I got my new laptop a few days ago. The Lenovo G550. I bought this laptop after a lot of research. My budget was south of INR 25000. This didn’t give me as many options as you would have with laptops in between INR 30k to 35k. Some of the other laptops that I disqualified were the Samsung R528 (because of service) and the MSI X340 (because of service and no response from the dealer)

This is strictly a budget laptop with very few frills. However, it was a pleasant surprise once I actually got it. Lets cover the basic specifications.

Model Lenovo G550 59-029495
Processor Intel Pentium T4400 (Dual Core, 2.2GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz FSB)
OS None preinstalled
Memory 3GB DDR III
HDD 320GB
Graphics Intel GMA 4500
Screen 15.6′” LED Backlit Display

That’s the basics. As you can see, the specifications are fairly normal. However the laptop delivers a lot more value than just what the specifications show you.

Firstly, it has a HDMI port. That in itself gives it a lot more points than I would have originally given it. This is a really nice thing to have in a budget laptop. I can now easily connect to my plasma TV.

Secondly, the screen is huge. Since this is a laptop which is primarily a home laptop, I really wanted the biggest screen available. None of the other laptops had this size of a screen at the same price.

Thirdly, the keyboard is really nice. Having looked at so many laptops in the same price range, all the keyboards had a lot of flex to them. This keyboard doesn’t. It is rock solid.

The design of the laptop is covered in the following pictures.

The lid has a nice finish. There is a slight design on the surface too, which is not really visible in this picture

The lid has a nice finish. There is a slight design on the surface too, which is not really visible in this picture

The screen itself has a glossy finish, which is nice. Reflections are not evident when the laptop is switched on

The screen itself has a glossy finish, which is nice. Reflections are not evident when the laptop is switched on

The top of the screen has a 1.3 mega pixel webcam

The top of the screen has a 1.3 mega pixel webcam

The trackpad has the same finish as the body and is quite comfortable. The buttons are a little hard but I guess they will soften from use

The trackpad has the same finish as the body and is quite comfortable. The buttons are a little hard but I guess they will soften from use

These capacitive buttons towards the top of the keyboard control the volume

These capacitive buttons towards the top of the keyboard control the volume

The left top of the keyboard hasthe power button and a button for Lenovo's One Click Recovery

The left top of the keyboard hasthe power button and a button for Lenovo’s One Click Recovery

The dedicated number keys take a little getting used to

The dedicated number keys take a little getting used to

Lenovo has a habit of swapping the Fn and Ctrl keys on their laptops. This is an irritant and takes getting used to

Lenovo has a habit of swapping the Fn and Ctrl keys on their laptops. This is an irritant and takes getting used to

The keyboard is very comfortable with a dedicated numeric pad

The keyboard is very comfortable with a dedicated numeric pad

The front of the laptop has the speakers, the status indicator LEDs, the wireless switch which toggles both the Wifi and the Bluetooth, the microphone and headphone slots and a multi card reader

The front of the laptop has the speakers, the status indicator LEDs, the wireless switch which toggles both the Wifi and the Bluetooth, the microphone and headphone slots and a multi card reader

The right side has a USB port, the DVD Writer and the power slot

The right side has a USB port, the DVD Writer and the power slot

The left side of the laptop has the ventilation slots, a LAN port, an RGB port, a very welcome HDMI port, 2 USB ports and 1 Express Card slot

The left side of the laptop has the ventilation slots, a LAN port, an RGB port, a very welcome HDMI port, 2 USB ports and 1 Express Card slot