The Lenovo Idea Pad lines differ quite a bit from the ThinkPad’s we have reviewed in the past, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad W700 Mobile Workstation or the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Ultraportable Notebook as you’ll see in the pages ahead. That the Idea pad is a all the norm laptop with all of the features needed to be able to run efficiently and productively in a mobile state or which means on the go computing, so the power management and how long the battery last outside a power cord is vital to all of the laptop even this Y530.
In this article, we’ll be showcasing the Idea pad Y530 specifically, which offers a competitive array of features at a reasonable price point. With multimedia capabilities being a focus these days, we thought this model would more than cover the bases with its generous yet rather portable 15.4″ display and Intel Core 2 Duo processor packed inside. The laptop was very easy to carry and since it is winter all we had to do was stuff the power supply in a jacket pocket and carry the laptop under an arm if we wanted. We don’t recommend carrying a laptop like this for the average user–using a carrying case is always a good idea–but we wanted to experience carrying the Y530 in a worst case scenario.
During daily work we usually have 10-14 browser windows open, several Acrobat documents, and multiple Word and Excel instances going. The Y530 did not even hiccup and switching between applications was easy and fast. The Y530′s 15.4″ screen, with its native resolution of 1280×800, was bright, and sharp, with good color reproduction and a quick response time. It woke from sleep mode fairly quick and achieved full brightness within seconds. We also like the chassis, and textured case and the keyboard was very responsive. The oversized touch pad was another huge plus. The multimedia buttons, however, did not seem consistent in their activation. Sometimes when one was pushed it would take a few seconds for its light to go brighter, indicating it was activated. Also, it was very hard to get used to the function key being on the outside of the keypad where the control key should be. This may create confusion in customers who have never experienced a non-standard key layout and had to overcome this little quirk.
All little nuisance’s aside, we found the Lenovo Y530 to be a solid notebook with great performance that competes favorably with other products in its class. It was very quiet at all times and there was never any excessive heat felt when using it in a laptop position. We should also note that Lenovo has recently lowered the retail price on this particular machine from $999 to $849. At that price, we believe the Y530 is a great deal.
