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"Reasonable price, but has S/W problem/DVD-RAM problem." on by 4GoodorBad
Pros: - Feel like solid build laptop.
- HDMI connection for High Definition which is a nice feature for today demand.
- Nice color dept and resolutionCons: - problem with software and DVD-RAM
- Glossy lid looks but finger print and scratches collector
- Video slow, may be a problem with the slow built-in network card
- Sound also a problem during movie replay as it got stuck then flushed outSummary: I won't take time to describe what are good about this laptop as one can read from other review, but I think one may be more interested in whatever problem that this product may have (also, to help the manufacturing realize and fix the problem).
I bought and received this SL400 for a few days now. It reloaded with Windows Vista which I had to go to MS website to load the latest fix (SP1). I also upgraded other recommended software using the Lenovo support/update feature. The laptop seems to work fine until I tried to burn my rescue disk ( Leneno doesn't send any software/CDs with this laptap...even the manufacturing rescue disks, you have to burn yourself a set once you have the laptop). The DVD-RAM seems to have a problem with the driver as it keeps swirling on and off ...until the system doesn't recognize the DVD-RAM anymore. I called Lenovo 3 times without any successful help yet. The first guy told me that someone will call me back in 30 minutes due to heavy phone calls at the time, but no one called me back for 2 hours. I decided to call back in and found out that my case was canceled..!! so I wad reopened with another case. But this next guy wanted to ask me away as well...by asking me to load up a new Lenovo System Tool Box software and run the problem to test everything in my computer for 2 hours then call him back. I did and called back the third time and this next guy told me that he knew about the problem..it is very common and he suggested me to following an instruction to edit the Windows' registry in order to fix the DVD-RAM problem. I did and it still doesn't work. Well, at this time, I am still stuck with the bad computer ... i will call back again and see what next... -
"Good value for the price." on by tellfross
Pros: Great keyboard and pointing devices. Fingerprint reader works great. Very quiet and runs extremely cool. Solidly built. Boots fairly fast. Everything runs like a charm. Pretty good price for what you get.
Cons: Relatively heavy for a 14 inch. Too thick for a 14 inch. Glossy top is smudge/scratch magnet and a bit flashy if you prefer understatement.
Summary: Overview:
Overall, the SL 400 is a good laptop. It has most everything you expect in a Thinkpad for a reduced price, but there are some drawbacks.
Best Features:
As a person who has owned a number of laptops, two of the things that impressed me the most about the SL 400 were how quiet it is and how cool it runs. Been about two weeks of me doing any and everything and with it and the fans are almost inaudible. On top of that most of the time, the laptop is literally cool to the touch no matter what surface or how long I use it, which is amazing to me (having had laptops get hot and shutdown on me in the past).
Secondly, I know the SL is the cheaper cousin to the other thinkpads, but apart from a few drawbacks it feels and looks very solidly built. One of the drawbacks being that there is no latch to secure the screen shut, a feature that Ive become pretty used to on my laptops. Even so, the laptop has noticeably stiff hinges that keep it shut or open.
Another thing I like is the touchpad and the fingerprint reader (if you get it with that feature). The touchpad has a great feel. My laptops in the past have had very smooth touchpad surfaces that get annoying to use over long periods. The touchpad on the SL has a very slight grainy feel and works well. In addition, the buttons work well and feel like actual button as opposed to the ones on some laptops that are flush with the touchpad and hard to press, though they might seem abit small for some people. The fingerprint reader is also fantastic. Was very easy to set up and it works great for me. No more having to remember so many passwords. I have yet to get a false positive in two weeks of constant use and it has worked every time on the first try.
No crashes, glitches or software hiccups to date, and everything runs with the expected pep which I dont take for granted having seen so many buggy, slow vista laptops.
Drawacks:
One dissapointment I have which prevented the SL 400 from getting 4 stars or better is the size and weight. For a 14" laptop it is simply too thick and too heavy. Granted, it is still relatively light and packed with the expected features, but I it is heavier than many 14" laptops out there. Secondly, it is uncommonly thick and for the life of me I dont understand why. Maybe some special feature I dont yet get.
Another thing I dont appreciate much is the glossy lid with the little red led. Apart from the practical reasons, I find the regular matte finish more attractive. But that said everyone else in my home (one of whom owns a T6) seem drawn to the glossy finish and are jealous of the little red light. Go figure. But looks aside, it is a fingerprint and smudge magnet.
Some have complained about the beveled edge shape, but I dont mind it. I see thow it could be problemeatic for certain thick usb or ethernet devices on the right side, but there are 3 usb ports on the left side.
Lastly, I have the turbo memory which supposedly helps with speed. Kinda hard to tell, but the laptop startups pretty fast, programs run fairly fast, but the shutdown oddly seems a tad slow in comparison. -
"Great for the money. Solid-strong performer." on by douglaseaston
Pros: Very solid chassis compared to most consumer laptops. Keyboard is the best I have ever used -bar none. Fits nicely into my messenger style bag. Has yet to crash. Cool running. Eats big spread sheets for lunch.
Cons: Nonthing yet.
Summary: This is a great machine for me. I am a college professor who connects to the campus web mail and course management software from home. I use it to make Power Point presentations., type word documents, and run technical spread sheets. I can take it to campus and I don't have to .worry a lot about injuring it.
Very elegant solution to my needs. I expect that I will have it for the long term.
By the way, although the reviewer cited the loss of the magnesium "roll cage" Lenovo engineers claim that they have designed the plastic case with high impact materials which are, according to them, nearly equivalent to the magnesium structure. I have not been able to press on the center of the lid without causing a mark on the display.
The basic software is set up niceley without a lot of bloat.
It does exactly what I want it to!
Updated on Oct 26, 2008
Updated on Oct 26, 2008I have viewed a couple and found the low glare screen to be plenty sharp for me. However, the DVDs were not feature length movies. I have not seen the T61 screen.
Updated on Oct 26, 2008PS- I have the turbo memory. I think it probably adds to the performance with minimum additional cost.
Updated on Oct 26, 2008PS- I have the turbo memory. I think it probably adds to the performance with minimum additional cost. -
"Great cheap laptop" on by cooj0
Pros: Fast processor functionality
Cons: Cheap parts. Keys pop off, and hinge broken in 6 months
Not covered under warranty
Made in China.Summary: Not the same quality IBM products
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"Excellent System: Poor Choices of Third Party Software" on by dacarriso
Pros: The Lenovo Care suite is an excellent tool. Taskbar battery meter accurately monitors battery life. Virtually no bloatware, although Mobile Broadband is installed even if you don't opt for it. Media keys are an excellent inclusion.
Cons: An old version of InterVideo WinDVD is supplied and does a poor job. Roxio Creator Small Business Edition is a horrid experience. Webcam software is weak.
Summary: I bought this system after a month or so of research. What sold me was the size: Dell did not offer a 14" Vostro at the time: had they have done so, there would have been some serious competition on. There was a minor stuff up with the money, although this was not the fault of Lenovo and the people I talked to were friendly, courteous and efficient. There was also a wait on the optical drive that I knew about when I ordered.
When it arrived, it came well packaged with *gasp* Printed Manuals! It came with a printed Troubleshooting and Maintainace Guide (which makes sense, after all, if the computer is broken, it's might be hard to get to any information out of it), and a warranty guide. The setup guide provided was concise and written well. WIthin five minutes, I had the laptop set up and was doing the Windows set up process.
I bought this system for home use: I am a student and this machine's reputation would be based on how well it could run Office, how well it could play a video, and, most importantly, how well it could handle The Sims 3. I opted for the nVidia G105M graphics card, and TS3 comes out looking quite nice, even at maximum resolution, it achieved about 20fps. Lowering it resulted in a higher rating.
The preinstalled Lenovo software is of high quality: summon the Lenovo Care tools by pressing the Glowy Blue Button, choose what you want, carry out your tasks, and the menu disappears until needed again: an excellent improvement over other manufacturer's tools who permanently live on your desktop doing nothing but wasting valuable RAM. However, the inclusion of an ancient version of InterVideo WinDVD and Roxio Small Business Edition was a real let down: neither of these are very capable in my books. Similarly, to capture images using the integrated camera also requires the use of the Roxio suite, which is poorly done. Lenovo should have used the same, or even a stripped down version, of the camera software provided on the IdeaPad range of systems would have been more than sufficient.
Build-wise, the system seems quite strong. The keyboard is perfect: it took me less than two minutes to adjust from a normal desktop keyboard to this one. The touchpad works extremely well, and unlike some other WebScroll systems on touchpads, I could activate this one without needing to widen the scroll area. The TrackPoint, although new to me, is quite good: the provided middle mouse button is a lifesaver as I use it all the time for opening new tabs, closing tabs and autoscrolling. Good thinking, Lenovo!
The intergrated fingerprint reader is good: however it would be much less confusing if the Control Panel applet allowed you to register your fingerprint with a user account. To register a fingerprint, one must go through the Start menu to find the program.
The machine is very "beepy" when it comes to power: if you plug in a live power cable, it beeps twice, remove it, it beeps twice as well. Put it to sleep or wake it up, it beeps once. The beeps, however, are quite loud. Battery life is excellent on the 9 cell battery. It has lasted me most of the day at school, with the occasional game and Internet jaunt.
All in all, this is one excellent system: replace Roxio and WinDVD, and you're set up for a great mobile computing experience.
My specs:
Core 2 Duo P8600: 2.4GHz
3GB RAM
320GB 5400RPM HDD
nVidia G105M Graphics card with 256MB RAM
DVD MultiDrive
Windows Vista Business
VibrantView WXGA Screen
Intel WiFi Link 5100 (802.11a/b/g/n)
Intergrated Camera
Fingerprint Reader
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