The comparable Asus that I tested felt cheap, the Dell that a freind has was nice quality, but did not have all the perks that the Lenovo has.

The 14 points that sold me on this purchase:

1)The 10.2 inch screen is crystal clear and makes for better viewing pleasure. It is a matte screen which I like better than the glossy screen when using in direct sunlight.

2) The power setting programs, which extends battery power, is well thought out and screen is quite bright even at the low power setting.

3) The expansion port that will allow me to add an air card to the computer. (I notice now that Asus and HP have this built into their netbooks, but are provider specific).

4) The 6 cell battery pack lets me work continuly between 5 to 7 hours depending on the intensity of the applications I am running.

5) The keypad is the quality of a regular laptop – in other words it does not feel cheap and is responsive to my typing. The keyboard is only 90% of a regular keyboard and my fat fingers can handle it just fine.

6) The Lenovo quick start program gives an instant on and ready to connect to the internet in a matter of seconds. It bypasses the xp boot process.

7) A dedicated one touch backup button.

A dedicated wireless on and off button.

9) A sturdy lightweight chasis. This computer looks and feels like a quality laptop.

10) The touchpad works flawlessly. The left and right mouse pad buttons arequality and work flawlessly as well. The other models I tested had finicky mousepads and their buttons were either hard to push, in an awkward place, and very cheaply made.

11) Windows XP runs very quickly on this 1gb memory machine. It made me realize how much of a hog Vista is on my desktop computer.even with 3gb of memory. XP still feels like it runs faster and responds better. That’s my personal oppinion.

12) It can be upgraded very easily to 2gb of memory.

13) Upgraded easily to bluetooth.

14) Ubuntu installs flawlessly for a dual boot machine.

What I don’t like:

1) The super small right shift key that I cannot get used to. This seems to be a design issue with most other netbookks as well.

2) No bluetooth in the US model. I bought the module on eBay for $14 including shipping and it works like a charm. There are videos on youtube how to install this.

3) No option to purchase with Ubuntu preloaded, but this will easily install if you feel comfortable installing it.

4) No backup disks – I made a complete copy of the hard drive to a pen drive then burned to a DVD. There is a built in one button backup, but I am not sure if this will reinstall the complete system in case of hard drive failure.

5) The built in camera software runs slow on this amount of memory.

I know these machines are made primarily for web surfing, but I use it to do graphic intensive work as well. I use it at both work in the courtroom and on the road for genealogy research. It’s ideal for my usage.

Overall, I am very pleased and impressed with the quality of this machine and am glad I made the purchase.

I purchased as a refurbished unit from the Lenovo website for $330.00. It came with a very nice Think Pad carry case.

Amazon.com Product Description

Small on the outside. Big on the inside.

The IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook is just over an inch thin and only 2.65 pounds, but comes packed with features like VeriFace™ Facial Recognition Technology, OneKey™ Rescue System and stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone™ technology. But the coolest feature of all is the QuickStart button that lets you access your music, pictures, games and the web, even before the Windows loads. So flip open this ultra-small netbook and discover a powerhouse of unique features. Best of all, it’s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.

IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook Key Features

• Thin and light: Just over an inch thick and only 2.65 pounds.
• 10.1-inch widescreen, glossy display with LED backlight.
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours with 6 cell battery
  

• Get online in seconds with Quick Start ‘instant on’ function
• OneKey™ Rescue System for easy data recovery & backup
• VeriFace™ Facial Recognition for convenient login
• Stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone technology
• Multi-touch Touchpad
• 89% Full Size Keyboard
• Integrated web cam for quick and easy video messaging.
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 card reader
• VGA outlet for external monitor

Tiny technology

Powered by an Intel® Atom™ Processor to offer lower power consumption and reliable performance at an affordable price. The epitome of efficiency. Powerful Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator easily handles your image processing needs whether you’re managing family photos or creating impressive presentations.

Display

The IdeaPad S10-2’s energy efficient 10.1-inch LED backlit WXGA screen is roomy enough for movie watching, web surfing or even getting a little homework done.

Mult-touch pad

The S10-2 features a multi-touch pad that allows you to enlarge, reduce and edit images by drawing with your fingers. And, its nearly full-sized keyboard adds to its ease of use.

Stay connected

Experience more and get more out of life with easy portability and flexible connectivity options. The S10-2 makes it easy to get connected and stay connected on the road, at home and everywhere in between.

Eco-smart and Energy Star® compliant

The S10-2 has many earth-friendly attributes such as a mercury-free design, energy management software, and is Energy Star® compliant, meaning this netbook attests to their superior energy efficiency. This lowers operating costs, but it also means less overall energy use and reduced heat emissions.

A key reason I bought a second S10 when I needed (OK, wanted) another netbook: I’ve dropped the first about a dozen times, knocking it off the armrest of an easy chair onto carpet, about 2.5 feet down, and the Lenovo has kept working all this time. (OK, I should be more careful with it, but its hardiness has actually enabled me.)

I bought the previous version of the Lenovo S10 as a stopgap; my full-size laptop caught a virus while I was away from home for weeks and I didn’t have time to clean it up. I ended up using the S10 a lot, and discovered that it did all the vanilla stuff I do most of the time. Then it caught a virus while I was away from home, and I was able to use the OneKey feature to wipe out everything back to factory settings. That worked great (as long as you’ve backed up your stuff before a virus).

The latest S10-2 has longer battery life, and is sleeker and more polished. Nice job on the update, Lenovo. (The S10-2 comes in pink, green, gray and black, which I chose.) I sure didn’t buy the first S10 for its boxy, utilitarian looks, so the redesign was a pleasant surprise.

Amazon.com Product Description

Small on the outside. Big on the inside.

The IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook is just over an inch thin and only 2.65 pounds, but comes packed with features like VeriFace™ Facial Recognition Technology, OneKey™ Rescue System and stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone™ technology. But the coolest feature of all is the QuickStart button that lets you access your music, pictures, games and the web, even before the Windows loads. So flip open this ultra-small netbook and discover a powerhouse of unique features. Best of all, it’s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.

IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook Key Features

• Thin and light: Just over an inch thick and only 2.65 pounds.
• 10.1-inch widescreen, glossy display with LED backlight.
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours with 6 cell battery
  

• Get online in seconds with Quick Start ‘instant on’ function
• OneKey™ Rescue System for easy data recovery & backup
• VeriFace™ Facial Recognition for convenient login
• Stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone technology
• Multi-touch Touchpad
• 89% Full Size Keyboard
• Integrated web cam for quick and easy video messaging.
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 card reader
• VGA outlet for external monitor

Tiny technology

Powered by an Intel® Atom™ Processor to offer lower power consumption and reliable performance at an affordable price. The epitome of efficiency. Powerful Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator easily handles your image processing needs whether you’re managing family photos or creating impressive presentations.

Display

The IdeaPad S10-2’s energy efficient 10.1-inch LED backlit WXGA screen is roomy enough for movie watching, web surfing or even getting a little homework done.

Mult-touch pad

The S10-2 features a multi-touch pad that allows you to enlarge, reduce and edit images by drawing with your fingers. And, its nearly full-sized keyboard adds to its ease of use.

Stay connected

Experience more and get more out of life with easy portability and flexible connectivity options. The S10-2 makes it easy to get connected and stay connected on the road, at home and everywhere in between.

Eco-smart and Energy Star® compliant

The S10-2 has many earth-friendly attributes such as a mercury-free design, energy management software, and is Energy Star® compliant, meaning this netbook attests to their superior energy efficiency. This lowers operating costs, but it also means less overall energy use and reduced heat emissions.

For me, this little computer is perfect because of the size. It does not have a CD/DVD drive, so I use an external. Both the computer & the drive fit right into a pistol case. I would suggest upgrading the memory.

PNY OPTIMA 2GB DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Notebook / Laptop SODIMM Memory Module MN2048SD2-667

Samsung 20x DVD±RW DL USB 2.0 External Drive w/LightScribe

Plano Protector Four Pistol Case

Plano 10404 Gun Guard DLX Four Pistol Case

I originally bought the tiny Asus eee PC for a good friend, basically as an “upgraded thumb drive with a screen” capable of web browsing. Needless to say, with Linux, a 4 gb “drive…” wi-fi, web cam and not much else, it was pretty sad and limited – but at the same time, it clearly showed some potential. But let me be perfectly clear: DON’T buy one of these…. It’s basically a quirky toy. I can’t tell you about the newer models.

I decided to pick up an Acer Aspire One for myself and overall, I was extremely pleased. With the familiar XP interface and a 160gb drive, a noticeably better web cam and far better performance via the extra 512 memory even running XP. It felt substantial, the monitor was gorgeous, keyboard far better than the baby Asus, battery life was good – but not great. The only rub came when it was time to upgrade the memory. The Aspire One came with one gb on board with the potential to add only an additional 512 memory chip. Still, every bit helps on the small netbooks.

And there’s when you find the nightmare. The Aspire One is an absolute NIGHTMARE to upgrade memory OR replace a hard drive. It involves removing the keyboard, the mainboard, numerous levels of wires, screws and connectors. There are “how to videos” on YouTube – but they are not for the faint of heart.

While I could have gone on being generally happy with the Acer, I was really disappointed in the absolutely and uncharacteristically WRONGHEADEDNESS (for Acer especially) of this consumer unfriendly design flaw – especially since there is an easy access door on the bottom that only leads to an empty compartment for a possible future LAN card upgrade which many, if not most, users will never use. Then there was a growing amount of consumer complaints concerning overheating, thermal shutdowns, defective fans and more. Two more of my friends has bought Aspires after seeing and playing with my machine and one friend nearly immediately had thermal problems. Not a good average.

The final “temptation” to switch came when Lenovo managed to release it’s S10 model with the 10.2 inch screen earlier than expected. Among the most prominent kudos in almost every review was the absolute EASE OF CONSUMER UPGRADE. One panel on the bottom accesses BOTH your *hard drive and memory slot. You can upgrade *either or both easily in under five minutes. I had the extra half gig in and running with virtually no effort nor silliness and the little extra punch made the already speedy little machine feel even quicker. Definitely worth the time and small price.

The unit feels light but sturdy, much like the Aspire. The monitor is simply spectacular! Bright and crisp!

*Note: Among Lenovo’s more interesting features is a “one button restore” feature which enables the user to restore the hard drive back to the original factory computer configuration with all original programs and drivers intact and ready to go should something turn the drive into an unrecoverable basket case. (Of course this is why God invented ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE and made it so easy to use…)

BE WARNED: IF YOU PHYSICALLY REPLACE YOUR EXISTING HARD DRIVE, LENOVO’S MANUAL SAYS THAT THE ONE BUTTON RESTORE FEATURE WILL NO LONGER WORK. So far, I have not been able to get a clear answer as to whether another drive cloned with Acronis WILL work or not as the restore function seems to depend on files already stored on the original drive and not some physical recognition scheme. I can’t help but believe that a clone, even one of a different sized hard drive SHOULD be recognized, but I’m not going to risk the restore feature just to experiment right now. I’ll just save an identical sized clone drive for down the road.

Strangely – VERY strangely – probably the biggest reason I switched came from the difference in the 10.2 in screen. I’m a newspaper reporter and I frequently have to do photos and graphics modifications on site. You will be absolutely amazed in the jump from 8.9″ to 10.2″. ESPECIALLY when you are doing something that you have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS DOING on a netbook… RE: Graphics mods and retouching.

So all in all, it’s really close. I’ve had great luck with Acer products over the years, but this time the LENOVO S10 just had a “LITTLE” too much of an extra edge to ignore.

BTW, regardless of which netbook anyone finally decides on, I should share that I was able to find one of the new Total Micro Technologies flat Power Station batteries [...] and these things are nothing short of AMAZING! They generally run over $400 each but I was able to find a gentleman who overstocked for a major project and bought two brand new for $99 each. Long story short: They will power the LENOVO with FULL POWER, NORMAL TO HIGH VOLUME, FULL SCREEN BRIGHTNESS, EXTERNAL USB DRIVE AND DVD for WELL OVER SEVEN CONTINUOUS HOURS. Try a little searching on Amazon or Ebay. It just might pay off for you as well.

Hope this helps! Do remember to check out the ACER, ASUS and LENOVO USER FORUMS – especially under TROUBLESHOOTING and KNOWN ISSUES before you take the final plunge. Good luck!

Amazon.com Product Description

Small on the outside. Big on the inside.

The IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook is just over an inch thin and only 2.65 pounds, but comes packed with features like VeriFace™ Facial Recognition Technology, OneKey™ Rescue System and stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone™ technology. But the coolest feature of all is the QuickStart button that lets you access your music, pictures, games and the web, even before the Windows loads. So flip open this ultra-small netbook and discover a powerhouse of unique features. Best of all, it’s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.

IdeaPad™ S10-2 Netbook Key Features

• Thin and light: Just over an inch thick and only 2.65 pounds.
• 10.1-inch widescreen, glossy display with LED backlight.
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours with 6 cell battery
  

• Get online in seconds with Quick Start ‘instant on’ function
• OneKey™ Rescue System for easy data recovery & backup
• VeriFace™ Facial Recognition for convenient login
• Stereo speakers with Dolby® Headphone technology
• Multi-touch Touchpad
• 89% Full Size Keyboard
• Integrated web cam for quick and easy video messaging.
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 card reader
• VGA outlet for external monitor

Tiny technology

Powered by an Intel® Atom™ Processor to offer lower power consumption and reliable performance at an affordable price. The epitome of efficiency. Powerful Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator easily handles your image processing needs whether you’re managing family photos or creating impressive presentations.

Display

The IdeaPad S10-2’s energy efficient 10.1-inch LED backlit WXGA screen is roomy enough for movie watching, web surfing or even getting a little homework done.

Mult-touch pad

The S10-2 features a multi-touch pad that allows you to enlarge, reduce and edit images by drawing with your fingers. And, its nearly full-sized keyboard adds to its ease of use.

Stay connected

Experience more and get more out of life with easy portability and flexible connectivity options. The S10-2 makes it easy to get connected and stay connected on the road, at home and everywhere in between.

Eco-smart and Energy Star® compliant

The S10-2 has many earth-friendly attributes such as a mercury-free design, energy management software, and is Energy Star® compliant, meaning this netbook attests to their superior energy efficiency. This lowers operating costs, but it also means less overall energy use and reduced heat emissions.

First the display. It is a 10″ netbook and the resolution is 1024×600. If you’re doing some heavy duty graphics then this isn’t the right tool. But for web browsing and email it works great.

The keyboard is just a little bit tight and I find myself hitting the very edge of the keys when typing. But with a little adjustment I can get used to the keyboard and the layout. The tab and caps lock key are easy to mix up, and the fn key + home combination is a bit awkward. But for a 10″ keyboard you can’t complain. And it is way better than the other netbook keyboards I’ve tried.

The hard drive is 160GB SATA so there is tons of room to install Office 2007 and other applications you may want to use. When the price of SSD storage comes down I’ll probably snap in a SSD in place of the mechanical hard drive, but for now the drive works great and I have plenty of room for storing pictures and music.

The wireless works great and I was able to connect to my wireless router using WPA2 + PSK. I was able to clock in at 1.04MB/sec downloading from the internet – just as fast as my desktop PC. Clearly the wireless isn’t the bottleneck.

Using the webcam for Skype works find. The resolution is a little low but it works great for a built-in webcam. The microphone didn’t work so well but I added a USB Skype phone for better overall voice with Skype any way. (I’d recommend a USB Skype phone or headset if you want to do voice-only calls, it really makes a world of difference.)

The S10 has only 2 USB ports so if you have a bunch of USB devices I’d recommend a small travel hub. I only have a mouse and CD / DVD drive so 2 ports are just fine, but to add a USB thumb drive would take a hub.
The only slight negative I found is the SDCard reader doesn’t let you push the card all the way in – it kind of sits half-way in and is somewhat exposed. I had wanted to use the SDCard for a backup device for my OS upgrade adventures (see below) but that didn’t work because the SDCard hangs out too far to leave it in during normal operation. On the plus side it did work great for transferring my pictures without needing a USB port.

The 9-cell battery hangs off the back of the S10 pretty far, creating a pretty big bump on the back. It kind of hangs down, creating a mini laptop stand that raises and tilts the S10 forward about ¾ inches. The only complaint I have with the battery is it takes almost forever to charge!! I’m not sure if it’s the battery or not, but even the 3 cell battery that comes with the s10 has a glacial charging pace. Still, 7 – 8 hours on the battery makes up for it, and now I have a spare (the old 3 cell) to pop in as a backup.

FWIW, I blew away all the OEM software & partitions and put Windows 7 (RC 1 build 7100) on the S10. All the hardware drivers were downloaded and work great with no installation on my part. The web cam was detected and there was an update for the intel chipset that I got after I did the windows update. But for a beta (or Release Candidate) OS it was amazingly painless. Windows 7 boots and operates just as fast as Windows XP. After putting in the 2GB stick I’m thrilled with the performance.

Overall the S10 packs everything I need into a 10″ netbook. Replacing the 1GB RAM stick with a 2GB stick is the only major enhancement this little netbook could use.

Pros

*The keyboard is smaller than a full size laptop but it still usable, even for my large hands. (extra large gloves are typically tight for me). I wouldn’t want to write a book with it, but for short periods of typing, such as blogging or e-maiing it works fine.
*The response time is good. Don’t expect it to be as fast as a high performance laptop or desktop, but the speed is certainly acceptable. (and I’m the impatient type).
*Although the Lenovo website says that face recognition software is not offered on this model, ours had it included. It works very well as long as the lighting is fairly good. You do not have to sign-in using the keyboard; just sit in front of the screen for a few seconds while it recognizes your face. It also takes a picture of anyone trying to access the laptop. If someone is trying to use it without your permission, you’ll be able to see who it was.
*It comes with a Lenovo front end that sits on top of windows. It offers you icons for the internet, online gaming, etc. You can exit it to go to the normal Windows desktop.
*It looks very sharp and is well designed. Ours is a deep red on the outside and white on the inside.
*Battery life has been very good. I don’t have exact number but you should be able to get a few hours of internet use out of a charge.
*It is very light and portable, yet seems sturdy.

Cons

*These small laptops are called Netbooks for a reason. If you intend to use it for internet surfing, email, etc… it does fine. This is not the computer you want if you plan to run software that requires computing power and memory. Needless to say… this is probably not what you want to run Photoshop.
*There is no built in CD or DVD drive.

You can read the Amazon description to see all of the specs and features, but it does come fairly well equipped for the price. For the last 15 years, all of my past computers were Dells, and I still like Dell. However this Lenovo model seemed to offer the most for the money.