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The bundle isn't very comprehensive. Lenovo supply an information sheet explaining the key commands and various ports on the laptop. There is also a power supply with regional specific plug.
The ‘Lenovo' branded power adapter is quite small, rated to 90W. This works in all countries across the globe, between 100-240V.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge is slim and weighs a little less than 1.8KG. While it may be difficult to see in the images, the lid colour is not black, but a very dark purple. This looks a lot better than it sounds!
The 14 inch HD+ LED screen has a resolution of 1600×900 and is coated with an antiglare covering. As you can notice in the images above, the screen is not reflective and it is easy to use in a variety of situations. There is a camera in the center of the chassis, just above the panel circumference.
The screen is above average and while the colours are a little over saturated, the overall experience is very positive.
Working in direct sunlight isn't possible however as the screen doesn't get bright enough to compensate. In all other situations however, it is very good.
Viewing angles are also well above average, on both planes. Colour shift is noticeable past 45 degrees in a vertical direction, but this is also above average for the specific class.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge S430 keyboard is absolutely superb and almost as good as the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate which I use as my main work board. Lenovo are without question the masters of laptop keyboards in the current climate.
The keys measure 15mm x 15mm and have a concave shape which balances the tip of the finger in the center point of each key. Quite why this hasn't become an industry standard is baffling
Due to the limited physical dimensions there is no numpad on the ThinkPad Edge S430, however the company have optimised the keyboard for typists with a set of arrow keys bottom right. A double height return key and perfectly positioned spacebar and shift keys enhance the work experience significantly.
This keyboard is spill (liquid) resistant, although it does not have a backlight option for working in poorly lit environments, such as the one found on the ThinkPad X1. Lenovo have instead included a little light next to the camera on the top of the screen area which can be toggled on or off. This isn't as good as a dedicated backlit keyboard, but it is better than nothing.
The upper row of keys can be used to directly adjust the volume, screen brightness, environmental light, wireless functionality and media playback.
Above the ‘B' key, is the famous little ‘red' joypad interface which I much prefer to a standard trackpad. The Lenovo trackpad and left/right buttons are fantastic, and almost as good as the keyboard. Lenovo also include a very accurate fingerprint reader at the side. We only experienced a ‘misread' when we carelessly tracked our finger tip sideways across the scanner.
The power button is positioned just above the ESC key on the left side of the chassis. The speaker is positioned close by, running along the top of the keyboard. Sound quality is decent, with a reasonable volume level available without distortion. That said, it lacks bass response and a dedicated pair of speakers or headphones would be required for the best experience.
The strong metal hinges on the panel hold it steady in place, regardless of the positioning. Very reassuring.
The right side of the chassis has a power connector, optical drive, card reader, USB 3.0 port and headphone jack. The left side has a mini HDMI port, ThunderBolt, GB lan connector and another USB 3.0 port. There are three sections of vents on the underside of the chassis to help with airflow.
The battery is not easily accessible. The upper side of the device has to be removed, including the keyboard and optical drive.
