Lenovo IdeaPad U260
Specifications
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Average of 10 scores (from 16 reviews)
Reviews for the Lenovo IdeaPad U260
Elegant and thin. Inspired by the shape of an elegantly slim book, Lenovo presents the IdeaPad U260 subnotebook with an exceptional 12.5 inch display, Intel Core i5 Arrandale CPU, and integrated graphics unit. The 4 cell battery with a meager 39 Watt hours does appear to be a mobility bottleneck though.
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
With that in mind, we have trouble recommending the Lenovo U260. It's one of the nicer laptops we've seen and the lack of features and dated performance wouldn't matter if it was £200 cheaper. But as it is, we'd caution you to look elsewhere for an ultraportable laptop with more on offer.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 04/18/2012
Rating: Total score: 40%
Source: Digital Versus Archive.org version
Lenovo has slipped into the gap between 13.3-inch ultras and 11.6-inch laptops. Close to the Dell Vostro V130 and nice to look at, this model is ultra-slim and light but lacks enough battery life (2h15) to make it viable to take on long outings. You'll find much more powerful models with longer battery life (Asus U36SD and Acer X3830T) for the same price.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/23/2011
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Think Computers Archive.org version
Portable, thin, up-to-date entertainment features, and zippier than ever. Ready to lose that heavy laptop with the lame screen, out-dated.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/22/2011
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
If you're looking for a good compromise between size, weight and performance in a notebook that doesn't look like a notebook, the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 fits the bill.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 02/18/2011
Source: Techreview Source Archive.org version
Performance with the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 was pretty good, but it wasn't as good as some other similar models. The CPU is probably a little underpowered and the slower hard drive doesn't help either. However for most tasks, like the ones that most business and average people would be doing with this laptop, it does very good.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/24/2011
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: PC World Archive.org version
The U260 combines Lenovo's traditional strengths with a new-found sense of style. It's an average performer for overall, but its lack of distinction in that respect is more than compensated for by top-of-the-line ergonomics. My main disappointment is that Lenovo doesn't offer an option for a faster hard-disk drive or solid-state drive, which would do much to improve performance. Otherwise, this ultraportable just feels right to me. I recommend that you put the IdeaPad U260 to the test before buying something else.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/21/2011
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 57% features: 82% ergonomy: 99%
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
Is the world ready for an ultraportable with a 12.5-inch display? Yes. Especially one that's as elegantly designed as the IdeaPad U260. This truly is one of the best-looking--and best feeling--ultraportables money can buy. The only significant trade-off is the limited battery life. For about $1,049, 4 hours is not enough endurance for us. In this price range we prefer the 11-inch MacBook Air ($999), which pairs Nvidia graphics with longer battery life in a sleeker design. Or you could try the Acer Aspire Timeline X1830T, which doesn't hold a candle to the U260's design but provides a faster Core i7 CPU and more unplugged time. Nevertheless, the IdeaPad U260 makes a style statement and backs it up with plenty of speed and comfort.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/18/2011
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Slashgear Archive.org version
If you’re a Windows sort of person, and want a tiny computer to bring with you on a trip – this is the one. This is exactly what you’re going to want. If you plan on being in the field without portable power or a wall plug for hours on end, maybe consider something else. This computer takes into account the fact that Apple is attempting to rock the ultraportable market with their MacBook Air and slams directly into it with a completely reasonably sized (small, but not tiny) notebook with a completely unique feel on the outside and the in. Starting at $899 it appears to me to be right in the correct range for cost. Uniqueness, lack of bloatware, relatively decent experience for how small a computer it is, comfortable physically. Well played, Lenovo.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/17/2011
Source: CNet Archive.org version
When it comes to design in ultraportables, it's hard to top Apple's MacBook Air. That doesn't stop competitors from trying, though. The Lenovo IdeaPad U260 is a bold, high-design 12.5-inch laptop that's thin, light, and very easy on the eye. The Lenovo IdeaPad U260 is a sleekly designed, beautifully constructed 12-inch ultraportable; it's just a shame its world-class looks are undermined by an underperforming battery.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/15/2011
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 80% mobility: 60%
Source: Netbooknews.com Archive.org version
Recapping the specs – a 12.5" 1366 x 768 display, either an Intel Core i3-380UM or i5-470UM processor, Intel HD graphics, up to 4GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, Gigabit LAN, 0.3MP webcam and Windows 7 Home Premium. Weighs 3 pounds and comes in at 0.7-inches thick. Price has temporarily dropped to a low $799 and comes in either Mocha Brown or Clementine Orange.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/07/2011
Source: Engadget Archive.org version
How much are you willing to sacrifice for love? If you're anything like us, you're absolutely smitten with the U260's metal build, soft leather palm rest, brushed glass touchpad, and the fact that it packs Core i5 power in such a thin shell. But you're also asking yourself one question: can you live with just three to three and a half hours of battery life?
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/27/2010
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Notebooks.com Archive.org version
Our first observations center around the look and feel of the device which gives off a very premium vibe, represented in the $1,099 price tag. The cover is made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy, but it’s not as bare feeling as the aluminum case of the MacBook Air. Instead it feels as if there’s a tiny bit of coating overlaid which gives it a very nice feel. This carries over to the palmrest which actually feels very high end, almost leather-ish or like the cover on a nice old book.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 12/24/2010
Foreign Reviews
Source: Notebookcheck DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/16/2011
Rating: Total score: 85% performance: 64% display: 75% mobility: 87% workmanship: 93% ergonomy: 89% emissions: 84%
Source: c't - 7/11
mobility satisfying, performance good, 3D-games bad, display good, fan noise good
Comparison, , Long, Date: 04/01/2011
Source: Erenumerique FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/02/2011
Rating: Total score: 75%
Source: Hi-Tech Mail RU→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/18/2011
Comment
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics: Onboard graphics card that is built in the new Arrandale CPUs (Core i3 / i5 / i7 Dual Cores). Depending on the model and Turbo Boost, the GMA HD is clocked between 166 and 766 MHz.
Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
470UM:
The Core i5-430UM is a power efficient ultra low voltage processor for laptops. Using Turbo Boost it can be clocked with up to 1.83 GHz. Thanks to Hyperthreading, 4 threads can be processed simultaneously. AES, VT-d and Trusted Execution are deactivated for the 430UM. An integrated graphics card (Intel HD Graphics with 166-500 MHz) and a DDR3-800 memory controller are also included in the package.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
12.50":
This range of display format is largely the upper limit for tablets and the lower limit for subnotebooks.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small in size and therefore easily portable. The tiny display has the added advantage of requiring little power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is exhausting for the eyes. High resolutions, which one is used to from a standard laptop, are almost not usable.
The same applies to tablets in this size range.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.
In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.
In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.
69.5%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.