Lenovo Ideapad A10 Quick-Read Review: Android is just not ready for the laptop

Mihir Patkar | Mumbai | Updated: Apr 10 2014, 11:11 IST

The Lenovo IdeaPad A10 costs Rs 19,990

SummaryThe question really is whether Android can be a good laptop OS, not whether Lenovo Ideapad A10 can be a good laptop.

What should your second laptop be, the one you use for portable computing? So far, the options seemed limited to Windows netbooks and the new line of Google�s Chromebooks. But Lenovo has a new contender in mind: the Android-toting Ideapad A10.

Price: Rs 19,990

Design: The Ideapad A10 is a budget laptop and feels like one. The hinge is a little too tough, the plastic body recesses inside when you press it hard, and it�s overall chunky. That said, it�s definitely light and easy to carry around. One aspect that I really liked is that it uses a standard microUSB port to charge instead of a laptop adapter, which means you can use almost any mobile charger to juice up. Plus, there�s a mini-HDMI out and two standard USB ports for further connectivity.

Keyboard & Trackpad: This is a laptop, not an Android tablet, so the keyboard and trackpad are quite important. Lenovo has customised the keyboard so that it�s more useful for Android, putting in hardware buttons for Home, Back, Multi-tasking, Options, etc. A nice touch is that Lenovo has added a dedicated Search button which can be used to search inside any app in a jiffy.

As great as the keyboard is, the trackpad has major issues. It�s a small size so you can�t use it easily, plus it registers taps inconsistently, so you might need to actually press down on the trackpad to click�an arduous task because it�s a hard trackpad.

Screen: Considering it is a touchscreen IPS display, we expected the kind of viewing angles that you get on most tablets. But the A10 is more like a laptop�tilt it too much and the screen washes out. At the right angle, however, the 10-inch display is good enough. This is where the laptop�s ability to flip back flat comes in handy. The touchscreen is also responsive so you can play games like Angry Birds without a concern.

Performance: Android isn�t a great laptop OS, but in regular usage, you won�t find it lacking in performance. Whether you are browsing the Web or writing a quick proposal in a document, the A10 performs

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