Netbook Madness Game 5: HP Mini 1000 vs. Lenovo S10e

Alert! Unlike the real NCAA Tournament, a No. 1 seed has gone down! Yesterday, in a back-and-forth affair, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 edged out the HP Mini 2140 by 21 votes. Apparently, the Mini 10′s large keyboard and compact size was more appealing than the 2140′s extra-long endurance. Today’s game features two more evenly matched opponents, the HP Mini 1000 and the Lenovo S10e. In some respects, the Mini 1000 is the consumer version of the business-minded Mini 2140: Instead of everything being aluminum-coated, the keyboard and chassis are made out of black plastic, which still looks good. The Mini 1000′s 3-cell battery lasted a very good 2:56, but we’d opt for the 6-cell, which should double the runtime. When we reviewed the Mini 1000, its price was $549; that particular configuration has now dropped to $469, although we recommend upgrading to the 6-cell battery, which brings the price to $509.99. Other configurations are available, from the $279 Linux version, to the stylish $699 Vivenne Tam Edition series. The Ideapad S10e is the second mini-notebook to come out of Lenovo; the original S10 debuted in September. But the S10e, rather than just being updated with a black paint job, is designed for the education market, and features some key improvements. For starters, the S10e features Quick Start, Lenovo’s version of the instant-on Splashtop environment. While we have questioned its utility in other systems, the instant-on environment makes the most sense in computers whose primary use will be for surfing the net. The S10e, which comes with a six-cell battery, lasted 4:48 on our LAPTOP Battery test. While that’s longer than the Mini 1000, it’s almost an hour shorter of the netbook average for six-cell batteries. Since our initial review, the S10e’s price has gone down, and its specs have gone up; Instead of $429 for an 80GB hard drive, Lenovo now sells the S10e with a six-cell battery and a 160GB, 5,400 rpm drive for $349. Take a look at our full reviews of each system, then let your voice be heard as to which netbook you think is better. The winner will face the Samsung NC10 in the next round.