When we reviewed the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad SL400, we were impressed with that small business notebook’s combination of style and work/play-friendly features. The 13-inch SL300 puts the series’ sleek looks and solid performance into a travel-friendly form factor at a value price, complete with enough battery life to last an entire work day.

Sleek Design, Blocked Ports

Like the other members of the SL series, the SL300 is designed for small business but features a sleeker, more consumer-friendly design than other ThinkPads. The goal is to appeal to workers who use the same computer for editing sales proposals as well as watching movies and playing casual games.

All of the design elements we liked in the SL400—the glossy black lid, the futuristic red light that illuminates the “i” in the ThinkPad logo, the black hinges, the tapered edges, and the bright green status indicators on the front lip of the chassis—appear even more attractive on the SL300. However, the chunky chassis is not as thin as two other 13-inch notebooks we recently reviewed, the $1,099 HP Pavilion dv3510nr and the $1,199 Lenovo IdeaPad U330.

The optional 9-cell battery, which gave our review system a weight of 5.2 pounds, also makes the SL300 a bit heavier than its similarly-sized counterparts. However, when compared to the SL400 (and to other 14-inch notebooks in its price range), we found the SL300 much easier to carry and place on our lap or small tables. We particularly appreciated the latch-free lid, which allowed us to quickly pop the system open and start working.

Unfortunately, like its big brother, the SL300 has a small issue with the placement of the two USB ports on its right side. Because these ports are recessed underneath a thick plastic lip, fatter USB devices just won’t fit into them. Fortunately, the USB port on the left side offers more clearance.