Laptop and Computer Reviews

The Lenovo IdeaPad U110 looks more like an object of art than a piece of consumer electronics. The tendril pattern etched into its aluminum lid (available in black or red) and the patterned vents on its base both bring to mind an illuminated manuscript or a fine textile. But a laptop it is, and for its $1,899 price tag, the IdeaPad U110 is a pretty good ultraportable. Despite its compact size, the IdeaPad U110’s screen and keyboard are comfortable to use for long stretches. Its case is stocked with current-generation components and a decent set of features–though media fanatics should note that its DVD burner is an external drive. The fastidious should also note that the very shine that makes the laptop so appealing is easily dulled by fingerprints. Despite these imperfections, the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 offers a combination of price, features, and performance that’s competitive with such ultraportables as the Toshiba Portege R500 and the Sony VAIO TZ150, inside a package of unparalleled beauty.

Overall, the IdeaPad U110 is a nice notebook with an amazingly stylish design and reasonable performance in a small footprint. Consumers with some extra disposable income and a desire for an attractive laptop will be hard pressed to find a nicer overall choice than the IdeaPad U110. However, Lenovo made a few questionable choices with this notebook.

The display on the U110 is quite simply one of the worst we’ve seen in our office. Sure, color and brightness were fine, but the shimmering graininess and horrible levels of reflection made the screen physically painful to view for more than about 30 minutes. Likewise, while the keyboard feels fantastic and looks cool, the glossy surface picks up smudges from your fingerprints and the keys are too flat and too close together. Lastly, there’s the issue of price. At the starting price of $1,899 most consumers won’t be able to justify this purchase.

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (red) Reviews From gizmodo

My first impression of this laptop on seeing the picture and reading about its features, was that it was going to be a nice entry to the UMPC lineup. Sadly though the price is set a little high for this considering the X300 is a little more for what is arguably a better laptop. I would really like to see something like this with even a low level of discrete graphics which would really set it apart from the rest and make it worthy of a heftier price tag.

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (red) Reviews From notebookreview

Pros:
Cool design
Light weight
Nice battery life with extended battery
Acceptable overall performance

Cons:
Horrible screen
Slow startup (VeriFace causes significant startup lag)
Keyboard not good for touch typists
Expensive

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (red) Reviews From cnet

The good: Gorgeous design; lightweight, yet solid construction; sharp screen resolution; comfortable keyboard; ships with two batteries.

The bad: Lacks a built-in optical drive; glossy screen finish sometimes produces annoying reflections; piano finish on keyboard is prone to smudges; fixed configuration can’t be customized; no WWAN option.

The bottom line: The 11.1-inch Lenovo IdeaPad U110 is the most beautiful laptop we’ve seen in years, and behind those good looks is a well-appointed, fairly priced ultraportable. Despite a few minor nitpicks, we recommend the IdeaPad U110 to those who want a lightweight, eye-catching laptop for frequent travel.