Technology // Intel-Inspired Ultrabook

 Oh, hey! That's me blogging from a new little machine!

Remember the Inside Generation Style Fashion Show I walked in a few weeks ago?   Well, one of the cool things about being a part of the event was that we were given the opportunity to test drive and review one of the new Intel-Inspired Ultrabook laptops.  I have to say that as a committed Apple-user, I was a little hesitant to give it a go, but my MacBook Pro seems to be just about at the end of her rope lately, and the last thing a blogger wants is to be left computer-less!  Eek!

So, here are my honest thoughts about the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, written after more than a full day of using the computer for blogging, answering emails, working on a few upcoming projects and even a client meeting via Skype!
  

Narrower than my MacBook Pro and thinner than two magazines!

HIGHLIGHTS

+ Teeny tiny and light!  I still can hardly believe how thin this laptop is and have also noticed that it doesn't get as hot or make as much noise as my current computer does.  I'll be on the road working for most of the month of May (more on that later!), and I'm pretty sure I'll be bringing this little guy with me to keep up with blogging and emailing while I travel.

+ Has an HDMI port.  This handy feature allows the computer to connect directly to a TV or projector (perfect if you watch your TV shows via Hulu/Netflix like we do and don't want to buy an extra adapter).

+ Incredibly long battery life and quick charging.  I'm on the computer QUITE a lot, and used it exclusively for an entire day and night without having to plug in, and then noticed that it was already ready to go with a full charge after being plugged in for a little over an hour - incredible!  Yet another reason that it would be perfect for traveling.

CHALLENGES

+ Hard to get used to new key arrangement.  I am amazed by how much extra my brain had to work to get a hang of the finger placement (though this might say more about ME than the computer), and the mouse functions are totally different, as well. The clicking areas within the fingerpad & even the way that the cursor highlighted text is totally different than what I'm used to, and may have ended up losing me a little time, but I'm sure this would improve in the long run.

+ Different screen resolution.  When I first turned the Ultrabook on, it looked like the screen was a little fuzzy (and YES, my glasses were clean), but all it took was a little fiddling around with the brightness/contrast to make it seem just as clear as my MacBook Pro or iPad.

+ New operating system/interface.  It had been so long since I was last on a PC that I had completely forgotten about the switch away from Microsoft Windows to a more streamlined Vista.  It seemed much more intuitive than I remember it, and that was both a big surprise and something that I was nervous about prior to trying it out.  Still took some tooling around to figure out where everything was, though.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the convenience of the weight and size, combined with the battery life and quick charging time, and I know I'll be toting this little bad boy with me quite a lot these days.  I'm still planning on using my MacBook Pro as my primary computer (especially to keep my editing software, photo files, music, etc), but am excited for a new high-powered and portable option for this blogger on the go!

Curious about where I'll be off to next month? (Twelve cities in under 6 weeks!)  Stay tuned for an exciting announcement and details on how I'll hope to connect with you in your hometown!

Disclaimer: I value you SO much as readers, and I consider review opportunities very carefully before entering into an agreement with a brand.  This computer was given to me courtesy of Intel, but I'm not being compensated for the post otherwise.  The review you'll find here is 100% in my own words, and contains my totally un-edited thoughts about the Intel-Inspired Ultrabook.  Thanks so much!