Lenovo ThinkPad Edge (Core i5 430M) review

Many were surprised when business-centric Lenovo announced the more consumer-focused ThinkPad Edge, and this is a laptop just as suited to the everyday buyer as the business person.

The design is a far cry from the rest of the ThinkPad range. Instead of a plain black-box approach, Lenovo has painted the lid an attractive shiny red and included silver trimming to the chassis, and the result is a very desirable laptop.

The machine is as durable as it is attractive and the solid plastics give it a robust feel with the strengthened metal lid hinges only adding to this.

Minimal reflections

The 15.6-inch screen features a detailed 1366 x 768-pixel resolution and is ideal for creating word documents and spreadsheets. Like the Sony Vaio VPC-EB1S0E/WI, it isn't particularly bright, but the lack of a shiny Super-TFT finish means there are virtually no reflections to contend with.

This laptop also boasts a lid which folds open 180 degrees, making it easy to get a comfortable viewing angle wherever you are sat.

This is the first Lenovo laptop to feature an isolation-style keyboard. It provides a fantastic typing experience and is equally as firm as the Sony, the only difference being the Lenovo's keys travel a little further. If we had to choose between the two, we would opt for the Sony, however, as the lack of a dedicated numeric keypad here is a little disappointing.

The Intel Core i5 430M chip used here provides the excellent performance. This means those after uncompromised power for either work or play will find plenty to like here and you'll have no problems running both office and multimedia applications.

The inclusion of an integrated graphics card means you'll be able to play only the most basic of games, but older (and internet) games should run fine. Likewise, basic photo editing won't be a problem.

Portability is the cornerstone of any business laptop and, although there are much lighter options available, the Lenovo's 266-minute battery life is impressive – for the price at least.

A whole raft of Lenovo software is included to help you manage your power consumption and connect to available networks. The programs are intuitive, allowing you to connect to your router at home with ease, while balancing your battery life and performance requirements, for example.

Ultimately, the ThinkPad Edge impresses and the power and usability on offer make this is a great choice for both the business person and average consumer.

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