Smart Investor magazine, Up To Speed column, June 2008

Gizmo

When Gizmo is on its travels, observing fellow travellers wedged into long-haul aircraft seats trying to wrestle laptops onto seatback trays without spilling their coffee, the most common brand they’re manhandling is the IBM ThinkPad. It does the job and it rarely breaks.

A new version, the IdeaPad, is now bring rolled out, with three versions available in Australia so far. The Y510, the standard model, comes with Core 2 Duo processors, a 15.4 inch screen, 250GB hard drive and weighs 2.9 kilos.

ThinkPad disciples will have a rude shock: where’s that stick thing for moving the cursor? Otherwise it’s broadly similar, with a solid black chassis and decent keyboard. Perks include great speakers and a low price: it sells from around A$1399 (in Dick Smith among other places). Gripes include the protective layer on the screen that is disorientatingly reflective and an average battery life. In between is a whizz-bag face recognition log-in system which some reviewers have found a liability rather than an asset.

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