The keyboard is spacious and comfortable to type onthe keys are soft and responsive. The highlight is probably the multitouch touchpad that responds only to fingers. Nothing is more frustrating than typing out something important and lengthy, and having your palm move the cursor, rendering your hard work useless. The pad is also a lot larger than previous iterations and made of glass, so it's smooth and your fingers move easily across its surface.

The touchpad's support for multitouch gestures will be even more useful when Windows 8 launches in just a couple of months. For now, it is mostly used in Lenovos Easy Notes, an application that works as a sticky pad for random thoughts and reminders. You use a combination of fingers and swipe gestures to open and close the program or change notes. Its not entirely intuitive, however, and you may find it a lot easier just to use the touchpad as a pointer; but better uses may emerge as more Windows 8 applications are released.

You get some say over the appearance of your system. Our review model came in Ruby Red, but you have a choice of Graphite Grey or Sapphire Blue as well. The aluminum body feels sturdy and protective, giving some peace of mind when packing it away.

The U410 provides just enough ports minimize complaints. It has two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI-out, an ethernet port, and a multicard reader (SSD/MMC). Something you wont find, but may not miss, is an optical drive. (With everything going digital, optical drives tend just to get in the way and add weight.)

Luckily, the U410 has some digital media benefits, including a front-facing 720p camera and microphone for video chatting. It also includes Dolby Home Theatre to customize the sound for different applications.