Lenovo's IdeaPad S10 Reviewed

The inclusion of an ExpressCard/34 slot opens the IdeaPad up to a range of high-bandwidth applications. The most revelant for me as a musician, was the possibility of using one on stage alongside a professional audio interface. Taking your expensive (and for some, irreplaceable) main rig out on tour and having to constantly keep an eye out for people putting their beer down on the stage next to it is a stressful affair, and the thought of using a relatively cheap, incredibly portable, and ultimately replaceable machine instead was always incredibly attractive - and I'm very glad to say, now possible.

We used a Silicon Memory ExpressCard/34 adapter that added an additional USB 2.0 port and two FireWire 400 ports, although any adapter based on a Texas Instruments FireWire chipset should work with a vast majority with audio interfaces. Windows XP Home recognized the adapter and installed the drivers automatically without needing a driver CD, and we quickly had the MOTU Traveler interface up and running.

My current Ableton Live set sat at a perfectly manageable 15% CPU usage for a majority of the time, however you will need to watch the CPU intensive plugs. One particularly long reverb tail using Ableton's built in reverb used up 25% of the CPU on it's own.

Needless to say, if you're already producing or performing with a Core 2 Duo-based machine, and pushing it to the limits, you'll need to go a little easy on this single-core 1.6GHz machine, but for the digital DJ types who only need to warp and play two or three tracks at once, this machine is absolutely ideal.

The catch is that the ExpressCard slot isn't recessed the entire way into the machine, which means the locking mechanism is out of the question, and the adapter sticks out of the slot by about an inch. On your desk at home, you'll be fine - but you'd want to be careful to ensure nothing will pull the adapter out on stage. Having said that, PC users are likely used to this due to the incredibly fragile 4-pin iLink/FireWire 400 ports that PC manufacturers have always opted for in preference of Apple's 6-pin/9-pin versions. 
Big thanks to Streetwise in Hawthorn for letting us come down and test out the Silicon Memory ExpressCard adapter. Any of Australian readers who have realised how insanely difficult it is to find certain FireWire cables and adapters in the country should try these guys first next time.

Availability

The IdeaPad S10 is currently available in the US, and is planned for an Australian release in December alongside the optional 6-cell battery.

Conclusion

...continued