SanDisk Ultra Class 10 Micro SDHC - Memory/Storage Devices

Hello everyone! :)
Today I am going to review a 16 GB Micro SD Card: "SanDisk Ultra Class 10 Micro SDHC".

What is Micro SD/SDHC/SDXC

Secure Digital (SD) is a non-volatile memory card format for use in portable devices, such as mobile phones, digital cameras, GPS navigation devices, and tablet computers. The Secure Digital standard was introduced in 1999 as an evolutionary improvement over MultiMediaCards (MMC). The Secure Digital standard is maintained by the SD Card Association (SDA). SD technologies have been implemented in more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models.

The Secure Digital format includes four card families available in three different form factors. The four families are the original Standard-Capacity (SDSC), the High-Capacity (SDHC)[Underlined because my review is considering this one :D], the eXtended-Capacity (SDXC), and the SDIO, which combines input/output functions with data storage. The three form factors are the original size, the "mini" size, and the "micro" size. Electrically passive adapters allow the use of a smaller card in a host device built to hold a larger card.

There are many combinations of form factors and device families, although as of 2014, the prevailing formats are full- or micro-size SDHC and full/micro SDXC.

The SDA uses several trademarked logos to enforce compliance with its specifications and assure users of compatibility.

What is Class 10

It is a specification of the SD cards which refers to the speed of SD card. Similar to CDs and DVDs, SD cards have certain rated write speeds. Class 0 cards are those that were designed before the Speed Class Rating was defined by the SD Association. Class 2 SD cards have write speeds of 2 MB per second. Class 4 is 4 Mbps. Class 6 is 6 Mbps, and Class 10 is 10 Mbps and so on.

Class 10 has following features:

• High Speed Bus
• Full HD video recording>
• HD still consecutive recording
• Class 10 cards are the second-fastest group of cards.

SanDisk: A reputed name

SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures flash memory storage solutions and software. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari, Jack Yuan and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory technology experts. The Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company is based in Silicon Valley and has more than half its sales outside the United States. Its products are sold at more than 250,000 retail locations in more than 100 countries. SanDisk became a publicly traded company on NASDAQ in November 1995. As of August 2013, its market capitalization was over US$14 billion.

Official Website: http://www.sandisk.com/

Price

I bought it in a 'deal of the day' offer, so I paid just 690 INR(i.e., ~12 USD). Yeah, that was quite a great deal that day. But anyways, if you find a deal that is priced reasonably, like -> 16GB SanDisk Class 2 < 16GB SanDisk Class 10 < 32GB SanDisk Class 2 <- can be considered an OK deal :) Apart from that, if we analyse the value for money thing, well if you need high speed memory then it is certainly a good investment, since it has a good data transfer speed and an awesome warranty of 5 years, yeah that's right FIVE YEARS, I guess it certainly is a good buy :D

Tests Equipment

The following is what I used to do any speed tests that I support my review with(Hover over to know the specs):

• Class 2 Card
• Class 10 Card
• Mobile Phone
• USB
• Adapter

Comparison with Class 2

I had a set of data which was ~585MB large. It included small files of ~4.60 MB each. The following images can help you visualize the speed of data transfer. I agree the following data is not good enough for this comparison because for Class 2 I have shown read and for Class 10 write data, but still, I hope you know that read speeds are higher than write speeds, which certainly imply how cool a Class 10 card is! So I'd rather say, the data is great, not just good :P Check out the read speed of Class 2 card:









The same data being written back to the Class 10 card(SanDisk Ultra in this case)







From the above data, it is evident that there is a considerable increase in speed of data transfer. If we take the above data only, you can consider the following table to see the improvement in speed:

Class 2	Class 10	Improvement
8.9375 MB/s	25.73 MB/s	187.88%

Phew! that is a nice improvement, isn't it? :D

Speed

In the following pics you can see the data transfer rate for a heavy file, ~3GB large. The data transfer is not through a card adapter this time, but the card is inside my phone and the data transfer is going on via Micro-USB cable











In the following pics I have again shown pics of the files I used to compare class 2 and class 10 card, now their transfer back to computer, but this time the card is not in the adapter, but inside my phone, so now data is being transferred through a Micro-USB cable













The above data shows that inside my phone the speed of card has reduced significantly. But still in comparison to my class 2 card, I'd say it's still a much better performer. I guess my phone's MicroSD car BUS is not compliant for class 10 data transfer rates. But anyways, the card is working fine! :P And also it is evident that the speed is quite high for both flash transfers and wire transfers.

Packaging

The packaging is seriously amazing. I have included snaps of my card so that you can see the original packaging. Also I have included a pic that shows opened packaging for further clarification.







You can see that the packaging is really good. A card casing with fine prints of terms :P and some relevant and irrelevant information.

SanDisk Memory Zone: Android Application

I'd call it a wrong claim and a right claim. Why mixed expressions? Well quite simple! It has a mark that redirects us to the fine printing on the back of the packaging, that states the applications needs to be downloaded! Phew :/

Though I have already downloaded and checked the application. This applications is quite cool. The interface is good and the app is cool too. But a problem that I faced was that, on testing the speed of my card, the application failed to detect that I am using a class 10 card :P LOL!

SanDisk Memory Zone offers you more memory management functionality than any other application available for the Android™ phone. SanDisk Memory Zone puts you in complete control. Manage and backup both your local and cloud memory with one free app. Move files back and forth from your memory card to select cloud services, or from the cloud directly to your phone. Cloud services supported: Box, Dropbox, Google Docs, Picasa, SugarSync, SkyDrive and Facebook. SanDisk Memory Zone not only allows you to transfer and back up your files, it also allows you to secure them through a password protection feature. So you have the peace of mind knowing your videos, photographs, music and other files are not only available, but they’re available only to you.

You can get this application here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sandisk.mz&hl=en

Adapter

The bundled adapter appears to be of good quality and well what can I say about it now? It is just another Mirco SD Card adapter! :O I am not sure if there's anything really special about it!

Warranty

5 year limited warranty. No issues as yet so nothing I can say about this one.

Verdict

Yeah, that's 4.5 out of 5 stars. Why not 5 on 5 for this beauty? Well because the App didn't recognise that I was using a Class 10 card >_< and also the card fits into the slots a bit too tightly than the normal Class 2 ones, so it is tedious to remove them once they are placed, which becomes a scary experience(it might break! :O) Overall, it is a good card and a worth-full purchase if you get a nice deal. For cameras and video recording this is something you really need for the good recording of your 1080p HD Videos. So if you think that, "SHOULD I REALLY BUY A CLASS 10 CARD": As mentioned above if you wish to record HD Videos(1080p) then you need one. If you have a huge amount of data being transferred between your Micro SD Card and computer, then also Class 10 card would be a appropriate choice. Else if you get it in the cost of a class 2/4/6 :P

And if you read this review just to know whether or not Class 10 is a worthy investment: Well, in simple words, IT IS MORE THAN THAT! :) GO FOR IT!!

Avast! Antivirus - Security Software

Hey everyone!
Today I am going to review a free Anti Virus which according to me is the best FREE security solution right now. I am talking about Avast! Don’t worry; it’s no longer the lazy music player, avast! has evolved a great deal and is currently a great option to go for.



Security being a big concern these days and inflation being a super big problem burning holes, no not holes, digging pits in our pockets, I guess we are looking for free security solutions. We tend to go for pirated or cracked ones without thinking much about the problems that may surface due to cracked software use. Without delving into details, I would just like to warn you, cracked software might not be safe. They may be, but in most cases they are not. They are known to contain backdoors, spyware and adware software that are all potential malware. If you think uploading that file to virustotal.com gives you a sure shot idea of the fact whether they are good or bad, I must say, YOU ARE WRONG! It is very easy to encrypt an infected file and bypass the security checks of most security suites. So it is better to stay away from using cracked software.

Anyways, our topic of discussion is something else. It is to review avast! and not to give you nice enough speech on Piracy and how bad it is :P I downloaded avast! a few months back when my Kaspersky subscription got over. I thought to come back to Kaspersky or BitDefender at a later stage, but after using avast! for a couple of weeks I’d say, “Although BitDefender and Kaspersky are unchallengeable when it comes to security, but when you use a free antivirus which is quite good you don’t find a good reason to go back to a paid solution. Atleast when you are simple home user.” So I am continuing to use avast!, atleast as long as I don’t find myself unsafe with it. Believe me, the reviews on the Internet and my own personal experience suggests I won’t go back to a paid solution! :D Though, I am in a need of a Firewall now so I am going to upgrade to Avast Internet Security soon.

Looking to compete with both paid and free security suites, Avast wants to create a unified approach to your computer security. Long gone are the days of the quirky interface. Avast is accessible and robust, with an impressive list of free features and strong, though hardly stellar, performance benchmark.

avast! Free Antivirus provides constant virus protection, also called on-access or resident protection, for free. This means that avast! Free Antivirus can completely replace antivirus software from companies like McAfee and Norton that charge for their software and for yearly access to updates.

Pros

• Provides on-access protection from viruses and other malware
• Includes a "heuristics engine" to detect previously unknown threats
• Includes a silent mode to hide alerts during gaming and other full-screen activities
• Long history of excellent virus protection
• Works with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP
• Super Good Looking Interface! :D

Cons

• Cannot be used in commercial environments - home use only
• Attempts to install unrelated (but safe) software
• Registration is periodically[YEARLY] required but it is free

Installation

During the avast! installation, you're asked to install the free Google Chrome browser and IE toolbar. These additions are not required so if you're not interested just uncheck the boxes. Also, you are required to register avast! to use it more than 30 days but registration is free and pretty simple. You'll also have to re-register once per year - again, for free.

Steps:

• Download avast! by clicking the image below:

• Run the file downloaded. And follow the simple steps (a little explanation below) to go through the installation process. It would take less than 3 minutes to install it and a minute to register, thus around 4 minutes to get going!
• Make sure you uncheck Google Chrome and Google Toolbar installations if you don’t wish to install them since they are not required by avast! for installation.
• If you use a booster SSD and want to conserve space on it, you may change the destination of installation, though I recommend not changing it.
• The setup offers so many language options that you can tailor the interface language to your familiar one. Thus no boundation to use English only. If you can find a more familiar language you can go for it!
• You can read the EULA to make sure you know what terms you agree. You must always read it for all software though I know you all never do. :P
• If you use a smartphone, you can also download avast! mobile security for it. It has tonnes of cool features including mobile tracking and other features to prevent information theft. Though some features are paid but most cool ones are free to use, so do consider using it. The best thing is that, you can use same avast account to register that device too! So do install it on your smartphone.

• Make sure you do register which takes less than a minute and you will enjoy a full year protection for free!! And once the year is over, all you have to do is register again FOR FREE! Cool, right? All updates, support etc. just register once per year and you are good to go! :D

What do popular websites say?

About.com

avast! is so great because it's a complete tool, protecting you from threats from the Internet, email, your local files, P2P connections, your instant messages, and more. avast! Free Antivirus 8 from AVAST Software is one of the best free antivirus software programs you can download.

PCMag

If avast!'s very good malware cleanup doesn't recognize a suspicious file, its built-in automatic sandboxing can keep that file from doing harm. It's one of several good choices for free antivirus protection, with unusual bonus features like Web reputation reporting and built-in remote assistance.

PCPro

The cream of the crop of free antivirus tools, with great protection, plenty of features and an exceedingly light touch

CNET

When it comes to your security, Avast 8 gets a lot right. It's got a usable, uncluttered interface, solid although not stellar benchmarks, and a set of features that keeps it at the forefront of Windows security. Avast Antivirus 8 Free continues to be a stellar choice for free Windows security, and we enthusiastically recommend it. Few people want security that turns a good machine into the malware equivalent of Swiss cheese, and on that count, Avast has your back. Avast 8 fixes browsers, out-of-date apps (too).

Straight from the horse’s mouth: What Avast has to say about Avast!

Our flagship Avast Free Antivirus is here again. We've made improvements to its Behavior Shield and Remote Assistance, improved the cloud technologies and the energy-saver settings. And we've simplified the UI and added a Software Updater for easily keeping the eye on all your potential vulnerabilities. Plus, there's an optional Browser Cleanup tool for removing pesky toolbars and plugins.

My Verdict

If you are sticking to Windows XP until 2014 when Microsoft will end it’s support, Avast is the best choice to stick with. Security Essentials failed in my tests when I tried to experiment my encrypted malware, rather most of the free ones failed. Though avast wasn’t bypassed by that, nor Avira/AVG. But avast! is lighter and cooler than Avira/AVG, so I’d say go for avast!. Most of the reviews by users and editors suggest it being good and my own experience with this FREE security solution has been too good to not to use it :D And just in case you don’t feel secure in free hands, then I’d say go for BitDefender or Kaspersky.
The link to download avast! follow. I hope my review helped you all. I included popular websites’ verdicts so that you guys could have more faith in my review :P Avast! is quite a good solution and I would say if you want a free solution just download it now!
Just click the image below to download avast! for free Don’t worry it is completely legal, free and safe to use!

Sagar Ratna - Restaurants

Hey all!
It's time to write another review. Today I am going to review the restaurant "Sagar Ratna".



I have been going to Sagar Ratna since so many years now. I have had good, great, and bad experiences with this Restaurant Chain. I have been to a few of it's outlets, so I can do a little comparison sort of based on the year, outlet, type of food, service, etc. With a good amount of experience with Sagar Ratna, I guess I can give a helpful review for anyone who is going there for the first time, or even if you are a seasoned customer :P

I'll be specific to South Indian Food in this review because it's the main type of food Sagar Ratna specialises in. Still I will talk a little about North Indian since I have had it twice at Sagar Ratna.

Sagar Ratna

Let's first take a quick look at Sagar Ratna as a food-chain. Mr. Jayaram Banan, the chairman and founder of Sagar Ratna, in 1986, started the first branch of Sagar Ratna in the Defence Colony Market. The popularity of Sagar Ratna continued to grow rapidly. Within a short span it spread its wings far and wide, Today Sagar Ratna has established its presence in the National Capital Region (NCR) through company owned branches and beyond NCR through franchise outlets. Sagar Ratna has won the Times Food Award-2012 (Best South Indian Restaurant) a feat it has achieved every year since 2006. To bag it all, it has been ranked amongst the best 5 restaurants in India and 450 in Asia by the world renowned Miele Guide.

Official Website: http://www.sagarratna.in/

Food Quality and Taste: 4 out of 5

The food taste is really good. The taste and aroma speaks about the quality of ingredients used, superior! :) You can judge from the smell around that you are near a South Indian Restaurant, but when your taste buds start the super-mouthwatering action, you know you are near a great Restaurant! Similar is the case with Sagar Ratna. The food quality, and taste both are amazing.

Now that was for the South Indian Food. Talking about the North Indian, it is okay sort of. Since they specialize in South Indian food, there's no point sticking to Dal-Nan there. They use cardamom in Dal Makhani, which itself has such a strong odour which overshadows and hides the real taste of Dal Makhani. The Nans are damn perfectly roasted and are just superb in taste. But well, just above average Dal would simply turn you off. This North Indian Food at Sagar Ratna experience of mine comes from 2 branches:

1. Shakti Nagar/Kamla Nagar, Delhi Outlet
2. I don't know exactly, but it's on the Highway to Mathura/Vrindavan

So, I'd say if you go to Sagar Ratna, stick to South Indian Food. Else go to some other restaurant that specialises in North Indian Food :)

Price: 4 out of 5

Well the food is a little expensive. Consider that a Rava Masala Dosa costs Rs. 135 + Taxes and Service Charge! Thus it seems a little expensive, not too expensive though, provided the superb quality and great taste & service. But still why I give it a 4 out of 5 and not something like 3.5 or 3.75? Well, I have a reason and the reason is some great offers by Sagar Ratna. The best one is discussed in the next section.

A good Offer: Breakfast Combo for 4 @ Rs. 199: 5 out of 5 :D

This offer is super amazing! I mean really cost effective and tasty breakfast. I have ordered it twice. The exact money I had to pay was Rs. 245.40 (Combo Meal: Rs. 199, Service/Pkg Charges: Rs. 9.95, VAT: Rs. 26.11; and Service Tax: Rs. 10.33). I agree it seems to have escalated quickly, but well it is so. But still the price is quite good and there is a nice amount of saving than regular bill.

Don't worry about the food quality, it is not marred. It is the same you get for any regular meal. Thus this offer is totally worth it! :)

Dine-In Experience: 3.7 out of 5

Why did my rating suddenly fall under 4? Well simple! I said in the beginning, I have had all sort of experiences with Sagar Ratna, both good and bad. The good experiences come from Faridabad outlet, Rohini outlet, that Mathura Road one, and Shakti Nagar outlet. The bad ones come from Netaji Subhash Place and some other outlet(I don't remember exactly).

• From my good experiences: The Service was really good. The food was good, and everything was nice, nice, nice! :D
• From my Bad experiences: Either the service wasn't good or the food was worst! The Dosa I had was simply BAKWAS! The reason being that that the potato filled inside it were not of good quality.

Anyways, still my majority of experiences have been good, so I would always recommend Sagar Ratna. To make you guys confident in what I am saying, I can give you an example from last year, November:
I had thrown a huge(huge for me :P) party calling around 35 people at their Shakti Nagar outlet. The bill was pocket-friendly :D and the food was liked by all :)

Home Delivery Experience: 4.5 out of 5

Yes, their home delivery service is really good. They delivered at my place everytime on time :D I mean the time they asked for, within that timespan the delivery guy was there at my door.

The packaging is good which you guys can get a hint of from the pics I have shared in this review. These are from my last week's order. The Dosa's are packed in Pizza-Boxes, Idlis/Vadas in Cake/Pastry Boxes. The Sambhar is in a regular plastic container as above. The Chutneys are too nicely packed depending on the quantity. Once they were packed in good quality polythene bags, the other time in plastic containers.

Contact

Since I don't have contact numbers of all the branches, I am just giving those I have with me. For the rest you can visit their website and check out their Restaurant Locator: www.sagarratna.in/restaurant-locator/

1. 24, Main Market, Defence Colony, Defence Colony New Delhi, DL 110024. Ph: 011-24333688
2. Sagar Ratna, 33 & 34, 1st Floor, Sector 29, Gurgaon. Ph: 0124-4252121, 0124-4252122
3. K 15, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Ph: 011-23412470, 011-23417455
4. C-9/32, Sec - 7, Rohini, Opposite Metro Pillar - 402, New Dwlhi - 110085. Ph: 011-43594584, 011-43401163

Menu

Terms and Conditions

• Last Order is taken at 10:30 pm
• Menu and Menu Prices are subject to change without prior notice
• These prices applicable at Delhi/NCR only
• Minimum Order: Rs. 200 for delivery within 3km
• Prices Exclusive of Taxes

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

If you want some good to eat, quality South Indian Food at reasonable cost, go for Sagar Ratna. Their service and food, both are really good. There are other alternatives available like Sree Ratnam with equivalent quality of food and service and comparable rates if you wish to go for some other restaurant.

Lenovo Thinkpad Edge e430 - Laptops

Today I would like to review my laptop: "Thinkpad Edge e430"

How I finalised e430?

So, I bought my first laptop last year. Why so late? Well, I know PCs are better than Laptops and I don't like wasting money. So I waited until I really needed a computer on the go. The time came finally and my father too agreed to buy me a laptop. I did extensive research and talked to so many people and shopkeepers, read tonnes of reviews on Internet, and messed up my mind, LOL! Though finally I made a decision and thought to buy a HP dv6.

My cousin lives abroad and told me he would buy me one and I can give him money when we meet since the laptops are quite cheaper in his country as compared to India. So I started more research to find something more durable and one that carries International Warranty. Sony was one that I immediately ruled out off the list of choices since the cheaper ones are not durable and durable ones are damn expensive! Toshiba is not too popular in India(even as yet), so I had to give up that also because not too popular implies, bad service(lack of service centres, contacts, etc.) Dell never seems appealing to me, I gave up on that idea way before Sony! :P Moreover, though popular, the reviews of dell(once the warranty expires) are worst! HP doesn't come with an international warranty, and I was thinking of buying a dv6. I gave up that idea too.

Now I was thinking about Lenovo IdeaPad. After much roaming around the city and getting reviews, my father suggested me to look for IBM. I thought oh yes, I never thought about it. I came to know it now sells by the name of Lenovo ThinkPad. I immediately started my research. Found that though Lenovo won't be giving me International warranty, and if I want it I'll have to pay extra. But it's Thinkpad people! their durability is unmatched. Even MacBook stand nowhere when we talk of the durability of a ThinkPad. I was confused between e430 and the tougher option T430, but I thought to go for the less expensive one and bought the e430.

Description of what I bought

ThinkPad Edge E430

Processor	Intel Core i3-2350M Processor (3M Cache, 2.30GHz)
Operating system	Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
Operating system language	Windows 7 Home Premium 64 - English
Display type	14.0" W HD (1366 x 768) LED AntiGlare, Midnight Black
System graphics	Intel HD Graphics (WWAN or mSATA capable)
Total memory	4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
Keyboard	Keyboard - US English
Pointing device	UltraNav with FingerPrint Reader
Camera	720p HD Camera
Hard drive	500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Optical device	DVD Recordable
Battery	6 cell Li-Ion Battery 48WH - 75+
Power cord	65W AC Adapter - US (3pin)
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters	Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 & Bluetooth 4.0 (2x2 BGN & BT4)
Language pack	Publication - US English
Warranty	1 Year Express Depot

Main Review

When talking about this laptop, the first thing that solves most queries related to durability and quality is to highlight the fact that it's a ThinkPad, the original IBM series. It's been over an year now since I have been using it(I bought it in October '12 end) and so it is perfect to review about it, and I can tell about most things.

Display

14" screen makes it an 'easy-enough' display which bundles the portability by being a bit smaller than the other Edge variant, e530. 14" sometimes sounds small, but when you'll use it you'll know it is the most sufficient one. 14" being lighter and smaller, are even more portable than the 15" ones.

Weight

Didn't weigh it on a scale as such, LOL! It is average when we talk about weight, I guess a little lighter than the corresponding Z series of IdeaPad, as their specs suggest. Though the difference is of few hundred gram, but you know when you have to carry more than just a laptop(as is the case most of the times), this difference even looks like a life saver! Or shall we say, shoulder saver? :D

Battery Backup

I have experienced battery backup ranging from 4 hours(at least) upto 7 hours. Don't think that the laptop would give a high backup from day one, it started giving a good backup after a couple of weeks passed. A good tip from my experience: Use power adapter more frequently than the battery for initial weeks, which I guess all laptop users already know.

Durability

With an experience of more than a year now, I'm in a good position to say a little about Durability(not too much though since I habdle things with care! :P), but it's a ThinkPad, "The Business Standard Laptop", ought to be durable and most reviews on the Internet suggest that. Though my ThinkPad looks as good as new, but as I said I handle things carefully, I won't say much about durability of an expensive thing. Though with my usage(I use it almost all day long) and handling, it seems to be quite durable. I have read many reviews on Internet as I told you all, and it is said that ThinkPad are more durable than MacBook!!! :D

Keyboard

It lacks the Numpad as any 14" laptop, but still the keyboard is amazing. The keys are silent and the keyboard formation is such that it feels quite comfortable while typing. The Trackpad is centre aligned rather than left aligned in most laptops. This makes the laptop surfce around the Trackpad become a good palmrest as I type! :D It has got dedicated media control buttons so no need to drag the pointer to the pause/play button, Volume Up/Down, Brightness, Wifi, Camera, Mic, or Mute! One thing it lacks is a Pause/Break button which I, as a programmer, feel quite sad about.

ThinkVantage Tools

These are a group of software that come bundled with your ThinkPad Laptop. They are great for maintenance purpose, keeping track of battery, etc. and some good utilities, such as added functionality for the Finger Print Reader. More about ThinVanatge Tools, you can find on the Internet, since talking about them is a different thing altogether.

Looks

Something I love! I don't like those glossy laptops, they look irritating. The matte look makes the user feel like using a classy thing, and not something that's common with everybody. So it seems like I have the classier thing as compared to most of my peers! :D To be specific, none of my friends own a Business Series, they all have that glossy consumer line ones! :P So I feel like the king! haha!! :D

Gamers

The only problem is that there is no room for a dedicated GPU in case you wish to upgrade at a later stage. You have to rely on the Intel HD Graphics alone. So gamers! e430 should not be anything in your wishlist. Well, when I bought it there was no option, so I am not sure if they now have a slot for GPU too :) This thing you gotta check on your own, I don't know. Maybe the new e431 supports it, but I am not sure!

Added Features

This Business line of Lenovo has certain unique features that most of the laptops don't have. These include:

1. Linux Support - ThinkPad supports Linux OS. This means that it is configured to run Linux, which heats up most laptops excessively if not administered by a professional or someone with good knowledge of Linux.
2. TrackPoint - Perhaps the oldest feature running from the IBM ThinkPad inherited by Lenovo too, makes it really easy to scroll and use pointer with keyboard at times, without the need of a mouse.
3. Finger Print Reader - haha! It is amazing. I can store my passwords and attach them to one of the 10 digits of my hands. Thus the ThinkPad can record 10 fingerprints and for each finger I can assign a quick link to any of my favourite websites where I need to log in. So I just swipe my finger and the website logs in! No need to enter password again and again and worry about it's loss! :D

Ports

It has got 3 USB 3.0 ports, and one eSATA(that is a USB 2.0 port that can be used even when the laptop is powered off. It is used to charge devices from Laptop battery). Moreover e430 has both HDMI and VGA ports so that you can connect to all sorts of displays easily, so be happy those who worry about their laptop connectivities during presentations! :D One Ethernet port with a Gigabit Ethernet Card which means super fast speed on Wired LAN connections!

Everyday Users(NOT GAMING), My verdict for you

e430 is the BEST choice and worth every penny! It is a better choice than consumer line IdeaPad, or Pavilion g6, or Inspiron(I don't know about XPS or dv6 so I'd not comment). Spend a little extra over that IdeaPad and buy yourself a Thinkpad, a complete package of Class, Quality, Durability and Amazingness!