As the successor to S10-2, Lenovo has completely revamped the design with a thinner body and decorated lid that feels quite light and sturdy. The lid has a very slick checkered pattern of matte and the glossy black squares is excellent at hiding fingerprints.
Inside, the plastic around the keyboard has a veneer resembling brushed metal, giving the Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 a more professional look without actually using higher-end materials. The chassis feels slightly lightweight and plastic, especially when opening up the lid, but the overall feel is quite sturdy despite some flex when pressing down on the top of the netbook with its lid closed.
At 10.6 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches, the S10-3 is about an inch narrower than its predecessor, the S10-2. Weighing in at 2.6 pounds, the S10-3 is also a hair lighter than most netbooks, which typically weigh 2.8 pounds.
The 10.1-inch display on the Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 has a glossy finish, but it doesn’t prove too distracting when watching videos and surfing the web. Its resolution of 1024 x 600, typical of most netbooks, is fine for reading articles online.
The 6 cell Lithium Ion Battery with up to 7 hours battery life raises the bar on mobile computing but it juts out a little bit from the bottom of the netbook, which means the back of the keyboard will be tilted up a little bit when you place the S10-3 on a table.
The roomy, full-size keys on the S10-3 are a complete redesign as well, incorporating Lenovo’s new raised chiclet-style keyboard that was first seen on the ThinkPad Edge. They feel great. But in order to keep the laptop as small as possible while providing a nearly full sized keyboard, Lenovo chose to build left and right buttons into the touchpad, making it difficult to use. The touchpad, which uses a Synaptics driver, is also capable of multitouch gestures such as pinch and zoom.
The rest of the features are what you might expect in a netbook, but the Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 does have one other feature that’s not common in Netbooks: a quick-start OS. The new Quick Start 2.0’s ‘instant on’ function lets users quickly access applications and the Web in only seconds and without booting the Windows desktop OS. Other cool features include an Active Protection System to protect the PC hard drive from sudden bumps or falls and a Dolby-powered speakers better than what we’ve come to expect on most netbooks.
Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 0647 Key Features
- Ultra-slim design – just 0.96 inch thin, and only 2.6 lbs
- Integrated high-speed Wi-Fi
- Stereo speakers with Dolby Headphone surround sound
- Active Protection System protects hard disk drive from shocks
- DirectShare – easily synchronize your files with another notebook without connecting to the internetv
- Get online in seconds with Quick Start 2.0 ‘instant on’ function
- VeriFace facial recognition technology
Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 0647 Specification
- Operating System : Windows 7 Starter 32-bit
- Display : 10.1 WSVGA (1024 x 600) LED Backlight Display
- Processor : Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz Processor
- Chipset : Mobile Intel NM10 Express chipset
- Graphics : Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics
- Memory: 1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM (easily self upgrade RAM to 2GB)
- Storage : 250Gb SATA Hard Drive
- Wireless Data Network: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- Input/Output: Ethernet LAN (RJ-45), VGA, 3 x USB 2.0 Ports
- Memory card reader: 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
- Web cam: 0.3MP
- Optical Drive : No Optical Drive (optional external optical drive can be connected via one of the USB ports)
- Battery: 6 cell Lithium Ion Battery with up to 7 hours of battery life
- Dimensions: 10.6 (W) x 6.6 (D) x 0.96 (H) inches
- Weight:2.6 lbs
Upgrading Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 0647 Memory from 1GB to 2GB
Take note of the following;
- The netbook comes with only 1 slot and it is populated by a 1GB memory module
- That means you have to remove the 1GB RAM module to insert the new 2GB RAM module
- Make sure you purchase the right memory module – a 200 pin DDR2 SODIMM notebook memory module (667MHz or 800MHz)
- Installing the memory is a snap. You just need a tiny Philips screwdriver to remove one screw from back cover. Once unscrewed slide the door towards the screw and lift up gently. Pop out the old, pop in the new, replace the cover and boot it back up (Follow the steps outlined in easily self upgrade RAM)
Color Options
The Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 comes with a choice of a black or red cover featuring a textured, fingerprint-resistant cover.
Software Included with Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 0647
- DirectShare -lets you sync files between computers and USB drives on a network
- ReadyComm 5 is a networking utility that not only lets you connect to Wi-Fi hotspots, but has a Load Avg. feature, which can distribute data over several connections to increase network speed
- VeriFace face recognition
- Maplife – based on search engine powered by Bing; type in an address, and the application can show you food, lodging, and entertainment options around your location. You can also use the application to plot directions to a location
- McAfee SecurityCenter trial
- Microsoft Office 2007 trial
User Reviews
There’s a lot to like about the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3. It’s attractive, small, light and has an excellent keyboard. The speakers are great for a netbook and its instant-on environment is easily the most attractive among netbooks. And it offers decent performance and battery life. However, being a Lenovo it costs more than netbooks with similar features.
Based on the overall ratings of this netbook, we would recommend this machine.
Where to Buy Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 0647
We found Amazon.com to have the best prices on all netbook computers including the Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 0647. Click on the links below to visit the product website for additional information and special offers. You can also compare prices from the numerous retailers by clicking on the More Prices link.
Lenovo S10-3 0647-29U 10.1-Inch Netbook (Black)
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Lenovo S10-3 0647-33U Netbook (Black)
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Optional Upgrades
Crucial CT25664AC667 2GB 667MHz 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 Memory Module
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Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Starter to Home Premium]
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Microsoft Office Home & Student 2010 [Disc Version]
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Lenovo Ideapad S10-3 0647 Video Review
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