- Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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4.0 stars
"very good for personal laptop. Not quite a Thinkpad"
Pros: Fantastic LED backlight display, more than enough ports for a laptop, inexpensive for the features it ofers, not too heavy for users on the move
Cons: Glossy lid cover attracts too many finger prints, lag on touch pad, some devices may be difficult to fit on the USB ports
Summary: I agree with all of you guys who do not want to call it a Thinkpad. Lenovo should have called it something else. Ok .. lets move on.
The SL300 is a pretty good laptop. I got mine yesterday and I was not as shocked I thought I would be. The LED backlight display is fantastic. I don?t care about the red light on the cover. In fact it would have been better without the red light.
The keyboard was fine. I guess the norm these days is to go with the 6 row keyboard. If that assumption is true, I?m happy with the keyboard. The graphics card (NVIDIA 9300) is not too bad .. I would have preferred a 256 MB GPU instead of a 128 MB.
Integrated web cam works fine with lenovo's veriface for handsfree login. The laptop is loaded with ports for USB (not happy with the design for USB port placement), analog monitor and HDMI along with ethernet and firewire ports. Not bad for a 13.3 inch laptop. The CD Rom drive is sturdy, so I like it. The glossy lid takes the charm of a business laptop away from the SL300. It is fine for personal use but a definite NO for business class laptops. Lenovo promotes the SL300 as a small business laptop (I don?t quite agree). Attracts too many finger prints.
Build Quality: I had to touch it and feel it to give this review. Its not bad but its not the quality of what you?d expect in a Thinkpad. It is a very hard smooth plastic, unlike what I?ve seen in Dell, Sony and HP (SL300 is better than Dell, Sony and HP, I used a Sony Vaio S480 and it was built with the cheapest material available on earth). If lenovo wants to call it a Thinkpad, the build material does not qualify for the Thinkpad class. But its very sturdy and I have no problem with it. Can definitely live with it for many years to come.
Trackpoint- Unlike many reviews out there I have no issues with the trackpoint. It works like a charm.
Touchpad - I?m disappointed with the touch pad. It has a bit of a lag that makes it annoying that you have to reposition your finger very often even while scrolling.
Overall - I?ve used many laptops like Thinkpad T series and X series, Dell, Sony, HP and almost all sizes of screens available. The SL300 is a laptop that beats the crap out of Dell, Sony and HP for the features that it offers including the build quality. But definitely not comparable to the Thinkpad T series and X series.
The laptop is calm and not as noisy as other 13.3 inch laptops in the market. Even the heat produced is as much to cause any sort of annoyance unlike the sony which burnt my lap.
Can I use it excessively for personal use - Aboslute YES.
Can I use it for business in an office environment ? - NO.
It is not a Thinkpad. Just not a Thinkpad. Maybe it falls somewhere between a Thinkpad and ideapad. Overall, very good job by lenovo and I recommend this laptop for anyone who wants a personal laptop. Thinkpad X and T series are still the kings in the jungle.
