One of the best things about the Lenovo Ideapad s10 4231 4505 3121-1 is the improved battery life and quick start interface in the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor laptop. This also includes a standard hard disk drive instead of the small solid-state drives that many laptops now have installed. This is one of the laptops that are used by business people even though it is from the Lenovo consumer line of laptops, with the larger battery that was changed from the original 3-cell battery.

The three hour battery under testing lasted about two hours, which is not the optimum for laptop mobility performance and has since been changed to the 6 cell batter for longer mobility life. Now the Lenovo IdeaPad s10 is equipped with a 6 cell battery that adds some weight to the system, but is worth the extra weight for the longer lasting mobility battery time. This 6 cell battery also puts this notebook in competition with the other laptops that have the larger battery and extended life and is one of the reasons it appeals to not only the home user, but is also appealing to the business person. The features along with the price that is much less than what notebooks offering some of these features are priced. The other features the Lenovo IdeaPad s10 4231 4505 3121-1 has to offer consumers are:

• The 1.6 GHZ Intel Atom N270 processor
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM 533 MHz memory
• A 160 GB 5,400 rpm hard drive
• The chipset is Mobile Intel 945 Express
• The graphics card is an Intel GMA 950
• The operating system is Windows XP Home Edition SP3
• The dimension are 9.9 by 7.5 inches
• The height is 1.0-1.5 inches
• The screen size is 10.2 inches
• The system weight without the AC adapter is 3.0 pounds and with the AC adapter 3.7 pounds
• The video is VGA-out
• The audio is Headphones and microphone jacks
• There are 2 USB 2.0 and SD card reader for data ports
• The expansion is ExpressCard / 34
• Networking is Ethernet, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi

The Lenovo S10 battery sticks out from the rear of the notebook, but can be overlooked due to the extended battery life it provides the user and the squared off design is appealing. The keyboard is comfortable to work on and the right shift key has been placed to the right of the arrow key, although this shift key placement can take time to become used to its location. The mouse buttons are placed below the touch pad for easy right and left click. There is the advantage of the ExpressCard/ 34 slot that makes it easy to go mobile. This is useful when adding a mobile broadband modem and is rare on smaller systems, which is great for people on the go and something not found in all notebooks of this size.

The Splashtop quick start is one of the new features that give the user access to a Web browser, media files, and other applications prior to booting up Windows. This makes it easy to save on battery power without waiting for the Windows XP to start up by allowing the user to get online fast. Although for some users it is easier to go into the Windows program than using the wireless networking menus that might be unfamiliar. The screen on the Lenovo ideaPad s10 4231 4505 3121-1 is 10.2 inches and the wide screen display has a 1,024 by 600 pixel native resolution that is the standard for notebooks. What it does offer is the matte screen that helps to avoid glare that the glossy screens are known for and with the pixel resolution it is a notebook for both the home user and for business use. This is a large advantage during mobile use under bright lighting or natural sunlight.

The 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor used in the Lenovo IdeaPad s10 has an edge over other notebooks when it involves multi tasking, web surfing, checking email and working in office documents. Like with other notebooks of this size the multi tasking must be kept moderate to avoid slowdowns or stuttering, which is common when to many browser windows are open or other Web applications. The 6 cell battery offers 4 hours and 1 minute during testing until the battery is drained and will last somewhat longer under normal working conditions, rather than video.

The warranty is the industry standard of one-year parts and labor, with a mail in warranty; there is also the option for a second year of warranty. You can also benefit from a second year warranty that is offered through a mail-in card, for a nominal cost of $49 dollars and there is also a three-year warranty service that is offered at $129 dollars. These extra length warranties are not the standard that are offered with other notebooks, many do not offer the extended warranties at all or will be found in the higher priced notebooks.

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