I got my Lenovo N500 when I went to university almost 2 years ago. I was recommended a Lenovo as they are supposed to be reliable machines unlike that of the likes of Dell, who have gained somewhat of an unreliable reputation. Upon its arrival, I was very satisfied with the laptop. The screen is of a good size, measuring 15.4". This was the first time I had encountered Windows Vista, and although experiencing some initial dislikes of the operating system compared to what I was used to with XP, I found that it was easy to use. However, it must be noted that this is not a machine for gamers. The video card that comes with the laptop is not good enough to support most good, new games. However, if this machine's main use is for word processing etc., then this is certainly a sturdy machine for that purpose. My only complaint is that the power lead can be slightly temperamental now and slightly touching it can disconnect power from the laptop. However, I suspect this has more to do with the amount of travelling its done and that it's a loose wire within the power lead. Overall a good machine.

Battery life: On power saving mode, can last up to about 4 hours. On high performance mode, only 1 hour 30 mins.