I used 32 bit because it's far more compatible with today's programs. 64 bit programs still have issues and I think they won't be fully ready until Windows 8.
I use 64 bit on my main computer and have ran into compatibility issues and found a very nice bug that can eat your hard drive. Check it out at http://bit.ly/a9ar4O
To get the rotation button to work you need to install the driver first. I was going to direct you to the drivers page ( http://bit.ly/bY0diM ) but it's not there. I uploaded it to thefreeftp.com and you can download it at http://bit.ly/dlqrSS
The Natural Touch button will be something that I might look into but there's no fix yet. Check http://bit.ly/bbhVBt for more info.
would onekey recovery work after changing windows version? i mean recovering back from boot with dedicated button not from from onekey recovery software in windows.
@kennyoo You can create a backup disc with OneKey Recovery. Just press the button (above your ESC key) and hold it for a few seconds. Another option is to google "backup hard drive" and that should come up with some good results. I prefer Acronis because their software works really well
@Sam Onekey recovery will work if: You don't delete the recovery partition Install the software from the Lenovo partition or download it from the web.
Yes the button works without an issue, but you have to install the software.
I changed to a 64bit Ultimate version. everything is perfect.Even touch screen is more accurate.and I feel that my netbook is working as fast as my core2Dou desktop. there is just two things. 1. although I found and installed all drivers for x64, but there is still an unknown device in device manager.(could it be that natural touch button?) 2.some of Fn combination doesn't work, and the other works but nothing is displayed on the screen.(for example I can change brightness using keyboard but that brightness gauge wont display)
I really can't understand why this great device didn't came with a 64-bit windows at first.
Update: some magic way everything is solved except for Brightness control.the brightness bar stocked at level 1 no matter how much the brightness is. but volume control works well. (I cant understand what happened. I have restarted it thousand time after installing windows but at the 1001st time everything changed!!!!)
A bit off the path, but anyone know of a desktop app or something for brightness? (Maybe there is something and I haven't found it?) I love use mine to read but at night it's a pain to switch back to laptop to adjust the brightness, then back to tablet to read. Maybe I'm spoiled by my Droid, lol.
Jesse, thanks for all the tips - your blog got my puppy up and running smoothly in no time.
Jesse B Andersen, i was install Screen Rotation software that you published, but still have no action by pressing "rotation key". May be my problem calls "windows 7 ultimated x64", but may be except main installer i must run overs?
Don't know how, but it starts to work... Completely useless feature - work only with full tablet and brings to explorer.exe crash. Removed this software. But still want to use this key. Did anyone know anything about remapping of this key?
There is no way of remapping the key that I know of. I will have to look deeper into this. Keep in mind that all of the software and drivers are 32 bit and therefore will have issues with a 64 bit operating system.
I'm glad you brought the Windows Search service. Disabling it helps increase the CPU performance by a bit. This of course will make searching for files slower. But if you don't search files that much then it's useful! Thanks.
I'm a little confused with the instructions...for the drivers you say to load them from d:\drive, but if I've done a fresh install and wiped the drive as suggested, I'm not going to have a d:\drive with my drivers. Should I download the drivers first onto a secondary thumb drive (MS suggests not putting other files on the bootable Win7 thumbdrive). Then after the fresh install load the necessary drivers? Or do I have to worry that I won't be able to access my thumbdrive with the drivers becuase I don't have the driver?
Your site is awesome and convinced me that this is the device for me. But I'm a bit of a newb,and need a little extra help.
If you are going to reinstall windows in the old partition then you won't delete the partition with the drivers because it's separate. However if you do "wipe" the entire hard drive then you need to get the drivers in one way or another.
You can save the drivers to a thumb drive if you want. Just make a folder in that thumb drive and paste them in there. Or you can download them from the internet later from another computer. (this website has the links).
The most important driver is the wifi or ethernet one. If you have that one then you can download any of the other drivers later from your S10-3T.
Thanks for your quick response Jesse. I'm going to get the Win7 upgrade to Home Prem and put that on a thumb drive. When I install 7 Home Prem from the thumb drive I'm going to format the hard drive (Disk 0 Partition 2 Primary)as suggested. Then I'll get the wifi driver (previously downloaded to thumb drive)installed and install the other drivers after that.
By the way...from your picture it looks like your in the military, is that right? Just asking becuase my son in the MN National Guard.
Jesse - It's difficult for me to share an appropriate level of gratitude to you for your service to our great country using just words, thank you very much and God bless you.
And (much less importantly, but not less enthusiastically) thanks for the confirmation of my plan.
I bought an Intel 80GB drive and will reinstall Windows 7. Did you install the Intel ACHI storage manger with your SSD or do you use the native Windows 7 driver?
Thanks for the reply. Couple of things I read in the Intel docs: turn off defrag; version 9.6 of the Intel drivers support Trim but the drivers on the Lenovo site are 8.9 so they probably don't support Trim; if you use Win7 native drivers (with Trim) you don't need to run the SSD Optimizer in the Intel SSD Toolbox. So, I am also going with the Win7 drivers and will turn off defrag. The Toolbox has some other goodies and I will install that. Also, since the SSD isn't spinning I guess you don't need the Active Protection System driver.
hi jesse, you are doing a tremendous job here! i saw on ebay a 'key' for windows 7 ultimate, it's cheap, but will this work if i use it to upgrade from the starter version? thanks!
by the way, your tips are very very helpful, may your tribe increase!
@Mike Beware of people on eBay selling you "keys". Truth is, anyone can generate those keys via a keygen program and then sell those on eBay. It's quick and easy money. The problem ends up that you might get a key that someone else already has, therefore your Windows 7 will be not "genuine" which you might need for Windows updates.
The key will work depending on what version of Windows you upgrade to. If you use it for an upgrade to Window 7 Ultimate then the key should be fine. If you try to use it on Home Premium or Pro it most likely won't work.
Little tribe turns into village, village into city, city into metropolis. But we are still at tribe level ;-)
to Sam I have all the x64 bit drivers and the one that windows wont ever find is that energy management for lenovo if you go to http://consumersupport.lenovo.com/ph/en/DriversDownLoads/drivers.html Lenovo smart downloading it will scan for any missing drivers and will let you install but like the wirless you may have to do your home work. Here is a good start if you put the x86 32bit driver # in a search and include x64 you have a good chance of finding what you want. I have x64 win 7 ult and just got the new seagate Momentus® XT Solid State Hybrid Drives and geting 88mbs on hdd http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/laptops/laptop-hdd/?EventID=268653944&FirstName=Danny&LastName=Mills&Email=hotwheeler69%40yahoo.com&EnrollmentID= free non download test at http://pcpitstop.com/betapit/pitstop.asp
Hey Jesse I ask before about the bluetooth from factory for s10-3t This is what I did find out http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/IdeaPad-S-series-Netbooks/S10-3t-bluetooth-card/m-p/216850/highlight/false#M8565 What a joke they said part # is 200-2326 but I cant buy the part. I said if I had it in mine and it went bad how would you replace it. I hear some one say that if you hack the bios you can get the ssd card to work so I am sure it the same for the pci e express card slot to use my Dell card Bluetooth, if any one know how to hack the bios please post.
I rember someone posting about a bios hack that allows you to use you HDD and a pci-e mini card SSD for dual boot. I want to use my dell pci-e mini bluetooth card but bios says nonono. can any one help with this for now its a donge but when I try with my non powered hug its does not work so I like to keep my 2 usb for more inportant things like watching tv on my s10
Jesse I have the wrt600n dual router 2.4 5g n but when I connect the s10 at 2.4 n it only gets 65mbs on my others I get 270mbs and even usb donge 120mbs is this the same for eveyone else or do i need to repace my wifi card? Thanks again.
About your 64bit OS: Not needed and is more problems than solutions. 32bit is supported fully. Also 64bit needs more resources than 32bit and therefore performance on your programs decrease.
About bios hacking: Use the search bar on this site for "Crystal HD" there's a post that has some of the "white list" hacking that you would have to do to enable some of these pci-e devices.
About bluetooth: A bluetooth dongle works just fine. Doing the pci-e hacking is something you can do but it takes effort, patience, and you do risk of ruining your S10-3T. It depends how experienced you are on these matters. If you are an expert then you can do it.
About wireless connection: You are not alone, there has been reports of the S10-3T not performing on par to other systems. There are many factors that affect this including:
Wifi cables not connected to the wifi antenna correctly
Power to the antenna and wifi card (more power = more signal reach). This is fixable by Lenovo Energy Management and Windows Device Manager (right click on your antenna device and there's a power setting somewhere in there that you can add)
Other devices that use wifi also affect the quality of your S10-3T, they are competing against each other if they are running on the same band.
This answer is short and I'm not going into details so you will have to use google a lot and use the Lenovo Forums. Link for the forums is on "On The Web" section.
Hey Jesse, Your youtube clips have everything to do with me having confidence that the S10 can do a good job as a tablet. I'd been toying with the idea of ordering one and your videos sealed the deal, so thanks. I have yet to receive it, but wanted to say thanks and also add comments with regards to 64 bit systems on these N450's. I have run an Asus 1001p on both 32 & 64. Benchmarks are vastly superior with 64 but that does not mean that apps will be faster. It's all a matter of how 64 bit friendly they are. It is my belief and experience that unless you are running a big power machine (ie: i7 quad) and you could actually use more than 3 gigs of ram, then most of the time, the 32 bit systems do most things faster than 64. I have tested, retested and tested again 'till I was blue in the face. I would gauge the opening time of apps. like Malwarebytes, Superantispyware, Advanced System Care, Google Earth, Word 2007, etc and for the most part, 32 bit on an N450 does a better & faster job. I do run Intel X25 SSD's in all my machines as I have little patience for slowpoke puters and I'm presuming that your youtube clips were made with a regular HD, in which case, I think I can expect some decent results from my S10 when it arrives, after installing the SSD. I find it difficult to tolerate netbook speeds without the SSD. I do have a question for you. You and many others have mentioned how important having 2 gigs of ram is and it makes perfect sense, but I can tell you that I have swapped between 1 and 2 gigs in various Asus netbooks, including my latest 1001p and I can find NO difference! Nothing! Nada! I get better benchmark scores and that's it. You wouldn't believe how many times I have done the testing and many times I have 2 or 3 identical 1001P's here and can make direct comparisons and I simply do not get anything more from having 2 gigs. As the S10 has more or less the same guts, I wonder if you have tested yourself and actually noticed some differences. You seem pretty straight to me (as Marines tend to be) and I feel that I can trust your reply. I have 2 gig sticks of PC5300 lying around so it's not a question of not wanting to buy the 2 gigger, I'm just curious about your opinion. I have kept the 2 gig stick of ram in my Asus netbook, just because it makes sense that it would be better than 1, and heck, I have several lying around (I fix computers for my friends, so I keep a lot of common parts) but as sure as I am sitting here writing to you, I haven't seen one iota of additional speed or capacity to run more apps, by having the 2 gig stick installed, vs the 1 gig. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me as to your experiences between 1 and 2 gigs? PS: I also read countless reviews on the Asus 1001p, where people mentioned the importance of upgrading to 2 gigs, but as mentioned above, it does nothing for any of the N450 machines I have tried it on.
@RockySosua That's the longest comment so far. New record!
First let me guarantee you that being in the service has taught me that there's lots of good people, but there are always ass holes out there within the service.
Second. You kind of answered your own questions regarding performances of devices. If you are doing benchmarks for a living then you are on the right path. The "common man" wants a system that just works.
Here's my quickies: SSD better than hard drive. No need for Readyboost with an SD card if you have a SSD.
2GB better than 1GB when you are multitasking and for things that need to store lots of temporary data (big text files, movies, etc) If you run few applications at the same time then the 2GB might be useless. 2GB is good for Win 7 because of the background processes taking RAM space. You probably can run a WinXP system with 1GB and get about the same results as the Win7 2GB. Win 7 is a bit more touch friendly so it's better for the S10-3T.
32 vs 64 bit 32 bit runs smoother and performs more 32 bit programs better. 64 bit is good but it takes more specs to run things. Lots of programs are 32bit therefore it takes extra resources for the 64bit to "emulate" those 32bit programs. If all programs were 64bit then I would be using 64bit, but most of my programs are 32bit. For my hard core gaming I use my desktop with 64bit OS with 8GB RAM.
I did wish I had more CPU and GPU power but the S10-3T runs just fine when you use programs that don't take too many resources. Some programs are badly coded and take more processing cycles. One example would be Win Media Player and Win Media Center, others are really well coded like VLC.
Whatever enables you to "do what you want to do" is what matters. Like me typing this message on my S10-3T while listening to my music (VLC) and syncing my acite.info (Always Sync) and now pressing "Post Comment" with my touch screen. It rules.
Hey Jesse, You may have broken the longest response record too.... I have to agree completely with everything you said but still wonder if you have actually felt/observed any differences between 1 and 2 gig on our new favourite toy, the S10 3t. The benchmarking has served me in countless ways and nary a machine ever gets through my hands without getting benchmarked, but I have also learned that higher scores do not always result in better performance (although they certainly do, most of the time) and that a lot of things should do this or that in theory, but often don't in real life. My comment about being a marine was just my subtle way of saying I think you're a stand up guy. I know there are surely many unsavoury jerks in the armed forces, but you are clearly not one of them. Back to puters. I'm in a fortunate position where all I do day in day out when not travelling, is computers, more computers, and computers again Even a dumb guy will learn some stuff after years of touching/fixing 1000's of machines. Suffice to say I've learned a few things, and one of the mysteries is still why I get no better results by adding one more gig to that N450 package Here's hoping you know something I don't know and that you can enlighten me, either as to why or to tell me that you HAVE noticed results. Regards, Rocky.
@RockySosua The quick and easy answer to 1GB vs 2GB is that performance goes up with 2GB because you can store more things temporarily and therefore not make the system be loading/unloading things to the hard drive as often (perfomance gets hit). Sometimes I have close to 1.5GB of stuff in RAM, and that wouldn't be possible with just the 1GB stick, with the 2GB you can.
It also depends on the programs, some are very well coded and you don't need more than 1GB, but there are lots of badly coded programs that store lots of stuff and that's where the 2GB helps the system.
What is performance anyways? more benchmark numbers or a smoother experience? Well it's kind of both. If you do single tasking you can get away with the 1GB just fine for some programs, but if you have lots of things opened the 2GB helps store lots of temporary data. You might have noticed that Win 7 runs more processes by default than Win XP, so OS also changes the game a bit.
The simplified math formula: (Application required RAM + Application Files Data) * Number of Applications) + OS Required RAM
RAM is not going to improve graphical experience, so you cannot notice it by "viewing it" that way. Hope that helps.
After waiting 8 days for my S10 3T, I found out that Lenovo cancelled the order. In small print, they reserve the right to cancel any order if they are short of inventory, in other words, they can advertise a unit on special at any super low price (in this case, $370 US) and allow you to order and pay for it and then cancel it later. I'm not impressed. This is the second time I have had trouble buying straight from them. The last time we waited 2 1/2 months for 3 netbook pouches which were also on special at $6.95 US. I think the product is good and the customer service sux. Anyhow, I've reordered elsewhere and landed up finding one with the bigger battery, and I'm glad for that. Now it looks like it will be 10 days or so before I finally get my hands on it. UGH ! I will of course post comments once I get it, assuming I have anything intelligent to say. Regards, Marco.
@RockySosua Yes Lenovo's customer service sucks. Just like almost all corporations suffer from this disease. They need some Gary Vaynerchuck medicine. I got mine from Amazon and had no trouble.
Likewise, I have now ordered it through Amazon. The initial order was direct with Lenovo via a website called dealnews.com. The special was offered for approx. 24 hours. The good news is that the $370 deal was for a very basic model with a 160 gig HD and the 4 cell battery. From what I can tell, Lenovo is no longer offering the 8 cell battery option, however the one I just ordered, the S10-3t 0651-37U appears to have the 8 cell batt, as well as a 250 gig HD and there is conflicting info on that particular SKU #, some saying it has bluetooth, and some not, but the bottom line is that Lenovo had charged me tax on the now cancelled order, making it a $395 purchase while this one is coming with free shipping and no sales tax, thus a difference of $40 US (the new order on amazon is $435 US) and although I am not pleased to have to wait 10 days to 2 weeks (that's how long it takes to get to me in the Caribbean) I am very pleased at the prospect of the bigger battery. The bluetooth would just be bonus, as well as the 250 gig drive, as I will be replacing it with the Intel SSD. I'm not happy about the longer wait, but I like this deal a lot better than the first one. Do you have the 8 cell battery in yours? I think I remember you mentioning that you did and that it gave you a good place to hold it from. Is that correct? If so, the extra size & weight aren't a problem for you?
@RockySosu I have the 8 cell. I like it because I can hold it well. I'm used to carrying over 75 pounds worth of gear so the weight of the S10-3T + 8 cell battery is bearable. ;-)
Good answer, lol. I use a white Toshiba T135 most of the time, perhaps 6 to 8 hours per day and it moves around a lot with me. It isn't quite as practical as my previous favorite, the Asus 10 inch 1001p, but it's so much more powerful that it stole my loyalty away from the netbook. All my computers/laptops/netbooks have white keyboards. If I can't order it in white, I don't order it. I live in a bar/rest/hotel and during the evening, the lights are low and having a white keyboard is priceless in dim conditions. It's one of the few things that I haven't heard anyone mention about the S10 3t, not even in the 100's of reviews I read. For me, a black keyboard would be a deal breaker. I'm sure you have found yourself in some low light situations in the recent past, and you would clearly know how difficult it is to see the letters on a black keyboard, and yes, if you're wondering if I'm a bad typist.... I couldn't be worse. Imagine that. A self proclaimed computer expert (only in the field of speed and power) and I have to search for each letter. Can't wait to get my hands on that tablet, specially when I hear you talking about how much you use yours and how much you like it. The wait is driving me crazy......
I forgot to ask you, Jesse, if you upgraded your Win 7 or did a clean install? It's been my experience that a clean installation is always faster than an upgrade. Do you have any experiences on this matter that you could share with us? Regards, Rocky.
I also had issues with Lenovo, I ordered the lower end one and called 5 minutes later to cancel and order the better one at a great price... 3 days later found the order was canceled and called said I needed to talk to the guy that canceled it and he would call me back... no call back.. got his direct number and left a message still no call... finally got a supervisor and they re-ordered at the lower price as coupon was no good anymore and also added overnight shipping at no charge.. so sucked but they made it better.
Where are all the S10 3t fans? My guess is that you're not as exposed as you ought to be, given the fact that you are knowledgeable and unbiased in all your info, then again, one has to be careful what one wishes for. If all the tablet fans catch onto your website, you'll not be getting any sleep. I've been watching more and more videos including the one you made with the iPad wake up vs the Lenovo. I'm learning more and more while I await the arrival of my new baby. According to my mail/transport people, I will have it by Monday. Heck, I'd pay an extra 50 bux just to get it here on Saturday, lol.
@RockySosua I don't know if the S10-3T can be rockstar enough to have "hard core" fans. It's not like the "Apple fanboys". One day maybe I'll try to build more community so everyone can share their ideas. I hate the idea of making a new forum because users have to create a new account which adds to the never ending forum username and passwords.
10 emails a day is the average, and a few calls a week. It's manageable.
I see lot's of good technologies out there and I think I can see some of the future devices that will be out next year. http://acite.info/jba-futurenetbook
I try not to be biased and keep an open mind but yes I'm a bit biased.
I recently upgraded my S10-3t,heretofore known as wickedsexy, to Windows 7 U
Ive been following the tips section and Ive got a question about the touchpad drivers, I didnt install it but i noticed that using Fn+F6 to disable the pad doesnt work, it gets annoying if you hit it while typing. Any thoughts?
@huu05 Intel chipset drivers will fix that. It manages all of the Fn keys. You should also look into disabling the touchpad when typing. (http://acite.info/s103t-stoptouchpad )
I wonder if Huu05 upgraded to the 64 bit Win 7 OS. As you know, I don't have my Lenovo yet, thus no first hand experience but I have upgraded many laptops to 64 bit and lost Function key capacities, even on machines that offered special hot key drivers. Also, sometimes the function keys would work in 64 bit but no longer exhibit the on-screen visual, like for a volume control, that might work in 64 bit but the volume graph doesn't appear when you use it. I have never found any one solution and mostly just accept it as one of the downsides of the upgrade. In order to solve the touchpad problem, perhaps Huu05 could plug in a wireless mouse receiver and set the touchpad (in control panel) to disable upon a mouse being plugged in. If he had a Logitech VX Nano or something similar with the tiny receiver that sticks out 1/4 inch, there would be no inconvenience manipulating the tablet.
Thanks for the quick response, I did install the chipset drivers located in my wickedsexy's d: drive, it didn't help with the disable function. I am right now, downloading the newer ones from lenovo support, will report what happens with that. Thanks for the freeze app you suggested, way cool. I'm a design student and have a lot of projects heavy on typing reports and projects, so this stuff helps a lot.
@RockySosua
I used to have the starter. I installed 7 64 U and found it OK, but I only use 1 or 2 apps that do take advantage of that and since my wickedsexy can only take 2Gs of RAM I figured that it was not the best fit. Sold my 64 copy to a friend, got the 32 and Its like tailor made for my wickedsexy. I use a lot of apps that are best run on 32 and I definitely agree with Jesse that that going 64 may not be best for our machine. Thanks for the suggestion about the mouse, but I'm only mouse heavy at home or at the dorm, don't usually bring my rodent on campus (spend 90% PC time there) but its still a good idea.(automation and stuff)
Plus:
Can anyone else confirm, my wickedsexy GUZZLED battery life on 64, literally full bar to 50% in minutes! Using Adobe PS CS4 x64.
To Jesse, Sometimes my youtube comments simply don't publish. Who knows why... I couldn't get the message below to publish so am writing it here. You can download the free webcam program called Manycam and it will rotate the image to the correct position of your choice. It may require a reboot to get it to load up in Messenger programs and/or Skype. Regards, Marco.
Hey guys, just reporting what happened,I didnt install the chipset drivers on the site coz it was older than what I had. I installed the touchpad driver on my D: and it fixed the Fn+F6 disable that I needed. I think the Cando can be ignored but the touchpad drivers are needed for the shortcut. thanks to Jesse and RockySosua for the help, imma go photoshop some stuff on WS (wickedsexy).
Hey Jesse, Got my new toy yesterday afternoon and have been learning lots as well as finding out how little I know about touchscreens and tweaking tablet machines. I'll need a lot of time to draw definite conclusions about what (running processes) takes how much power, thus what is worth keeping and what is worth dumping. So I have nothing intelligent to say right now except that I'm happier than a pig in poop, to finally have my new toy and the only clinical observation I have made so far is that the S10 3t cannot be as electrically frugal as my Asus 1001p. It surely is due to the tablet software that chews up some extra power. As well, the Lenovo battery has a lower mW rating than the Asus, so one should not be expecting 8 to 10 hour usage. Anyone who manages to get 10 hours out of it, would be my hero. I think that 4 to 5 hours is a fair expectation. Does that sound right to you, Jesse? Regards, Marco. PS: Typed and touched on a beautiful brand new Lenovo S10 3t. I luv it.
And yes, I installed the 2 gig memory stick, the Intel X25 SSD and Win 7 Ultimate, but I think I still have a long way to go to get it as tweaked as it can be.
@rockysosua Yep lot's of little tweaks you have to do to get the system working 100% how it should work. The info is scattered all over in this site. With my 8 cell I get about 7 hours when doing things with it. If you put the Lenovo Energy Management program to the lowest setting then you could get 10 hours but the experience is slow and unusable.
I have hated touchpads on most netbooks and that's why I don't use it that often, I use the touch screen.
Since you mentioned that you added Win 7 Ultimate you might want to check: http://acite.info/s103t-fb-win7u
Hey Jesse, I understand the concern for folks who use Ultimate and drag along unnecessary processes, but in my case, tweaking is my game. That is what I do best. I'm far from being a computer expert but when it comes to tweaking, I know where I'm going. All the extra services and/or processes that Ultimate has more than Premium, are NOT running on my machine. Part of tweaking is to stop all unnecessary stuff and I'm not running one thing more than if I had Premium.
I do have a question for you. Did I pick up somewhere along the line that there is an automated screen rotation feature for the S10 3t like the iPad has? I thought I remembered it being mentioned and how it was better to turn it off, otherwise it could inconvenience the user by switching at inopportune times. Is that correct? Have I missed the button, switch, program or whatever that performs that job? Even if it is inconvenient at times, I would like to have it if it exists. Thanks, Marco.
I got to tell you, Jesse. It sure is nice to be able to write a question down here and reliably get the CORRECT response in a short period of time. I don't know how much any other S10 3t users appreciate your help, but I do, BIG TIME. Thanks a million. On another note, as I prefer to know things, rather than think them (there is a huge difference between thinking and knowing) I have just taken a system image of the Win 7 U OS in my Lenovo and am installing Home Premium, just to be 100% sure that there isn't some little cyber thingie that I don't know about, that would allow the unit to operate faster with Premium than wih the Ultimate version. If I learn anything worth mentioning, I will post it here. Regards, Marco.
@RockySosua After all the bloatware, Energy Management might be what makes the system slow down. If you want to drain your battery life quick then don't install it. However if you tweak it you can gain a lot of performance. I have covered this and you can view it at: http://acite.info/s103t-emanagement
Note: Can you please use the search bar. I'm repeating the same thing over and over again.
To find things within comments you can use google.com and type something like this:
energy management site:lenovos103t.com
That should bring all of the posts that contain energy management within this website. You can substitute "energy management" with anything and it should find it pretty good. Enjoy!
The processor gets locked to 1,000 MHz in economy mode, making the unit a bit too slow for my taste, and I wondered if YOU were using the Energy Management to squeeze out the greater battery life that y'all get more than I do.
@RockySosua I use Energy Management but do not use the S10-3T all the time. I use it all the time only when I'm traveling. I wouldn't worry so much about not getting the hours preached by Lenovo. Usually hardware manufacturers say that their devices can do 10 hours but they might really only get about 6-7 hours in a usable mode. Don't over think it. Once you are done using the S10-3T just make it go to sleep and save your battery.
Hi Jesse, I'm not in the least bit concerned about what manufacturers have to say about the life expectancy of their batteries. I have several long lasting battery model laptops, including the Tosh T135 and the Asus 1001p. You and a few others here have talked about getting longer battery life that I can get, right up to 10 hours. I couldn't get that if my life depended on it, so although I don't seem to be making myself clear to you, my goal is to find out how one would squeeze 10 hours out of an s10 3t with an 8 cell battery while actually using the unit during that period of time. I have more testing equipment than McDonalds has burgers and everything I have indicates that this unit, even at an idle doing nothing, cannot get 10. So either mine is defective, or I am doing something wrong or nobody can actually get 10. This is what I would like to know, please. I'm not displeased with the unit nor its battery life. I am simply reaching for the max, in order to attain the highest levels possible. That's how I became proficient in the first place. As you are a very experienced and interested S10 3t user, I have faith in your accurate responses. Thanks, Marco
@rockysosua I'm not looking into an actual test for battery life. It's a waste of time. I know that I can use my system for about 7 hours when using the 8 cell battery. That is my "accurate" response.
If you are hooked to your system for 10 hours you got an addiction... ;-) hahahaha.
7 hours sounds right to me. I find that my usage is usually a bit harder than most. (6 hours) I'm often repairing someone's computer remotely from a laptop and it's then that it becomes very clear just how long it can go without a charge. If I were travelling and didn't know when I would next see an electrical outlet I could treat this S10 3t with kid gloves and I might get more than 8, but I don't think I could make it to 9, and I know for sure, I could not make it to 10. As for being an addict, that is 100% correct, and I love it......
Partly due to the info on your very useful blog, I bought the S10-3t and so far it looks good. I had a question: I bought the version from the Lenovo website with better specs, and it comes preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium with no installation disc. I know I can reinstall Windows 7 using "Advanced Recovery Methods" but that just brings it back to the factory-installed settings, including all the bloatware I'm guessing. Is there any way I can do a clean install of Windows 7? Apologies if you've written about this beyond the post above; in my search I couldn't find anything that specifically addressed this. Thanks for your help.
Thanks, Jesse. I'm probably going to stick to just uninstalling all the bloatware (following your recommendations in this blog!) and see how it performs before going through the hassle of a clean install. Appreciate all your help!
Hi Jesse. Thanks for your awesome website! It's been really helpful and I'm looking into getting the s10-3t :) I've looked through your site, and I hope you haven't covered this already, but...If I was reading a book on the Lenovo would I be able to highlight or write notes on the 'pages' of the book I'm reading? Which application would do that the best?
Awesome website, thanks for all the great tips, I have applied many of your tips to make the s10-3T a great little net book, i have removed some unneeded programs but i would like to do a fresh install of windows 7, Where exactly do you download Windows 7 to put it on a thumb drive to do a fresh install if my system already came with Windows 7 home premium installed
@Anonymous regarding highlighting Some PDF readers allow you to highlight text, and other eBook readers like Barnes and Noble allow you to do the same with more recent books.
@Jagnval There are many places where you can get Windows 7. These are some: Disc from the store (or eBay for cheap) Microsoft's website (there used to be a trial in there) or get it at - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/default.aspx Piracy (torrents, p2p, etc)
Acronis disk director does not work for windows 7 starter. After i tried the install it said "this operating system does not support it." Is there anything else out there?
I finally managed to install windows 7 ultimate...now i would like to know why dragging my files that i saved on an external drive don't work, i can't find the setup or install file in them. ie: firefox doesn't work even if the folder is sitting on the desktop. do i have to redownload all my programs?
Mr Andersen, Thanks for the time and effort you have expended not only on research, but also on making that research available to noobs like myself. Keep up the great work. Respectfully, Kenchi in GA
My Tablet has lot of space in C Drive and just 30 GB in D drive . How do i alter the space . i want just 30 Gb in C drive and all remaining space in D Drive !
also will you recommend Win 7 Home premium or Pro edition on this tablet . and do i put the DVD and directly install it or format it first and how to format it !!
I recommend Home Premium because it's less expensive and it has the touch support. Pro does offer a few extra things but you won't really need them unless you are a IT computer master.
If you are going to use a DVD then you need to: - Get a USB DVD drive - Or copy the contents from the DVD using another computer to a thumb drive or transfer them to one of the local partitions on the S10-3T.
jesse, i am plannning to upgrade my OS to windows ultimate with only 1G RAM. would like to ask if it won't make the performance slow. is the tablet mode works good in the ultimate?
@Zahir1220 Tablet features work well with Ultimate. It will run with 1GB. The system might have a few problems if you run too many programs and files at the same. Try it out and you might see why 2GB is almost a requirement for Windows 7.
You have to remember that when you have more features the processor has to work more. I ended with Windows 7 Home Premium on my machine.
I've never seen Adobe Photoshop CS3 or higher, or another Adobe products running on S10-3t. Thats because its not for perfomance of this tablet? It will be big problem fo me, if its true.
@Kirill I have ran CS4 on the S10-3T and it will run, but it might be a bit slow for big detail editing. When it comes to minor photo editing it will work.
Opera works with single touch, I'm not sure if multi-touch will work. I might try it with the Lenovo X201 that I'm using now.
I'm sure you can do it, but it will probably require Windows 7 Pro and above because they have the language packs. Then you would need to remap the keyboard.
i want to upgrade to home premium but i still want to keep all my drivers intact and the functionality of the screen rotation and natural touch buttons as well as the onekey system recovery; can i do this using windows anytime upgrade? what is the difference bet. a clean install and using the anytime upgrade?
Hello Jesse, I'm a noob with software resets and such and have no experience what so ever with it... I got my new toy preloaded with windows 7 home premium, but i want to optimize my performance by removing all the scrap lenovo software... or rather just reloading windows 7 (if so... i do not have a cd, i have a code and also, it was hard to understand how to make a bootable jump drive from the link above) Please help...
Hi, I have available to me the S10-3t and also the S10-3. I want to get this for my wife and at the same time want to make sure that its value for money. The 3t is costing arnd 550 USD and the latter about 350 USD. The 3t is an atom N550, 1.5Ghz, 2GB RAM, 250 HD, Win 7 Home premium and the S10-3 differs a little in processor and HD space, it has win 7 starter. Is it worth spending the extra 200 for the 3t? My wife will be mainly using it for browsing, chatting, a little music, reading ebooks, transferring files from her phone, yea thts about it. Your advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Most netbooks feature small touchpads which makes navigating through content a little hard. The 3T has a touch screen which makes things a bit easier. I would recommend trying the systems before buying so you can determine if it will work for your needs.
Hi Jesse I really appreciate your help to every one I got my S10-3T one month ago it has the specifications N470 - 2G DDR 2 250 G HDD With Win7 home premium I upgraded it to Win7 Ultimate and I repartitioned the HDD I got tow issues the OKR not working any more even I had changer the file for BOOTMGR on the Lenovo maintenance partition also screen auto rotation not working any more with any known solution any how I upgraded also to the latest BIOS then I planed to get the 3G module and I got it Huawei EM770W and installed it inside my S10-3T and it is really nice It has GPS function and it is easy to install and run but I was surprised that the screen auto rotation back to work again and every thing is getting well I just wanted to share my experience.
Did you use 32 bit or 64 bit version of Windows 7 Pro?
ReplyDeleteI used 32 bit because it's far more compatible with today's programs. 64 bit programs still have issues and I think they won't be fully ready until Windows 8.
ReplyDeleteI use 64 bit on my main computer and have ran into compatibility issues and found a very nice bug that can eat your hard drive. Check it out at http://bit.ly/a9ar4O
I also found that the hard buttons don't work after my install of Windows 7 Pro. The Natural Touch and Screen rotation buttons dont do anything.
ReplyDeleteDid you run into this?
To get the rotation button to work you need to install the driver first. I was going to direct you to the drivers page ( http://bit.ly/bY0diM ) but it's not there. I uploaded it to thefreeftp.com and you can download it at http://bit.ly/dlqrSS
ReplyDeleteThe Natural Touch button will be something that I might look into but there's no fix yet. Check http://bit.ly/bbhVBt for more info.
Are there any free alternatives to backing up the netbook before installing new windows?
ReplyDeletewould onekey recovery work after changing windows version? i mean recovering back from boot with dedicated button not from from onekey recovery software in windows.
ReplyDelete@kennyoo You can create a backup disc with OneKey Recovery. Just press the button (above your ESC key) and hold it for a few seconds. Another option is to google "backup hard drive" and that should come up with some good results. I prefer Acronis because their software works really well
ReplyDelete@Sam
Onekey recovery will work if:
You don't delete the recovery partition
Install the software from the Lenovo partition or download it from the web.
Yes the button works without an issue, but you have to install the software.
I changed to a 64bit Ultimate version. everything is perfect.Even touch screen is more accurate.and I feel that my netbook is working as fast as my core2Dou desktop.
ReplyDeletethere is just two things.
1. although I found and installed all drivers for x64, but there is still an unknown device in device manager.(could it be that natural touch button?)
2.some of Fn combination doesn't work, and the other works but nothing is displayed on the screen.(for example I can change brightness using keyboard but that brightness gauge wont display)
I really can't understand why this great device didn't came with a 64-bit windows at first.
Update:
ReplyDeletesome magic way everything is solved except for Brightness control.the brightness bar stocked at level 1 no matter how much the brightness is. but volume control works well.
(I cant understand what happened. I have restarted it thousand time after installing windows but at the 1001st time everything changed!!!!)
Sam, thanks for sharing the 64bit experience! I'm unsure if the drivers from Lenovo are meant to work with 64bit, but you are our first 64bit tester.
ReplyDeleteThe brightness setting could be part of Lenovo's Energy Management. The Fn stuff is from the Intel Chipset driver if I remember right.
A bit off the path, but anyone know of a desktop app or something for brightness? (Maybe there is something and I haven't found it?) I love use mine to read but at night it's a pain to switch back to laptop to adjust the brightness, then back to tablet to read. Maybe I'm spoiled by my Droid, lol.
ReplyDeleteJesse, thanks for all the tips - your blog got my puppy up and running smoothly in no time.
@Prudence That would be an excellent application. Maybe we can find one. For right now I use the Energy Management program. I appreciate the comments.
ReplyDeleteJesse B Andersen, i was install Screen Rotation software that you published, but still have no action by pressing "rotation key". May be my problem calls "windows 7 ultimated x64", but may be except main installer i must run overs?
ReplyDeleteDon't know how, but it starts to work... Completely useless feature - work only with full tablet and brings to explorer.exe crash. Removed this software. But still want to use this key. Did anyone know anything about remapping of this key?
ReplyDeleteThere is no way of remapping the key that I know of. I will have to look deeper into this. Keep in mind that all of the software and drivers are 32 bit and therefore will have issues with a 64 bit operating system.
ReplyDeleteI just got the device and went through the process of tuning it up a bit.
ReplyDeleteI turned off Windows Search service and the CPU usage when idle is no longer a problem:)
@Veselin
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you brought the Windows Search service. Disabling it helps increase the CPU performance by a bit. This of course will make searching for files slower. But if you don't search files that much then it's useful! Thanks.
I'm a little confused with the instructions...for the drivers you say to load them from d:\drive, but if I've done a fresh install and wiped the drive as suggested, I'm not going to have a d:\drive with my drivers. Should I download the drivers first onto a secondary thumb drive (MS suggests not putting other files on the bootable Win7 thumbdrive). Then after the fresh install load the necessary drivers? Or do I have to worry that I won't be able to access my thumbdrive with the drivers becuase I don't have the driver?
ReplyDeleteYour site is awesome and convinced me that this is the device for me. But I'm a bit of a newb,and need a little extra help.
Thanks!
Wade
@Wade
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to reinstall windows in the old partition then you won't delete the partition with the drivers because it's separate. However if you do "wipe" the entire hard drive then you need to get the drivers in one way or another.
You can save the drivers to a thumb drive if you want. Just make a folder in that thumb drive and paste them in there. Or you can download them from the internet later from another computer. (this website has the links).
The most important driver is the wifi or ethernet one. If you have that one then you can download any of the other drivers later from your S10-3T.
Thanks for your quick response Jesse. I'm going to get the Win7 upgrade to Home Prem and put that on a thumb drive. When I install 7 Home Prem from the thumb drive I'm going to format the hard drive (Disk 0 Partition 2 Primary)as suggested. Then I'll get the wifi driver (previously downloaded to thumb drive)installed and install the other drivers after that.
ReplyDeleteBy the way...from your picture it looks like your in the military, is that right? Just asking becuase my son in the MN National Guard.
Thanks again Jesse -
Wade
@Wade
ReplyDeleteYour plan is perfect. All the steps needed are covered. Yes I'm in the military, getting close to five years of Marines.
Jesse - It's difficult for me to share an appropriate level of gratitude to you for your service to our great country using just words, thank you very much and God bless you.
ReplyDeleteAnd (much less importantly, but not less enthusiastically) thanks for the confirmation of my plan.
Wade
You are welcomed Wade.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this great website.
ReplyDeleteI bought an Intel 80GB drive and will reinstall Windows 7. Did you install the Intel ACHI storage manger with your SSD or do you use the native Windows 7 driver?
I didn't install the ACHI driver. However, I should install the Intel SSD tools.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.intel.com/design/flash/nand/mainstream/support.htm
Thanks for the reply.
ReplyDeleteCouple of things I read in the Intel docs: turn off defrag; version 9.6 of the Intel drivers support Trim but the drivers on the Lenovo site are 8.9 so they probably don't support Trim; if you use Win7 native drivers (with Trim) you don't need to run the SSD Optimizer in the Intel SSD Toolbox. So, I am also going with the Win7 drivers and will turn off defrag. The Toolbox has some other goodies and I will install that. Also, since the SSD isn't spinning I guess you don't need the Active Protection System driver.
You are right and yes you don't need Active Protection System because you don't have the hard disk drive anymore.
ReplyDeletehi jesse, you are doing a tremendous job here! i saw on ebay a 'key' for windows 7 ultimate, it's cheap, but will this work if i use it to upgrade from the starter version? thanks!
ReplyDeleteby the way, your tips are very very helpful, may your tribe increase!
@Mike
ReplyDeleteBeware of people on eBay selling you "keys". Truth is, anyone can generate those keys via a keygen program and then sell those on eBay. It's quick and easy money. The problem ends up that you might get a key that someone else already has, therefore your Windows 7 will be not "genuine" which you might need for Windows updates.
The key will work depending on what version of Windows you upgrade to. If you use it for an upgrade to Window 7 Ultimate then the key should be fine. If you try to use it on Home Premium or Pro it most likely won't work.
Little tribe turns into village, village into city, city into metropolis. But we are still at tribe level ;-)
thanks for the advise jesse, appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteto Sam I have all the x64 bit drivers and the one that windows wont ever find is that energy management for lenovo if you go to http://consumersupport.lenovo.com/ph/en/DriversDownLoads/drivers.html
ReplyDeleteLenovo smart downloading it will scan for any missing drivers and will let you install but like the wirless you may have to do your home work. Here is a good start if you put the x86 32bit driver # in a search and include x64 you have a good chance of finding what you want. I have x64 win 7 ult and just got the new seagate Momentus® XT Solid State Hybrid Drives and geting 88mbs on hdd http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/laptops/laptop-hdd/?EventID=268653944&FirstName=Danny&LastName=Mills&Email=hotwheeler69%40yahoo.com&EnrollmentID=
free non download test at http://pcpitstop.com/betapit/pitstop.asp
Hey Jesse I ask before about the bluetooth from factory for s10-3t This is what I did find out
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.lenovo.com/t5/IdeaPad-S-series-Netbooks/S10-3t-bluetooth-card/m-p/216850/highlight/false#M8565
What a joke they said part # is 200-2326 but I cant buy the part. I said if I had it in mine and it went bad how would you replace it. I hear some one say that if you hack the bios you can get the ssd card to work so I am sure it the same for the pci e express card slot to use my Dell card Bluetooth, if any one know how to hack the bios please post.
I rember someone posting about a bios hack that allows you to use you HDD and a pci-e mini card SSD for dual boot. I want to use my dell pci-e mini bluetooth card but bios says nonono. can any one help with this for now its a donge but when I try with my non powered hug its does not work so I like to keep my 2 usb for more inportant things like watching tv on my s10
Jesse I have the wrt600n dual router 2.4 5g n but when I connect the s10 at 2.4 n it only gets 65mbs on my others I get 270mbs and even usb donge 120mbs is this the same for eveyone else or do i need to repace my wifi card?
ReplyDeleteThanks again.
@Hot
ReplyDeleteYou got a lot of questions and comments.
About your 64bit OS:
Not needed and is more problems than solutions. 32bit is supported fully. Also 64bit needs more resources than 32bit and therefore performance on your programs decrease.
About bios hacking:
Use the search bar on this site for "Crystal HD" there's a post that has some of the "white list" hacking that you would have to do to enable some of these pci-e devices.
About bluetooth:
A bluetooth dongle works just fine. Doing the pci-e hacking is something you can do but it takes effort, patience, and you do risk of ruining your S10-3T. It depends how experienced you are on these matters. If you are an expert then you can do it.
About wireless connection:
You are not alone, there has been reports of the S10-3T not performing on par to other systems. There are many factors that affect this including:
Wifi cables not connected to the wifi antenna correctly
Power to the antenna and wifi card (more power = more signal reach). This is fixable by Lenovo Energy Management and Windows Device Manager (right click on your antenna device and there's a power setting somewhere in there that you can add)
Other devices that use wifi also affect the quality of your S10-3T, they are competing against each other if they are running on the same band.
This answer is short and I'm not going into details so you will have to use google a lot and use the Lenovo Forums. Link for the forums is on "On The Web" section.
Hey Jesse,
ReplyDeleteYour youtube clips have everything to do with me having confidence that the S10 can do a good job as a tablet. I'd been toying with the idea of ordering one and your videos sealed the deal, so thanks. I have yet to receive it, but wanted to say thanks and also add comments with regards to 64 bit systems on these N450's. I have run an Asus 1001p on both 32 & 64. Benchmarks are vastly superior with 64 but that does not mean that apps will be faster. It's all a matter of how 64 bit friendly they are. It is my belief and experience that unless you are running a big power machine (ie: i7 quad) and you could actually use more than 3 gigs of ram, then most of the time, the 32 bit systems do most things faster than 64. I have tested, retested and tested again 'till I was blue in the face. I would gauge the opening time of apps. like Malwarebytes, Superantispyware, Advanced System Care, Google Earth, Word 2007, etc and for the most part, 32 bit on an N450 does a better & faster job.
I do run Intel X25 SSD's in all my machines as I have little patience for slowpoke puters and I'm presuming that your youtube clips were made with a regular HD, in which case, I think I can expect some decent results from my S10 when it arrives, after installing the SSD.
I find it difficult to tolerate netbook speeds without the SSD.
I do have a question for you.
You and many others have mentioned how important having 2 gigs of ram is and it makes perfect sense, but I can tell you that I have swapped between 1 and 2 gigs in various Asus netbooks, including my latest 1001p and I can find NO difference! Nothing! Nada! I get better benchmark scores and that's it. You wouldn't believe how many times I have done the testing and many times I have 2 or 3 identical 1001P's here and can make direct comparisons and I simply do not get anything more from having 2 gigs. As the S10 has more or less the same guts, I wonder if you have tested yourself and actually noticed some differences. You seem pretty straight to me (as Marines tend to be) and I feel that I can trust your reply. I have 2 gig sticks of PC5300 lying around so it's not a question of not wanting to buy the 2 gigger, I'm just curious about your opinion.
I have kept the 2 gig stick of ram in my Asus netbook, just because it makes sense that it would be better than 1, and heck, I have several lying around (I fix computers for my friends, so I keep a lot of common parts) but as sure as I am sitting here writing to you, I haven't seen one iota of additional speed or capacity to run more apps, by having the 2 gig stick installed, vs the 1 gig. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me as to your experiences between 1 and 2 gigs?
PS: I also read countless reviews on the Asus 1001p, where people mentioned the importance of upgrading to 2 gigs, but as mentioned above, it does nothing for any of the N450 machines I have tried it on.
@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteThat's the longest comment so far. New record!
First let me guarantee you that being in the service has taught me that there's lots of good people, but there are always ass holes out there within the service.
Second. You kind of answered your own questions regarding performances of devices. If you are doing benchmarks for a living then you are on the right path. The "common man" wants a system that just works.
Here's my quickies:
SSD better than hard drive. No need for Readyboost with an SD card if you have a SSD.
2GB better than 1GB when you are multitasking and for things that need to store lots of temporary data (big text files, movies, etc) If you run few applications at the same time then the 2GB might be useless. 2GB is good for Win 7 because of the background processes taking RAM space. You probably can run a WinXP system with 1GB and get about the same results as the Win7 2GB. Win 7 is a bit more touch friendly so it's better for the S10-3T.
32 vs 64 bit
32 bit runs smoother and performs more 32 bit programs better. 64 bit is good but it takes more specs to run things. Lots of programs are 32bit therefore it takes extra resources for the 64bit to "emulate" those 32bit programs. If all programs were 64bit then I would be using 64bit, but most of my programs are 32bit. For my hard core gaming I use my desktop with 64bit OS with 8GB RAM.
I did wish I had more CPU and GPU power but the S10-3T runs just fine when you use programs that don't take too many resources. Some programs are badly coded and take more processing cycles. One example would be Win Media Player and Win Media Center, others are really well coded like VLC.
Whatever enables you to "do what you want to do" is what matters. Like me typing this message on my S10-3T while listening to my music (VLC) and syncing my acite.info (Always Sync) and now pressing "Post Comment" with my touch screen. It rules.
Jesse B Andersen
http://www.jessebandersen.com
Hey Jesse,
ReplyDeleteYou may have broken the longest response record too....
I have to agree completely with everything you said but still wonder if you have actually felt/observed any differences between 1 and 2 gig on our new favourite toy, the S10 3t.
The benchmarking has served me in countless ways and nary a machine ever gets through my hands without getting benchmarked, but I have also learned that higher scores do not always result in better performance (although they certainly do, most of the time) and that a lot of things should do this or that in theory, but often don't in real life.
My comment about being a marine was just my subtle way of saying I think you're a stand up guy. I know there are surely many unsavoury jerks in the armed forces, but you are clearly not one of them.
Back to puters.
I'm in a fortunate position where all I do day in day out when not travelling, is computers, more computers, and computers again
Even a dumb guy will learn some stuff after years of touching/fixing 1000's of machines.
Suffice to say I've learned a few things, and one of the mysteries is still why I get no better results by adding one more gig to that N450 package
Here's hoping you know something I don't know and that you can enlighten me, either as to why or to tell me that you HAVE noticed results.
Regards, Rocky.
@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteThe quick and easy answer to 1GB vs 2GB is that performance goes up with 2GB because you can store more things temporarily and therefore not make the system be loading/unloading things to the hard drive as often (perfomance gets hit). Sometimes I have close to 1.5GB of stuff in RAM, and that wouldn't be possible with just the 1GB stick, with the 2GB you can.
It also depends on the programs, some are very well coded and you don't need more than 1GB, but there are lots of badly coded programs that store lots of stuff and that's where the 2GB helps the system.
What is performance anyways? more benchmark numbers or a smoother experience? Well it's kind of both. If you do single tasking you can get away with the 1GB just fine for some programs, but if you have lots of things opened the 2GB helps store lots of temporary data. You might have noticed that Win 7 runs more processes by default than Win XP, so OS also changes the game a bit.
The simplified math formula:
(Application required RAM + Application Files Data) * Number of Applications) + OS Required RAM
RAM is not going to improve graphical experience, so you cannot notice it by "viewing it" that way. Hope that helps.
Jesse B Andersen
http://www.jessebandersen.com
After waiting 8 days for my S10 3T, I found out that Lenovo cancelled the order. In small print, they reserve the right to cancel any order if they are short of inventory, in other words, they can advertise a unit on special at any super low price (in this case, $370 US) and
ReplyDeleteallow you to order and pay for it and then cancel it later. I'm not impressed.
This is the second time I have had trouble buying straight from them. The last time we waited 2 1/2 months for 3 netbook pouches which were also on special at $6.95 US.
I think the product is good and the customer service sux.
Anyhow, I've reordered elsewhere and landed up finding one with the bigger battery, and I'm glad for that.
Now it looks like it will be 10 days or so before I finally get my hands on it. UGH !
I will of course post comments once I get it, assuming I have anything intelligent to say.
Regards, Marco.
@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteYes Lenovo's customer service sucks. Just like almost all corporations suffer from this disease. They need some Gary Vaynerchuck medicine. I got mine from Amazon and had no trouble.
Likewise, I have now ordered it through Amazon.
ReplyDeleteThe initial order was direct with Lenovo via a website called dealnews.com. The special was offered for approx. 24 hours. The good news is that the $370 deal was for a very basic model with a 160 gig HD and the 4 cell battery. From what I can tell, Lenovo is no longer offering the 8 cell battery option, however the one I just ordered, the S10-3t 0651-37U appears to have the 8 cell batt, as well as a 250 gig HD and there is conflicting info on that particular SKU #, some saying it has bluetooth, and some not, but the bottom line is that Lenovo had charged me tax on the now cancelled order, making it a $395 purchase while this one is coming with free shipping and no sales tax, thus a difference of $40 US (the new order on amazon is $435 US) and although I am not pleased to have to wait 10 days to 2 weeks (that's how long it takes to get to me in the Caribbean) I am very pleased at the prospect of the bigger battery. The bluetooth would just be bonus, as well as the 250 gig drive, as I will be replacing it with the Intel SSD.
I'm not happy about the longer wait, but I like this deal a lot better than the first one.
Do you have the 8 cell battery in yours?
I think I remember you mentioning that you did and that it gave you a good place to hold it from.
Is that correct?
If so, the extra size & weight aren't a problem for you?
@RockySosu
ReplyDeleteI have the 8 cell. I like it because I can hold it well. I'm used to carrying over 75 pounds worth of gear so the weight of the S10-3T + 8 cell battery is bearable. ;-)
Good answer, lol.
ReplyDeleteI use a white Toshiba T135 most of the time, perhaps 6 to 8 hours per day and it moves around a lot with me. It isn't quite as practical as my previous favorite, the Asus 10 inch 1001p, but it's so much more powerful that it stole my loyalty away from the netbook.
All my computers/laptops/netbooks have white keyboards. If I can't order it in white, I don't order it. I live in a bar/rest/hotel and during the evening, the lights are low and having a white keyboard is priceless in dim conditions. It's one of the few things that I haven't heard anyone mention about the S10 3t, not even in the 100's of reviews I read. For me, a black keyboard would be a deal breaker. I'm sure you have found yourself in some low light situations in the recent past, and you would clearly know how difficult it is to see the letters on a black keyboard, and yes, if you're wondering if I'm a bad typist.... I couldn't be worse.
Imagine that. A self proclaimed computer expert (only in the field of speed and power) and I have to search for each letter.
Can't wait to get my hands on that tablet, specially when I hear you talking about how much you use yours and how much you like it.
The wait is driving me crazy......
I forgot to ask you, Jesse, if you upgraded your Win 7 or did a clean install?
ReplyDeleteIt's been my experience that a clean installation is always faster than an upgrade.
Do you have any experiences on this matter that you could share with us?
Regards, Rocky.
@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteI hadn't noticed if the white keyboard helps, maybe it does such a good job that I never even noticed.
I did a clean install. It works like a charm and its easy.
I also had issues with Lenovo, I ordered the lower end one and called 5 minutes later to cancel and order the better one at a great price... 3 days later found the order was canceled and called said I needed to talk to the guy that canceled it and he would call me back... no call back.. got his direct number and left a message still no call... finally got a supervisor and they re-ordered at the lower price as coupon was no good anymore and also added overnight shipping at no charge.. so sucked but they made it better.
ReplyDeleteIt often takes someone in a leadership position who cares to correct problems.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the main page of http://www.vilivs10.com to see a a very nice situation of a customer of Dynamism.
I'm not taking it off until I hear something from Dynamism or Viliv.
Where are all the S10 3t fans? My guess is that you're not as exposed as you ought to be, given the fact that you are knowledgeable and unbiased in all your info, then again, one has to be careful what one wishes for. If all the tablet fans catch onto your website, you'll not be getting any sleep.
ReplyDeleteI've been watching more and more videos including the one you made with the iPad wake up vs the Lenovo.
I'm learning more and more while I await the arrival of my new baby.
According to my mail/transport people, I will have it by Monday.
Heck, I'd pay an extra 50 bux just to get it here on Saturday, lol.
@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the S10-3T can be rockstar enough to have "hard core" fans. It's not like the "Apple fanboys". One day maybe I'll try to build more community so everyone can share their ideas. I hate the idea of making a new forum because users have to create a new account which adds to the never ending forum username and passwords.
10 emails a day is the average, and a few calls a week. It's manageable.
I see lot's of good technologies out there and I think I can see some of the future devices that will be out next year. http://acite.info/jba-futurenetbook
I try not to be biased and keep an open mind but yes I'm a bit biased.
Hope your S10-3T arrives on time, enjoy!
Jesse B Andersen
http://www.jessebandersen.com
I recently upgraded my S10-3t,heretofore known as wickedsexy, to Windows 7 U
ReplyDeleteIve been following the tips section and Ive got a question about the touchpad drivers, I didnt install it but i noticed that using Fn+F6 to disable the pad doesnt work, it gets annoying if you hit it while typing. Any thoughts?
@huu05
ReplyDeleteIntel chipset drivers will fix that. It manages all of the Fn keys. You should also look into disabling the touchpad when typing. (http://acite.info/s103t-stoptouchpad )
I wonder if Huu05 upgraded to the 64 bit Win 7 OS.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I don't have my Lenovo yet, thus no first hand experience but I have upgraded many laptops to 64 bit and lost Function key capacities, even on machines that offered special hot key drivers. Also, sometimes the function keys would work in 64 bit but no longer exhibit the on-screen visual, like for a volume control, that might work in 64 bit but the volume graph doesn't appear when you use it. I have never found any one solution and mostly just accept it as one of the downsides of the upgrade.
In order to solve the touchpad problem, perhaps Huu05 could plug in a wireless mouse receiver and set the touchpad (in control panel) to disable upon a mouse being plugged in. If he had a Logitech VX Nano or something similar with the tiny receiver that sticks out 1/4 inch, there would be no inconvenience manipulating the tablet.
@Jesse
ReplyDeleteThanks for the quick response, I did install the chipset drivers located in my wickedsexy's d: drive, it didn't help with the disable function. I am right now, downloading the newer ones from lenovo support, will report what happens with that. Thanks for the freeze app you suggested, way cool. I'm a design student and have a lot of projects heavy on typing reports and projects, so this stuff helps a lot.
@RockySosua
I used to have the starter. I installed 7 64 U and found it OK, but I only use 1 or 2 apps that do take advantage of that and since my wickedsexy can only take 2Gs of RAM I figured that it was not the best fit. Sold my 64 copy to a friend, got the 32 and Its like tailor made for my wickedsexy. I use a lot of apps that are best run on 32 and I definitely agree with Jesse that that going 64 may not be best for our machine. Thanks for the suggestion about the mouse, but I'm only mouse heavy at home or at the dorm, don't usually bring my rodent on campus (spend 90% PC time there) but its still a good idea.(automation and stuff)
Plus:
Can anyone else confirm, my wickedsexy GUZZLED battery life on 64, literally full bar to 50% in minutes! Using Adobe PS CS4 x64.
Thanks a lot guys
huu05 - h should be small :)
To Jesse,
ReplyDeleteSometimes my youtube comments simply don't publish. Who knows why...
I couldn't get the message below to publish so am writing it here.
You can download the free webcam program called Manycam and it will rotate the image to the correct position of your choice.
It may require a reboot to get it to load up in Messenger programs and/or Skype.
Regards, Marco.
@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteI'll try Manycam.
@huu05
Intel and graphics drivers. That should do it. If not then you will have to install the synaptics drivers.
Hey guys, just reporting what happened,I didnt install the chipset drivers on the site coz it was older than what I had. I installed the touchpad driver on my D: and it fixed the Fn+F6 disable that I needed. I think the Cando can be ignored but the touchpad drivers are needed for the shortcut. thanks to Jesse and RockySosua for the help, imma go photoshop some stuff on WS (wickedsexy).
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Hey Jesse,
ReplyDeleteGot my new toy yesterday afternoon and have been learning lots as well as finding out how little I know about touchscreens and tweaking tablet machines.
I'll need a lot of time to draw definite conclusions about what (running processes) takes how much power, thus what is worth keeping and what is worth dumping.
So I have nothing intelligent to say right now except that I'm happier than a pig in poop, to finally have my new toy and the only clinical observation I have made so far is that the S10 3t cannot be as electrically frugal as my Asus 1001p. It surely is due to the tablet software that chews up some extra power.
As well, the Lenovo battery has a lower mW rating than the Asus, so one should not be expecting 8 to 10 hour usage.
Anyone who manages to get 10 hours out of it, would be my hero.
I think that 4 to 5 hours is a fair expectation.
Does that sound right to you, Jesse?
Regards, Marco.
PS: Typed and touched on a beautiful brand new Lenovo S10 3t. I luv it.
And yes, I installed the 2 gig memory stick, the Intel X25 SSD and Win 7 Ultimate, but I think I still have a long way to go to get it as tweaked as it can be.
ReplyDelete@huu05
ReplyDeleteGlad you got it working.
@rockysosua
Yep lot's of little tweaks you have to do to get the system working 100% how it should work. The info is scattered all over in this site.
With my 8 cell I get about 7 hours when doing things with it. If you put the Lenovo Energy Management program to the lowest setting then you could get 10 hours but the experience is slow and unusable.
I have hated touchpads on most netbooks and that's why I don't use it that often, I use the touch screen.
Since you mentioned that you added Win 7 Ultimate you might want to check: http://acite.info/s103t-fb-win7u
which driver do i need to get the lock switch working,
ReplyDeleteat the moment the screen rotates with the switch on lock and unlock
@DJACID
ReplyDeleteThere is no screen lock and unlock. You must be referring to the power lock and unlock slider.
For rotation you need Stephen Perrin's rotation program or Lenovo's Rotation program.
Stephen Perrin - http://acite.info/s103t-rotationprogram
Lenovo - http://acite.info/lenovo-s103tdrivers
Hey Jesse,
ReplyDeleteI understand the concern for folks who use Ultimate and drag along unnecessary processes, but in my case, tweaking is my game.
That is what I do best.
I'm far from being a computer expert but when it comes to tweaking, I know where I'm going.
All the extra services and/or processes that Ultimate has more than Premium, are NOT running on my machine.
Part of tweaking is to stop all unnecessary stuff and I'm not running one thing more than if I had Premium.
I do have a question for you.
Did I pick up somewhere along the line that there is an automated screen rotation feature for the S10 3t like the iPad has?
I thought I remembered it being mentioned and how it was better to turn it off, otherwise it could inconvenience the user by switching at inopportune times.
Is that correct?
Have I missed the button, switch, program or whatever that performs that job?
Even if it is inconvenient at times, I would like to have it if it exists.
Thanks, Marco.
@rockysosua
ReplyDeleteYes about the auto rotation.
Activating auto rotation:
http://acite.info/s103t-autorotation
Stephen Perrin's:
http://acite.info/s103t-rotationprogram
I got to tell you, Jesse.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is nice to be able to write a question down here and reliably get the CORRECT response in a short period of time.
I don't know how much any other S10 3t users appreciate your help, but I do, BIG TIME.
Thanks a million.
On another note, as I prefer to know things, rather than think them (there is a huge difference between thinking and knowing) I have just taken a system image of the Win 7 U OS in my Lenovo and am installing Home Premium, just to be 100% sure that there isn't some little cyber thingie that I don't know about, that would allow the unit to operate faster with Premium than wih the Ultimate version.
If I learn anything worth mentioning, I will post it here.
Regards, Marco.
Jesse,
ReplyDeleteDo you use the Lenovo Energy Management?
@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteAfter all the bloatware, Energy Management might be what makes the system slow down. If you want to drain your battery life quick then don't install it. However if you tweak it you can gain a lot of performance. I have covered this and you can view it at:
http://acite.info/s103t-emanagement
Note: Can you please use the search bar. I'm repeating the same thing over and over again.
To find things within comments you can use google.com and type something like this:
energy management site:lenovos103t.com
That should bring all of the posts that contain energy management within this website. You can substitute "energy management" with anything and it should find it pretty good. Enjoy!
The processor gets locked to 1,000 MHz in economy mode, making the unit a bit too slow for my taste, and I wondered if YOU were using the Energy Management to squeeze out the greater battery life that y'all get more than I do.
ReplyDelete@RockySosua
ReplyDeleteI use Energy Management but do not use the S10-3T all the time. I use it all the time only when I'm traveling. I wouldn't worry so much about not getting the hours preached by Lenovo. Usually hardware manufacturers say that their devices can do 10 hours but they might really only get about 6-7 hours in a usable mode. Don't over think it. Once you are done using the S10-3T just make it go to sleep and save your battery.
Hi Jesse,
ReplyDeleteI'm not in the least bit concerned about what manufacturers have to say about the life expectancy of their batteries.
I have several long lasting battery model laptops, including the Tosh T135 and the Asus 1001p.
You and a few others here have talked about getting longer battery life that I can get, right up to 10 hours.
I couldn't get that if my life depended on it, so although I don't seem to be making myself clear to you, my goal is to find out how one would squeeze 10 hours out of an s10 3t with an 8 cell battery while actually using the unit during that period of time.
I have more testing equipment than McDonalds has burgers and everything I have indicates that this unit, even at an idle doing nothing, cannot get 10.
So either mine is defective, or I am doing something wrong or nobody can actually get 10.
This is what I would like to know, please.
I'm not displeased with the unit nor its battery life. I am simply reaching for the max, in order to attain the highest levels possible.
That's how I became proficient in the first place.
As you are a very experienced and interested S10 3t user, I have faith in your accurate responses.
Thanks, Marco
@rockysosua
ReplyDeleteI'm not looking into an actual test for battery life. It's a waste of time. I know that I can use my system for about 7 hours when using the 8 cell battery. That is my "accurate" response.
If you are hooked to your system for 10 hours you got an addiction... ;-) hahahaha.
7 hours sounds right to me.
ReplyDeleteI find that my usage is usually a bit harder than most. (6 hours) I'm often repairing someone's computer remotely from a laptop and it's then that it becomes very clear just how long it can go without a charge. If I were travelling and didn't know when I would next see an electrical outlet I could treat this S10 3t with kid gloves and I might get more than 8, but I don't think I could make it to 9, and I know for sure, I could not make it to 10.
As for being an addict, that is 100% correct, and I love it......
Hi Jesse,
ReplyDeletePartly due to the info on your very useful blog, I bought the S10-3t and so far it looks good. I had a question: I bought the version from the Lenovo website with better specs, and it comes preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium with no installation disc. I know I can reinstall Windows 7 using "Advanced Recovery Methods" but that just brings it back to the factory-installed settings, including all the bloatware I'm guessing. Is there any way I can do a clean install of Windows 7? Apologies if you've written about this beyond the post above; in my search I couldn't find anything that specifically addressed this. Thanks for your help.
@cf
ReplyDeleteNo. The only way for you to do a clean install is to do it yourself by downloading a copy of Windows 7 or copying the Win 7 disc to a thumb drive.
Reinstalling Windows 7 from the recovery restores all the stuff you don't want on your system. Thank you Lenovo.
Thanks, Jesse. I'm probably going to stick to just uninstalling all the bloatware (following your recommendations in this blog!) and see how it performs before going through the hassle of a clean install. Appreciate all your help!
ReplyDeleteNo problemo.
ReplyDeleteHi Jesse. Thanks for your awesome website! It's been really helpful and I'm looking into getting the s10-3t :)
ReplyDeleteI've looked through your site, and I hope you haven't covered this already, but...If I was reading a book on the Lenovo would I be able to highlight or write notes on the 'pages' of the book I'm reading? Which application would do that the best?
Awesome website, thanks for all the great tips, I have applied many of your tips to make the s10-3T a great little net book, i have removed some unneeded programs but i would like to do a fresh install of windows 7, Where exactly do you download Windows 7 to put it on a thumb drive to do a fresh install if my system already came with Windows 7 home premium installed
ReplyDelete@Anonymous regarding highlighting
ReplyDeleteSome PDF readers allow you to highlight text, and other eBook readers like Barnes and Noble allow you to do the same with more recent books.
@Jagnval
There are many places where you can get Windows 7. These are some:
Disc from the store (or eBay for cheap)
Microsoft's website (there used to be a trial in there) or get it at - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/default.aspx
Piracy (torrents, p2p, etc)
In the end is up to you whatever you do.
Acronis disk director does not work for windows 7 starter. After i tried the install it said "this operating system does not support it." Is there anything else out there?
ReplyDeleteI finally managed to install windows 7 ultimate...now i would like to know why dragging my files that i saved on an external drive don't work, i can't find the setup or install file in them. ie: firefox doesn't work even if the folder is sitting on the desktop. do i have to redownload all my programs?
ReplyDelete@Smellit12
ReplyDeleteYou will have to download your programs. You will probably find newer and improved versions. Yes you can find all of them online.
i wanna ask what kind of ram do i need to place into my s10-3t
ReplyDeleteis it ddr1 or 2 or even 3?
@areash
ReplyDeleteIt has been covered, check:
http://acite.info/s103t-ram
Mr Andersen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the time and effort you have expended not only on research, but also on making that research available to noobs like myself.
Keep up the great work.
Respectfully,
Kenchi in GA
@Kenchi
ReplyDeleteNo problemo.
@ Jesse
ReplyDeleteMy Tablet has lot of space in C Drive and just 30 GB in D drive . How do i alter the space . i want just 30 Gb in C drive and all remaining space in D Drive !
also will you recommend Win 7 Home premium or Pro edition on this tablet . and do i put the DVD and directly install it or format it first and how to format it !!
@Nikhil
ReplyDeleteI sent you a message on Facebook.
I recommend Home Premium because it's less expensive and it has the touch support. Pro does offer a few extra things but you won't really need them unless you are a IT computer master.
If you are going to use a DVD then you need to:
- Get a USB DVD drive
- Or copy the contents from the DVD using another computer to a thumb drive or transfer them to one of the local partitions on the S10-3T.
Check - http://www.lenovos103t.com/2010/03/tip-3-upgrade-windows-and-optimize.html
jesse, i am plannning to upgrade my OS to windows ultimate with only 1G RAM. would like to ask if it won't make the performance slow. is the tablet mode works good in the ultimate?
ReplyDelete@Zahir1220
ReplyDeleteTablet features work well with Ultimate. It will run with 1GB. The system might have a few problems if you run too many programs and files at the same. Try it out and you might see why 2GB is almost a requirement for Windows 7.
You have to remember that when you have more features the processor has to work more. I ended with Windows 7 Home Premium on my machine.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHey, Jesse.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Adobe Photoshop CS3 or higher, or another Adobe products running on S10-3t. Thats because its not for perfomance of this tablet? It will be big problem fo me, if its true.
Hello from Russia),
Kirill.
And another question, if you know.
ReplyDeleteHave Opera Browser supported touch and multi-touch work in the internet?
@Kirill
ReplyDeleteI have ran CS4 on the S10-3T and it will run, but it might be a bit slow for big detail editing. When it comes to minor photo editing it will work.
Opera works with single touch, I'm not sure if multi-touch will work. I might try it with the Lenovo X201 that I'm using now.
Thanks. I understand rightly, that all features at least of single-touch will run with CS4? Working with brushes by hands and another things.
ReplyDeleteYep
ReplyDeleteIt's Kirill again. Now im have my s10-3t)
ReplyDeleteDon't you know, how to tweak the language keyboard changing on the Shift and Functional key?
I always use Shift and Ctrl, but last button is not behind the Shift on this keyboard.
I'm sure you can do it, but it will probably require Windows 7 Pro and above because they have the language packs. Then you would need to remap the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteCheck:
http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/remap-keyboard.htm
i want to upgrade to home premium but i still want to keep all my drivers intact and the functionality of the screen rotation and natural touch buttons as well as the onekey system recovery; can i do this using windows anytime upgrade? what is the difference bet. a clean install and using the anytime upgrade?
ReplyDeleteHello Jesse,
ReplyDeleteI'm a noob with software resets and such and have no experience what so ever with it... I got my new toy preloaded with windows 7 home premium, but i want to optimize my performance by removing all the scrap lenovo software... or rather just reloading windows 7 (if so... i do not have a cd, i have a code and also, it was hard to understand how to make a bootable jump drive from the link above)
Please help...
Use Youtube and find the information. It might sound hard, but it only takes a bit of patience and follow step by step guides.
ReplyDeleteTons of guides - http://goo.gl/hJkRi
Hi, I have available to me the S10-3t and also the S10-3. I want to get this for my wife and at the same time want to make sure that its value for money. The 3t is costing arnd 550 USD and the latter about 350 USD. The 3t is an atom N550, 1.5Ghz, 2GB RAM, 250 HD, Win 7 Home premium and the S10-3 differs a little in processor and HD space, it has win 7 starter. Is it worth spending the extra 200 for the 3t? My wife will be mainly using it for browsing, chatting, a little music, reading ebooks, transferring files from her phone, yea thts about it. Your advice is appreciated. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMost netbooks feature small touchpads which makes navigating through content a little hard. The 3T has a touch screen which makes things a bit easier. I would recommend trying the systems before buying so you can determine if it will work for your needs.
ReplyDeleteHi Jesse I really appreciate your help to every one I got my S10-3T one month ago it has the specifications N470 - 2G DDR 2 250 G HDD With Win7 home premium I upgraded it to Win7 Ultimate and I repartitioned the HDD I got tow issues the OKR not working any more even I had changer the file for BOOTMGR on the Lenovo maintenance partition also screen auto rotation not working any more with any known solution any how I upgraded also to the latest BIOS then I planed to get the 3G module and I got it Huawei EM770W and installed it inside my S10-3T and it is really nice It has GPS function and it is easy to install and run but I was surprised that the screen auto rotation back to work again and every thing is getting well I just wanted to share my experience.
ReplyDelete