The first Ultrabooks have started to appear from top laptop makers, including Lenovo, Acer, ASUS, and HP.

1. 24/11/2011 04:19
blog.batteryfast.co.uk
2012: Year of the Ultrabook , Lenovo’s first
Ultrabook IdeaPad U300s Review
2012: Year of the Ultrabook , Lenovo’s first • uses a Core i5, i7 processor
Ultrabook IdeaPad U300s Review • weighs less than 1.4 kg (3.1 lbs.)
• yields 5 – 8+ hours of battery life
CloudTag: Ultrabook , IdeaPad U300s , Lenovo lap- • priced around $1,000
top , Lenovo batteries , Lenovo thinkpad t61 batteries
, inspiron 1525 batteries The first Ultrabooks have started to appear from
top laptop makers, including Lenovo, Acer, ASUS,
The talk is usually all about tablets, but 2012 may and HP. While these initial models have been able
be the year of the Ultrabook. to meet the hardware criteria laid out by Intel, the
“around $1,000 has been a sticking point. To be fair,
models of the MacBook Air with decent configura-
http://blog.batteryfast.co.uk/2012-year-of-the-ultrabook-lenovo%e2%80%99s-first-ultrabook-ideapad-u300s-review/
tions sell at prices higher than the $999 entry-level
configuration.
PC laptop makers realize they must do something to
kickstart the Ultrabook category. It sounds like the
Ultrabook will be the big thing at the CES in 2012,
compared to netbooks and tablets in recent years.
It is good that so many companies are looking to
produce Ultrabooks, as that will drive prices down.
While Ultrabook makers may have a hard time com-
peting with Apple currently, if prices drop enough
Apple inadvertently touched off a new PC category next year that will surely change. Intel is predicting
with its MacBook Air. While the MacBook Air was 40 percent of all laptops sold will be Ultrabooks by
priced too rich for many in its initial generation, the end of 2012.
Apple was able to get the price down to a reaso-
nable level with the current model. Starting at $999, While netbooks were essentially a flash in the pan,
the MacBook Air forced Intel and Windows laptop quickly getting big sales numbers and fading just as
makers to scramble to come up with an answer to fast, Ultrabooks are here to stay. Netbooks went the
Apple. Thus the Ultrabook category was born. underpowered route to acheive cost effectiveness,
and many owners quickly tired of the corner-cut-
What is an Ultrabook? According to Intel, who tra- ting. Ultrabooks are full laptops, with good perfor-
demarked the term, the Ultrabook is a laptop that: mance packed in a highly portable form. In spite of
the fancy new marketing term, they are the natural
• is less than 20mm (0.8 inches) thick evolution of the bigger laptops, and they’ll be around
• has no optical drive for a good while, post-PC era or not.
• uses a solid-state drive (SSD) for all storage
Love this PDF? Add it to your Reading List! 4 joliprint.com/mag
Page 1

2. 24/11/2011 04:19
blog.batteryfast.co.uk
2012: Year of the Ultrabook , Lenovo’s first Ultrabook IdeaPad U300s Review
need the special Ultrabook marketing term, but the
IdeaPad U300s fits the ultra branding in every way.
Hardware specs as reviewed
• CPU: Intel Core i7, 1.8 GHz
• Memory: 4GB
• Storage: 256GB SSD with RapidDrive techno-
logy (verified cold boot in 10 seconds)
• Display: 13.3 inches; 1366 x 768;
• Ports: 1-USB 2.0; 1-USB 3.0, audio, HDMI
• Dimensions: 324 x 216 x 14.9 mm; 12.75 x
8.5 x 0.58 inches
• Battery life: 8 hours real world; Rapid
charge to 50% in 30 minutes
If next year I can get an Ultrabook like the Lenovo • Weight: 1.32 kg; 2.9 lbs.
http://blog.batteryfast.co.uk/2012-year-of-the-ultrabook-lenovo%e2%80%99s-first-ultrabook-ideapad-u300s-review/
U300s I recently reviewed for less than $1,000, I • OS: Windows 7 Ultimate
can see myself buying one. I likely wouldn’t be the
only one, as many need a Windows laptop, or have
a bias against Apple. Next year may very well be
the year of the Ultrabook.
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Review
Ultrabook is a product category invented by Intel
to cook up excitement for the laptop segment. It
is essentially a thin and light notebook computer
that is reasonably priced. The first Ultrabook for
ThinkPad maker Lenovo is the IdeaPad U300s, and it
validates the new product name as it is the thinnest
and lightest Windows laptop I have ever used. It is
also the best Windows notebook to cross my desk,
and that covers a lot of them.
The Ultrabook design gives the U300s its form, a light Using the Ultrabook
(<3 lbs.) aluminum case that is half an inch thick.
The unibody design is deceptively sturdy, and is easy Carrying the U300s in one hand couldn’t be easier,
to carry and use. The 13-inch display is bright and with the thin laptop fitting comfortably in the hand.
vivid, and the chiclet keys a typist’s dream with one The notebook feels like it could stand up to the daily
exception detailed below. Performance is top-notch rigors of a road warrior, while remaining easy to
with the Intel Core i7 processor as configured, and throw in the bag and go. The system is optimized to
battery life can last all day. I’m not convinced we make the laptop quick to start, easy to put to sleep,
and fast to charge when the battery level drops
Love this PDF? Add it to your Reading List! 4 joliprint.com/mag
Page 2

3. 24/11/2011 04:19
blog.batteryfast.co.uk
2012: Year of the Ultrabook , Lenovo’s first Ultrabook IdeaPad U300s Review
down. Even the power brick is well designed, being rified the 10.5 second cold boot time, made possible
almost as thin as the laptop itself and easy to fit in by Lenovo’s optimization with the RapidDrive SSD.
a small pocket of any gear bag.
Conclusion
Lenovo has designed the U300s with a solid bottom
cover to the notebook, with nary a vent. This keeps Lenovo has produced an outstanding laptop for its
the laptop cool when using propped up on the lap, first Ultrabook, and it meets the ultra definition in
due to air circulating through the keyboard and every way. There is even anti-theft protection on the
out the two side vents. The Ultrabook exhibits little U300s to help locate a stolen laptop for hopefully
warming during use as found in many laptops. It is recovering it intact should that tragedy strike.
well designed for long-term usage with good ther-
mal engineering. See Also:
Ultra-performance
The Intel Core i7 processor (1.8 GHz) coupled with
http://blog.batteryfast.co.uk/2012-year-of-the-ultrabook-lenovo%e2%80%99s-first-ultrabook-ideapad-u300s-review/
the 256 GB solid-state disk (SSD) make this laptop
fly. It is the fastest thin laptop I have ever used,
and has handled everything I throw at it with ease.
The Windows Experience Index (WEI) of 4.4 shows
how it stacks up, with the highest rating given to
the SSD of 7.1.
This performance would mean little if the battery
installed wasn’t able to keep it going for very long.
Lenovo rates the fixed battery at 8 hours, and my
real-world usage backs that up. I have routinely
gotten over seven hours with the Balanced power
setting, and could see getting even longer with ag-
gressive power management.
The rapid charging technology in the U300s adds
even more value to thelong battery life. Using the
tiny power brick, it is possible to make a 50 percent
charge to a dead battery in just 30 minutes. This is
a huge advantage for the frequent traveler, as just
a half hour access to a power outlet can get you an
extra 4+ hours of usage at the end of a long day.
Lenovo claims the battery has a 30-day standby time,
which I have not verified. I can’t let the U300s sit idle
for days as it calls me to use it frequently. I have ve-
Love this PDF? Add it to your Reading List! 4 joliprint.com/mag
Page 3