Review: The Lenovo S12
Netbook manufacturers tend to put low prices on a pedestal, as if striving for the best price will bring the most customer satisfaction. However, low prices restrict the quality of the netbook and force it to stay within the grounds of the “typical” – a small keyboard, a 10 inch display, and overall minimal features. There are only a few netbooks that fall beyond this category to establish a different, more refined group of netbooks. One of the best netbooks today is the 12 inch Lenovo IdeaPad S12, which currently sells for about $500. In my opinion, it beats the quality of the Samsung NC20 (21GBK), the Dell Inspiron Mini 12, and the HP Pavilion dv2-1030us. The Lenovo’s full-size keyboard, 1280×800 resolution, and ExpressCard slot clearly sets it apart from its competition. However, the intimidating price could possibly scare away prospective consumers.
Design
Lenovo’s S12 does not offer anything spectacular in the “looks” category. Its design is definitely eye-catching, with its trendy circular patterns and shiny plastic exterior. However, this design is not a first – the HP Mini 110 and Mini 1000 both have very similar concepts. The color scheme of the S12 is a typical white and black combination, which is comparably less exciting than the many colors that the Dell Mini 12 offers. However, it is definitely not as plain as the Samsung NC20. At 3.5 pounds, the S12 is officially the heaviest netbook on the market, minus HP’s 3.8 pounder dv2-1030us that is not labeled as a netbook. The S12’s weight can be accounted for by its 52 Wh battery, which provides extended power. Another reason is its dimensions, which are 11.5 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches. The NC20 is smaller at 11.5 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches and the Dell Mini is the thinnest at 11.8 x 9 x 0.75 inches.
The S12’s wide 12 inch display will no doubt be attractive to sophisticated netbook consumers who desire the same qualities as a notebook. The 12 inch display and 1,280 x 800 resolution allow the S12 to dodge the restrictions of the typical 10 inch display with 1,024 x 600 resolution, minimizing scrolling on long websites and allowing usage of Adobe’s Photoshop CS series which requires a 1,024 x 768 resolution. However, the truth is that its other 12 inch competitors all have similar characteristics.
On the other hand, S12’s typing experience is noticeably better than its peers. Compared to the 92% keyboards of the Dell Mini 12 and the HP dv2, its full size is more comfortable and less crowded. It is similar to the full size keyboard of the NC20, but has a few extra features such as the noise-free mouse buttons. In my opinion, it would be even better with larger mouse buttons and an equally large touchpad, like the award winning Toshiba Mini NB205 (Editor’s Choice for netbooks).
Features
A larger frame allows the average netbook to contain more features. The Lenovo S12 has VGA, Ethernet, three USB ports, a 4-in-1 memory card reader, and an integrated webcam, are of which are standard of all netbooks. The ExpressCard 34 slot is what makes the S12 special amongst the other competitors. This handy tool allows consumers to have access to a Serial port, 3G wireless, FireWire, and extra USB port, which can prove to be very useful for those that travel frequently. The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 and the HP Mini 2140 also have the ExpressCard 34 Slot, but their small frames do not allow a third USB port.
Performance
The S12’s performance is not nearly as impressive as its features. The 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, Intel integrated graphics, and 1GB of DDR2 memory are actually quite impressive, but they do not distinguish the S12 from its other 12 inch peers. Other netbooks have even faster Atom CPU’s, such as the NB205 or the Asus EeePC 1000HE. However, the S12 will soon take on the nVidia Ion platform in the near future, which will provide consumers with an appealing option for those that need 3D-intensive tasks. In addition, S12’s N270 processor performs faster than the Atom Z520 of the Dell Mini 12 or the VIA Nano U2250 of the NC20. Intel is known to put processor limitations on its netbooks, but it does not seem to apply to the S12 – even with its 12 inch display, the N270 processor was utilized. Although the AMD Neo processor (dv2) beat the S12 in performance through its video encoding score, the S12 still managed to surpass the NC20 and the Mini 12. Its video encoding score of 4 minutes and 40 seconds was enough to win by more than 40 seconds.
The battery life of the S12 is impressive enough to beat the dv2’s 3 hours and 8 minutes, at 5 hours and 19 minutes. Compared to the NC20, the S12 was too low by a good 21 minutes, but that can be accounted for by the NC20’s large 66Wh battery. Additionally, if the MobileMark 2007 had gone to completion, it would have most likely beaten the Mini 12’s 24 Wh battery. The S12’s 5 hour battery life maybe be notable, but it still has a long way to follow the NB205’s 8 hours and 27 minutes.
The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is obviously not the standard netbook – it goes above and beyond to satisfy the tastes of more sophisticated consumers. Despite its mediocre performance, the ExpressCard 34 slot, the full size keyboard, and 12 inch display are features that will not go unnoticed by netbook lovers. However, the extra oomph will cost about $100 more than the neighborhood favorites, like the Toshiba NB205 and the Asus eeePC 1000HE.
CPU: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270
RAM Included: 1GB
RAM Upgradable
Hard Drive Size: 160GB
Hard Drive Speed: 5,400rpm
Hard Drive Type: SATA Hard Drive
Display Size: 12.1 in
Native Resolution: 1280×800
Graphics Card: Intel GMA 950
Video Memory: 223MB
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g
Bluetooth
Mobile Broadband
Operating System : MS Windows XP Home
Ports (excluding USB): Ethernet; Headphone; Microphone; VGA
USB Ports: 3
Card Slots / Readers: 4-1 card reader; ExpressCard/34
Warranty/Support
Size: 11.5 x 9.0 x 1.4 inches
Weight: 3.4 pounds