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Lenovo 3000 N - First Take

In addition to a set of features and connections suitable for the small-business user, the Lenovo 3000 N100 delivers strong components and performance at a competitive price.

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With a starting weight of 5.6 pounds, the Lenovo 3000 N100 is at the heavy end of the thin-and-light category. The notebook has more configuration options than most Lenovo 3000s, resulting in prices ranging from $699 to $1,499. The N100 offers processors from a 1.6GHz Celeron M to a midrange 1.66GHz Core Solo and a high-end 2GHz Core Duo. Users can choose 14.1-inch (1,280x800) or 15.4-inch (1,280x800) wide-screen displays with antireflective coatings; a high-resolution 15.4-inch wide-screen (1,680x1,050) with a glossy finish is also available. The N100 can be configured with either Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics or a discrete Nvidia GeForce Go 7300 GPU. The notebook comes with 512MB of 667MHz RAM, upgradable to 2GB; either an 80GB or 100GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm; and a CD-RW/DVD combo drive or a dual-layer DVD burner. Each N100 also has integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless, Bluetooth, 10/100 Ethernet, a 56Kbps modem, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, S-Video out, VGA out, a 4-in-1 card reader, and a PC Card slot. A fingerprint reader and 1.3-megapixel Webcam are both optional.

Our $1,399 test unit was configured with a solid set of components, including a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 512MB of 333MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a low-end Nvidia GeForce Go 7300 graphics card with 256MB of video RAM, and an 80GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm. Find out more in our full review of the Lenovo 3000 N100.