S12 vs U350

[tf34mech]

I am looking to get a new laptop/Netbook and I am trying to compare these two. I am looking at a S-12 (Atom) that is 399 right now or a U350 296327U that is 499. I see that the S-12 has a faster processor and from the one review i read the U350 is some what slow. Is the U350 slower than the S-12? I want something that is small but fast and the only thing i can see different is hard drive, memory, and screen size are larger. Any ideas on these two lenovo's on how they compare.
Thanks
Sean

[ZaZ]

What are you going to be doing with it? Despite lower clock speed, the CULV CPUs are going to be faster than the Atom, which is slower than the Pentium M. For general usage stuff like Office and Internet, the slowest part on the machine is going to be the hard drive, not the CPU. There will be some more CPU intensive tasks like watching 720p videos where the Atom will chug and the CULV will be more smooth. For what you're going to spend on the u350 you could get a used X60 or X61, which will offer much better performance in the processor department.

[tf34mech]

Well I really only plan on couch surfing and hopefully watching videos and movies. I want something that is really portable. If this is something the S12 can do than i am more than willing to save some money. I had read that the U350 was thinner than the S12. I currently have a A31-J4U 1.6Mz with 768mb ram. I have Windows 7 installed on that one and it seems quite peppy . I guess I was being kind of closed minded by only looking at clock speeds. Unfortunately a used laptop is out of the question. I am replacing a desktop that was damaged by lightning and the insurance company wants a copy of the receipt I guess I am just worried about either one being painfully slow. I also intend on upgrading the S12 memory if I buy it to 2gig and maybe down the road a new hard drive. I really want to wait for the Ion or to see what comes out Oct 22 but don't think I will be able to hold out.
Thanks for the help.
Sean

[ZaZ]

Well I really only plan on couch surfing and hopefully watching videos and movies.

It kind of depends on what videos and movies you're watching. If it's dvds or encoded videos from the hard drive then you're probably OK, but if it's flash based sites like Hulu or YouTube, the Atom may have issues. Flash is known to be very hard on the CPU.

[tf34mech]

Flash is part of what I wanted to watch. Thanks for the info on Flash. I will have to keep that in mind. I seen a article that there might be a new version of Flash in the works to make things a little easier on the netbooks. Flash is not a deal breaker though i am kind of leaning toward the S-12 over the U350. I am hoping to buy next week so hopefully there will still be a valid coupon for them. What kind of waiting period should I expect after ordering. The website says usually ships in 5 days.
Thanks for the help.
Sean

[ZaZ]

It's been a while since I ordered a new Thinkpad. You might want to keep an eye on the outlet. Sometimes there's some good deals there too.

[tf34mech]

Ok I will keep checking the outlet store out. I am also checking the coupon sites daily. They have a U350 for 449 right now that i am looking at.
Thanks
Sean

[tf34mech]

I decided on the U350 and ordered one today. I did not want to take a chance on the S12 without seeing one in person. I was able to get the U350 for 449 and that is only 50.00 more than the S12. I guess the only thing now is to sell my A31! Hopefully it doesnt take too long to ship. Thanks for all the advice.
Sean