Two-Pounder From Lenovo Might Be Too Light For Comfort

MojoKid writes: With the advent of solid state storage and faster, lower-powered processors that require less complex cooling solutions, the average mainstream notebook is rather svelte. Recently, however, Lenovo announced their LaVie Z and LaVie Z 360 ultrabooks and at 1.87 and 2.04 pounds respectively, they're almost ridiculously light. Further, with Core i7 mobile processors and fast SSDs on board, these machines perform impressively well in the benchmarks and real world usage. If you actually pick one up though, both models are so light they feel almost empty, like there's nothing inside. Lenovo achieved this in part by utilizing a magnesium--lithium composite material for the casing of the machines. Though they're incredibly light, the feeling is almost too light, such that they tend to feel a little cheap or flimsy. With a tablet, you come to expect a super thin and light experience and when holding them in one hand, the light weight is an advantage. However, banging on a full-up notebook keyboard deck is a different ball of wax.

Comments

Give me battery or give me death

[Sowelu]

If you can cut something from 3lb to 2lb, that just means you have room for 1lb more battery.

Same thing applies with phones. Stop making them thinner, and use the saved space for more battery!

Re:Give me battery or give me death

[nine-times]

I tend to agree with you less when it comes to laptops, and more in terms of phones. Often enough, when I use my laptop, I'm seated someplace close enough to a power outlet. My laptop has something like an 11 hour battery life, so effectively I pretty much never run out of battery life unless I've just been totally careless. I'd generally rather have lighter weight so I can save my back from some pain. My phone, however, is always in operation and usually in my pocket. Charging isn't terribly convenient, and if I don't charge it every night, I'll probably end up stuck someplace without a working phone.

However, in the case of this laptop, I completely agree. The reviewer says that the battery lasted around 5 hours with light web browsing, which is too short in my opinion.

Weight has always been a "quality" factor

[PhrostyMcByte]

Weight plays a lot into our perception for how solid and well built things are, even when they're not. Lightweight is great, but go too far and things feel like a fragile toy.

This is almost too good a problem to have with a laptop -- too lightweight? Put more battery in it.

Too light?

[TsuruchiBrian]

Don't worry, it will soon be weighed down with the burden of crippling malware.

Scenario 47

[Tablizer]

"As you can see in my PowerPoint slide, the...ah, ah, Aaachoooo!... Hey, where's my laptop?"

Re:Nice

[tepples]

A refund for what? It's not like he's paid for the copy of Windows that comes with it.

Then who did pay for it? I was under the impression that PC makers paid about $60 per copy for a lawful Windows install. Or are you claiming that publishers of Windows-only trialware completely subsidize the Windows license?

Macbook Airs have sold millions

[adisakp]

... and they are in the similar 2 lb weight category.

Re:Macbook Airs have sold millions

[adisakp]

As long as there isn't flexing (decent stiffness) and there is a good balance (the screen doesn't want to topple over a too-light base), a light laptop is better than a heavy one. Especially if you want to carry it around with you.