Lenovo U330 13.3-Inch IdeaPad (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black | 
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| Brand: Lenovo
Category: Personal Computer
List Price: $1,199.99
Buy New: $1,149.99
You Save: $50.00 (4%)
New (2) from $1,149.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 264
Color: Black
Media: Personal Computers
Batteries Included: Yes
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit
CPU Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speed: 2
CPU Type: Intel Core Duo
Processors: 2
System Memory: 3000
Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive Size: 250
Display Size: 13.3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.3
Dimensions (in): 12.5 x 9.4 x 1.1
MPN: 59-015270
Model: 59-015270
UPC: 884343188379
EAN: 0884343188379
ASIN: B001H55J6M
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Switchable Video Graphics, Ati Radeon HD 3450 (Dedicated 256MB GDDR3) and Intel X4500MHD | | • | 13.3" Screen LED backlight WXGA (1280x800) | | • | Wireless 5100 a/g/n, Camera, Bluetooth, | | • | HDMI, 2 USB 2.0 | | • | 4.3lbs w/battery |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
 
Performance-tuned and Microsoft tested, these machines provide you with a faster, safer and more enjoyable PC experience ? right out of the box. They boot up and shut down in less time, maximize battery life, operate software and peripherals more reliably and provide increased security for greater peace of mind. Each one is also unique in its own way. With all this choice, it's easy to select the PC that's really you. This Lenovo IdeaPad U330 is Performance-tuned. Microsoft tested. Time for a new notebook? Jealous of your friends enjoying the freedom only a portable, wireless notebook can provide? We've been working overtime to create our latest line of IdeaPad notebooks so you can turn those wishes into reality. A good balance of strong performance and a lighter form factor and optimized for HD. Elegant styling paired with sensible features and energy efficient graphics technology so you can look and work like a pro. The IdeaPad U330 is the perfect stylish, sleek, lightweight notebook with the performance of a full sized notebook for students, travelers and everyone else who only wants to carry a notebook less than 4.5 pounds. You get a Core 2 Duo processor with 3GB of RAM with an impressive 250GB hard drive that only weighs only 4.3 pounds and is 1.1 inches high. The IdeaPad U330, an ultraportable 13.3-inch widescreen "frameless" glossy display with LED backlighting provides colorful images and a bright screen for making on the go presentations or just viewing precious family photos. Ideal for highly mobile users, the powerful notebook provides extensive computing time for up to 5.5 hours with the standard battery. Lenovo has equipped the U330 with a Shuttle Key, touch-sensitive media controls, Dolby Home Theater sound and Active Protection System, an air bag-like device that parks the hard drive to help protect data during a fall. The IdeaPad U330 notebook also includes switchable graphics, which enables you to use the energy efficient Intel graphics while on battery power and then switch to ATI graphics for more powerful performance when you need extra graphics power. Specifications
13.3 WXGA (1280 x 800) LED backlit VibrantView Display. Built-in 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera with Microphone. DVD+-R/RW Drive with Dual Layer. Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500MHD Graphics. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 with 256MB Dedicated Graphics Memory. Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN. 802.11a/b/g/n. Integrated Bluetooth. Intel 10/100 Ethernet LAN. ExpressCard 34 Slot. 6-in-1 Memory Card Adaptor. (MS, MS Pro, SD, SD Elite Pro, xD, MMC) Ports - 2 x USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Headphone out; Microphone-in, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45 Approximate Unit Dimensions - 12.5 (W) x 9.4 (D) x 1.1 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 4.3 Pounds  Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology
 Intel Centrino 2 processor technology is Intel’s best performing-notebook technology. It provides breakthrough mobile computing performance with advanced wireless connectivity and exclusive power management features designed for longer battery life.
Intel Centrino 2 processor technology features include:
- Intel CoreTM 2 Duo processor with advanced dual-core responsiveness for multi-program multitasking
- Exclusive energy efficiency features to keep you unplugged longer
- Optimized wireless capabilities that provide up to 2X greater range and up to 5X better Wi-Fi performance. [Up to 2x greater range and up to 5x better performance (compared to 802.11a/g) with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology-enabled notebooks. Actual results may vary based on your specific hardware, connection rate, site conditions, and software configurations. See www.intel.com/performance/mobile/wireless/index.htm for more information. Wireless N standard currently not available in all countries. Check with your PC and access point manufacturer for details.]
Intel is continually developing new technologies for all your computing needs. Experience everything Centrino 2 offers, or check out Intel's buying guide to find the PC that’s right for you.
Product Description
The IdeaPad U330 is the perfect stylish, sleek, lightweight notebook with the performance of a full sized notebook for students, travelers and everyone else who only wants to carry a notebook less than 4.5 pounds. You get a Core 2 Duo processor with 3GB of RAM with an impressive 250GB hard drive that only weighs only 4.3 pounds and is 1.1 inches high. The IdeaPad U330, an ultraportable 13.3-inch widescreen "frameless" glossy display with LED backlighting provides colorful images and a bright screen for making on the go presentations or just viewing precious family photos. Ideal for highly mobile users, the powerful notebook provides extensive computing time for up to 5.5 hours with the standard battery. Lenovo has equipped the U330 with a Shuttle Key, touch-sensitive media controls, Dolby Home Theater sound and Active Protection System, an air bag-like device that parks the hard drive to help protect data during a fall. The IdeaPad U330 notebook also includes switchable graphics, which enables you to use the energy efficient Intel graphics while on battery power and then switch to ATI graphics for more powerful performance when you need extra graphics power. 13.3 WXGA (1280 x 800) LED backlit VibrantView Display Built-in 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera with Microphone DVD+-R/RW Drive with Dual Layer Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500MHD Graphics ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 with 256MB Dedicated Graphics Memory Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN 802.11a/b/g/n Integrated Bluetooth Intel 10/100 Ethernet LAN ExpressCard 34 Slot 6-in-1 Memory Card Adaptor (MS, MS Pro, SD, SD Elite Pro, xD, MMC) Ports - 2 x USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Headphone out; Microphone-in, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45 Approximate Unit Dimensions - 12.5 (W) x 9.4 (D) x 1.1 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 4.3 Pounds
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| Customer Reviews:
 No Regrets So Far January 5, 2009
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is my first laptop and my first experience with Vista. I have a lot of desktop experience, but I am by no means a PC wonk. I took the leap when Amazon came up with some tempting year-end pricing. First impression: a beautiful machine, high quality and solidly built. It came up and ran perfectly right out of the box. At first I had a lot of trouble with the touch pad pointer and buttons, but after a couple of days of tuning, I seem to have them working pretty well. So far, I am tickled to death with the U330. I read a lot about heat problems with laptops; after an entire day of running, the U330 is just barely lukewarm.
The facial recognition login feature is amazing. I expected this to be a silly gimmick that wouldn't really work. In fact, it works perfectly, it was easy to set up, and it takes 2 seconds or less to recognize me for log-ins.
My only complaint: If you leave the pointer touching a link or command it executes on its own. This includes shutdowns. Oops! I don't know if this is a Vista thing or a Lenovo thing, but I wish I could find the setting to eliminate it. I am going to do some searching at the Lenovo Forum.
Several people on that forum posted complaints that their U330's did not sit flat on the desktop. Instead, they teetered because the bottom was warped. This is not the case with mine. It sits perfectly flat.
Finely, I was getting terrible back pains using it. I found I was hunching over to type. I bought a Rolodex Laptop Stand (82410) and it solved the problem. It's the perfect size for the U330 and none of the ports or CD drive are blocked.
Would I recommend the U330? As of now, absolutely. I'll come back here if this changes.
Lenovo Support November 28, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
No, I don't own an IdeaPad. I do own a Thinkpad R51 and my wife has one as well. Further, I am a trained/certified ThinkPad repair technician.
Warranty: Lenovo has a generous warranty, but it only covers manufacturer defects. Deal with it; its no different then any other company.
Accidental protection: They have an *extremely* generous accident protection program. I sold ThinkPads when the AP first debuted. To clarify what it covered, I called IBM and asked. They told me that as long as I had the model number/serial number off the bottom (and a few pieces positively identifying the unit) it would be covered. There actual words were: "throw it out of an airplane if you want; if you have something to identify it, we'll replace it."
Tech support: I have never waited more than 3 minutes to have a tech support technician on the phone. And they are almost always in Atlanta. I have never been transferred over seas.
Premium Cost: Yes, you can buy the same specs for less. Whatever. You can't buy the quality at that cost though. I remember watching an IBM sales rep, pour a glass of water in his running laptop. He then shut it down and shook it out. Two minutes later it was running fine. Can you stand on your closed laptop? The IBM rep did. Can you drop your laptop off a desk on to a hardwood floor and keep running without any problems? Lenovo laptops often survive that. The point is, comparing a Lenovo with a Dell (or worse HP) is like comparing a BMW to a Volkswagen Bug. Yeah, they're both cars, they both go 65 MPH, etc..., but there is a world of difference.
Keyboard/TrackPoint/Touchpad: If you have never used a Lenovo keyboard, don't knock it. There's a reason it's rated the #1 keyboard every year. Only Apple comes close. And that's a distant second. My Dell work laptop has the crappiest keyboard and interface. I am almost required to use a mouse to get anything done on it. Not so with a Lenovo.
A review from somone who actually knows something about notebooks. November 28, 2008
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
Some of the previous reviews are frankly asinine.
Any objective evaluation of this notebook will show you that this is a state-of-the-art 13.3 inch notebook. It has SWITCHABLE graphics, an LED screen DDR 3 ram, and the latest Centrino 2 processor. On top of that, it weighs under 4.5 pounds, which makes it both lighter AND more powerful (when using ATI graphics instead of the integrated) than the 13.3 inch aluminum Macbooks.
Best of all, because of the switchable GPU, you don't sacrifice battery life to get performance. When you're on the road, use the Intel chipset and you'll get a realistic 4+ hours of wireless usage.
This is without a doubt, the best value proposition in 13.3 inch laptop market.
This isn't to say this notebook is without it's flaws. Ergonomically, this laptop is top-notch quality. The typing experience is far more comfortable than the keyboard on the Macbook and Vaio's. But design wise, this computer is a lot like a business laptop than a sleek sexy consumer laptop. It's black all-around, very professional but not exactly an eye catcher like the aluminum Macbook or the Dell XPS m1330 and the carbon fiber Vaio's. In my opinion, that's the biggest negative on this notebook, it's design simply isn't as good as other 13.3 inch consumer laptops like the aforementioned Macbook and XPS m1330. (Of course, those are considerably more expensive as well.) I realize that design is often subjective and some people like this business look more than flashy aesthetics, but again, this is a CONSUMER notebook not a business oriented ThinkPad.
As for customer service, I won't lie, Lenovo's 1-800 tech support is really really really terrible. Just atrocious. But if you skip those guys and go through Mark Hopkins at the Lenovo forum he'll really help you out. That guy is the best. If you notebook is somehow not perfect on arrival he's arranged to have a Lenovo ship you a new one BEFORE you send yours back so there's no downtime for warranty repair.
Keep these things in mind if you're looking for a 13.3 inch portable notebook without sacrificing battery life or performance.
 I don't know why so many people bashing lenovo for? November 28, 2008
6 out of 15 found this review helpful
first of all, I don't own any Lenovo brand product, but I bought 3 (or 4, depend on your definition) Thinkpads when they were under Lenovo's management. I decide to write this review to shed some lights (or some truth) based on my humble opinion.
1. there is someone pointed out that Lenovo charges too much for this spec. it should be more like 500 dollar or 600 dollar computer. how does that reviewer feel about Sony? Apple? what i'd like to say is there is more to a computer than just CPU, RAM, and HDD. I spend 1800 bought my Compaq notebook with full aluminum top cover while the similar spec DELL cost at most 1200 at that time. I didn't regret a bit as that extra protection really helped that computer survive all my college years with all the dropping and throwing, and it still full functional today after all those abuse unlike my friend's DELL which are out of duty years ago. The same experience made me spend another 2k on a Lenovo thinkpad T61p. I accidentally stepped on my thinkpad a couple of times (i weight 190 lb) and there has been no damage to this solid build machine whatsoever. do a search and you will know why lenovo spend so much money on that magnesium alloy case and roll-cage while DELL or ASUS just use some cheap plastic. By the way, rating a product one star without even owning one is utterly irresponsible.
2. Lenovo service is something i am quit surprised when i see people have bad experience with. I had a three years old T40 with a keyboard key get came out (they are not re-attachable), one phone call and a brand new keyboard shipped to me using next day shipping with no question asked. I also bought a X61T for few days and returned (due to disappointment to Intel's graphic card) for a full refund with no question asked. my friend's thinkpad, which he brought in HongKong 3 years ago, couldn't start up and send in repair to Lenovo U.S. and get fixed within a week and didn't cost a thing. overall, i am pleased with their service, and i am not saying this without a comparison.
3. to the reviewer who damaged his/her notebook because of hot water get in to the system. it is NORMAL for manufacture to decline their warranty because of it unless you purchase the 'accident insurance' or something. my friend knock out a cup of milk on her 3 day old Dell and Dell ask for 600 dollar for that.
4. again, i just want to give some of my opinion. after owning Compaq/HP, Lenovo, DELL ASUS. i would rate DELL's customer service to be the worst, Lenovo and HP is on par with each other.
I have had very good support from Lenovo November 28, 2008
8 out of 14 found this review helpful
I do NOT have this Lenovo U330 Ideapad, but I wanted to balance the negative comment which was made about very bad Lenovo support. I purchased a Lenovo IdeaCentre K210 desktop in August and have had some issues with it. I have called Lenovo tech support a few times and have always received prompt and courteous help from English speaking support staff in the US or Canada. One time a Tech spent 75 minutes with me on the phone, patiently walking me through each step to solve my problem. He may not have been the most knowledgeable Tech ever, but he was very personable and helpful. I would definitely buy another Lenovo product.
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