What does it take to get me to jump in my car at 9 in the morning and drive 337 miles to a trade show in Las Vegas, just for the sake of finding a new portable computer to blog about? Three words: category smashing products. First on my list is a new compact portable from Lenovo called Skylight.
Skylight is the first new small factor notebook computer that’s forced me to rethink how and what I expect in a portable Right up front I have to say that Skylight doesn’t fit the image of “portable computers that have everything you expect in a desktop.”
Lenovo’s Skylight uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ARM processor and rather than a conventional elctromechnical hard disk drive, its uses local storage is based on solid state memory. This sub two-pound portable is the first notebook I’ve seen designed expressly for the cloud-based use, including SAAP personal productivity, social media and storage. Skylight uses Windows7, but has a proprietary interface that lets its users quickly jump between applications. Moving between Social media apps like Twitter or Facebook has never been easier than when they are running on a Lenovo Skylight.
This portable boasts rock solid persistent Internet connectivity and comes with WiFi as well as optional WAN connectivity to national cellular data networks such as AT&T’s. Starlight is expected to cost about $500 without carrier subsidies when it begins shipping later this year. Although I was only able to use Starlight for a few minutes, the environment where I put it through its paces had about 30 other machines attached to the same WiFi network. Despite the network loading, the Starlight delivered great network throughput. This new portable offers a first-tier user experience that’s hard to beat and its Qualcomm Snapdragon processor never bogged down, despite the fact that it was the first demonstration I’d seen of Flash 10 running on an ARM processor.
The ten-inch screen is bright and responsive. In fact I preferred Skylight’s display to the ones used on several other netbooks I looked at while I was at CES.
Lenovo’s recipe for Skylight ensures persistent connectivity experience with cloud-based productivity and social networking applications.
Approaching Skylight for the first time I had a brief “oh no” moment when I saw what I thought were giant Chiclet style keys. My peanut aversion quickly passed however, when I began using the keyboard to compose something on Twitter. Skylight uses a new type of keyboard that’s based on “island keys”. The keyboard on this portable powerhouse is laid out well enough to eliminate or forestall serious criticism and I like its island style keys.
Another feature of Skylight I like is a hinged USB connector in the space between the top of the keyboard and the screen case. So far that slot has been shown occupied by an external solid state memory stick, but I can see no reason why it couldn’t also be used for a USB-based GPS device or wireless phone for services such as Skype.
Lenovo and its CPU partner for the Skylight platform, Qualcomm, both claim the new machine will have more than 10 hours of battery life. I can find no reason to disbelieve their claim, even when Starlight is used by chatty posters on sites such as Twitter or Facebook.
Seeing and briefly using Lenovo’s Starlight was one of the genuine jaw-dropping moments I’ve experienced in the last several decades. My reaction to it is stronger than the feelings I had when I saw the one sub-compact that’s been my standard setter for the last 20 years, the original HP Omnibook 300.
After using Skylight in Lenovo’s demonstration room at the Venetian Resort and Casino I came away hoping corporations with large number of sales or technicians deployed in the field see this new platform. Most of all, I hope SalesForce.com, or any other company that uses a similar business model recognizes the value of a machine designed for cloud-based computing.
There will be some people who view the monthly connection charges to cell data networks as a real impediment to this machine. I don’t agree, given the success of Apple’s iPhone and the Google Android architecture. I believe Lenovo has taken a bold step with a new design that could become an iconic machine for the early 21st Century. And I’m planning on purchasing one expressly for a project I hope to begin this summer—a book on contemporary gold mining that will see me in the field, researching the story for up to six weeks at a time. With a battery life of 10 hours and the ability to connect to WiFi and cell based networks, I’ll be that person you see hunched over a small smartbook at a public campground in the California motherlode, beyond the hills of Placerville, where the wind that powers my jury-rigged windmill/bicycle headlight generator and gold can still be found.—Jim Forbes on 13 January 2010.
Great review Jim!
I think you're right on the monthly connect issue. Actually for me, this might end up replacing much off the functionality I use my Iphone for. Time will tell.
Posted by: Mark Cahill | January 15, 2010 at 05:54 AM
Mark. it's hard not to really like Skylight. And some of the features are zackly what's needed tp ush portable computing to its next level. Out mutual friend on the Cape did an incredible job turning thoughts on user experience into product realities. thanks for commengting. JimF
Posted by: Jim Forbes | January 15, 2010 at 07:30 AM