Lenovo 3000 N100 review

Roger Kirkwood Read more October 7, 2009

£521

Price when reviewed

Lenovo is now well known as the new owner of the ThinkPad range, but it also has a more affordable 3000 range. The N100 is the widescreen offering, and this spec – identified by TY04CUK – sits near the bottom end of the range.

Nevertheless, there are a surprising number of features on offer for the money. There’s a DVD writer, which handles dual-layer and DVD-RAM discs, while hard disk capacity is generous at 80GB. There’s even a fingerprint reader set below the keyboard for security and a webcam built into the top of the TFT; Apple’s £637 MacBook is the only other machine here to have a webcam.

Plus, unlike most here, there’s Bluetooth to complement 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, 10/100 Ethernet and a modem. The memory card reader includes xD-Picture Card support in preference to SmartMedia. The four USB 2 ports are all on the sides for easy access, although the 10/100 Ethernet port could have been placed further back, since when you connect a cable it can obstruct the USB and mini-FireWire ports.

But, the good news is that, just like the ThinkPads, the 3000 series is well designed and built. We also like the icons around the keyboard showing where the side ports are: as with the HP, they make it easy to see where to plug in cables. The keyboard feels solid, with the keys having just the right level of resistance as you push down. We’re not fans of having the Ctrl key inboard of the Fn key, but you’ll quickly get used to this. And at least there’s a Windows key.

Although the 15.4in screen lacks some of the vibrancy of glossy versions, it’s more evenly lit than the Fujitsu Siemens’ display and easier on the eyes since it isn’t reflective. Protection behind the panel is average – the only place the Lenovo feels anything less than solid.

Performance is one area where the low price has resulted in compromises. The single-core 1.66GHz Core Solo T1300 lags well behind the dual-core offerings, leaving the N100 with an overall 2D benchmark score of 0.65. But this is still plenty of power and, like the HP, it’s by no means sluggish. The battery lasts a respectable 3hrs 10mins, and it’s fairly portable at 2.7kg.

There are some fine notebooks in this Labs, but none can match the Lenovo for value. It’s more than fast enough for most needs, it has decent battery life, but what lifts it above the rest is its sheer range of features. A bargain at £521.