Get up to speed with online broking
1 June, 2008
Euromoney GCC asset management guide: Gulf economics and the asset management industry
1 June, 2008

Smart Investor magazine, Up To Speed column, June 2008

Gizmo

When Gizmo is on its travels, observing fellow travellers wedged into long-haul aircraft seats trying to wrestle laptops onto seatback trays without spilling their coffee, the most common brand they’re manhandling is the IBM ThinkPad. It does the job and it rarely breaks.

A new version, the IdeaPad, is now bring rolled out, with three versions available in Australia so far. The Y510, the standard model, comes with Core 2 Duo processors, a 15.4 inch screen, 250GB hard drive and weighs 2.9 kilos.

ThinkPad disciples will have a rude shock: where’s that stick thing for moving the cursor? Otherwise it’s broadly similar, with a solid black chassis and decent keyboard. Perks include great speakers and a low price: it sells from around A$1399 (in Dick Smith among other places). Gripes include the protective layer on the screen that is disorientatingly reflective and an average battery life. In between is a whizz-bag face recognition log-in system which some reviewers have found a liability rather than an asset.

Chris Wright
Chris Wright
Chris is a journalist specialising in business and financial journalism across Asia, Australia and the Middle East. He is Asia editor for Euromoney magazine and has written for publications including the Financial Times, Institutional Investor, Forbes, Asiamoney, the Australian Financial Review, Discovery Channel Magazine, Qantas: The Australian Way and BRW. He is the author of No More Worlds to Conquer, published by HarperCollins.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *