Lenovo S10 notebook computer

Mini-notebooks are small computers designed to be easily portable but we've often found that their build quality leaves something to be desired. Such small computers will invariably be dropped into bags or suitcases or simply knocked around in daily use.

Travellers and commuters who want to use a mini-notebook on the move, then, could do a lot worse than looking at the Lenovo S10. Lenovo is essentially what used to be IBM's laptop division – although it's a separate Chinese company it bought the business from IBM a few years ago and has continued to turn out the tough, rugged computers for which the company was known.

The S10 is no exception. It's not a lot heavier than other mini-notebooks, and it's no bigger than other models with 10in screens, but it has a weighty feel to it as soon as you get it out of the box. It's not rugged in the same way as, say, Panasonic's much more expensive Toughbook computers, and like any computer it won't stand being dropped frequently, but it seems better suited than most to the rigours of everyday travel.

It uses the same Intel Atom N270 processor as the Acer Aspire One, the MSI Wind and the Samsung NC10. This is a decent processor that, while slower than what you'd find on a full-sized notebook, is still speedy enough for word processing, web and email access and other office tasks. Again, like most other such computers it has 1GB of memory.

That's just about enough to run the Windows XP operating system with which the S10 is supplied. It doesn't come with any other software – many similar computers come with the free Openoffice software, for instance, but it's easy enough to download this. It does come with a neat Energy Management utility that lets the user customise all aspects of battery life and screen brightness.

The keyboard is large and fills the entire width of the S10's body, and this leads to large keys that are easy to use even for those with sausage fingers. The touchpad, on the other hand, is quite small and while it was easy enough to use, we'd have preferred something bigger. In fairness, the majority of the space in that section is used up, so it's hard to see how Lenovo could have increased the size of the pad without reducing that of the keyboard.

There's a webcam and a microphone built into the case, along with two USB ports, sound and monitor (VGA) outputs and a memory card reader and even an Expresscard slot. The built-in speakers were small and predictably tinny, and there was an extremely loud annoying beep whenever we plugged in the charger, but fortunately this can be turned down in the Windows volume controls. It can be plugged into wired networks or connected to wireless ones as well as connecting to Bluetooth devices such as mobile phones.

We're not sure whether it was intentional, but the charger is also fairly small, helping with portability. It uses only 40 watts, which is fairly economical. In all, as you'd expect from a manufacturer renowned for making rugged businesslike notebooks, the Lenovo S10 is businesslike and can take a few knocks but is well suited to home users, commuters and frequent flyers.