IBM/Lenovo 3000 C100 - Expert Reviews

Pros: Competent performance ; very good battery life ; comfortable keyboard ; robust system-management and help utility ; very small AC adapter

Cons: Small touch pad and shallow mouse buttons ; tinny, soft speakers ; lacks multimedia controls ; lacks ExpressCard slot

Verdict: The Lenovo 3000 C100 is a decent budget laptop that delivers competent performance and long battery life, but other laptops offer superior features for a similar price.

Review summary: Lenovo, the company that bought IBM's ThinkPad business last year, has developed an alternative brand of desktop PCs and laptops designed to "address the needs of small-business customers" at a cheaper starting price point than most ThinkPad models. ...

Review summary: On February 23, 2006, Lenovo unveiled its first-ever Lenovo-branded PCs to be offered worldwide. Finally dismissing the ThinkPad moniker business users cherished for years, the Lenovo 3000 product family is the culmination of work ...

Pros: Good value ; excellent admin software and battery life ; good connectivity ports

Cons: Average build quality ; aesthetically challenged ; low resolution screen

Verdict: Compelling business features and price, but it's definitely not a ThinkPad

Review summary: Operating System: MS Windows XP Professional, RAM: 512 MB, System Weight: 6.3 lbs, Hard Drive Capacity: 80 GB, Type...

Pros: Good management suite for a budget notebook. Good heat management. ThinkPad-like keyboard.

Cons: Noisy mouse buttons. Plain-looking chassis. Bulky.

Verdict: It's the first Lenovo-branded laptopand it is decidedly not a ThinkPad.

Review summary: Lenovo makes a splash in the mainstream notebook category with the Lenovo 3000 C100, a compelling combination of ThinkPad-quality features and mid-range specifications.

Pros: Excellent performance, 'legacy" serial and parallel connectors, Built-in support for smartcard-based authentication (card and software optional), Second battery for optical drive bay (optional)

Cons: Screen has standard rather than widescreen aspect ratio, Poorly located USB ports, Expensive

Verdict: The LifeBook E8110 is a solid dual-core workhorse that delivers excellent performance and decent battery life. Features like Trusted Platform Module support, a built-in smartcard reader and optional fingerprint recognition should appeal to IT managers ...