Over the last few month I have had the pleasure of using the Lenovo A63 as my main computer. There are a few things I like about this rig, and a few things I don't. Full Disclosure: This was out on long term loan and is going to be given out to one lucky HackCollege reader in a giveaway to be decided on later. Woo, now let's get into this machine.
You could have this! Image courtesy Lenovo.
Pros
After putting this computer through the paces of the daily college routine for about a month there are a bunch of things that make this small business workstation work for students, but I'm just going to talk about a few. First, it's pretty powerful. Second, it's pretty quiet and third, the screens are effing huge!
I graded the power of this AMD-powered computer by how little it interfered with my ability to get things done. The 2.90 GHz processor with 2.00 GB RAM were able to fuel my daily computing needs. My needs are usually, streaming movies or TV shows, blogging for our dear HackCollege, and doing homework on Google Docs. I can do all of those things at the same time, without the computer heating up.
Another thing I really liked about this tower is how quiet it is. It's nearly silent. This is crucial if you are living in a dorm room. While most laptops tend to be quiet, it's hard to say the same for desktop computers. If you were to tuck this baby away you wouldn't know it's there. I can't even remember a time when the fan went crazy or anything.
Finally, the two monitors that came with the A63 are absolutely gorgeous. The two of the are each 22.5 inches on the diagonal and forced me to change my pants a few times throughout the review process. Streaming movies and television shows were so nice to watch. Also, they are extremely energy efficient. So If you are living in apartment off campus and are in charge of your own electric bill, having a green screen (see what I did there) would bring your bill down a bit.
Cons
There were a few things that, being a college student, didn't help me as much as I thought it would have been. As much as a I love the two screens and the keyboard, they are... ahem... too big.
The two screens took over my desk, leaving little room for my alarm clock, tissues and other personal effects. If you are cramped for space in a dorm room, forking over the cash for a workstation like this is not in your best interest.
As far as the keyboard and mouse go, they didn't fit in the drawer under my desk, so it was a bit of hassle trying to work the both of them. It's possible that like having two large screens, could take some getting used to.
The Verdict
I'd say take this review, like any review online, with a grain of salt. Know what your needs are, and if this product matches what you do with your major, or in your spare time I'd say buy it. But don't buy this if you are in a dorm and it's not imperative that you have this computing power or screen real estate.
Do you want the Lenovo A63? How would you use it? Comment below to share or connect with me on Twitter!