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This day last month, we brought you word that Lenovo had announced their first 12-inch netbook, the IdeaPad S12. It looked like a promising machine, especially the Nvidia ION based models which would have great HD video capabilities and even HDMI output.
You can now purchase the S12 at Lenovo.com, and it’s on sale to boot! There’s only one problem:
There are two models with exact same configs, but different model numbers. If you guessed the difference might be the color, you are correct, but which is which? You won’t find out from the website, and other users have reported the same problem, even with no answer when calling Lenovo. We took a trip over the ever helpful Lenovo PSREF docs and luckily, the same MTM’s available at Lenovo.com were listed in the PSREF book. For everyone who is wondering:
Model 295954U (left column) is BLACK
Model 295955U (right column) is WHITE
Good job Lenovo, seriously.
Anyway, if you wanted to pick up one of these two machines, see the base specs and instructions for getting 10% off below. Note that neither of these models have the NVIDIA ION platform yet, but those will be available later in the year.
- Atom N270 1.6GHz; 1GB DDR2; 12.1″ WXGA; 160GB Hard Drive
- GMA 950 Graphics; 802.11b/g WiFi; XP Home SP3; 6-cell Battery
How to get the deal
- Click here to go to the IdeaPad S12 page
- Add the model of your choice to the shopping cart and apply the following coupon (no spaces before/after): USPLENOVO
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As a loyal, long time ThinkPad user and advocate, it is incredibly frustrating to see how poorly Lenovo manages their web site. As much as I dislike saying this… they could learn from Apple.
When Apple releases a new laptop it’s posted on the web site accurately, with a wonderful set of pages filled with pictures, detailed descriptions and specifications. When Lenovo posts a new laptop on their web page it’s a half baked effort. Routinely they fail to post good pictures and text to promote the product. It’s as though the are a brand new startup with no clue how to setup and run a web site. Mistakes are rampant, frequent and go uncorrected for the longest time, even on existing ThinkPads. On the page that one uses to configure a new ThinkPad they are about to purchase, the prices on options frequently change with gross errors in over or underpricing being the norm.
Perhaps one of these days someone at Lenovo will actually wake up and do something about this. Certainly there must be someone at Lenovo who cares about promoting and selling the product.
[...] the IdeaPad U350 CULV laptop about a month ago, right around the same time as the S12 netbook. Both are now available for purchase at Lenovo.com, and both for 10% off even. You get a pretty well [...]
I wonder why they used the broadcom wifi chip instead of intel’s or even the thinkpad a/b/g chip. Broadcom has been notoriously incompatible with linux. Otherwise this is a pretty attractive machine, a much cheaper alternative to an X200.
One word: cheaper.
I asked myself that same question, regarding their choice of Broadcom. Especially since I plan on setting mine up with Ubuntu. So I did some research and found the particular chip is a new version and it is indeed compatible with most Linux distros’. So no worries for those that plan to do what I’m doing and wiping the drive of windows, to be replaced with Linux. Unofficially the distros in the list I saw, that are compatible are: Ubuntu 8.10 and 9.04, Fedora 11, openSUSE 11.1, Mandriva 2009, Slackware 12.2, Mint 7, Knoppix 6.0.1.
Cheers…
hi…could you tell me where you found the information about the linux-distros that would run ond the s12?
You have to search for it, but there are videos showing the full 360 view of the s12 with the 6 cell battery. It sticks out just like it did on the s10 and absolutely ruins the whole profile of the machine. Plus, they went glossy on the screen. Great build quality once again ruined by poor design.
I did read somewhere that there would be two choices of displays, matte and glossy and that the glossy would be the first to be introduced. The exact opposite of the S10. I bought my S10 when first released and it has a matter display. Then when Lenovo released the S10e they gave that model a glossy display.
I hope they do give a choice. Regarding their website, they are somewhat deceptive about the screens and the looks. The S10-2 also had a glossy screen (exclusively) but that wasn’t clearly indicated to the buyer. It also had the protruding six cell battery that looked even worse because it was such a slim design.
I don’t see it as deceptive, but rather a very poorly designed site. With a distinct lack of information, the size of the computer is not listed, nor are there definitive specs anywhere to be found. A rather lackluster effort on Lenovo’s part. Considering Lenovo is a computer company the web site is a very revealing testimony to their lack of commitment in promoting new models. And if one visits the site regularly as I do, then you really notice the massive number of mistakes in the configuration pages that one uses to purchase a computer.
I nominate John Hobbes, as the new webmaster for Lenovo.
It’s been FIVE DAYS, and Lenovo is still sleeping. And demonstrating to us that they really don’t care.
After all what’s a reputation worth? I guess not much when your so big and successful that they are overflowing with net profit.
They’ve also been on the page mistake riddled page to add one more 12″ IdeaPad and still have _NOT_ corrected their errors. So now we have three S-12′s to choose from without knowing anything about what color they are, what the dimensions are or any of those basics.
But do not be discouraged. It’s a do it yourself page (they forgot to mention that). All one has to do is to lookup the psref (which most average consumers have no knowledge of) and look it up for yourself.
Then call the order takers or take your chances online.
Hello? Lenovo? Anybody home?
[...] there is only one Nano model and we don’t have a clue as to what color it is. We already deciphered which color each of the other netbooks was, but this one is a mystery for now. Keep up the good work [...]
I ordered my S12 from Amazon. It had Windows xp, but I wanted to make it dual boot with linux. There is is a setting in the set-up, for the hard drive to be “compatible,” rather than xp exclusive. You need to change this setting or linux will stall on installation and load.
Anyway, after a week or so I wiped windows and went with a full install of Linux. I have tried ubuntu and mint (an ubuntu variant) and all the hardware works fine. No problems recognizing the wireless hardware.
My own feeling is that opensuse would be the bet distro on this machine.