The SL500 is a new 15″ laptop model from Lenovo marketed towards smaller business that desire ThinkPad quality without the price tag often associated with it. Built to be fast and as full featured as the T Series, the SL500 is also based on the new Centrino 2 platform, using the new and improved Intel X4500 integrated graphics chip. However, to keep prices lower the SL series utilizes earlier generation Core 2 Duos and DDR2 ram. The SL500 also includes the option for a discrete graphics card, allowing for better 3D performance. Starting at 6.4 pounds with a battery life of 4.3 hours, the SL500 is an all around powerhouse performer on par with Lenovo’s T offerings, without the over-engineered build and excess bells and whistles.

Features

Review By Techradar
ThinkPads have always been aimed at business users, but with the Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 (£646 inc. VAT) the company is targeting a specific section of the business market – the small business user.Or rather, those users who will use their laptop both as a sole work machine and also at home.To this end, you’ll find the usual ThinkPad styling and attention to detail, but there is less emphasis on conformity of parts and image content.

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Review By Computershopper

In keeping with ThinkPad tradition, the SL500 comes in one color: black. Unlike most ThinkPad models, however, the SL500 sports a high-gloss lid. At 6.4 pounds, it is more than a pound heavier than Acer’s Extensa 4630Z, but it’s still light enough to carry without killing your shoulder. Lifting the lid reveals a 15.4-inch wide-screen display featuring Lenovo’s VibrantView technology, which provides a crisp, clear picture without the annoying reflective properties of a glossy screen. The 1.3-megapixel Webcam and microphone array embedded in the upper bezel use Roxio Media Import to capture photos and video.

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Review By Notebookreview

The 15.4-inch SL500 is a larger version, naturally, than the 13.3-inch SL300 or 14.1-inch SL400 that we’ve looked at previously. It follows the same stylings, with a glossy back lid and strip beneath the LCD, while everywhere else is coated in a black matte plastic. Set in the corners of the glossy back are the various Lenovo, ThinkPad and Energy Star logos. The superscript dot above the “i” in the ThinkPad logo is once again replaced with a glowing red LED; it remains constantly lit while fully on and pulses creepily when in sleep mode. Lenovo has chosen to carry their famous color keyboard color scheme to this line as well, with a blue enter key, red trackpoint and striped trackpoint buttons.

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Review By reviews.cnet

The screen is a major plus point. It has a native resolution of 1,680×1,050 pixels and is very easy on the eye. The anti-glare coating doesn’t stop it from being a little difficult to read when there’s a light source directly behind you, but it’s far easier to live with than the shiny screens we’ve seen on so many notebooks. The cheaper SL500 model has a lower-resolution (1,280×800-pixel) screen.

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Review By Pocket-lint

Weighing 2.9kg, there is a degree of portability about this machine, so we were more than surprised to find a battery life well in excess of 4 hours from a single charge. If you do need to take this notebook on the move, or simply use it around the house you’ll be more than happy with the results.

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Review By Notebookcheck

The SL500 offers the usual Thinkpad qualities in terms of stability of the case. On the top side and on the bottom side of the base unit, it is very resistant against punctual force. Even the display in high-gloss look is no exception in this aspect. The role of materials has been obviously exchanged compared to the T series. The trough of the SL500′S case is made of plastics, while the palm rest areas are made of a metallic material.

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