DISQUS

on the contrary, the sudden availability of cheap machines at a time of economic hardship is certainly a factor in the netbook success story. i have even been inclined to see this success as a sort of proof of recession. people today effectively need computers, for work and school. that can't be comprised, any more than we can stop buying gas for our cars. what can be comprised is price: people obviously no longer feel the need to obey the old law of buying "the most" computer they can afford, as the trade magazines have always advised us we should. people are definitely cutting back.

totally. apple shot their ultraportable wad last winter, and it's the macbook air. they're not going to start selling it (in any version) at "netbook" prices. it's a fashion statement, above all.

I agree. Your personal experience wasn't typical, and those who cancelled their orders fearful of November delivery were premature. I ordered late in the day on 8/19, was originally told 9/23, and had a revised date of 10/21. Sounds bad, except it actually shipped yesterday, 10/3. Nobody will be waiting months. Let's be fair, at least: they screwed up, but they're getting back on track. People overreacted.

my black model shipped today, 10/3. that's not too far off my original, missed 9/23 date, and well ahead of revised shipping date of 10/21. maybe they've finally gotten the mess straightened out.

i think this is crazy for a number of reasons. the macbook sells better than the macbook pro, and i can't see them eliminating it. i would sooner believe that the pro would be eliminated. if a netbook comes, i think it would have to be an addition to the lineup. other versions of this rumor claim it is the basic macbook that will drop to $800. it's not that far to go, and would further increase sales of an item already sought after by students.

i've seen the acer aspire. its keyboard is horrible and small.

2.9 lbs sounds kind of heavy, that's my only complaint for the samsung. they do make very nice electronics--unlike acer.

let's chalk this one up to boredom, shall we?

upgrading the ram with non-lenovo SIMMs voids the warranty, so i would assume swapping the drive will, too. just saying.

yes, except you'd still have to wipe the data from the recovery partition, which is almost 80% full. There is always some risk of data loss, and the redistribution often takes HOURS. Partition Magic is a very useful tool to have, in any case. It's usually the first thing I install.

a comment to laptop magazine's review points out that the 6 cell battery is newly available (separately) in china for Y699, which is about $102 today. poking around further, i don't think you can buy a 6 cell pre-installed, only as an extra.

http://appserver.lenovo.com.cn/shop/shop_detail...

oddly enough, it also looks like they only sell white, pink, and red S10s over there. red is the top seller, not surprisingly. if white models come faster, perhaps they are producing in them in greater quantities for the asian market.

it's not hard to get a discount to compensate a bit for the delay. i was reluctant to make a fuss, but i didn't have to. I called 2 days ago simply to ask when mine would arrive. i ordered it 8/19, and had a ship date of 9/23. the agent said i would have a "slight" delay, and that it would ship 10/20. "that's not very slight," i said, "i need it for school." that's it. the agent said she would submit a request, without my having to ask. it's worth trying-- many others have had similar results.

when announced, but no, there has not yet been a 1GB version for sale not in this country (USA). some say microsoft has forbidden it. but it looks easy to upgrade the HD and RAM: lenovo sells the 1MB memory module matching its specs for like $35. the installed 512 chip may be soldered in, however, making it impossible to get an even 2 GB. it seems nobody's really sure.

they're intent on cramming vista down our throats.

thanks, bb. let me ask, does it run as hot as engadget claims?

if this is the machine and feature set you really want, i call for patience--especially since the type A customers all cancelled their orders when the news first came out. i also ordered my s10 on 8/19, and had an original ship date of 9/23. i, too, am very disappointed in the delays, but my new date is NOT november 19, as everyone had warned it would be, but october 21. i fully believe that i (and everybody else!) may receive it even sooner than that. the lenovo forums have an ideapad s10 order & delivery thread that i suggest you read. those estimated ship dates are conservative, frustratingly and confusingly so. they're only a guess, and they aren't updated to reflect changing realities. the situation is annoying and lenovo hasn't lived up to their reputation, but having seen most of the competitors, i can't see myself settling for an asus or msi. they just feel too cheap. i considered going for a dell, but i've had too many problems with my current latitude to give them any more money.

they do sell the matching memory. check their site.

the asus keyboard, by the way, is total crap.

but why does everybody assume the november dates are correct? by several accounts, they have clearly said they are conservative estimates, and lenovo is known for this.

having just been in england for a month, i can testify that netbooks are far more visible there. you see them in shop windows, and in many mobile phone stores, where they are given away practically for free. if i were dell, i'd want to give that market priority. not to mention that everything is more expensive there, making a cheap computer that much more desirable.

that's a rather shallow outlook on life. you'll be lucky indeed if this is the worst thing that ever happens to you.

this is too cheap a machine for options. that kind of choice just adds cost, and this is part of the dreaded race to the bottom. i just don't see it happening.

lenovo FTW.

meanwhile i, like most people, won't buy it if linux is the only option. i could also use the hard drive. i'm disappointed in the dell, and now very interested in the lenovo.

you can see this clearly in the photos released last week: there is a large blue FN key bottom left, and blue combinations scattered across the keyboard. the hardware functions you mention are all on the number keys. it's not that big a deal. and it could have its advantages: i won't miss the stupid f1 "help" key. anyway, the only two i ever use are f2, rename, and f5, reload.

The more elaborate and expensive the eee gets, the less attractive it seems (literally and figuratively) compared to the likes of Dell and HP. You've commented on build quality yourself, and that little keyboard, frankly, is suddenly a deal-breaker.

My girlfriend's dad just got one in Japan. It's really nice: I don't know much about this processor, but it runs XP and Office and everything else he's got just fine. I can say that the screen isn't super clear, but it's good enough. It's not a tablet, but the pseudo-tablet mode is really nice for web surfing, and has convenient scroll buttons in addition to the thumb mouse. Overall it blows the eee 701 away.

looks like the race to the bottom has some bounce to it, eh?