Lenovo ThinkPad R500

Formerly IBM, Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptop line are renowned as some of the most usable and practical business laptops available. Almost all models boast the same shared features – a strong battery life, ultra-portable yet solid construction, and a respectable set of bundled business applications. The R500 is Lenovo’s entry-level machine, a compact and powerful platform for businesspeople and data-based workers.

It’s clear that the R500 has been designed with work as the first of its priorities. The laptop computer doesn’t boast particularly impressive processing power, but it does offer more than enough grunt to take care of basic business processes and word processing. Management software, office applications, and web browsing are all simple and intuitive.

A range of basic applications are included with the R500, although most are likely to be replaced with corporate software after acquisition. The built-in ThinkVantage software is useful – a feature shared by all ThinkPad laptops – allowing users to quickly and easily configure advanced options, system preferences, and usability options.

The ThinkPad line has never been renowned for advanced graphics, and the R500 continues tradition in this respect. Graphics processing power is close to non-existent, and it’s unlikely that the R500 will be able to display much more than ten-year-old PC games and ageing Flash applications. Visual office software and presentation tools will run smoothly, although multimedia applications and audio and video editing suites are best left installed on a very different PC.

Despite the ThinkPad’s adequate processing power and business-friendly design, there are some major issues that stop the laptop from being appropriate for all-purpose users. The design, to put it bluntly, has been subject to only minor changes since it was introduced in the mid-2000s. The black plastic construction is certainly durable, though it’s clear that Lenovo have ignored other durable and design-friendly notebooks from Apple and HP.

Alongside the R500′s questionable appearance is its bulky construction. The R500 has clearly been designed to handle the bumps and bruises that can appear from on-the-go usage, and for travelling businesspeople it’s an easy laptop to recommend. However, frequent travellers looking for a laptop that combines durability and compact form are best off looking elsewhere.

The R500 does have one strength that frequent travellers will enjoy: its unbelievable battery life. While Lenovo touts the device’s battery as being able to last over seven hours, most tests have found it to fizzle out at around six under standard business use. Word processing and simple web browsing are unlikely to demand much from the device’s battery, and could realistically last for over seven hours.

While the ThinkPad R500 certainly isn’t the ultimate business laptop, it’s an adequate piece of entry-level kit that’s unlikely to break the bank. Frequent travellers will appreciate the extended battery life and simple usability, though likely bemoan the lack of compact form and slick design. For pure business usage, the ThinkPad R500 succeeds, but for all-purpose tasks it’s unlikely to gain much acclaim.

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