Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First of all, I've done some thorough research on- & off-line to have reached the conclusion that this laptop is right for me! Key points I've factored prior to making the purchase decision included: 1) Price & Value,2) Features & Performance, 3) Purpose and/or Main Use.
I have student budget so decided I needed to set up a price roof to help narrow my choices down. I decided I want to spend $750 max at the time on buying a new laptop. I then put together some core features that I thought I'd need the most. That list have come down to:
* Built-In Webcam
* Wireless connectability (B,G,N)
* Speedy processor (Intel's i- series was a natural choice. Intel's breed of processors are above & beyond the competition. Don't let Best Buy's associates fool you!)
* Minimum RAM (Memory) was set to 4 GB (More memory means more freedom to multitask)
* Back-lit Keyboard. I used to share living space so I had to turn lights off while working at times!
* Optical drive was a must have.
* Size matters! I needed something I can carry around without compromising overall performance. I've set up 14" as my choice of preference, size wise.
I use my laptop mainly for surfing the web, light photo editing and doing school homework! Oh, I also use it to chat with friends via multiple IM clients, update my Face Book Status, and watch YouTube videos!
Now if any of the above sounds familiar to you then you probably want to continue reading this review.
So why Lenovo Edge 14"? OK, let's break it down to you:
Specs that Matters:
1) Processor: Intel® Core(tm) i3 @ 2.27 GHz [ Dual core mini monster: really good for general purpose use, multi-tasking, document & light media editing]
2) Memory: 4 GB of DDR3 RAM
3) Hard Drive: 500 GB @ 5400 rpm
4) Connectability: B+G+N WiFi capability along with an Ethernet port so pretty much all bases are covered.
5) Built-In Webcam @ 2.0 MP, Crispy! Almost all other manufacturers still use 1.3 MP webcams which I think has become outdated.
6) Lenovo standard-setting Keyboard which comes both back-lit & spill-resistant. One less thing to worry about! It's a neatly set in chiclet style (also known as island-style keyboard).
7) Ports: you get 3 standard 2.0 USB ports, 1 Combo eSATA port that also serves as an additional USB port, VGA port along with an HDMI out and headphone Jack. One the USB ports (colored yellow to set it apart from other ports) is always ON whether your laptop is turned off, hibernating, or put to sleep mode as long as your laptop is hooked up to a power source. [PS: real life testing: It always work whether or not your laptop is connected to power source. This feature comes in handy for people like me who rely heavily on their smart phones to do pretty much everything! These things can't get enough of juice!]
6) Battery: 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery which combined with Lenovo Battery Control Software can easily gives you as long as 4 hours away from a power source. It can be stretched up to 4 hours and 30 minutes but you may want to get used to working on a dimmer screen![PS: Make sure you verify it's a 6-Celler not a 4-Cell because some retailers don't make that clear and people end up buying the wrong product]
7)OS: Windows 7 Professional @ 64-Bit. Plain Awesomeness! You'll never see Update Unsuccessful alert message ever again!!
8)Optical Drive: DVD±R/±RW. No Blue-Ray support.
9) Extras: you also get an SD card reader.Now time for what I liked & what I didn't!
The Good:
The aesthetic value is relative but I like the design. It's so subtle & respect demanding! You'll stand up tall in any computing crowd, guaranteed! The silver edges, the way "ThinkPag" logo is placed inside & out with that little red dot glowing as the red dot in the letter "i" for "ThinkPad" demanding your Eye attention! I personally prefer the matte finish vs the glossy alternative which needless to say a smudge magnet, but its up to you. What Lenovo labels "Lenovo Enhanced Experience (E.E.)" turns out to be more than just promotional allegation. The whole Windows experience is a lot smoother. No system crashes,system keeps itself updated and start up/Booting time is 40 seconds(+/- 5). The pre-dedicated Hot Keys are really nice to have (Volume Up/Down, Volume Mute, Mic Off, Screen Brightens Control, WiFi On/Off, Play/Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, Webcam On/Off, Dipaly Control: Duplicate on 2 screens, Extend onto 2 screens, etc. )* Touch pad is roomy & so accurately responsive. It also handles some muli-finger gestures which I personall don't use much of the time. Keyboard is so comfortable to use (Lenovo is universally acclaimed to make the best keyboards and I now know why!) Screen is really bright but it's not your ultimate destination to watch Netflix movies. Price! You get all the tech goodness for under $700, $649.99 to be exact. I'm referring to retailers configuration. If you want add on more goodies, be prepare for more! One more thing: processing power , I think, can't be attributed to a single component in this machine but it's rather a wholesome of computing goodness. It's engineered & built right. One more thing, bloat- and crapware is kept to minimum: None! Power control software is super handy and easy to use. You simply have a slider to increase/decrease power consumption level which then relates to battery life & CPU performance. Lenovo ThinkVintage is supposed to help you address any issues that your system might encounter but I didn't have to use it yet. It's good to know it's there though. Two main points are said to make ThinkVintage very useful: quick access to manufacturers' tech support, System Diagnostic. One small addition, the fan on this laptop is super silent so that's another plus ;-)The Bad:
My main complaint, through actual everyday use, is the combining of Function Keys with the pre-set Hot Keys; you end up having to press the Function Key to use any of the F1 thru F12 keys which I personally think very inconvenient. I use key combinations and so it would've been a lot more functional & less annoying if Leonovo would've reversed the order of things to where you can press Function + say, F3, to crack the volume up instead of pressing the same Function to get to use say the F2 key. Anyways, I got used to it but still think it was a bad decision made by one of Lenovo's product managers! One more thing I didn't like is that when you press the CapsLock Key the only indicator you get is a soft Caps indicator popping up on the screen. I'd much rathered a small LED light indicator on the same CapsLock key. And I'm not a big fan of Lenovo's signature red Knob which serves as an additional trackpoint but other people like it so Lenovo has decided to keep it. I just wish it was an option on the customization list. Oh, some might say it's a bit bulky (which it is to a certain extent but honestly, after having for a few months I've become a Lenovo Fan!)The Bottom Line:
It's a solid performer laptop. Great value for the price. Although it is advertised as a budget-minded, Business-Friendly laptop, I find it to be a VERY good choice for a mainstream buyer who wants a Keeper PC to serve their wishes with ease while lasting for as long as they can keep it! It's a great buy for a student, small business owner or a deal hunter! Buy it with confidence, you'll love it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo 14" ThinkPad Edge (0578-A25) Intel Core i3 4GB RAM 320GB HDD Laptop Notebook PC
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