Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Ultrabook Hands-on Video: Superslim, 10-Second Boot

An impressive combination of portability and performance, Lenovo unveiled the IdeaPad U300s, U300, and U400, three ultrabooks starting at less than $800. Taking design cues from the Lenovo IdeaPad U260, the new IdeaPad U series is done in a single sheet of brushed Graphite Gray aluminum for a clean, minimalist look. The U300s will also be available in a limited edition Clementine Orange for those looking for a splash of color.

While all three models are incredibly svelte, the 2.95-pound U300s is the thinnest and lightest, with a thickness of 0.6 inches. Inside, the U300 has a 13.3-inch widescreen HD display (1366 x 768) and a 1.3 megapixel camera, and can be configured with up to a Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM, and an SSD drive with a maximum of 256GB of storage. The U300s will also include Lenovo’s innovative Breathable Keyboard that lets air flow through the keyboard and out through vents on the rear and side hinges (sadly, it’s not backlit). The notebook will have a blazing fast 10-second bootup time thanks to Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology. The U300s’ Long Life Battery should provide up to 8 hours of endurance and can regain 50 percent of its charge in 30 minutes. 

Learn more about the U300 and U400 Ultrabooks, and see our hands-on video, below.

The 13-inch U300 (3.48 pounds) and the 14-inch U400 (4.4 pounds) will also feature 2nd-generation Intel Core processors. Both models will have hard drives with a maximum 1TB of storage, but consumers will also have the option of upgrading to a 256GB SSD drive and 8GB of RAM.  With the optional RapidDrive technology, both models will be capable of 17-second boot times. In addition, the U300 will have an  Intel GMA HD 3000 graphics card while the U400 can be upgraded to an AMD Radeon HD6470M GPU with 1GB of VRAM. Like the U300s, the U300 and the U400 will also have a Breathable Keyboard, as well as USB 3.0 and HDMI ports. The U300 should last up to six hours on a charge, and the U400 should last up to seven hours. The 14-inch U400 will also come with a tray-loading DVD burner.

Lenovo’s new ultrabooks are set to go on sale in October. The starting price for the U300s is set at $1,195 while the U300 and U400 are priced at $799 and $849 respectively.