Lenovo IdeaPad U260

The Lenovo IdeaPad U260 retails for a price of Rs. 44,990, with no variants, and while it has a unique form factor, useful proprietary software, and is easy to carry; it falls short in terms of connectivity features and overall performance. Unless Lenovo equips the IdeaPad U260 with better hardware for improved performance or slashes its price under Rs. 40,000, the 13-inch Dell Vostro V130 will always be recommended first.

Pros

• Slim and stylish
• Lightweight, easy to carry
• Face detection software
• One-touch backup and recovery
• Spill-resistant keyboard

Cons

• Only two USB ports
• No card reader
• Below average performance
• Low screen brightness

 

 

 

The Lenovo IdeaPad U260 is an interesting thin and light laptop from the Chinese PC manufacturer. The IdeaPad U260 is sleek, stylish, has a 12-inch form factor and comes with an Intel Core i3-380UM ultra-low voltage processor to balance battery life and everyday performance. The laptop doesn’t skimp on useful proprietary Lenovo software and is aimed towards mobile professionals and students. Let’s see what the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 has to offer.
Lenovo IdeaPad U260: Look and Feel
For a company that’s renowned around the world for its rugged business laptop line -- ThinkPad -- Lenovo has tried its hand at crafting a thin, stylish-looking laptop with the IdeaPad U260. The thin and light U260 definitely has elegance and flair in plenty, its screen lid is covered in smooth aluminum coloured in coffee brown, giving the IdeaPad U260 a snazzy look -- the same surface extends on to the laptop’s bottom panel.

Prop the laptop open to reveal an all-black keyboard, touchpad and palmrest -- the palmrest is covered in faux leather, which is soft to touch and gives the U260 a premium feel. Where the Dell Vostro V130 -- a similar thin and light laptop -- has an all-metal exterior, the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 differs to include a slightly more trendy look and feel, even giving the stylish Sony VAIO S a run for its money.

The IdeaPad U260 is 0.7-inch thin and weighs just 1.35 kg - that’s lesser than the Dell Vostro, Sony VAIO S and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 but not the MacBook Air. Despite its thin form factor, the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 is well built -- the screen hinge is secure, the keyboard or palmrest dips very slightly -- the overall impression is pretty good; we feel however the Vostro V130 is slightly more sturdy. The 12-inch laptop’s easy to tuck away in your backpack amidst files and folders and you don’t really feel its weight while lugging the IdeaPad U260 around.
Lenovo IdeaPad U260: Screen
The thin and light Lenovo IdeaPad U260 laptop comes with a one-of-a-kind 12.5-inch display screen, with a standard 1366x768 pixel resolution -- it has a non-glossy or matte surface. The widescreen display is evenly lit but insufficiently bright – it’s definitely not as bright as the Sony VAIO S’ screen. Viewing contents off the screen outdoors, under direct sunlight is disappointing. The IdeaPad U260’s screen doesn’t tilt back a whole lot and its viewing angles are average, nothing out of the ordinary here. Reading text for extended time is good, but watching movies or videos isn’t as good as a laptop with glossy screen -- Dell Inspiron 15R, for example. However, the screen’s ambient light sensor did a good job of adjusting screen brightness dynamically.

The IdeaPad U260 has a webcam on its screen bezel which comes with CyberLink’s YouCam software for adding a bit of fun to your webchats.
Lenovo IdeaPad U260: Keyboard & Touchpad
Traditionally Lenovo keyboards are one of the best in the business, the same can’t be said of the IdeaPad U260’s keyboard. We like the U260 keyboard’s scalloped, curved keys which fit well on pressing fingers -- but the keys aren’t full-sized. They keys are isolated but not raised enough for an optimum typing experience. We encountered no keyboard flex, but typing on the Lenovo IdeaPad U260’s keyboard for people with bigger, larger fingers will be a touch inconvenient. The keyboard is spill-resistant.

The touchpad is smooth and a joy to use, though. It’s of adequate size for the laptop’s 12-inch form factor and performs well while manipulating the mouse on screen. The two distinct mouse buttons below the IdeaPad U260’s touchpad are of average build quality and make a small clicking noise when pressed. Special mention of the U260’s faux leather palmrest -- it’s the right size and cushions the wrists and palm to provide a comfortable typing experience.