Thinkpads Forum

hello all

looking at an S10 to go with a lighter and more compact form. i am concerned about a couple of things tho and i was hoping to get some feedback from real world S10 users

- i will use the S10 for lots of powerpoint presentations (via digital projector), including some embedded videos, what can i expect?
- how will it do if i try to control my desktop through Remote Desktop Connection?
- i work with lots of word documents and while i'm not expecting those to be a problem, they often have full page jpegs inserted

i'd appreciate any feedback on these questions

thanks

alfio

I really enjoy my IdeaPad S10 and must say that it has truly surprised me with its stellar performance. Out of the box it came with just 512MB of ram which I upgraded to 2GB. That done its been fast and fun. I bought it with the idea in mind of using it as it was designed to be used. As a "secondary" laptop for surfing the net, processing my email, and a few light tasks. Now that I've owned it for five months I've ended up with the full MS office suite loaded as well as several other apps. I find it continues to perform in an exemplary fashion. The build quality is excellent and it has that typical "high quality, solid feel" of a ThinkPad. Next to my X60s it shows itself very well, for what it is. That said, for your usage it would be somewhat preferable to use a 12.1" X series as the extra screen real estate is a factor. At least that's my take on it.

archer6 wrote: for your usage it would be somewhat preferable to use a 12.1" X series as the extra screen real estate is a factor. At least that's my take on it.

thanks for your comments. i'd read your posts elsewhere and am glad to hear you are still happy with your S10.

i should have clarified a few things in my original post: this will not be my main laptop (i've got a T43 i rely on for work purposes) and, other than the powerpoint presentations i mentioned, i would largely use the S10 for its intended purposes (i.e. web and email). of the other things i inquired about, i am mostly interested in trying to control my desktop via Remote Desktop Connection. i would only use Word to hunt through documents but not for any serious production.

alfio

alfio wrote:<snip>i should have clarified a few things in my original post<snip>

After reading your updated remarks, I would say that the S10 is a great choice for you. I simply cannot say enough good things about this fine machine. Frankly I'm still amazed each time I use it, how well made it is and how trouble free it has been. I've also had a Dell Mini 9, an Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind and Asus Eee PC 1000. None of these comes even close to the S10. In typical fashion, the keyboard of the S10 is simply stellar. Solid as a full size ThinkPad and with very nice tactile feedback and it's very quiet. It has a great LED backlit display that is evenly lit, with no light leakage, or dark spots. Edge to edge, corner to corner its an amazing experience. Also a very nice feature is the excellent TouchPad, as I was wondering if I could live without the TrackPoint and the answer on this Netbook is yes. Whereas the others are not bad, this one stands out in ones first impressions, as quite superior. This Netbook was certainly worth waiting for. I can honestly say that in my opinion the IdeaPad S10 model has no downsides at all. In fact I'm using it far more than anticipated.

Cheers...

By the way, I have mine in a dual boot configuration with Ubuntu and XP, it's a great combo...

You should get a commission from Lenovo, Archer. I've been on the fence about whether getting one of these or an Asus 1002HA, and I think your reviews have finally tipped me towards the S10. If you don't mind, I have a couple of questions: How is the build quality on the S10? Is it prone to getting scratched easily? How about the battery life?

I didn't realize these had LED backlighting either, which to me is a plus. By the way, I also plan on having a WinXP/Ubuntu double boot setup (I have had this set up in several of my computers for a while now, and I find it works great.)

The mention of Office gives me some idea about this, but, Archer, could you comment on how the S10 handles heavier-on-Javascript web sites in your favourite browser? Stuff like Facebook would be a good example. How long does Gmail take to load and render? Are there problems watching Flash videos on Youtube or Vimeo?

In Ubuntu, are you seeing much in terms of interface lag? Slowness rendering windows? How long does gedit take to come up?

Thinkpaddict wrote: How is the build quality on the S10? Is it prone to getting scratched easily? How about the battery life?
I didn't realize these had LED backlighting. I also plan on having a WinXP/Ubuntu double boot setup

Thanks for the compliment. I am very picky and quite diligent in being as neutral as possible reporting only my experiences. That said I must say that I set my expectations very low when ordering my S10 sight unseen. Upon unpacking it I was shocked at the beautiful semi matte finish of the housing. It could easily be branded ThinkPad. After six months with not a scratch, its proved very resistant to them. Mine is all black, great looking and it's every bit as solid as my much loved X60s. The form factor, and at just 1" thick it's perfectly sized for portability. Heavy pressure on the wrist rests proves them free of creaks or flex. The keyboard is amazing with no flex and ideal tactile feedback. It has a nice narrow bezel around the matte display (in the UK they're glossy), which brings to mind the S10e which I suggest avoiding. It has a very glossy display and the fast boot system (sorry I forgot the exact name) isn't any faster than the S10 (I bought, tested, and sold it). Ubuntu is super fast & a dream on this machine. And dual boot is great. I tried an AcerOne, MS Wind and eeePC while waiting for the S10 to be released and I rate this the number one netbook by a wide margin. I use mine far more than I ever anticipated. Perfect? No. Excellent? Yes! I highly endorse it.
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Cheers...
posted via BlackBerry Bold

qviri wrote:The mention of Office gives me some idea about this, but, Archer, could you comment on how the S10 handles heavier-on-Javascript web sites in your favourite browser? Stuff like Facebook would be a good example. How long does Gmail take to load and render? Are there problems watching Flash videos on Youtube or Vimeo?
In Ubuntu, are you seeing much in terms of interface lag? Slowness rendering windows? How long does gedit take to come up?

I use Firefox and it handles it all with aplomb, an amazing little machine. The only area I cannot comment on, is videos as frankly I've enjoyed getting some of my work done on it and overlooked trying You Tube. I'm on Gmail constantly without any difference from my fully loaded, 2.8 GHz, 4GB, W500. Ubuntu is, as I mentioned earlier, just terrific on it, and command line work as well as gedit is stellar. The only reason I keep XP is primariIy to run Office, Outlook and BlackBerry Desktop Manager. know I sound like I work for them, but when its good I want you to know. And if its not, I will not hold back that report either. After all I owe a lot to the members of this forum for all I've learned here, as well as the fun I've had. For the price point, and what you get, it continues to amaze me.
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Cheers...
posted via BlackBerry Bold

archer6 wrote: Thanks for the compliment. I am very picky and quite diligent in being as neutral as possible reporting only my experiences. That said I must say that I set my expectations very low when ordering my S10 sight unseen. Upon unpacking it I was shocked at the beautiful semi matte finish of the housing. It could easily be branded ThinkPad. After six months with not a scratch, its proved very resistant to them. Mine is all black, great looking and it's every bit as solid as my much loved X60s. The form factor, and at just 1" thick it's perfectly sized for portability. Heavy pressure on the wrist rests proves them free of creaks or flex. The keyboard is amazing with no flex and ideal tactile feedback. It has a nice narrow bezel around the matte display (in the UK they're glossy), which brings to mind the S10e which I suggest avoiding. It has a very glossy display and the fast boot system (sorry I forgot the exact name) isn't any faster than the S10 (I bought, tested, and sold it). Ubuntu is super fast & a dream on this machine. And dual boot is great. I tried an AcerOne, MS Wind and eeePC while waiting for the S10 to be released and I rate this the number one netbook by a wide margin. I use mine far more than I ever anticipated. Perfect? No. Excellent? Yes! I highly endorse it.
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Cheers...
posted via BlackBerry Bold

Thank you, sir. I put a lot of weight in your opinion because I realize it is not the ranting of a Thinkpad/Lenovo maniacal fan, but the careful considered opinions of a demanding user. I will be ordering a S10 soon (I'm holding on to see if Amazon receives some stock from Lenovo, however, since I get free shipping and no tax when ordering through them.)

I plan on pushing the S10's capabilities to the limit. I'm going to install XP and Ubuntu in a dual boot configuration, and I will install and attempt to use Photoshop, Sonar (music sequencing program) and other high performance software. While I do not intend the machine to make these programs fly, it would suffice for them to be usable. I will report my findings when I can.

Thinkpaddict wrote:I will be ordering a S10 soon (I'm holding on to see if Amazon receives some stock from Lenovo, however, since I get free shipping and no tax when ordering through them.) I will report my findings when I can.

Your plan to wait until Amazon has them is a good one. Besides the advantages you cited, I have a very reliable contact that says Amazon has great relations with Lenovo and usually get restocked as quickly as any top tier reseller. Therefore your wait should not be long.

I look forward to your report.

Cheers...

archer6 wrote: Your plan to wait until Amazon has them is a good one. Besides the advantages you cited, I have a very reliable contact that says Amazon has great relations with Lenovo and usually get restocked as quickly as any top tier reseller. Therefore your wait should not be long.

I look forward to your report.

Cheers...

That sounds very promising, thanks!

I look forward to getting this laptop. Hopefully the sound through headphones is at least as good as my X24's. And it will also be my first laptop without a trackpoint (and widescreen.)

Thinkpaddict wrote:And it will also be my first laptop without a trackpoint (and widescreen.)

It is my first Lenovo made laptop without a TrackPoint and I love it. While I miss the TrackPoint, the accuracy and smooth operation of the touch pad is most impressive, especially given the smaller size of the netbook.

Cheers...

archer6 wrote: It is my first Lenovo made laptop without a TrackPoint and I love it. While I miss the TrackPoint, the accuracy and smooth operation of the touch pad is most impressive, especially given the smaller size of the netbook.

Cheers...

I saw your thoughts on this earlier, and that's a little reassuring coming from a fellow trackpoint user. I truly hate touch pads, but I believe this will be tolerable (and the other virtues of this laptop will render it a negligible consideration.)

Regards,

Ruben

archer6 wrote: Your plan to wait until Amazon has them is a good one. Besides the advantages you cited, I have a very reliable contact that says Amazon has great relations with Lenovo and usually get restocked as quickly as any top tier reseller. Therefore your wait should not be long.

I look forward to your report.

Cheers...

Archer, you were right on the money with this one. Amazon right now has the S10 in stock. The only downside is that it comes with the 6-cell. I am almost ready to order, but ideally I would like to be able to buy a 3-cell battery (and have both the 3-cell and the 6-cell.) I couldn't find a 3-cell battery for the S10 from Lenovo. I'll keep looking and see what I find out. If I can't find the 3-cell, I might order from TigetDirect the model with the 3-cell and get a 6-cell battery in the future (which is available from Lenovo.)

Regards,

Ruben

Thinkpaddict wrote:Archer, you were right on the money with this one. Amazon right now has the S10 in stock. The only downside is that it comes with the 6-cell. I am almost ready to order, but ideally I would like to be able to buy a 3-cell battery

I too wanted (and purchased the model with the 3-cell) as I think it's such a nice clean look and I'm usually around an A/C outlet so the six cell was not a priority for me. The balance of the computer is perfect with a 3, as opposed to being heavy and bulky with the 6. However that said the nice aspect of the 6-cell is it's nicely done and does not "kill" the looks, just changes them a bit.

Cheers...

Yeah, I understand what you mean, thanks.