Yay, I just got my Lenovo S12 in the mail

[Chris]

Now I am holding onto both a Lenovo S10-2 and a Lenovo S12 netbook in my possession.

I will of course be doing in depth reviews, some videos and comparison posts in the coming days.

If you have a question that you want answered be sure to ask it here and I'll try and address it in the blog post

Originally Posted by Chris Guthrie

Now I am holding onto both a Lenovo S10-2 and a Lenovo S12 netbook in my possession.

Finally a computer to match my 12in Powerbook, beloved travel companion. Three pounds for the Lenovo S12? Really?

How good is it under the skin? Screen, mobo throughput, FSB? At the price, there couldn't be quality parts. A TN 6-bit screen, 1.5Mb/s mobo, slower FSB and RAM. Companies hype the good stuff. No hype means bad stuff.

What are the specific makes of internals like wi-fi chips. I would be interested in whether Apple's software drivers could be loaded on the Lenovo if you allow that type of discussion.

I like the Expresscard slot - allows lots of connectivity options.

[ThisIsNot]

For the most part, the Lenovo S12 pretty much packs basic hardware if you get the Atom version. They are offering a Via powered solution which can supposedly playback 1080p videos, it is also cheaper than an Atom powered configuration. I will believe the 1080p playback when I see it.

There also appears to be a Broadcom 11 b/g wi-fi setup in all of the S12 models. Are we stuck in 2007 or something. 802.11n should be standard in every netbook and notebook on the market (it really isn't new technology anymore).

Which version did you get Chris? The Via powered S12 looks tempting if it can actually playback 1080p videos but some user reviews, on the internet, are saying that it is getting only about 4 hours of usage with the N270 unit. Via's processor and graphics solutions tend to be a little more power hungry than Intel's Atom and GMA 950/500 combinations.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by Chris Guthrie

Now I am holding onto both a Lenovo S10-2 and a Lenovo S12 netbook in my possession.

I will of course be doing in depth reviews, some videos and comparison posts in the coming days.

If you have a question that you want answered be sure to ask it here and I'll try and address it in the blog post

Hi...I would like to see:

1)comparison matrix/chart to the other Lenovos
2)comparison matrix/chart to other Netbooks
3)details/specs on keyboard size, missing keys, keys in weird places...and also what all the screen resolutions are that you can run at (800x600, 1024x768, etc)
4)battery life real-world test of simple surfing (I don't want to force you to surf for 5 hours )
5)any crapware installed that is a burden or annoying?
6)does it have a hidden partition that you can instantly restore? This is a huge one for me.
7)does it feel like a brick?...like the Thinkpad series does.





-Eric

[ThisIsNot]

I made a list that compares a series of netbooks. Chris could easily take that, add the S12 to it, and post it here (I would not mind). However, I don't think that he needs to do that given that the S12 runs the same generic hardware as every other netbook on the market: Atom N270 processor, GMA 950, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, etc. Most comparison charts simply repeat themselves over and over again with those same specs. I don't think there is a point in making 30 some odd entries where only 2-4 netbooks have features that are different from the crowd.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

I made a list that compares a series of netbooks. Chris could easily take that, add the S12 to it, and post it here (I would not mind). However, I don't think that he needs to do that given that the S12 runs the same generic hardware as every other netbook on the market: Atom N270 processor, GMA 950, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, etc. Most comparison charts simply repeat themselves over and over again with those same specs. I don't think there is a point in making 30 some odd entries where only 2-4 netbooks have features that are different from the crowd.

As a consumer and techie, I disagree.

1)The netbooks are not as similar as you might think...and this is an emerging market so specs will likely change often as Generation 2 and 3 and 4 come out.

2)Who cares if the chart has very similar/same entries? You can easily highlight/bold the worst/best or just leave everything the same and I will print it out and use a highlighter.

3)That's the whole point of charts/matrixes...not to just show the differences but show the similarities...so you, the end user, can determine what things are important to you. It also makes for an equal playing ground if 2 netbooks have 95% of the same specs yet one costs 2.5 times as much.


I think it's important to have a chart that shows it all. It's not going to be a chart with 50 entries per netbook...maybe 15-20....and if some of it is the same, that's easy for the author to just cut and paste.



-Eric

[ThisIsNot]

I disagree. Most netbooks are in fact packing the same hardware. What's the point to a chart/matrix/whatever if there are 30 entries all containing Atom N270 processors, GMA 950 gpu, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive? Reviewers can easily get away with saying the hardware specs right now. I do agree that a chart will come in handy once we get to the third and fourth generations of hardware as that is when companies will really be offering up different hardware (Nvidia Ion, Intel GN40 w/ 4500MHD, etc.). However, right now, they are all pretty much offering the same hardware.

Some companies (Gateway, HP, and Lenovo) are offering up hardware differences by using an AMD processor, Broadcom HD chip, or processor and graphics solution from Via. I think that Christ would be fine by simply stating the hardware that the netbook packs and move on. There is just a large sea of N270/N280-GMA 950 netbooks on the market that there really is no point for a list. The only differences that would be used are aesthetics (keyboard size, overall size of the unit, battery size, etc.) and battery time operations. Now that would be an effective list.

Comparing the hardware under the hood really wouldn't be that useful now since there are just too many N270/N290-GMA 950 netbooks on the market.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

I disagree. Most netbooks are in fact packing the same hardware. What's the point to a chart/matrix/whatever if there are 30 entries all containing Atom N270 processors, GMA 950 gpu, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive?

I count 4 things you listed...yet you state there are 30 of the same.

Come on...there are ALWAYS going to be 3-8 things that are "the same" on any chart...you want that. If everything is "different" it's going to be a nightmare to get a base...you need a base...something that tells you "hmmm, out of these 25 machines, 20 all have 1gig of ram and Windows XP yet these other 5 have 2gig and Vista"

A computer comparison chart should ALWAYS have the basics: ram, cpu, video, hard drive.

It's the other features that I think are equally as valuable (keyboard size, battery, and the other 15+ I listed somewhere on this thread).

Let's end this debate.

-Eric

p.s. I didn't know Christ was back...and reviewing netbooks.

[ThisIsNot]

Originally Posted by ericinboston

I count 4 things you listed...yet you state there are 30 of the same.

I am talking about all the different models that pack the same features. The Acer Aspire On 10" model, Dell Mini 10v, Asus Eee PC 1000HE, Eee PC 1005HA, Eee PC 1008HA, that new Gateway 10" netbook, and so on all feature the same basic hardware (N270/N280 processor, GMA 950, 1GB RAM, and 160GB hard drive). The list can go on if you feature older netbooks. That is all I am trying to say. Why list the same things over and over and over and over and over again in a chart when a brief statement will suffice?

Originally Posted by ericinboston

p.s. I didn't know Christ was back...and reviewing netbooks.

Damn straight! I was watching a special on A&E (or one of those channels) that was called God vs Satan (or something like that). I guess their continued usage of Christ filtered into my post. Not the first time that has happened. I wrote an e-mail to someone where I was talking about a concert (the Rockstar Mayhem Festival featuring Slayer and Marilyn Manson) and, half way through, I just started typing about the movie Mama Mia! (it premiered on HBO and I had never previously watched it, I hated that movie).

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

I am talking about all the different models that pack the same features. The Acer Aspire On 10" model, Dell Mini 10v, Asus Eee PC 1000HE, Eee PC 1005HA, Eee PC 1008HA, that new Gateway 10" netbook, and so on all feature the same basic hardware (N270/N280 processor, GMA 950, 1GB RAM, and 160GB hard drive). The list can go on if you feature older netbooks. That is all I am trying to say. Why list the same things over and over and over and over and over again in a chart when a brief statement will suffice?

You're going to have to list them somewhere. Every single user that comes to this website to read a "review" or visit a "comparison chart" is going to demand to know how much ram, how large a drive, what CPU, and what video card. Whether you put the word "same" or "standard" or "Intel N270" it's going to have be SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW. So why not just put the words?

I think you're making way too much of this...the chart isn't going to be in 28point font...and we're not comparing 45 machines on 1 chart. Site's like Crutchfield do an excellent job although it is database driven. Writing a basic HTML Table is simple.

I'll create a table to show you.