Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13 review

As ever, the AMD hardware also falls behind when it comes to power efficiency. The 6,300mAh cell at the rear would be enough to see many Intel CULV laptops survive more than nine hours of light usage, but the Edge 13 finds itself running dry just short of six. Push the processor to its limits and up the ante with full screen brightness, and the battery expires after just 1hr 43mins.

The glossy 13.3in display is a little more disappointing. Image quality is fine for most purposes, despite skintones looking a mite pale and pallid, but narrow vertical viewing angles are more of an aggravation, and left us tilting the lid back and forth to get the image just right.

Most of the ThinkPad's deficiencies are little more than minor annoyances, however. And elsewhere, the Edge 13 reverts to type. One particularly neat touch is that the baseplate - secured by five screws - gives quick access to all the commonly-upgraded core components: the hard disk, memory, wireless card and the free mini card slot. That's an undeniable boon for IT departments and users alike. The power supply too, a standard Lenovo one, should be easy to track down wherever you are in the world.

Set against the slimline likes of Acer's Aspire Timeline 3810TZ, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13 puts up a remarkable fight. Many will be swayed by the Acer's alluring all-round blend of performance, battery life and classy good looks, but for corporate customers looking to roll out a fleet of sturdy, inexpensive ultraportables and for whom value for money, ergonomics and serviceability are key requirements, Lenovo's latest is ideal.

Author: Sasha Muller