Overall, the Lenovo notebook was despite the good values on the data sheet and its attractive design for me, unfortunately, a disappointment and I returned it after two days.
First, to my areas of application, as these play a role in the decision: I work as an IT consultant / software developer and use the notebook while traveling on the train and at the customer's site, where it is then connected to an external monitor, mouse and keyboard. Portability and performance (much RAM for virtual machines) so multimedia features are important to me, less, a CD drive I do not miss. So I could also do without the touchscreen when Lenovo. My goal was a notebook i7 with 16GB of RAM, SSD and as portable as possible (battery life, weight, size) to get where I was ready, of course, having to upgrade the notebook.
The Lenovo U430 Touch Ultrabook looks in aluminum design chic, brings - in the configuration with 8GB RAM and i7 - good value on paper and also the touch screen in conjunction with Windows 8.1 is fun. Boats going quickly, the operating noise (fans) are limited, weight, feel and keyboard are fine. Unfortunately, the i7 model has no keyboard illumination, but that would have been for me to cope with the price because for under 800 Euro sees the notebook at first sight very high quality made. A MacBook Pro Retina with similar internals without Touchsceen costs more than twice and to these devices reminds Lenovo visually. But unfortunately not in the processing. But in detail:
Clickpad and keyboard
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The touchpad (click pad) was mentioned several times in the reviews and is also for me the main reason to return the notebook. At first I did not think it bad if the touchpad has some "game", but there are in the lower half very easily at every touch after, in the upper little or not. You can click the touchpad and mechanically like the MacBook, so it is (unfortunately) not easily attached to all edges. But at every slight wiping with your finger you can hear the clack: The touchpad decreases slightly and suggests upward again, just like with minimal clicking. Although I am not very sensitive to light housing defects, it has nevertheless clearly bothered me here. The clack occurs hardly if one has the palm rest on the keyboard, so it compresses next to the touchpad, which indicates a sloppy workmanship - perhaps a bolt had more already solved the problem in the right place. Although I have tried to draw the fixed housing screws a bit, but unfortunately had no effect. Since the problem is also mentioned in other reviews, it also seems not an isolated case.
The keyboard, however, I would call average. The pressure point is ok, not as nice as with Apple devices, not as bad as with my old Toshiba (a satellite R830 what the build quality despite soft keyboard and bad display was much better than the Lenovo.) In the i7 models it is not illuminated.
The display
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A touch screen is nice, although I wonder if that's needed is a notebook that does not work as a convertible - the way of the fingers from the keyboard to the screen was unfamiliar to me, so I have yet used haptsächlich the klackernde Clickpad I swung and only with the Windows tiles on touchscreen input (- who used the touch screen more, therefore also like the Clickpad interfere less). That the display is "bad", as criticized in some test reports I have subjectively not emfpunden - perhaps because I was used to from my Toshiba worse, but also rarely watch videos. For my purposes (a lot of text and program code, standard office applications), the screen would have been more than adequate. Outdoors mirroring is perhaps problematic, but I use my notebooks rarely outdoors and Lenovo did not seem to reflect more than others, so that does not constitute a significant negative point for me. Resolution and contrast were well cared until fine, Point of Stability me only conditionally, because I usually do not look on it from the side and my notebooks rarely consider simultaneously with colleagues.
Hard drive, battery and memory - upgradability
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I had planned from the beginning, the Lenovo upgrade with 16GB of RAM and a 512 SSD, which worked to some extent. An SSD could be installed without any problems, this is where Lenovo no hurdles. With the RAM but that is such a thing: Nominally supporting the notebook 16GB RAM. BUT: There is only 1 memory slot (unless the device holds the second well hidden, but I find no evidence of it - when you lift the soil was only one visible). In addition, a more specialized variant RAM is required, which runs at 1.35 volts, and not 1.5 volts, which seems more likely to meet the standard. Thus the notebook a bit less power, but a 16GB bolt SO-DIMM (204 PIN) with 1.35V needs is simply not to be found. I can make exactly one manufacturer identify which such modules produced (Intelligent Memory), but no dealer. A similar version (ECC Buffered) there was at two traders and there would cost about 300 Euro. This means that the fun would probably not be worthwhile anyway. 8GB are virtually seen so definitely the maximum, even if the device allows more according to data sheet.
On that occasion, yet it should be mentioned the battery: This is basically interchangeable, after having solved the screws. However, he achieved even after a complete discharge far as stated in the data sheet no 10 hours, but languished in my case rather pretty average between 4 to 4.30 Stunden then. Perhaps it could be the capacity at several charge cycles and economical use (even more economical than word processing at something heruntergeschrauber brightness) still increase at 5 hours, but so should then definitely be final. That would be enough to need it, but if it is advertised 10 hours, should be for Texte- and program code Tap already rather 6-7 hours there.
WLAN module and connectors:
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The WLAN module is ok, I had no problems and the reception was good. However, it ruled no 5GHz transmission - with a new notebook I expected more, but it is also in the data sheet. It is sufficient for the Heuten prior art.
The other ports are the usual: 1xUSB 3.0, 2xUSB 2.0, HDMI, card reader, LAN, Audio Combo. Nothing fancy, nothing is missing. The "combo" audio - microphone and headphones can not be connected at the same time, there is an adapter required - is only a minimal criticism.
Processing and design:
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As written, I find the design - based on MacBooks - well, by the not so great but processing it acts a bit like a cheap MacBook. The touchpad is the greatest catastrophe of the foregoing aluminum frame is everywhere also not pretty, but tolerable. Of gap dimensions we better not talk. If one is not just the more than twice as expensive as the standard Mac on, the notebook for a consumer model seems still screwed stable and orderly, so that it is actually to the touchpad are nothing really to complain about - if you want more, you have probably deeper into their pockets.
Alternative OS: Linux
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My attempts to run the notebook with Linux (Ubuntu 14.04) failed - not miserable, but sustained by regular system crashes after about one hour of use. I have Ubuntu installed, which was no problem, though the IdeaPad U430 Touch will not be out in the Ubuntu Lenovo Compatibility List. At first everything looked also good, but the system crashes occurred regularly - the mouse froze, nothing was more. Sometimes I succeeded yet, the appropriate application (Firefox, Chrome, Eclipse ...) through a change from the X server in the Shell finish, but even that did not always work, and then there was only a hard reboot. Kernel Log unfortunately I could not save. In more detailed investigations I have omitted because I soon realized that the thing will fall anyway.
Conclusion:
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For me, the criteria that have led me to return were:
- The clattering touch pad that has annoyed me more than expected.
- The - compared to the manufacturer's instructions - mediocre Battery life
- The inability to expand the RAM over 8GB addition, despite "teaser" on the data sheet ("max 16GB")
- The lack of Linux compatibility
What has impressed me
- The touch screen
- The Design
- Compared to my old notebook: The display
Who goes with some more ordinary demands on the device, the laptop would not keep building arms remains at Windows instead of Linux and will not interfere, especially on the Clicking touchpad gets for the money definitely a pretty good laptop. If this were my usage area, I would certainly have long tried to cope with the touchpad to come. So in order not to distort the reviews here, I forgive despite my criticisms 3 of 5 stars.
What alternatives are there?
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I have an alternative - to Browse the Asus Zenbooks - again resorted to a Toshiba model (Sattelite S50 series), which definitely comes along with 2 RAM slots and 16GB of memory, albeit with a 15 "instead of 13" screen and similar low battery life (4-5 hours) - but the computer is still in transit. In my last run Linux running on a Toshiba (Sattelite R830) easily and processing was good, awarded the Battery life, only the display modest (matt, but low contrast), I can cope with my areas of application but. Should the Toshiba unconvincing, probably remains only an expensive, not upgradable MacBook - because in business notebooks from other manufacturers you move quickly in even higher price range as at a hochkonfigurierten Apple computers. What Lenovo concerns: As this is not my first bad experience with the quality of Lenovo products were (were after very positive experiences still produced as IBM Thinkpads) I will now make the first mark an arc. Too bad, because the "normal user" here is really just the touchpad blew, but thoroughly.
