LENOVO IDEAPAD S12

With its 12 inch screen, the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is one of the biggest netbooks available in the market. It comes with the Windows XP operating system.

System configurations for the laptop under review
Processor: Intel Atom N270 processor (1.60GHz)
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition
Graphics: Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Display: 12.1 inch widescreen display (1280x800) with LED backlighting
Hard Disk Drive: 160GB 5400RPM hard drive (Hitachi HTS543216L9A)
The base configuration starts at $449.

Build and Design
S12 is very sturdy and has rounded edges and a slimmer chassis. The design is very accommodating - all parts fit together neatly.

At 1280x800, the display resolution is excellent for a netbook: most other netbooks have 1024x600 or less. Contrast and brightness are excellent. The only problem with the screen is that its glossy coating is prone to cause a lot of reflections. This can be very annoying when you use the machine in direct sunlight.
The speakers are audible, but to listen to music or movies you will need to buy a pair of headphones.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard is full size. If you are used to typing on a standard notebook keyboard, you will have absolutely no problem typing on this keyboard. The keyboard feels of high quality and the keys don’t wobble at all. The touchpad is both good and bad. Tracking is easy and it is reasonably accurate. The only problem is that it is slightly small.

Ports and Features
The port selection will meet almost all of your connectivity needs. There are 3 USB ports, one media card reader, ExpressCard/34 slot, headphone and microphone jacks, VGA and Ethernet.

Performance
You can perform all day to day activities without much difficulty; you can surf the net at reasonable speed; you can work with your documents; you can also listen to music or play video. Having said that, performing strenuous activities will easily overwhelm the Atom processor. So if you like to multi-task with several programs, you may be a bit disappointed with the performance. For everyday tasks, the performance is just fine.

Battery Life
At half brightness (5/10), the six-cell battery will give up to five hours. The S12 comes with a custom power configuration utility. Choose a power conscious setting, and you will get reasonable battery life.

Conclusion
The IdeaPad S12 is an excellent choice for those budget-minded consumers with modest needs. It has a pleasing design and comes with one of the best netbook keyboards.

Pros:
Pleasing design
Superb keyboard
Five hours of battery life

Cons:
Touchpad could have been larger