The name Lenovo may conjure up images of basic black ThinkPad laptops lined up in offices and cubicles around the world. But the company also has a very creative and inventive side, usually found only in its lesser-known consumer IdeaPad line of products.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y480
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Most IdeaPad laptops are cool-looking and reasonably priced (although the basic aesthetic could use a little updating), and the new IdeaPad Y480 includes some of the newest components available, namely an Intel Core i7-3610QM quad-core processor (from the new Ivy Bridge line), and Nvida GeForce 640M graphics.
At $1,079 for this configuration, I'd call that a good deal for a tricked-out 14-inch gaming/multimedia machine with Intel's third-generation Core i-series CPUs. But, there's one huge caveat -- the display only has a 1,366x768-pixel native resolution. For a $1,000-plus laptop with a quad-core CPU and high-end GPU to have such a low screen res is ludicrous, like connecting a Blu-ray player to an old 19-inch tube TV.
Looking over the different configurations of the Y480 available from Lenovo, from $999-$1,200, all are stuck with the same display. If that doesn't bother you, this is the least expensive Ivy Bridge quad-core laptop to date, and has Lenovo's excellent build quality and keyboard, but that resolution will be a deal-killer for many.