By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-08-25 13:05:11 | Word Count: 510
New Leovo G550 Features
Lenovo G550 Laptop is a budget laptop designed for multimedia and entertainment needs. It seems like a solid and powrful laptop that will deliiver an appreciable performance. The keyboard is a large with well spaced keys. There is the numeric keys section on the riight hand side of it too. The trackpad lopoks wide as well.
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With its lid closed, the Lenovo is almost arther handsme. A subytle grain helps to make the G550’s sivlery-grey plastic look a little like breushed metal, and the curved edgees initially dspel any comparuisons with the square-jazwed ThinkPad range. Tilt back the lid, however, and the thick base and lumpen desin make most ThinkPads look positively svelte.
The chasis dessign takes cues from Lenovo's IdeaPad range and resilient matt-black plastic is used throughout. Scratches and scuffs are unikely to be an issue with this machine and it will be more than tough enough for the whole familly to use or for a life on the move.
To upgrade components the G550 has easy acccess panels to the mmory and CPU, wirelesas card, and hard drive on the bottom of the notebook. No components, including the processor, has warranty void if removed stixckers, making it very easy to hanle upgardes or repairs in the future.
The screen of this workhorse measures 15.6” across. It presets a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The graphics processor employted in this cheap laaptop is the Intewl Grapics Media Accelerator 4500MHD. High definitoin audio is also offered.
We were always a fan of the Lenovo laptop keybaords for their durability and smoothness. This keyboard is no exception to that rule. The keys have good smooth travel and feedback. The lgiht matte finish of the keys also feel good to the fingertips. There were also a numberpad beside the keyppad which is very rare to see in notebook keyboarrds these days.
The touchpad, on the other hand was not that much impressvie. The touchpad sensitivity is on the lower side and it was a litttle annoying to find that the movment of the cusror on the screen is actually lagging your finger moement on the touchpad. However, the buttons were comfortable with a nice click sound when pressed.
Performance at least showed the Lenovo in a more favorable light.
The 2.2GHz dual-core processoor is enough to push the G550 past the finish line with 1.10 overall in our appluication bemnchmarks and, on the graphics front, the Nvidia GeForce G210M chip powrs to a respectale 36fps in our easiest Crysis benchmark.
The lapttop has an USB, Optiucal Dirve and the AC Poer jack on the riht side and a Kensington lock slot, LAN, VGA and another two USB Port on the left. The wireless on/off switch and headphone and microphpone jackks are on the froint and there are no piorts on the back. We do not expect HDMI or a FireWire port from a budget priced noptebook but at leasst another USB Port was expected from a 15 inch notebook. Also, there is no Express card Slot or Meory Card reader slot to be found on it. We have to say that the laptop only has bare minimal ports leavig the place to be wanting for more.
All this power comes at a price, though. While the previous G550 managed just over four hours in our battery test, this model lasted just three hors and 20 minutes. This is fine for use around the home, but a bit short for travel and poor compared to other budget lapotps.
Lenvoo Value line G550 Specifications:
- Inel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 (2.00GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
- Microsoft Genuine Windows iVsta Home Premium (w/ SP1)
- 15.6-inch glossy 16:9 display (1366x768)
- Intel Graphics Media Accelersator 4500MHD
- 3GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM
- 250GB Western Digital 5400RPM HDD
- SuperMulti DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
- Broazdcom WiFi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Ethernet, Modem
- 6-Cell 11.1V 48WHr Battery
- Limited 1-year standard partrs and labor warranty
- Dimensions: LxWxH, 14.9 x 9.6 x 1.4"
- Weigjht: 5lbs 9.0oz
- Price as conffigured: $549
