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The ThinkPad brand is an iconic image in the corporate world, but Lenovo has been absent from the U.S. consumer laptop market—until now. The company’s recently launched the IdeaPad line as its first set of non-business models to debut on these shores. Think of the 15.4-inch IdeaPad Y510 as the ThinkPad T61 Widescreen’s alter ego, albeit with some trendier features, such as a fabric-like cover, a “frameless” widescreen, and five speakers, including a subwoofer. One gets the sense that Lenovo’s foray into our consumer market is tentative, because the Y510 and the rest of the IdeaPad line (there’s also a 17-inch version, and a couple of configurations of the model reviewed here) are not being sold on Lenovo’s Web site. You can get them only through retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar. Even so, the new design and an $899 (street) price tag are worth a trip to Office Depot or J&R Music World to check out.

The IdeaPad also comes with a 1.3 megapixel web camera, which in the current consumer market isn’t anything special to speak of. What Lenovo has done with the Web camera is special, however; they’ve integrated it into the notebook’s security system using an application called VeriFace. This lets you log into Windows, encrypt files and store passwords using a simple facial recognition system. On the consumer “cool” side, when it’s scanning your face, it runs some totally superfluous-but-funky scan lines over the displayed screen, which is sure to bring a few “oohs” from anyone passing by when you’re first logging in.

The IdeaPad Y510 is a solid first notebook for Lenovo’s new consumer line. The robust sound system and convenient facial recognition software help this budget machine stand out from the pack, even if the orange accents won’t appeal to everyone. The Dell Inspiron 1525 offers more performance for your buck, but the IdeaPad Y510’s unique feature set makes it one of the better 15.4-inch notebooks you can get for under a grand.

Latest Lenovo Y510 reviews from cnet

The good: Solid construction; reasonably priced; face-recognition software that actually works; decent battery life.

The bad: Fixed configuration; overly glossy screen; no Bluetooth.

The bottom line: Lenovo’s entry into the consumer laptop market with the 15-inch IdeaPad Y510 provides ThinkPad-like quality but the design still comes off as a little buttoned-up.

Latest Lenovo Y510 reviews from notebook review

Pros

* Excellent built-in speakers
* Solid construction
* Attractive design
* Nice one-touch power management

Cons

*
Overly glossy/reflective display
*
A little heavy compared to competition

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