looking to surf the web, watch movies, listen to music and work in Microsoft office.

The notebook is capable of casual flash based gaming, but isn’t going to replace an Xbox 360 for gaming. Lenovo includes a Game Console app with the notebook that gives you quick access to many casual games.

I was able to run multiple Chrome windows with about 15 tabs, music playing in Windows Media Player and chat with friends without issues.

The integrated 2.0MP webcam is capable enough for Skype or a Google Hangout, but you won’t come across as crystal clear, though audio does well in chat.

The Z370 has SRS Premium audio enhanced sound which does give a boost in the depth of music and clear highs, but the middle is left muddy. You are able to crank the built in speakers to the Max to fill up a dorm room or bedroom.

When it comes to movies and TV, you can watch Netflix and Hulu without any trouble, though the notebook will hear up after an episode of The Daily Show.

If you want to edit photos for red eye, automatic color correction and cropping, this notebook has enough power, but it wouldn’t be my first pick for a graphic design student. The same is true for video editing.

Battery Life

While using the Laptop Magazine Battery Test, which simulates web browsing on 40% brightness until the battery dies, the Lenovo Z370 was able to last 4 hours and 39 minutes, which isn’t bad, but far below a full day of use.

If you need a full day of computing power, you can carry a second battery, unlike many of the ultrabooks which don’t allow for a replacement.

The Bottom Line

The IdeaPad Z370 is a capable notebook for students and home users, with good build quality and eye-catching looks. There aren’t many frills, but with web sales prices starting at $569, you don’t need or expect the world.

If you are OK with the so so keyboard layout and poor two finger scrolling, the Z370 is a nice catch, especially at the sale price under $600.

Gallery

Specs

Lenovo IdeaPad Z370 Review is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo hasn’t forgotten horsepower with the 2012 IdeaPad refresh. The new IdeaPad Z series is a collection of notebooks aimed at consumers who want to be able to enjoy their multimedia and create videos without waiting for a sluggish machine.

The IdeaPad Z580 shown in the video below is engineered to deliver on both video and audio with Dolby Home Theater audio enhancements.

While won’t carry this one with you everyplace you go, the IdeaPad Z series is light enough to go with you when the road calls. You still get an optical drive on this notebook, which is important to many mainstream users.

IdeaPad Z Series Hands On

The IdeaPad Z series come in 13.3′, 14″ or 15.6″ sizes and can be configured with up to a NVIDIA GeForce GT640M with 2GB of graphics power and OneKey Theater II for a premium visual experience. Having used this mode before, I can say that you are in for a better movie watching experience when you push this button. Because you don’t have to play with settings, you’ll actually use this movie watching mode.

All of these models also include Wireless Display for connectivity to your HDTV with a WiDi adapter. You can add an optional Blu-Ray drive to these systems to round out your multimedia experience.

The IdeaPad Z series will be available in April with a starting price of $599.

IdeaPad Z Series Hands On Video is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo isn’t makein netbooks, but if you want a small, portable and affordable machine, the IdeaPad S Series is as close as you’ll get.

Officially called Mini-Notebooks, these 11.6″ notebooks use the same Intel Atom processors found on most netbooks, which is enough for our own K.T. Bradford to call them a netbook.

During CES 2012 we stopped in to the Lenovo trailer to check out the latest IdeaPad notebooks and K.T. found herself immediately drawn to these small notebooks, even as the IdeaPad U310 set right next to it.

IdeaPad S Series Hands On Video

The IdeaPad S200 and S206 measure 11.8 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches and weigh just 2.8 pounds, light for an 11-inch notebook. Unfortunately, these notebooks only have a 2-cell battery. Sure it’s rated at 4 hours, but in real life expect that to drop and to be on the lookout for an outlet.

The IdeaPad S200 has an Intel Atom processor, while the S206 rocks an AMD C-60 processor. The S200 can be configured with a 32GB SSD, and both can be configured with a 320GB or 500GB hard drive option.

The mini notebooks come with 2GB RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium as well as a Lenovo Accutype keyboard that delivers a very nice typng experience, even if it isn’t up to par with the ThinkPad line.

You can order your IdeaPad S series starting in June for $349.

IdeaPad S Series Mini Notebook Hands On Video is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo announced a collection of new notebooks at CES 2012, but the most exciting IdeaPad has to be the new IdeaPad U series of Ultrabooks.

Lenovo took what I liked about the IdeaPad U260 and U300s, and added options like an SD card reader and better graphics options to make a well rounded notebook.

You can purchase Ultrabook versions with SSDs, or “Ultra Laptop” versions with standard hard drives. By packing in a standard hard drive on the “Ultra Laptop” versions, Lenovo has been able to come in at the high end of the mainstream pricepoint, at $699.

IdeaPad U310 Hands On Video

The IdeaPad U310 felt good in the hands, and there’s no arguing with the looks of the thin device. The U310 which we spent most of our tim with felt snappy thanks to the latest Intel Core i processors. The larger 14″ IdeaPad U410 will come with the option of NVIDIA 610M 1GB Graphics, and both notebooks can share their display wirelessly with Intel WiDi.

The IdeaPad U310 is .83 inches thick and weighs 3.74 pounds, and the Ideapad U410 is .97 inches thick and weighs in at 4.18 pounds.

You will be able to buy the new IdeaPad U310 and U410 starting in May at $699. The IdeaPad U series will be available in a variety of colors including, Cotton-candy Pink, Crimson Red, Electric Blue, Graphite Grey and Pearl White.

IdeaPad U310 Hands-On Video is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo dabbled in the Ultrabook market in 2011 with the U300 and U300s notebooks, but at CES 2012, they showed off two new IdeaPads that reaffirm Lenovo’s commitment to making a name in the thin and light space.

The IdeaPad U310 and IdeaPad U410 notebooks are both available as an Ultrabook option with an SSD and as a cheaper “Ultra Laptop” option with a standard hard drive. On the Ultrabook models, expect a 64GB SSD to start or up to a 500 GB HDD on the “ultra laptop” model.

Lenovo is pushing these new notebooks as all day machines with up to eight hours of battery life while still delivering thin and light bodies. The IdeaPad U310 weighs in at 3.74 pounds and .97″ thick, while the U410 is 4.18 pounds and .83″ thick.

Both notebooks use Intel Core Processors, presumably the latest models which will be announced this week at CES 2012. The 13.3″ Lenovo U310 uses integrated Intel graphics and the IdeaPad U410 has a 14″ display with NVIDIA 610M 1GB Graphics. All of the models support Intel Wireless Display to stream content to your big screen.

These Ultrabook options and the lower priced options with hard drives represent a new breed of more affordable thin and light notebooks for the average user, instead of travelers and business professionals. It remains to be seen if consumers will buy these new notebooks, but with prices starting at $699, Lenovo has a chance.

The IdeaPad U310 and U410 will be available in May with a starting price of $699 in an array of colors including; Cotton-candy Pink, Crimson Red, Electric Blue, Graphite Grey and Pearl White.

IdeaPad U310 and U410 Usher in the UltraBook Era at Lenovo is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

It’s one thing to grab a notebook, but some notebooks obviously have more thought put into them. The IdeaPad U300s is a new Ultrabook from Lenovo that embodies the design of a book, but is perhaps the most beautiful and powerful book you’ll ever hold.

The IdeaPad U300s team gets a chance to share what went in to this “100 person re-imagination of the laptop” in a new behind the scenes video from Lenovo.

I’m impressed with the looks and specs of the notebook from afar, even though it still lacks and SD card reader, and I am looking forward to going hands on with one soon.

The Behind the Design video shows off the features that make the notebook attractive, yet not just something pretty to look at. I wish more notebook manufacturers would pay attention to this design principle shared by Yao Yingjia, design VP for Lenovo.

We want users to feel that although there is very high technology inside, it is natural and friendly to hold in your hands.

Some have been quick to make comparisons to the MacBook Air or Macbook Pro, thanks to the glass touchpad and focus on aesthetics, but this one looks like more than an attempt to make notebook that looks like an Apple product. We’ve seen those types of notebooks before, and they always come close, but rarely innovate.

IdeaPad U300s

If you look at enough notebooks, you can start to get an idea of which companies are trying to copy Apple, and which companies are trying to bring a better looking, better functioning notebook to market. It shouldn’t be a surprise that by succeeding in the latter, the final result will share some design traits with Apple’s products.

What do you think about the design of the U300s? Will you be buying one when they are up for sale?

Behind the Scenes: Explore the IdeaPad U300s Design Process is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo is launching an update to the popular IdeaPad U Series notebooks, including the company’s first UltraBook, the IdeaPad U300s.

In all, Lenovo is announcing three notebooks in the U series, which keep much of the book design and emphasis on the look and feel of the device which we saw on the IdeaPad U260.

These notebooks make use of the latest Intel Core i 2nd Gen processors, and in the case of the U300s, we have a new ULV processor that Intel is betting the UltraBook name on.

The IdeaPad U300s is the long awaited Lenovo UltraBook.

The IdeaPad U series includes the following notebooks,

• IdeaPad U300 – 13.3″ display full voltage 2nd Gen Intel processors and up to 6 hours battery life
• IdeaPad U300s – 13.3″ display, ULV Intel Core i7 processor, ultralight, up to 8 hours of battery life
• IdeaPad U400 – 14″ display, full voltage 2nd Gen Intel processors, AMD Radeon GPU and up to 7 hours battery life

Features and Specs

As I mentioned the most interesting models is the IdeaPad U300s, which comes in at 14.9mm thick and weighs in at 2.9 pounds. This notebook is an UltraBook, which PC makers hope will provide competition against the MacBook Air.

In order to deliver a slim notebook, Lenovo changed the way the device is laid out, which results in some pretty dramatic changes. First off, there are no vents on the bottom of the notebook. Instead, there is a breathable keyboard, like we saw on the Sony VAIO Z, which allows air to enter the notebook and be pushed out through the side vents.

Lenovo tells us that this keeps temps on the palmrest and base of the notebook lower, even if you use the notebook in bed propped on a pillow. We’ll have to wait to verify this ourselves, but it sounds great.

In addition to a breathable keyboard, Lenovo has paid attention to the mousepad. The U300s, and other U series notebooks, will have a glass touchpad that is larger and smoother to use.

IdeaPad U300 on the left and IdeaPad U300s on the right.

Rather than deliver a notebook that is wedge shaped, like the MacBook air and other Windows competitors, Lenovo has focused on replicating the book experience. This comes through in the shape of the notebook, but also in the feel.

The IdeaPad U series is made from a single sheet of aluminum, but Lenovo doesn’t stop there, they also sandblast it to give a warmer feel and anodized instead of painted, in clementine orange or graphite grey.

The battery life on the IdeaPad U300s is rated at 8 hours of productive use, which will likely drop when it gets in to real world users hands, but still should last most of your day. The notebook is also rated to last 30 days in standby. The U300 is rated at 6 hours and the U400 is rated at 7 hours.

If you configure any of these IdeaPad U series notebooks with an SSD, you can get 10 second boot times thanks to Lenovo RapidBoot technology and the Lenovo Enhanced Experience.

Pricing and Availability

The IdeaPad U series will be available in October at Lenovo.com and participating retailers.

• IdeaPad U300 – $799
• IdeaPad U400 – $849
• IdeaPad U300s – $1,195

IdeaPad U300s and U Series Gallery

Lenovo U Series Notebooks Updated, IdeaPad U300s UltraBook Arrives is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Z series laptop helps student and Parkour aficionado Mikael study and play. Mikael is an exchange student from Russia studying in Beijing, China. As a computer science major he works on the laptop for school. But he also enjoys Parkour, an interesting sport where you climb walls, railings and anything else you can find to scale in your environment. He likes to use the laptop’s built-in camera to get some interesting video of his leaping, jumping and climbing around the walls of the city and campus.

Besides using it for school, he also is a photographer and works with his pictures. He takes video of his Parkour and edits them. Being so far from home he also uses the computer to keep in touch with family and friends home in Russia.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Z Series comes in three screen sizes, 13.3″, 14″ and 15.6″. They are designed as multimedia notebooks with multiple colors that are attractive but not flashy. They come with the Lenovo Enhanced Experience with fast booting technology as an option. This feature was demonstrated at CES as our own Xavier Lanier put his MacBook Air up against a Lenovo being operated by race car driver Danica Patrick.

The Z Series also comes with Intel Core iX Sandy Bridge processors and NVIDIA Optimus graphics. Blu-ray is an option on some of these. They start at $669 for the 13″ model, $899 for the 14″ model and $699 for the 15″ model. Below is a video from Lenovo about the series:

Lenovo IdeaPad Z Helps Student & Parkour Fan with Work & Play (video) is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo is rolling out a new ad campaign designed to show customers that the IdeaPad and ThinkPad line of notebooks can help consumers, especially 18-25 year old consumers, get things done.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Ad Speaks to "Doers"

This is no small task for a company that is known for corporate controlled notebooks, but the new ads that go for the “doers” have a chance at attracting attention — especially with products like the ThinkPad X1. The X1 hasn’t been officailly announced, but this ultraportable with a long battery life and a super fast recharge is to be one of the stars of the new Lenovo ad campaign which will launch in May.

If, like many, you think that everyone is buying an Apple because it is cool, you are missing out. As Ms. Cheever tells the NY Times, technology is, “not just a badge, it’s a tool.” When most people buy Apple notebooks, they are doing so to get a new tool to use in their schoolwork, career or for a specific reason aside from the glowing Apple.

With this new focus on delivering products that do something and showing consumers what they can do, Lenovo stands a real chance at getting mindshare with the 18 to 25 year olds they are trying to reach.

Too often the Apple competitors, specifically in the tablet space — but also in notebooks, focus on beating Apple on one item such as price or specs or looks. Unfortunately the competition has a problem showing end users why the product is better, how it will help them get more done or what they can do with it.

The commercials haven’t been released yet, but you can take a look at the Lenovo “Those Who Do” Bus in the video below.

Lenovo Takes on Apple By Advertising to Doers, Thinkers and Tinkerers is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Intel announced the immediate availability on their Facebook page of the new IdeaPad Z370 notebook. This is a 13″ notebook with an Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge processor and fast booting technology. They also come with a splash of color.

This affordable line has some flash as well. It comes in a few bright colors including blue, brown, copper, red and pink, although the pink model isn’t available in the US for some reason. The lid has a textured design. The machines start at $669.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z370 Features

The Z370 is a multimedia notebook computer with a fast second generation Sandy Bridge processor. The NVIDIA GeForce graphics and Blu-ray option will make this a great computer for catching a movie. Get the Wi-Di to stream the video to a Wi-Di enabled TV. This would be good for a student in a dorm room or anyone who wants an entertainment notebook that will also handle some gaming and every day tasks.

Here is Lenovo’s promotional video for the Z series:

Lenovo IdeaPad Z370 Specs

What’s important are the specs. Here are the most important details. There are multiple options available.

• Intel Core i7 second generation Sandy Bridge processors
• Up to 1 TB of hard drive space
• NVIDIA GeForce Graphics
• Optional Blu-ray drive
• Up to four USB 2.0 ports
• eSATA connector
• HDMI output
• Rapid Boot technology for 20 second boot times
• Thermal Management system which adjusts speeds to meet cooling needs
• Bluetooth
• Wi-Fi and optional WiMax
• WiDi video streaming
• Accessories include: Lenovo Speakers, Lenovo Notebook Stand, Lenovo Wireless Remote with keyboard and mouse

For more detailed information about this notebook see our previous announcement about the Z series and the big brother to this model the Z570 also now available.

Lenovo’s Colorful IdeaPad Z370 w/Fast Booting & Intel Core i7 Now For Sale is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.