Lenovo Ideapad 32GB Review

So a few weekends ago I began doing some research about e-readers and inevitably found myself looking at tablets.  Some will argue that an iPad is the clear front runner in this category, but on price point that's far from the truth.  What I eventually decided on was the Lenovo Ideapad Tablet with 32GB and Wi-Fi.  Here's why I came to that decision and what I've come to really like about my tablet in general.

1.  Value for Money - A quick scan of tablets will show how competitively priced the Lenovo is (compared to other tablets and laptops).  I ended up spending about $350 for a tablet with 32GB of memory, a 10.1" screen, a front and rear camera, a stylish design, and that is easily customizable in terms of the display, apps, what widgets go where, etc.

2.  More Than an E-Reader - I was really just after an e-reader to begin with, but found it hard to pass up the ability to freely surf the web, watch YouTube, check facebook, download from the Amazon Kindle store, or scroll my emails (all at the same time).  The point is that this tablet is a lot more versatile for not much more money.

3.  Portable and Convenient - I found it cumbersome using my laptop in bed when I just wanted to check blogs or read web pages and a tablet is the answer to that.  The Lenovo is comfortable to hold thanks to the rounded edges and although it may be a bit on the heavier side for tablets, I still find it quite light. 

While I haven't taken it on the road with me yet, I also like the idea of having my maps downloaded and having a large screen to view them.  Navigating maps on my iPod Touch hasn't always been the most convenient and now I don't necessarily need to bring my laptop on the road with me either to stay connected.  

4.  The Show-Me Factor - How often do you have someone over and end up talking about a funny YouTube video or webpage?  The tablet is quick to launch and easy to pass around for moments just like that.  It's also what makes the tablet a great presentation tool, and it was really convenient to pull up my portfolio and scroll the pages when I had people over.

5. Adaptability - What I love about my Lenovo Ideapad (and a tablet in general) is the way that you can continue to change it based on how you use it.  There are plenty of apps to play with and explore, and the Lenovo Ideapad has 5 pages that you can flip through and customize however you want.  I'm sure I'll continue to find more fun ways to use it as I play around a bit more.

In my personal opinion having used this product for a couple of weeks now (in addition to my regular PC, laptop, and iPod Touch) I'd give the Lenovo Ideapad a solid 8/10. The only areas that I'd really make improvements to would be the speaker, which could be a bit stronger.  The tablet could also be a bit lighter, and I'd like to see more apps for Android products.  For the time being though, this is a more than adequate product for a casual user like myself and it's exceeded my expectations. 

For more specifics check out the review of this product on PC World.