Lenovo 3000 V100

Despite the feeling of the odd cut corner, the V100 is a reasonable first effort for a company whose name is hardly currency with consumers. It's well specified and capable of most jobs, and the keyboard stands out as being particularly superb - all in a very portable package. But the problem for Lenovo is that the ultraportable market is becoming much more competitive. The presence of the similarly priced Samsung Q35 in this month's ultraportables Labs is particularly telling. It has the same year-long warranty (which is collect-and-return compared to the Lenovo's inferior return-to-base), weighs less and has three times more battery life under light use, as well as significantly better build quality. And, while the Lenovo does cost around £50 less than the Q35, the only people who would really benefit from the V100 are those who spend most of their time typing.

Author: Dave Stevenson