The IdeaPad Y530 is a fun multimedia system that offers performance, a bright and colorful frameless display, and an impressive Dolby sound system for less than a grand. The Y530 sports the same chassis as its predecessor, the Y510, but packs a new Intel Centrino 2 processor to give it improved performance. However, we still aren’t huge fans of its design and, given its HDMI output, we wish Lenovo offered a Blu-ray drive as an option.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 Build and Design

Like the Y510, the 6.6-pound Y530 looks more consumer-friendly than other notebooks in Lenovo’s line form the outside: its black lid has a linen-weave textured surface and an elegant look and feel. At 14.2 x 10.3 x 1.4 inches, the notebook was slightly thicker and bulkier than other mainstream laptops; however, carrying it in a backpack on our walk home from the office didn’t cause any aches.

As with the Y510, the IdeaPad designers could have done a better job of continuing the Y530’s attractive exterior under the lid. The smooth, black and grey interior is offset by pumpkin orange media buttons, LED lights, and a volume rocker. Unfortunately, the orange reminds us of the buttons on an Atari. You won’t find Lenovo’s ubiquitous red pointing stick on the inside, but its very responsive touchpad feels soft and has little friction.

Fans of the ThinkPad keyboard will be pleased to find that Lenovo included a similar setup; the matte keys have an excellent, cushioned response, and the full-size layout feels spacious and comfortable. The trade-off is that the keyboard looks like it was lifted from a business notebook, as does the deck that surrounds it.

Improved Touch Controls

Above the keyboard you’ll find the IdeaPad’s multimedia control keys. You can change which buttons appear on the touch panel by pressing the Shuttle key to the right; one setting shows all the standard music controls, while the other lets you tweak the Dolby sound settings. On the Y510 the touch controls took a bit of pressure to activate, but th Y530 showed a drastic improvement. We didn’t have to train ourselves to press the buttons with a certain part of our fingers; they just worked.