Lenovo’s reworked 10-inch IdeaPad S10-2 netbook fell into our hands recently and we were able to do a quick test drive with it, as well as compare it to a couple of other models. If you already have the original IdeaPad S10, it’s hard to say if you should upgrade to this “new” and slightly improved model. It does offer improvements in most of the original problem areas, though. Well, let’s take a look at it.


As its name suggests, the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2, at its core, really is just the same netbook as the original IdeaPad S10. This second version offers quite a few changes versus the original, including having a 6-cell battery as standard in every retail package, a glossy 1024×600 pixel screen, firmer keyboard and expanded multi-touch trackpad. Lenovo removed the built-in Expresscard slot on this one, and it is thinner by a hair and lighter by a small amount than its predecessor.

Its keyboard is designed just like keyboards found in many other netbooks, which is to say that it works fairly normal, offers a lot of travel and tactile feedback. But as with all netbook keyboards it is somewhat cramped and some people will no doubt still find it as too small for regular daily use.

As for the expanded multi-touch trackpad, it doesn’t really offer a great deal of difference but the added space is certainly a welcome feature. The shiny mouse buttons easily get smudges on them, which might be enough to bother some people, but also be OK with others. Its multi-touch capabilities give the IdeaPad S10-2’s trackpad added functionality and users will find that using a mouse with this netbook will no longer be as necessary as before.

The patterned external lid is an eye-catcher, not only because the design looks pretty, but also because it catches fingerprints like a fly on flypaper. As you can see above it is not the most welcoming of sights, but a piece of cloth a few seconds of wiping should be able to get rid of the smudges. It also manages to reflect a lot of light, too, and almost looks like a mirror surface in very bright environments.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 feels rounder, lighter and somewhat easy to take apart compared to other netbooks. It also appears to be smaller than some other 10-inch netbooks because its screen is lowered and the chassis isn’t wider than it has to be. I’d say it would be pretty easy to carry around, although the bundled 6-cell battery does add some weight to the overall package.

The 6-cell battery is practically the only thing that jumps at you upon seeing the IdeaPad S10-2. As everything else appears to be tightened in and all edges rounded for a non-intimidating appearance, the 6-cell battery quite easily reveals itself openly at the back. It’s almost as if it’s shouting at you, telling you to make sure you notice that it’s a 6-cell battery that will keep the netbook running for hours.

The unit we tried on our hands-on was pre-loaded with Windows XP and a host of Lenovo-relevant bundled software. We weren’t able to use a timer, but booting up took a fairly long time, perhaps more than a minute and a half. We’ll be able to confirm if we get the chance to finish putting this netbook through a full review. Till then, check out a few more photos of it in below’s gallery.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 7:23 am and is filed under 10-inch, Lenovo, Netbook, competitor.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.