NetbookTech

I’m still in the middle of writing up my guide to installing OS X on the Lenovo IdeaPad S10. It’s taking just a little longer than I would like but in the meantime, if you’re curious how fast OS X boots up on the netbook, just check out the video clip I posted up on YouTube. OS X itself boots without a problem on the S10 – the problems are of course driver related. I’ll get into that once I finish up the article. In the meantime, enjoy this super short video clip.

UPDATE (10/13/2008) – The guide to installing OS X on the IdeaPad S10 is now up here.

It’s extremely easy to upgrade the storage and memory capacities of the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 netbook. To do either upgrade, you’ll need to have a Phillips screwdriver on hand which will be used to remove the bottom panel from the netbook. If you’re planning to upgrade the hard drive, you’ll need a replacement 2.5 inch SATA notebook hard drive and if you’re upgrading the memory, you’ll need a single 667MHz DDR2 SO-DIMM memory module. 

It’s important to note that the IdeaPad S10 comes with 512MB of memory soldered directly onto the motherboard. Thus if you order the 512MB version of the S10, you’ll have a single free SO-DIMM slot. If you get the 1GB version of the S10, you’ll have a 512MB SO-DIMM memory module occupying the slot. You can add a either a 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB memory module to the S10 but the netbook will only recognize up to a maximum of 2GB of memory.

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I got the following email message from Lenovo this morning:

Yes.. I was indeed a little shocked by the sticker price. The sentence does indeed read “Starting at $399″. Wait a second.. I just got the S10 for $439 a few weeks ago. Curious to see if this was a typo, I clicked on the link to the Lenovo website and sure enough, the starting price for the WHITE model of the S10 was indeed lowered to $399.

Now we know price cuts in general were expected for the netbook market but this soon for the new IdeaPad? I guess it’s not too surprising given that Samsung already lowered their netbook price even BEFORE they launched it! What makes this move even more interesting is the fact that the red model is still listed at $439. Looking at the specs, there appears to be NO DIFFERENCE between the $399 white model and the $439 red model. Both systems feature an Intel Atom processor, 512MB of RAM, a 10.2 inch display, Intel GMA 950 graphics, 80GB HDD, Broadcom 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, and a 3 cell battery. Thus you’re looking at a $40 dollar markup solely because of the red paint job.  Yeah – let’s see how long that will last before people get peeved. Did Lenovo not notice that Dell stopped charging different prices for different colored Mini 9’s?? Hello?

A $399 S10 certainly looks even more appealing than ever before if you ask me….

Oh yes – the red model S10 is also now listed as shipping in 3 to 5 days – guess the wait is pretty much over. Now I’ll have to check to see if I have price protection on my credit card…

The reviews for the new Lenovo IdeaPad S10 netbook keep on coming in (stay tuned for our review soon). The latest review comes from PC Magazine and they had this to say about the system:

The S10 has all the essentials to make a solid netbook, including a 10-inch screen, an Atom processor, and a 160GB hard drive.

The review listed the battery size, noisy mouse buttons, and 90 percent keyboard as cons to the netbook. My only problem with that assessment would be the keyboard. I actually do enjoy the S10’s keyboard quite a bit – though it’s a little more mushy than I would like it to be. Ultimately, it’s not bad at all. Perhaps Lenovo’s reputation for excellent ThinkPad keyboards set too high a bar for the S10…

[Check it out]

Lenovo’s new IdeaPad S10 netbook is now also available for purchase at CompUSA. While Lenovo’s website only currently offers white for immediate purchase and red for pre-order, CompUSA is offering both white and pink colored S10’s. Both systems are being sold for $429.99 which is $10 dollars cheaper than the Lenovo website price.

Both systems have the following specs:

• Intel Atom Processor N270 running at 1.6GHz
• 512MB RAM
• 80GB 5400 RPM HDD
• Intel GMA 950
• 10.2 inch WSVGA anti-glare
• Weighs 2.76 lbs
• 802.11 b/g
• Integrated webcam
• 3 cell Lithium Ion battery
• 4 in 1 media card reader
• ExpressCard/34 slot
• Windows XP Home

CompUSA claims that both systems are available for shipment today.