Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 15 scores (from 16 reviews)
Reviews for the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
Twiggy. Following Acer and Asus, Lenovo now appears in the ring of UltraBooks with the next candidate. Low configuration and ULV hardware in an attractive packaging - is the IdeaPad U300s only to tempt us with its design or can it convince at second glance?
Source: IT Reviews Archive.org version
There's no shortage of great looking Ultrabooks on the market, with the likes of the Toshiba Z830 and Asus ZenBook UX31 also vying for your attention. But there is something a bit different about the Lenovo U300s. It feels slightly less indulgent and takes itself a little more seriously, making it potentially more attractive to the business user. It's not perfect, with the reduced size keys on the keyboard being the main bugbear, but you are getting a solid, well designed Ultrabook at a very reasonable price.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 03/28/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: T Break Archive.org version
The U300s isn’t just available in a serious looking graphite grey, but a funky ‘clementine orange’ as well. For these people, choosing the slightly heavier and more expensive IdeaPad might be a bit of a leap, but for those who’re happy to own a Lenovo machine, and prefer the aesthetic appeal of the IdeaPad’s design, the U300s is a solid choice.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/12/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Comp Reviews Archive.org version
Lenovo's IdeaPad U300s is a pretty decent Ultrabook on the surface. It has a nice all metal construction which many models lack and the keyboard and trackpad are some of the best available. The big problem is that Lenovo's pricing is trying to compete with Apple's MacBook Air 13 but fails to provide a compelling alternative.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 03/06/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
Performance and specification are decent, but the author found the keyboard too awkward for comfortable use. There are a few too many problems with the Lenovo Idea Pad U300s for us to recommend it, not least of which is the high price tag.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 03/02/2012
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 60% features: 80% ergonomy: 70%
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
Once again we have another excellent 13in Ultrabook entrant with just a few too many flaws to fully recommend it. Nonetheless, Lenovo’s stylish and ergonomic IdeaPad U300s is a strong contender, and at under £900 in its Core i5 guise it’s our favourite budget choice – if you can live with its screen’s poor viewing angles, lack of keyboard backlighting and absent memory card reader.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/13/2012
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 80% performance: 80% features: 70% display: 70% mobility: 90% ergonomy: 80%
Source: Maximum PC Archive.org version
RIPE APPLE Sub-$1K; attractive, sturdy lid; decent performance. ROAD APPLE Plastic insides don't match aluminum outside; no USB 3.0; uses HDD; narrow vertical viewing angle.
Comparison, online available, Medium, Date: 02/06/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Maximum PC Archive.org version
Lenovo also brings its A-game to the Ultrabook party. And well it should, since it’s asking almost $1,500 for the IdeaPad U300s. That’s premium, business-ultraportable price territory. It’s therefore apropos that the U300s has the most businessy aesthetic, although not at the sake of sleek design. Like the Asus UX31E and the MacBook Air, the U300s is crafted from a single-sheet of aluminum. It eschews the wedge form factor established by Apple and instead uniquely mimics the lines of a hardbound book, with the top and bottom edges protruding slightly all the way around the perimeter, the way a book’s covers protrude past the pages. It makes for a distinct and pleasing silhouette.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/13/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
The Lenovo IdeaPad U300S is a good ultra-portable laptop, but as an ultrabook, it doesn't offer any compelling reasons to choose it over the competition.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/19/2011
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: It Pro Archive.org version
Despite our concerns about the touchpad, screen brightness and lack of business-oriented features, the IdeaPad U300S is our favourite Ultrabook yet thanks to its long battery life, good looks and reasonably good keyboard. Overall though, the 13in MacBook Air remains our preferred ultraportable thanks to its superior battery life, great keyboard and more thoughtful design. If you prefer Windows, the U300S is the best Ultrabook alternative to the MacBook Air available so far, but we suspect the real challengers to Apple's dominance will be the second generation of Ultrabooks based on the upcoming Intel Ivy Bridge range of processors. Hopefully by the time these processors are released, Ultrabook manufacturers will have had time to refine their designs and supply chains.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/19/2011
Rating: Total score: 67%
Source: T3 Archive.org version
The Lenovo IdeaPad U300S is a good ultra-portable laptop and the matte screen makes it ideal for working outside. However, if you’re looking for an Ultrabook to use as your main PC, it doesn’t offer any compelling reasons to choose it over the competition. It looks plain and unispiring, performance is disappointing despite being thicker and heavier than other Ultrabooks, and the keyboard and trackpad are still awkward to use.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 12/15/2011
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Notebooks.com Archive.org version
Lenovo’s ultrabook embodies many of the best aspects of this new notebook category, including a seriously thin design coupled with impressive performance. The design is singular instead of following the Air-clone crowd, with a Clementine Orange option that stands out. Still, the IdeaPad U300s excludes several features to keep the size and cost down, including some needed ports and a backlit keyboard. Even at that, it never reaches the sub-$1000 goal.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/14/2011
Source: PC World India Archive.org version
This elegant looking ultrabook is among Intel's new wave of ultraportables that are meant to compete against Apple's Mac Book Air. The IdeaPad U300s ultrabook comes with a distinctive new look, is very portable and has a good build quality. Its performance rivals that of the MacBook Air - the tech specs for both these units are almost identical - making it a worthwhile option to consider when buying a Windows-sporting ultraportable.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/12/2011
Rating: Total score: 85%
Foreign Reviews
Source: PC Welt DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/19/2012
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 89% features: 72% display: 76% mobility: 81% ergonomy: 89% emissions: 90%
Source: ZDNet DE→EN Archive.org version
Comparison, online available, Long, Date: 12/06/2011
Source: Notebookcheck DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/05/2011
Rating: Total score: 83% performance: 76% display: 61% mobility: 92% workmanship: 88% ergonomy: 80% emissions: 88%
Source: Notegear KO→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/01/2012
Rating: Total score: 88%
Comment
Intel HD Graphics 3000: Integrated graphics card in the Intel Sandy Bridge processors (Core ix-2xxx). The HD 3000 is the faster (internally GT2 called) version with 12 Execution Units (EUs).
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.
2467M: Power saving ULV processor clocked at 1.6-2.3 GHz due to Turbo boost. Offers an integrated HD 3000 clocked at slow 350 / 1150 MHz and a DDR3-1333 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
13.30":
There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.
» 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.
75.07%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.