CE Geek, I really enjoy using the S10-3t. Here’s a Linux install tutorial that I wrote up for Puppy Linux, but I know you’re not a big linux fan:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=614443
Ultimately, I think Windows Home Premium makes for a better OS on the Lenovo than Linux, and I tried all the flavors. There are two versions of CPU: 1.66 and 1.86. The 1.86 comes w/ stock Home Premium
(the 1.66 comes with Home Basic
).
Obviously, you want to shoot for the faster model, especially since Home Basic doesn’t support the screen’s multitouch.
The drivers work well: automatic screen rotation when in tablet mode, wifi
(whose driver can vex in some Linuxes
), etc, but I dumped a lot of their apps, since they are too cute and too cpu-intensive.
For touchscreens, Opera 11.64 is better, IMHO, than Firefox, and either of those two is better than IE 9. A current Thunderbird is my email program and an add-on will sync with Google contacts, should you already be synching w/ Outlook and Google on another machine. Desktop iCalendar is an excellent $10 app that will sync a desktop calendar to Google. So if you don’t have a license for Outlook, you could have a functioning PM nonetheless.
I do not sync an HPC with the S10-3t, but the internal bluetooth
(which I don’t believe is standard with the 1.66 model
) does its thing with my WinMo phone—in fact, does it better than Linux bluetooth.
I was lucky and the seller pulled the hdd and installed a 120GB SSD---if you can swing that, it’s the way to go. Lower temperatures, better battery life, the usual.
The fan is unadjustable and jet-loud, so keeping the machine cool is a must.
Good keyboard, though lightly touched keys can sometimes make doubled key strokes. The capacitive screen is great and works well when touched, but it has an intense reflection, so at certain angles, you’ll see your shadow. That bothered people in some reviews; it doesn’t me.
I see them all the time on ebay: under $330 is a fair price. Oh, the 1.86 comes with the smaller battery for some reason. Much nicer form factor, but diminished endurance, of course. I went ahead and bought the enormous 8-cell battery, which gives oodles of ac-free life but sticks out the back much like the J-720 extended battery and with the same jarring presence
(for instance, you’ll have to buy a bigger case
).
For help, this is the definitive site. This guy was amazing:
http://www.jessebandersen.com/2012/03/lenovo-ideapad-s10-3t-all-posts.html
Let me know if you have any questions,
Jake
