On first glance you might mistake this IdeaPad for a MacBook Pro thanks to the all-metal body, minimalist design, and skimpy port selection. Once you get beyond looks, the U400 impresses thanks to good performance and longevity. All in a package not too heavy to carry around if you need to.

Is the Lenovo IdeaPad u400 the right notebook for your needs? Read on to find out.

Who is the U400 For?

People looking for a sturdy mainstream notebook that won’t choke under heavy multitasking. Users who don’t intend to play graphics intensive games or need robust multimedia editing power. Those needing a portable yet powerful system that does more than an ultrabook yet isn’t so heavy that carrying it all day is a pain.

Design

The best way to describe the design of the IdeaPad U400 is to say: Imagine a MacBook Pro. Now put Lenovo’s logo on it.

That sounds harsh, I know. And unnecessarily reductive. But that’s not a knock on the IdeaPad. In broad strokes, the U400’s “one-piece aluminum shell”, “intelligent glass touchpad”, and chiclet keyboard all evoke the Apple aesthetic. At the same time this design is also a continuation of the U series look.

I think it’s more noticeable with the U400 because of the size. At 13.4 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches with a 14-inch display it straddles the the space between the 13 and 15-inch Apple models.

Though the notebook sports a sturdy all-metal design it only weighs 4.4 pounds. I like how the matte dusky gray aluminum feels under my fingers and hands. The lid could do a better job not picking up fingerprints, especially as there’s little to detract from them.

The bottom and back of the notebook are both smooth, so there’s no removable battery or discernible way to get at the innards to change the hard drive or RAM.

The disappointments in design come from the more practical areas. At this size the manufacturer had plenty of room to include plenty of ports, but instead we only get 1 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet and a slot-loading DVD drive. No VGA output and no SD card slot.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Not only does the U400′s keyboard look like the one found on a MacBook, it feels like it, too. It’s serviceable and comfortable, but doesn’t offer strong tactile feedback or the accuracy-upping dip in the center of the keys.

I’m used to IdeaPad keyboards not living up to the Lenovo standards given to the ThinkPad line, but I still wish for something more than “adequate” in this area.

Another annoyance is the shrunken Backspace and Shift keys on the right. They’re small to make room for a column of keys that no one needs as much as they need Backspace or Shift. I accidentally hit them so much I learned how to re-map keys to avoid the issue.

The wide glass touchpad is both beautiful and easy to use for basic mousing. The smooth glass surface offered no friction and offers precision and accuracy.

Executing typical multitouch gestures like two-finger scroll or pinch to zoom reveals how finicky and oversensitive it is for anything involving more than one finger. That sensitivity can be tweaked in the Mouse Settings of the control panel. Users will need to, as the defaults don’t offer a smooth experience.

There are additional three an four-finger gestures that mimic functions I’m more used to seeing in OS X. When you can get them to execute they’re useful.

Display

The 14.0 glossy display has a sadly typical 1366 x 768 resolution. On a screen this size I’d pay more for 1600 x 900 to take best advantage of the space.

Glossy screens tend to do well with colors and true, deep blacks, and this one is no exception. They also usually have narrow viewing angles; no exception there, either. Watching video is a pleasant experience as long as you keep the display positioned in the sweet spot.

Features

Audio quality on the U400 is impressive for a notebook. Volume is enough to rock out for real when necessary, and the bass and treble are round enough that music actually sounds as if it has layers. Still flatter than you’d get from external speakers, but better than average.

The 1.3MP webcam also offers better than average picture quality for an embedded model. Colors aren’t as deep as I’d like but are true. Plus there’s not much blur, even when you move around quickly. It’s capable of 720p video chat on systems that support it.

Multimedia fans will appreciate the inclusion of Intel’s Wireless Display Technology, which allows users to broadcast whatever is on the screen to an HDTV provided you have a the separate $99 adapter.

Performance, Graphics and Battery Life

My review unit (09932-9U) has an Intel Core i5 2430M processor, 6GB of RAM, and an AMD Radeon HD 6470M graphics processor backed by 1GB of video RAM.

In overall performance, the IdeaPad U400 did well. A monster multitasker won’t have any trouble running multiple programs and switching between dozens of tabs in Chrome or Firefox or both, as I did. Even with a traditional 5,400 rpm hard drive inside it booted in a snappy 46 seconds.

Graphics intensive tasks are another matter. Though the U400 has a discrete GPU, it doesn’t activate when needed at all times. AMD’s Catalyst Control Center utility will mark some programs as needing “High Performance” and thus activating the Radeon GPU. However, the average user won’t even know this is possible.

I discovered that the CCC didn’t think that Firefox or the image editing program Paint.net needed better performance when both of those should get it automatically. Users can manually change the settings for programs, but this is tedious and shouldn’t be necessary.

Even with High Performance activated users won’t find this satisfactory for anything beyond casual gaming on Facebook. Real games are playable, but framerates are slow enough that it’s not worth even loading them.

Video isn’t a problem, though. Even when streaming or watching 1080p clips I didn’t see any dropped frames. The notebook performed well when scenes transitioned from light to dark or with languid motion.

Whenever I used a program that taxed the GPU I noticed that the U400 got noticeably hotter. When just surfing the web and typing in Word it was cool enough to keep on my lap thanks to the breathable keyboard and vent on the left side.

But when watching streaming video or playing games the temperature went up. It got hot enough on the left side that I needed something between the laptop and my lap.

On the LAPTOP Magazine Battery Test (constant web surfing over Wi-Fi with the screen set at 40%) the U400 lasted for 6 hours and 3 minutes. A nice score from a notebook this size. With on and off use it could last you all day.

IdeaPad U400 vs. The Competition

The most obvious competitor is the MacBook Pro line from Apple. The U400 matches it in style and design easily. And at $884 it’s less than the least expensive model in the Pro line. However, when comparing graphics prowess the MacBook Pro 15-inch leads thanks to a more powerful GPU. The 13-inch Pro only comes with Intel’s integrated graphics, so the U400 has the edge.

Looking to slightly large systems, the 15.5-inch Sony VAIO SE is the same weight (4.4 pounds) and at 14.5 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches, not much bigger than the U400. The VAIO also has AMD graphics, but that GPU offered a better gaming experience. Plus you get a full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution on the display. The speakers on the VAIO are weak compared to the U400, as is the battery life.

The Bottom Line

At $884 the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 is a good value for a well-built mainstream notebook that offers excellent overall performance. If the middling graphics performance were the only drawback, it would be easy to recommend this notebook. The issues with the keyboard and touchpad are a big distraction, especially for such important components.

Gallery

Specs

Lenovo IdeaPad U400 Review is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

The X130E is a much tougher model of the ThinkPad X120E which I reviewed last year, and is well equipped to handle the hazards of the classroom. While it isn’t rated for it, I could probably drive my car over it and it would keep working.

The portable form factor, incredibly durable build and excellent keyboard pair up with an all day battery to deliver a well equipped solution for the education market.

ThinkPad X130E - Education Geared Netbook

So far, my only complaint about the system is the very touchy and small touchpad, but an external mouse or smaller fingers will help with that.

The ThinkPad X130E I have in for testing uses an AMD E 300 1.3GHz processor, 2GB RAM and has an 11.6 inch display with a 1366×768 resolution. You might think that this system is underpowered, but I didn’t find it sluggish while going about the tasks I would expect students to be doing such as web browsing, note taking, flash heavy websites and running multiple programs at once.

I’ll get into all the features in a second, but as soon as I picked up the X130E I knew it was a well built notebook. Everything about this device feels durable and well built. Even when I tried to flex the base or lid, I came up with white knuckles instead of buckling plastic.

I haven’t given the notebook a proper battery test yet, which will simulate web browsing until the battery dies, but during my daily use I found that it was easy to get 5 to 6 hours of battery life without worrying about screen brightness. I wouldn’t be surprised if this notebook can last the full schoolday with the 6 cell battery.

As I mentioned, the keyboard is rock solid and perfectly sized for students and teachers. The touchpad is a bit small, and it takes some getting used to. So far it is touchy, even though it is a newer clickpad style touchpad.

Education Ready

The ThinkPad X130E is ready for the hands of schoolkids everywhere thanks to a rugged design and the reinforcement of potential break points. Lenovo has also included security features and customization options that schools will appreciate.

After spending a week with the ThinkPad X130, I can attest to the build quality of the notebook. These design features are more than bullet points on a sales sheet.

The keyboard on this notebook is great, not the best ThinkPad keyboard I have used, but pretty close. It certainly blows away consumer notebook keyboards. This island style of keyboard means that the students won’t be able to pull keys off, at least not without a screwdriver and lots of leverage.

Hinges are tested to withstand heavy use.

Lenovo also made the entire system more rugged, starting with the cover and corners. The corners on the X130 are 33% stronger than the x120E and include rubber bumpers to cope with bumps and drops.

The display bezel is thicker, to protect the display from damage while in transport and the hings have been designed to last 30,000 cycles, or 100 times a day. The ports on the notebook include all of those education environments need including Ethernet and HDMI. The ports are recessed, and Lenovo has made the Ethernet port stronger to prevent damage if a pupil pulls the cord out without pressing down on the tab.

The ThinkPad X130E has recessed ports and a stronger Ethernet port.

Administrators will enjoy the security features including TPM, Intel Anti-Theft (only on the higher end model) and a hard drive retention program that lets the user keep drives that fail under warranty so that IT can dispose of data themselves.

The ThinkPad X130E is available today, but you can only get the Red version shown above in large orders for schools, which can choose from other customizations as well. The ThinkPad X130E starts at $429.

Stay Tuned for our full review of the ThinkPad X130E.

ThinkPad X130e Mini Review: Built Like a Tank, Ready for School is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

So why is it that there are still laptop designers and engineers in the world that think mucking around with keyboard layout and key size is okay? Not just on smaller systems like netbooks or 11-inch ultraportables, but on reasonably-sized 13 and 14-inch laptops?

I’m currently reviewing the IdeaPad U400. While I have mostly positive feelings about it, the positivity seeps away every time I accidentally hit the Home key when reaching for BackSpace.

I occasionally hit the PgUp key instead of Enter, but this isn’t as much of a problem. The Up Arrow crowding out my Shift key is, though.

There are two big problems with this layout. The first is that oft-used keys like BackSpace, Shift and Enter are smaller than they should be. These aren’t those funny keys people rarely use like ~ or ` or even | and \. These keys are used for almost every sentence written and most of the keyboard-based interactions one has with a computer.

Why, in the name of all that is electrically charged, would you mess with the size of these keys?

The second problem is that they’re smaller to make room for keys that do not need our time and attention. Why do arrow keys need to be that big? Why do Home, End, PgUp and PgDn need their own dedicated keys at all?

The only time I use Page Up and Down is when I’m on a laptop that has really terrible or no two-finger scroll on the touchpad. And that is a problem unto itself (and a separate post). It’s been years since I used Home or End. I stopped doing so when I started using more comfortable mice and touchpads became non-annoying.

These antiquated keys are there because they’ve always been there, but they are not as important as their placement indicates. Certainly not more important than a correctly-sized BackSpace or Shift key.

Lenovo, of all laptop makers, ought to know better. I know that the IdeaPads aren’t as robust as the ThinkPads and the keyboards aren’t the same, even when they look similar. Still, maybe the IdeaPad designers and engineers should wander over to where the ThinkPad designers and engineers work and take a peek at their keyboards. Do they have Home, End, PgUp, PgDn or arrow keys crowding out more important keys? They do not.

That’s a useful clue.

Dear Lenovo: Please Stop Making Terrible Keyboard Choices is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo was the official sponsor of Notebooks.com and GottaBeMobile for CES 2012, and as part of that sponsorship we have a collection of gear to give away. There’s still a day to enter to win a ThinkPad X220 and an IdeaPad U400, but now you have a chance to win one of two ThinkPad Tablets.

Lenovo announced several new notebooks at CES 2012, including the IdeaPad Yoga which took home Best of Show at Notebooks.com. We invite you to check out the new Lenovo notebooks and tell us which one you like best.

The Prize: ThinkPad Tablet

Win a ThinkPad Tablet from Lenovo.

The ThinkPad Tablet is a business ready tablet that can be paired with a portfolio that adds a ThinkPad keyboard to the mix. This tablet runs Android and packs in a subscription to Absolute tracking software in the event your tablet is stolen. You can also get a stylus to take notes and increase your productivity.

Check out our ThinkPad Tablet Review and ThinkPad Tablet Stylus Review.

How to Enter:

Leave a comment below telling us what your favorite new Lenovo notebook is. You can pick a series or a specific model. Simple as that.

Comments may not immediately appear.

Contest Rules:

The contest is open to U.S. Residents 18 and over. Contest void where prohibited by law, please check local regulations before entering. The contest will close on Wednesday January 25th at 11:59 PM Pacific. You may only enter once per contest, entering multiple times will disqualify you from the contest.

Win a ThinkPad Tablet from Lenovo is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

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.

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 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.

The Edge line remains aimed at the small to medium business user, but we don’t have to compromise on the latest connectivity options; options not found on many other business or consumer Windows notebooks.

With a Thunderbolt port, we can connect high speed storage devices and daisy chain displays using a single connection to the computer. This means we get simplicity and speed in one small port. You’ll notice in the ThinkPad Edge S430 hands on video that this port is called a Displayport++ port, but it is the same thing as a Thunderbolt port.

Lenovo ThinkPad S430 Hands On Video

In addition to sporting the new Thunderbolt port, you get a good looking notebook. Like the rest of the Edge line you get a nice form factor and attention paid to how it feels in your hand.

From a spec standpoint, you get a .08 inch thick frame and a four pound weight that won’t beat out an Ultrabook, but still goes nicely in a backpack.

Buyers can customize the ThinkPad S430 with the latest Intel Core i processors as well as the option to add an NVIDIA GPU with up to 2GB of video RAM. You can also add on a DVD burner and USB 3.0 connectivity.

You’ll be able to purchase the ThinkPad Edge S430 in June with a starting price of $749.

Lenovo ThinkPad S430 Hands-On Video is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Lenovo is the official sponsor of GottaBeMobile.com and Notebooks.com at CES 2012 and has given us four awesome prizes to giveaway to our great readers. We have two ThinkPad Tablets, a ThinkPad X220 and an IdeaPad U400s.

Enter to Win the ThinkPad X220 at GottaBeMobile.com

Lenovo has announced a number of cool products at CES 2012 like the Thinkpad X1 Hybrid, IdeaPad Yoga, and a number of Ultrabooks and still has a few CES 2012 announcements to come. You can follow our Lenovo CES coverage to see the next big announcement.

We are giving away a ThinkPad tablet and the IdeaPad U400s at Notebooks.com and giving away a ThinkPad Tablet and a ThinkPad X220 at GottaBeMobile. You can enter to win the IdeaPad u400 from us today. Stay tuned for your chance to win the rest of these prizes from Lenovo.

How to Win a IdeaPad U400

Leave a comment telling us what notebook you would replace with the IdeaPad U400.

Comments will not show up immediately.

Contest Rules:

The contest is open to U.S. Residents 18 and over. Contest void where prohibited by law, please check local regulations before entering. The contest will close on Wednesday January 18th at 11:59 PM Pacific. You may only enter once per contest, entering multiple times will disqualify you from the contest.You can enter each contest once.

Win an IdeaPad U400 From Lenovo (CES 2012) is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

This 14-inch, 3.9 pound notebook has a nice suite of ports for something just 21mm at its thickest. You can configure it with up to 1TB of hard drive space and Nvidia’s discrete graphics (something we haven’t seen on other ultrabooks).

As is usual with the category there’s an integrated battery that can’t be swapped out. Most business users would balk at such a thing, but that’s the tradeoff for ultrabookiness.

Though there’s no docking connector, Lenovo does intend on releasing a USB 3.0 dock for ThinkPads that will work with this model. Because it’s 3.0 users will be able to connect displays and peripherals via the same port.

Lenovo’s aiming this ultrabook at companies buying in bulk as opposed to individual businesspeople buying a rig for themselves, thus the pricing and the specs. Compared to the ThinkPad X1 and upcoming X1 Hybrid this notebook is more concerned with portability, though it’s still plenty powerful and durable.

If you had to choose between this and the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid announced a few days ago, which would win?

Hands-On Video: Lenovo ThinkPad T430u is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.