The new Lenovo G550 is an update version of G530 .The Primary difference is the screen size from 16:10 to 16:9 screen. The design of the G550 has the black weave pattern finish.The cover is every bit as strong as the last one, preventing any screen distortion even if you hit or flex the back of the screen. The interior of the notebook shares the same colour as the lid, but is textured with a rougher matte finish similar to what you would find on unpainted sections of a ThinkPad. The 15.6″ LCD is average compared to most 15-16″ notebooks, with bright and vibrant colours and decent viewing angles. The G550′s big change is the transition away from the 16:10 screen size to the wider (but shorter) 16:9 panels.

The screen offers a glossy surface, which helps improve colours and contrast at the cost of added reflections and glare. Compared to “frameless” displays the reflections were tolerable as long as you were not outside under direct sunlight. Screen brightness was adequate for viewing in bright office conditions, but might not cut it outside unless it is an overcast day. Vertical viewing angles were adequate with a broad viewing sweet spot measuring 30 degrees forward or back before colours started to wash out or invert. Horizontal view angles were much better, showing minimal colour distortion at steep angles. Although the G550 is now larger than the G530, Lenovo still managed to decrease the amount of ports available.

The Express Card slot is missing, USB ports are down from four to three, and the modem jack is gone. I can see no other reason besides cutting costs for such a loss of features. The new Lenovo G550 uses a slightly smaller battery with a more efficient processor it consumes less power and gets longer runtimes. The G550 stayed running for 4 hours and 18 minutes in our tests with the screen brightness reduced to 70%, Vista on the “Balanced” power profile, and wireless active.

Lenovo G550 Notebook PC Features

• Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor T4200, 2.0 GHz
• 1-MB L2 Cache, 800 Mhz FSB
• Intel 945GM Chipset Motherboard
• 2-GB DDR2 (800 MHz), 2 DIMM slots (Max. 4-GB in 2 slots)
• 250-GB Serial-ATA harddrive, 5200 rpm
• Slot-in Super Multi Drive 6x DVD Writer, Double Layer (8.5 GB)
• 15.6 inch (39.62 cm) widescreen TFT WXGA VibrantView LED backlit display, 1366 x 768 pixels maximum resolution, 16M colors, 16:9 aspect ratio
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Intel GMA X4500 graphics chipset with shared video memory, supports Direct x 9.0 acceleration, Dual independent display option, Dynamic Display Detect, Open GL 1.4
• Integrated VGA resolution 0.3 MP webcam
• Integrated Microphone
• Dolby Home Theater system
• 10/100 Ethernet Network Card
• 56kbps v.92 Modem/Fax Card
• 802.11 a/b/g Wireless LAN Connection
• Bluetooth v2.0+EDR wireless connection
• 5-in-1 Memory card reader, SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro
• 3 USB v2.0 ports
• HDMI digital port on PM/GM platform
• PC DOS OS
• 6 cell Lithium Ion Battery with 5 hrs backup
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 318 x 245 x 26.5 / 36.2 cm
• Weight: 2.55 Kgs (with battery pack)
• Price as configured: Rs 28,350 in Dollars $549

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]