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Much like its Y-series siblings, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is a powerful mid-range, multi-use notebook capable of handling almost anything the average user would need to get done. What makes the IdeaPad Y550 stand out from the crowd is its shear good looks and its built in entertainment ability.

<– Check the latest Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 Offers and Coupon Codes

The design of the machine – again, much like its siblings – is very appealing and the build quality is high enough that the machine could certainly endure rigorous travel.

With a starting price of about $549 the IdeaPad Y550 is comfortably priced with similar models from other notebook manufacturers.

The base model is powered by an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4300 (2.1GHz 800MHz 1MBL2) processor and you can go up from there. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is certainly capable of handling a wide variety of memory-intense software simultaneously. With Windows 7 Lenovo Enhanced Experience, you can count on the IdeaPad Y550 to provide seamless operation regardless of the task, with faster boot and shut down times and enhanched audio and video performance. For storing all of your vital information and your favorite media, and being a superbly capalbe HD machine, the IdeaPad Y550 has Hard Drive options all the way up to 500GB.

HD Media and Graphics

The 15.6 inch display on the Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 has a native resolution of 1366×768 and provides users with crisp text, sharp lines and great color with very subtle color changes and is perfect for wathing all your favourite HD media.

You can option two different graphics cards when purchasing the Y550. For general purpose use there is the Intel 4500MHD graphics card and for gamers and graphics editors/animators there is the NVIDIA-equipped version. Either one will provide seamless video playback, but the NVIDIA machine is more attuned to those looking for high-quality graphics processing.

There is also a 1.3 megapixel camera atop the display for users hoping to video chat with friends, family and colleagues.

Superb Lenovo Keyboard

Like each of its fellow Lenovo notebooks, the keyboard of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is supported by a metal back-plate which provides for long life and comfortable typing sessions. There is just the right amount of “click” and the perfect “give” to the keys, making it not only comfortable, but even fun to type on. There are also multimedia controls below the display for easy access to play, pause, forward/backward and volume controls. For mouse-free navigation there’s a TouchPad with two buttons, all of which are very responsive.

To stay in touch with all of your loved ones and colleagues, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is equipped with both wireless and wired Internet connectivity options. There’s an Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100 for access anywhere there’s a signal and there are ExpressCard slots in case you want to access the Net anywhere from a 3G Mobile Broadband connection. Secure landline connections can be had with the integrated Gigabit Ethernet card.

There are enough ports, inputs and outputs on the Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 to keep you completely connected to anything you’ll need. There are three USB ports for easy input of external devices, whether it’s an external hard drive, a mouse, or any other device. There is also a 6-in-1 Card Reader for just about any media device you can own and an ExpressCard/34 slot for the integration of extra hardware. For multimedia playback and easy-to-transport storage, there is an integrated DVD-R optical drive.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 comes with a six-cell Lithium Ion battery that provides nearly five hours of moderate use.

The beautiful IdeaPad Y550!

Like the rest of the Y-series machines, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is beautiful. In fact, we go as far as to say the Y550 is stunning to look at and will surely turn heads in the coffee shop. It has a very pleasing hexagon-pattern inlay on a glossy black background with graceful lines that slowly fade into the matte-black interior of the machine. The machine weighs in at about six pounds so it’s very portable as well. And underneath the alluring exterior there is a strong metal frame which protects the machine’s vital parts, making it a good choice for those who are looking to travel with it.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 Specifications

Processor: Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor T4300 (2.1GHz 800MHz 1MBL2) up to Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9800 (2.93GHz 800MHz 6MBL2)

Memory: Up to 6GB RAM available at time of writing

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit or 64-bit)

Hard Drive: 160 GB to 500GB

Optical Drive(s): DVD-RW (Dual-Layer) or Blu-ray/DVD-ROM Combo

Display: 15.6” (1366×768) TFT color, VibrantView

Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD or up to nVidia Geforce GT 240M graphic card with 1GB memory

Battery: 6-Cell

Ports: 3 USB; Ethernet; Headphone Output; Microphone Input; VGA; HDMI; 6-in-1 Card Reader; Lock Slot; ExpressCard/34

Size: 15.2” x 10.0” x 1.02-1.5”

Weight: 6.06 LBS

Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 – you’ll love it.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is exactly what you’d expect – a reliable, multi-purpose powerhouse designed for home, home-office, and entertainment. It may not have the armor-covered build of a ThinkPad, but it maintains all of the hardware that makes it a business leader.

And did we say it looks good? The relatively low starting price, combined with the balance of performance and portability make the IdeaPad Y550 a good choice for students, artists, professionals in need of a second machine and anyone else interested in a capable notebook computer for a combination of work and play.