Usplash resolution Lenovo W500
The usplash resolution for Ubuntu Karmic is really broken with the default installation. The maximum resolution that can be obtained by the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 is 1920x1200. This resolution (16:10) is also used in the usplash, which will break the Ubuntu logo.
Changing the resolution to 1680x1050 will display the logo nicely.
To do this, change the resolution in /etc/usplash.conf:
xres=1680 yres=1050
Finally, update the initrd image for the current linux kernel:
# update-initramfs -u
You're done, the following boot will display your usplash Ubuntu logo as it should be.