With Lenovo acquiring IBM's mobile PC business, the Chinese manufacturer has had a lot of work to do to develop the ThinkPad line that IBM used to be famous for. And I would like to give them their due, since Lenovo still managed to bring this line to a completely new stream of popularity. Immediately after it became clear that there was no need to worry about the future of corporate devices, the Chinese manufacturer decided to turn its attention to other sectors of the mobile computer market.
As a result of this, the IdeaPad series was created, in the production of devices of this line all the achievements and developments of the Americans from IBM were taken into account. The new line of mobile computers was aimed at a wide range of user audiences and due to the fact that it had a wide range of devices with different characteristics, any user could choose exactly what he wanted. In this review, we will consider the very entry-level, so to speak, the budgetary part of the devices from the IdeaPad line. This part includes devices, the index of which first has the letter G. Today I got my hands on an IdeaPad G550-6EWI-B laptop with a fifteen-inch screen. This is not the first experience of the manufacturer in this field, this device is an updated version of the IdeaPad G530 laptop, which was in great demand among schoolchildren and students due to its low price and ease of use.
The budget of this device is noticeable starting from the packaging itself - the box is made of cheap cardboard. In the upper part there is a plastic handle, which is designed for more convenient transfer of the package. At the end of the box there is an information sticker, looking at which you can learn about the characteristics of the laptop. The delivery set for the laptop is as follows:
- the laptop itself IdeaPad G530;
- power cord + power adapter;
- battery;
- warranty card;
- a reminder about setting up the device;
- user's manual;
- optical disc with Windows Vista HB;
- three disks containing drivers and software.
Not only does Lenovo supply most of its laptops with disks in order to restore the installed software environment, but also with all devices the proprietary OneKey Recovery software is included in the package, with which you can restore the computer to factory settings in just one click. This laptop comes with a pre-installed operating system Windows Vista Home Basic (32-bit, rus), unfortunately, you cannot upgrade from this operating system to Windows 7 for free. But in the case of this manufacturer, this is not so problematic, since you can pay 22 euros for shipping and you will be able to receive a licensed Windows 7 disc directly to your home.
Performance IdeaPad G530
Even earlier, there was a clear line between budget-class and business-class devices. That dividing line was the single-core processor. Nowadays, this border is becoming more and more ghostly. Our device also has an installed dual-core Intel Celeron T3000 processor. This processor can be attributed to the second wave of budget dual-core processors, the release of which Intel has specifically timed to the beginning of autumn, when students and schoolchildren so need inexpensive laptops for study.
The processor of this laptop belongs to the Penryn class. It operates at a frequency of 1800 MHz. The processor is made using 45-nanometer technology, and has one megabyte of second-level cache. The processor uses the proprietary Execute Disable Bit technology, which provides reliable protection against malicious attacks.This technology allows the processor to allocate a specific area of memory in which the execution of program code is allowed. While the malicious application tries to write its code to the buffer memory, the processor automatically disables the code execution, while confirming the damage to the malware.
Intel does not stand still and very often updates and improves its products. Compared to the previous generation of Celeron dual-core processors, a transition to a thinner technical process was made, which improved the power consumption and heat dissipation of the laptop. Naturally, Intel Celeron T3000 cannot be compared with more expensive processors from this manufacturer. But it is already clear that this processor will become a hit of sales. The processor is made the leader in this segment by its low price and good performance. All components of the device are powered by the budget Mobile Intel Cantiga GM45 chipset. It supports two types of RAM DDR2 and DDR3.
This laptop has two identical RAM modules that operate in dual-channel mode:
- 1 GB DDR3-1066 Micron 8JSF12864HY-1G1D1;
- 1 GB DDR3-1066 Micron 8JSF12864HY-1G1D1.
DDR3 memory consumes 40% less compared to the previous DDR2. This type of memory has an eight-bit prefetch buffer, while its predecessor DDR2 has a four-bit one. Another advantage is the completely new dynamic circuitry inside the crystal termination. The only drawback of DDR3 is the high cost of modules of this type.
IdeaPad G530 Case
The budget of the device imposes certain restrictions, so we did not expect high-quality materials of execution. But looking ahead, I would like to note that the impression from the appearance and materials of execution remained only positive. The device is completely made in black colors. Straight lines with rounded corners prevail in the construction of the body of this model. The whole appearance of the device seems to hint at work, it is immediately clear that it was not made for entertainment. The top panel of the device has a matte finish, the surface has a relief structure in the form of small stripes. This material is excellent protection against various stains and small abrasions, the practicality and simplicity of the case is at its best. When closed, the device lies perfectly in the hands, thanks to its texture it does not slip even in wet hands. Holding this laptop in hand, one can feel its solidity, this feeling can be called a trademark of this manufacturer, which was inherited from IBM. In the upper right corner there is a silver vendor logo. The lid is attached to the bottom thanks to two very thin hinges that ensure that the top panel remains closed. These hinges cope with their purpose with a bang, you will not be able to open the device with one hand.
The internal style of the device is completely in tune with the appearance of the laptop: there are all the same sharp chopped lines and strict design. The working area is made of durable plastic, which has a matte finish that is rough to the touch. The wrist rest is large enough for comfortable work. There are various stickers on the left side.
The IdeaPad G530 has two speakers located in the corners of the front end of the lower half of the device. The audio path here is made on the basis of the integrated Conexant Cx20561 codec. The sound quality of these speakers is below average, there are no low or high frequencies - the available range is very narrow, but when listening to music, various distortions were not noticed. For best playback quality, you still need to connect headphones or external speakers.
Near the left connecting hinge is the power button of the device, next to it there is a button called OKR, which is designed to launch the OneKey Recovery application.You will not find any more additional keys on a laptop. To the right of these buttons are two Lock-key indicators. Another row, which includes four LEDs, is located in the center of the edge of the bottom panel. Here you can also find out about the activity of the wireless modules, whether the laptop is connected to the power cord, and so on.
A 1.3 megapixel camera module and a microphone hole are embedded in the frame above the display. The camera module is not rotatable, so the top cover will need to be adjusted to achieve the desired viewing angle. The camera resolution will be sufficient for video conferencing over the Internet.
There are two compartments at the bottom of the device. The hard drive is hidden under the cover of the first one, the RAM and the wireless module are located in the second. So replacing these components will not be difficult. Along the entire bottom surface there are rubber feet and ventilation holes that are designed to receive air.
The body is made of rather thick plastic, in order to push through the panel you will have to make a lot of efforts. The build quality of the device is at a very high level, which are quite pleasant to the touch. It's pretty nice to see this in a budget laptop.
IdeaPad G530 keyboard and touchpad
In the field of corporate devices, a big demand is placed on the data input device. Traditionally, the ThinkPad line of notebooks has been distinguished by a convenient input device. Designers have moved the input device from the business line to this series of notebooks. The keys are completely made of matte plastic, the number of keys in the keyboard unit is 101, all of them are of a standard size. It becomes immediately noticeable that the Fn button is not in its place: it is located in the right corner, in the place where we are used to seeing the Ctrl key. In addition, the Del key is also non-standard located. This can be confusing for those users who are used to a standard desktop keyboard. The laptop buttons are full size - 18.5 mm. The dimensions of the laptop display allowed placing a block of numeric keys here. But this block cannot be called complete, since the keys for performing arithmetic operations are located above the digital block. And not on the right side of them. The 0 key has been cut in half compared to the standard keyboard. The keys have a stroke of 3 millimeters, pressing them is quite soft, and the moment when the button is triggered is clearly indicated. The keyboard symbols are white and the additional function icons are orange. It is a pleasure to type on such a keyboard, hands do not get tired even after long typing. All in all, the IdeaPad G530's keyboard is a classic IBM input device that has proven itself to be a comfortable and easy-to-use keyboard.
The touch panel was made by Alps Electric and is quite typical. The touchpad is slightly shifted to the left, and is slightly recessed into the body. The sensor field has good sensitivity, its surface is made of matte plastic, which improves cursor positioning. The touch field has an area for horizontal scrolling. The mouse keys turned out to be quite loud during operation.
IdeaPad G530 Connectivity
Our today's hero has a rather modest set of interfaces. All ports and connectors are located at the ends of the bottom panel.
On the right side there is a socket for connecting a power cord, an optical drive and a USB port.
On the front end part, you can find a switch for the Wi-Fi wireless module as well as two audio connectors, the first is for connecting headphones or speakers, and the second for a microphone.
On the left side there are two USB, VGA connectors, a built-in network controller and a slot for a Kensington lock.
The back of the bottom half is completely devoid of connectors due to the peculiarities of the rear cover fastening.
In truth, the set of connectors is standard here, everything is only the most necessary and in minimal quantities. The most obvious drawback in this aspect is the lack of a device for working with memory cards, which is very much in demand these days. And it would be better if the manufacturer used black plastic for the VGA connector, and not blue, since this is very striking against the background of all black.
The built-in Wi-Fi module with support for working in WiMax networks is responsible for wireless communication in this laptop. Mobile WiMax technology was created back in 2001 and was patented by Forum Wimax. This technology works according to the 802.16e standard and is positioned as an alternative to leased lines. In Russia, services in this direction are provided by the Yota company, which allows access to the Internet at a speed of 10 Mb / s.
Thanks to the support of this standard, you can use base stations with a coverage area of 1-6 km, which, as you can see, is much larger than conventional Wi-Fi. WiMAX networks are less susceptible to interference than Wi-Fi. The IdeaPad G530 has built-in networking from Yota. Among the huge advantages in the form of inexpensive and fast Internet, there are also disadvantages of using the Internet from Yota - this is still a small coverage.
Lenovo IdeaPad G550 Display
Laptop Lenovo IdeaPad G550 is equipped with a matrix with a diagonal of 15.6 inches and a maximum resolution of 1366x768 pixels. This matrix uses LED backlighting, which significantly improves brightness uniformity and positively affects battery life. But thanks to the use of a glossy surface, the picture has become even brighter and richer. The screen looks pretty good for a workhorse.
Lenovo IdeaPad G550 Hard Drive and Optical Drive
The optical drive of this notebook is the result of a collaboration between Sony and NEC. It works with almost any CD, DVD disc. Of the supported technologies, it boasts only support for Layer jump recording, otherwise it is quite typical for budget devices.
To store information in this laptop, a Hitachi HTS543216L9A300 hard drive with a volume of 160 gigabytes is used. This model is presented from the Travelstar series. Among the features of this hard drive, I would like to note the support for thermal control of the head flight height and the fourth generation perpendicular magnetic recording. According to the developer, the combination of these technologies ensures the security of faceting user information. In addition, there is also support for TrueTrack technology, which allows you to accurately position the heads under high vibration and shock. These characteristics are capable of providing shock resistance up to four hundred g.
Heat dissipation Lenovo IdeaPad G550
Air intake holes are located on the bottom base, the device expels hot air from the right side of the case. The ventilation system of the Lenovo IdeaPad G550 is virtually silent during normal tasks.
Lenovo IdeaPad G550 Battery
The handset has a 6-cell lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 4300 mAh. This is the typical battery capacity for this class of device.
The results of the review Lenovo IdeaPad G550
This device will primarily interest those users who are not chasing a large number of megabytes and megahertz. For a reasonable price, this manufacturer is primarily a work-oriented laptop. Naturally, to reduce the cost of the product, some functions went under the knife. But here it is not clear to me why the developer deprived users of the device for working with memory cards, as for me it would be better to remove the webcam here. The device has an excellent body, which is not afraid of prints or minor scratches. In other words, the Lenovo IdeaPad G550 is a solid tool in a practical design. This laptop will be an excellent assistant for its owner, both at work and at home.
Benefits Lenovo IdeaPad G550:
- beautiful appearance;
- comfortable keyboard;
- high battery life;
- the presence of a digital block (although defective, but still it is here);
- Quiet and effective cooling system.
Disadvantages Lenovo IdeaPad G550:
- a small number of connectors and ports;
- there is no device for working with memory cards;
- there is no built-in Bluetooth module.
You can buy the Lenovo IdeaPad G550 laptop in our online store at the lowest price.
