Laptop Thoughts: IdeaPad Y560d - The First 3D Notebook from Lenovo

"It's in theaters and the latest TVs, so why not laptops, too? 3D technology is creeping into all types of consumer electronics, and Lenovo is getting into the game with the IdeaPad Y560d, the company's first 3D notebook. Using TriDef technology and a bundled pair of glasses, the Y560d ($1,399 through Lenovo.com, as low as $1,099 through online retailers) lets you watch movies, enjoy photos, and play the latest games in 3D."

A 15-inch, 6.2-pound entertainment laptop with an added bonus of a passive 3D display, the Y560D is able to display 3D video, play 3D games, and display 3D photos, all for about $1100. Styling is in the 'love it or hate it' category, and performance is near the head of the pack. This system uses lower-cost passive TriDef 3D technology, providing a true 3D experience using glasses, but also a (subjectively) lesser experience than with a system equipped with NVidia's 3D Vision active technology and shutter glasses. In fact, the reviewer complained that he got queasy after using different 3D modes, so it appears that this technology is still 'version one' quality. 3D gaming, while good, appears still in its infancy, and 3D viewing of non-3D movies had some viewing problems. 3D photo viewing worked well for pictures taken with a 3D camera, but 2D photos were nothing special. Lenovo offers a 2D version of this laptop, the Y560, for a few hundred dollars less, and the only real option is adding 8GB of RAM. Bottom line: A powerful laptop, with great graphics, very good sound, a good price for 3D, but with mediocre battery performance, and for a 15-inch laptop, a bit on the heavy side.