Lenovo U300s Owners Thread

JAYK1-
Thanks anyway. I did the research, and if you look hard enough, almost all routers get complaints of some kind of disconnect issue. The one I had was refurbished and maybe was due for an upgrade.
Did some research and picked up another Netgear, The WNDR3700 (N600) model (was between this one and the Linksys E3200 or Netgear N750). So far so good. Will test it out to make sure it works over a longer haul...otherwise will return.

 

Somewhere along the line of me re-partitioning the C/D drives, the OneKey Recovery app in Windows stopped functioning properly. At that point, I had access to 98.4GB/128GB, however I could not make any new OKR backups. I tried installing/reinstalling several times, no-go. However, the non-Windows restore console (via the side button) did work.

It's understood that you should not mess with the hidden partition or else OKR will not work.

1) So I made a backup image of my C: (using Paragon Backup).
2) Went into OKR Recovery console and was able to put back to factory restore.
3) OKR was functioning again and so used it to burn a factory restore disk (used an external DVD burner).
4) Restored my system from the Paragon Backup to the most current state.
5) Used EASUS Partitioning tool to manage the hidden LENOVO_PART drive into usable space.

At this point, the side button still works, except now the OKR console does NOT. However, no blue screen, no hiccups, no other issues so far.

As small space available, I found it hard to justify not having access to almost 15% of my SSD for something that I will rarely use. Especially given the fact that there are more flexible (and apparently less restrictive) ways to perform the same thing (restore from backup or factory restore).

I now have access to 113GB of the 128GB on the SSD. Of course from the get-go, we don't have all 128GB to start with, and then there's the hibernation partition. But overall, I've increased accessible SSD space by 15%.

This was my situation, and I bit the bullet, but I'm not advocating to everyone. But personally, I like my situation. I've got a number of backup/factory reset images and now more space.

Now, I am not sure what would happen if I factory reset if OKR would work again (maybe I'll find out later). I suspect that the non-Windows OKR console resided in the hidden partition, and so likely would not even be able to recover. Who knows, maybe time will tell.

In any case, I would highly recommend that you burn a factory restore disk while you have an opportunity!!!

Hope this helps some of you out there wondering.

Would like to hear others' experiences on this matter. Thanks.


UPDATE 12/6/2011: FYI- as a test, I did a factory restore using my Paragon Backup. OKR works again in Windows, however the OKR in the non-Windows (via button) still DOES NOT work. Again, I suspect non-Windows OKR resides in the hidden partition. So if you want to keep OKR, you should not touch the hidden partition.

 

Happy to report my sleek piece of orange has arrived, now on to the setup and tweaking...

Anyone else that already has theirs besides FrenandezExchange also dump the recovery partition? I'm thinking about just using something like Macrium Reflect to an external HDD for system image backups?

 

She arrived today! Thank you all for helping me find it at NewEgg. She's a beauty. So sleek and SO orange. And the boot up really IS super fast. Im in heaven.

ngm

 

Awesome! I'm jealous... UPS is to deliver mine tomorrow!

 

I settled for free 3 day shipping, will have to wait till thursday.
Edit: now coming tomorrow

 

I stumbled on a "post-it note" screen and not sure how I got there or how to get back. Also, pressing the ? key on that page pops up several hand gesture graphics that I haven't deciphered. Nothing in the users guide. Any one care to enlighten me?

 

I don't have a direct source off hand, but it's a Lenovo feature/software that comes with the touchpad. Two finger swipe left or right triggers the Lenovo widget/software you are seeing.

 

Not a big deal but it's actually a four-finger swipe (on the trackpad) from your desktop.

To the left you get the "sticky note" page. Two fingers there up/down scroll up and down the "tabs" of the different notes. Four fingers right gets you back to desktop.

To the right from the desktop you get the desktop wallpaper selection app to quickly change desktop background. Clicking the folder lower right allows you to add local images to the selection. Four fingers back left gets you back to the desktop.

 

Yeah, one of the revieews mentioned it and I tried once out of curiosity but haven't used it since. 4 finger swipe - Lenovo got excited and just decided to show off I think. Not very useful. Now, if you could personalize the swipe and make that instant access to a program of your choosing, that would be cool!

By the way, let's see some pics of the orange U300S in its natural habitat! Those review pics are good and all but studio lighting can make things look better or worse.

Jay

 

Not as bright orange as I was expecting from those "studio" pics. Still one sexy machine and so thin too. Watch the edges, feel like they have the potential to scrape you up pretty easily...

 

Gotta hand it to Lenovo, they made a beautiful laptop here. The orange doesn't look as obnoxious as I was expecting. Has a toned down but unique look to it. Does it come only on the i7 version?

 

Yes, the Clementine Orange is supposedly a limited run only available on the i7 version. Probably limited as long as they make the u300s...

 

FYI: I just got one of the last ones at Newegg today. Page showed "In Stock" for the U300s.

Ordered at 3:10 PM EST, processed order by 4:30 PM EST. Updated to "Shipped" around 6:00 PM EST (Newegg is fast!!!) and got my tracking number about five minutes ago. Checked the page and it's now: "OUT OF STOCK"

Can't wait until tomorrow when it gets here.

 

I got mine finally!! I've been playing with it the last hour or so, and it is amazing. So far it meets my every expectation. The orange is beautiful, and so far it looks like very free from fingerprints. I also really like the black interior. Such a well polished beautiful machine. I'll take some pics and post more of my personal impression after I've used it more time. Very happy!!

 

Is the Lenovo U300 memory upgradeable to 8gb if I install myself?

 

In a pickle. Was installing iTunes when a Win7update interrupted without warning and installed new software and rebooted. Now I am stuck at the windows splash screen. Can't get in to task manager, reboot doesn't help. Ideas?

 

Solved. Used onekey to restore to initial backup. Fortunately I hadn't loaded much yet.

 

You had a mandatory installation of a fix from Windows update with no choice to defer a restart? What update was it? I'm skeptical that really happened on a new unmanaged machine.

Or is the machine joined to a domain?

 

I'm curious about this too. Seems it uses a single typical 204-pin DDR3 1333MHz 4GB stick now. Any reason it wouldn't work with the same spec 8GB in there?

 

You are right about the single slot sodimm... Even the Lenovo support videos say it is in fact removable. But Lenovo states in several places that it's 4gb MAX. I do know for a fact though that the core i7 and intel chipset do support 8gb of memory. Intel® Core? i7-2677M Processor (4M Cache, 1.80 GHz)

I for one am not willing to open mine to test it out, but I'm very interested to see if someone else will! Maybe when we get the official US release ifixit.com or someone will do a teardown and we'll learn more. ...also on the SSD.

Edit: I just ran a scan from crucial.com that of course came up with nothing... but the U300s is in their database, and says it's 4gb max for the one slot: http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=IdeaPad U300s

 

That's what's a bit confusing.

It uses standard RAM, available in 8GB. Has an i7 capable of 8GB yet the max Lenovo offers it with is 4GB. Is their 4GB max wording based on what they offer it for sale with or what it will actually function with....that's the real question. The hardware and RAM spec used all seem to say 8GB no problem yet Lenovo's wording makes it seem like 4GB could be the systems max for some reason.

I have no problem opening it up and putting it in. Watched the videos and it seems easy enough. I just don't want to waste my time doing so if there's no chance of it booting up.

 

Anyone else's power brick get really warm?

 

Yes, its gets quite warm, I believe this is normal

 

MUSHKIN 992019 Enhanced Essentials 8GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory Model 992019 @ AntaresPro.com
For anyone that dares!

 

Thumbs waaay up to all you who finally got the U300s and it's been great reading all the positive posts on this laptop! I've had mine for almost 6 weeks and it has been a work horse. I LOVE the pics of the Orange! Gratz to all of you who got the Orange one! I'm jealous lol! Dan76. glad you got it buddy! I hope you like it as much as I like mine Lastly, no track pad or wifi issues on my end. All good so far! WAHOOO!!!

 

Bit of bad luck with my system, top 3rd of the screen has vertical lines like pinstriping. Heavy top left and fades out towards top right corner. Real close and real annoying, even on bootup in the BIOS screen so I'm pretty sure it's not a drive issue. Figuring display panel or graphics chip... Plus the left CTRL key keeps sticking.

Dang, was really loving this thing too...

EDIT: Attachment 1 shows as is. Attachment two, discovered if I push on a corner and the screen has ANY flex at all this it what it does, puts top half of screen on the bottom.

EDIT2: Be advised, DO NOT OPEN THE SCREEN FROM A CORNER!!!!! This lid has a lot of flex, at least mine does, obvious with the thinness. Opened it back up and now there is an angle across the bottom right corner, looks like the panel is cracked!!! And rest assured, my systems don't get banged or abused, this all happened SITTING STILL on top of a desk. This phone call to Lenovo should be good...

 

Has anyone who has purchased the graphite color version of the u300s actually received it yet? I see that others have received their Clementine orange u300s'. I have been badgering Lenovo and JR (where I bought it) about when I should be receiving my laptop and they only tell me there is a shortage on the supply of one of the parts. I am really confused and frustrated as to why the orange models have shipped and the gray models are on back order.

If you know any details regarding this please fill me in.

 

@bauer10 I know some people have received there graphite colored ones, but basically if you weren't in the first shipment it will be awhile before the second round of shipments come in due to the shortage of parts as a result of flooding. I do know the graphite ones originally sold out very quickly and I think were only available through TigerDirect so there weren't very many available.

On another note, does anyone else feel like there U300s gets warm really fast on the left side by the fan? (SOLVED! Read Below.)

I just noticed that I had the stupid Lenovo Touchpad software running which was killing my battery life. It actually had the CPU at 25%. I just uninstalled it and I think the only thing it got rid of was the four fingers swipe for notepad. So that's a recommended uninstall if you don't use it.

 

Aww SneakR, I am so sorry to hear that. I'm sure Lenovo or Newegg will RMA and replace it for you, and hopefully you won't have to wait long. How long have you had yours? Are you one of the ones (like myself) that ordered from Newegg last weekend? Good luck, keep us posted.

 

Windows Experience Index for anyone that's curious:
This was with the Clementine Orange Core i7 Model

 

For comparison, here's my MacBook Air.

 

Doesn't the MBA have the exact same Intel 3000 graphics chip? Curious...

 

Yes. Compared side-by-side at Compare Intel® Products

The graphics score on my MBA was the same score the last time I ran it last month. I would look to see if the Performance power profile for Windows 7 is using default values. That's what the WEI assessment tool uses when it runs.

 

Yeah, got mine on Tues after the Newegg tip. Im sure someone will replace it , hopefully without too much hassle.

I'm just really hesitant though as I use mine every day in the field on service calls (IT) and I think I'd have to be 10x's more careful with it than I am with the x201t I've got now. That screen flex is worrisome, at least for me and my normal day-to-day operations. Sexy sexy machine though, maybe if I was doing mostly consulting and not just 50/50 with field work it would survive. We shall see, maybe have to get an X1 instead...

 

Thanks for the heads up on the screen flex. I have now removed the U300s from the shopping list for my wife. What a shame.

Next up, the ThinkPad X2 or next generation Samsung Series 9.

 

I know where the Lenovo Performance stuff is, but is there some native windows 7 app that also controls the performance?

EDIT: Nvm found it. I'm pretty sure the Lenovo software just changes the native Windows 7 stuff.

 

Wow! That sucks about the screen! I haven't had any of those issues with mine. I hope you get it resolved ASAP!

For the one person asking about the gray model - I have one if you. Have any specific questions. I was lucky and got it early in November. I think I just lucked out.

Also, my battery life has been great. No issues with the touchpad software that I can see draining the battery. I'd like to hear more about that though from the person that experienced it. I guess I will wait to install any updates, I wonder of the software version for the touchpad was changed/updated since mine came out.

One more thing about the screen - I haven't noticed any issues with the screen flex but I don't think I tend to lift from the corners out of habit. I'll check tha it later.
Dan-how you liking it so far?

Jay

 

So far I am absolutely Loving mine (orange core i7 256)!! The performance is just incredible, battery time is really great, I've carried it around with me for work two days now and it's been perfect. ...and I've really enjoyed impressing and wowing people!

I'm still amazed at how thin and light this Ultrabook is. The design and build quality is just amazing. I had been a little worried about screen brightness, but definitely no problems there; even one or two bars dimmer is still very bright and readable, and the viewing angles are way better than any Dell laptop I've owned. The keyboard is absolutely excellent. I've pounded out a lot of email and other writing and am very happy with the key size, depth travel and overall feeling. I especially love the top row active without having to press the FN key.

My one issue is touchpad related... and I imagine it's just a matter of getting used to a newer large multi-touch touchpad. I'm still adjusting settings trying to find the best combination to avoid my palms interrupting typing, I'm confident I will get more used to that with time. The multitouch scrolling is a little jumpy though. I did change the mouse settings in control panel to scroll only one line at a time and that helps. I do wish it was smooth scrolling. I had gotten so good at the single-finger right side of the touchpad scrolling that Dell has. I certainly welcome any tips or suggestions that any of you have found to work for yourselves.

One more thing about the touchpad, I'm not sure it's by design or only with mine. The bottom right and left corners are not the same depth... it's very easy to right-click the extreme right bottom corner, but it is difficult to press down to click on the extreme left bottom corner. This hasn't really caused a problem for me, as I tap to click in most cases. I'm curious to hear about others'.

All in all, this is a really incredible machine, and i have no regrets! The orange with black interior is just beautiful, but still professional enough that I can take it inside businesses I work with and not feel out of place. The speed and reliability are just amazing. Resume from sleep and opening up Chrome with 15 remembered tabs is effortless for this beast!

Whew! That was way longer than I intended. Thanks for indulging me. And special thanks to Buck and Jay whose initial reviews were a huge part in my purchase!

 

The touchpad depth differences don't sound right to me. Dan, how rigid is the lid? Rather flexible as has been reported?

 

The lid appears to be very rigid. I'm not willing to push its limits though. I see what SneakR says about not opening or closing it from a corner... it's definitely most strong in the middle, but I image no screen this thin could ever be more rigid. Opening and closing it from the middle have been excellent for me, no flex at all. Typing and moving the laptop around with the screen open is good, no bouncyness, it's very solid. Just very thin, and you could break it if you tried.

 

I think mine might not up to par then, along with the left ctrl that keeps sticking my screen would "bounce" enough when typing or moving stuff around on the desk that the reflections would be noticeable.

Hope I have better luck with the replacement if I get one coming soon.

Don't anyone get me wrong, this machine is a sexy beast, just think I got a dud of sorts.

 

Hey guys, I'm sorry, but I'm still caught between the UX31 and the U300s. I was wondering, just how dim is the U300s' screen? According to notebookcheck, it's actually exactly half my Vaio Z13's brightness in nits. That's just a teensy bit worrisome.

 

Well, NewEgg customer service comes through as usual. RMA issued no problems at all and the girl claims they will have a replacement in stock by the time my RMA closes. 2-5 days after they receive the returned unit, so maybe after the weekend they will have some more in stock...

Now I have to sit back and wait, again...

Let's hear some more happy stories from those of you with yours.

 

Question for folks who have already been using the machine: When you carry it around or move it around on your lap, does it make squeaking sound on the area that is right side to the touch pad? In one of my previous posts I mentioned the flex on that side + the squeaking..it just doesn't feel like good build solid quality on that side of the laptop and it's annoying when I move the laptop or carry it one hand to change places and it makes that sound.

Even moving it on the lap itself makes the sound and I'm wondering if this is happening for you folks too...or does yours feel solid and unmovable?

I'm thinking about RMA'ing mine but it kinda takes time and effort as now I've everything installed on it and have uninstall and then reinstall on the replacement... Any feedback to the flex/squeaking sound and construction will be appreciated..thanks!

 

I had some initial squeaking on the hinges when opening/closing the lid, attributed it to the newness factor. Didn't notice it nearly as much by the time my screen went nuts on me. Nothing on the trackpad area though on my unit.

I'll see how the replacement unit acts when I get it.

 

I'm in the club! I went for the grey i5 u300s, bought from a PCWorld in London, UK.

Am very happy so far, have a couple of questions about the trackpad:

I am downloading the latest drivers from Lenovo (slooooow server). I've found the double finger scroll is a bit nuts, it takes a second to register and then zooms down the screen. I've messed with settings, but it doesn't seem to change anything.

Also, is there a double fingered tap option? I used to open the tabs on google chrome by tapping two fingers on touchpad area. Can't seem to find this on the Lenovo.

Also, what options have people gone for in terms of external/usb ethernet/lan?

Any tips very welcome!

 

therourke - I had a bit of trouble on the two-finger scroll myself but thought it was just me and my first system with the multitouch trackpad big enough to use. Didn't try tweaking any settings though.

For the wired connection, bought one of these off Amazon: Amazon.com: StarTech.com Compact Black USB 2.0 to Gigabit Ethernet NIC Network Adapter (USB21000S): Electronics

 

Thanks... After playing around, I think I've hit the sweet spot with the trackpad. Just takes practice. I've also turned off 'zoom' on two fingered options. Annoying

I would still like a double finger tap = centre mouse button option... I used this A LOT on my old laptop for opening links online etc.

Any more hints on accessories? I will probably need a HDMI to VGA adapter. Nice cases/sleeves? Anything else worth buying for the precious?

Also... The Lenovo driver site is sloooow, and the drivers are not the latest (at least, the wifi I have installed is newer than the one on the website). Has any clever soul been collecting drivers elsewhere? When I bought my eee pc 901, many years back, the user support community was superb

 

I bought and just received this case from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Y508V2/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details for $12.99. It's pretty good and fits tight. ...I did not receive the free USB cable & earbuds as advertised though.

As per the trackpad... I'm still adjusting to the two finger scroll as well. I disabled the pinch to zoom also... I'm nowhere near as efficient as I was on my old Dell with single-finger right side scrolling. Small price to pay for such an awesome machine otherwise, IMHO.