The typical thin and light sports an 11-, 12- or 13-inch display, Intel’s third-generation Core i3, i5 or i7 processors, 4GB of RAM, 6+ hours of battery life, and start with around 120GB SSD storage – although you can find some models with standard or hybrid HDDs if you need the extra space or want to save a few extra bucks. The vast majority of them also drop the optical drive for the sake of portability. Apple MacBook Air (2012) 87 30 Reviews The MacBook Air doesn’t appear to have changed much since 2011’s refresh. It still has the same flawless design, only now it packs an Intel “Ivy Bridge” processor inside, offers more RAM, and supports USB 3.0 at last. There’s also a smaller MagSafe connector this time around. Some might be disappointed that the Retina Display hasn’t made it to the MacBook Air range yet, but Apple’s iconic ultra-portable is still the gold standard by which ultrathin machines are measured against. Additional views:
Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A 86 7 Reviews The 13.3-inch Zenbook Prime UX31A, a follow-up to last year’s Zenbook UX31, brings updated internals along with the same sleek MacBook Air-like aluminum shell of its predecessor. Asus included a third-generation Intel Core processor for a nice speed boost, a comfier backlit keyboard, better webcam and audio, and a gorgeous display that produces bright and clear images with wide 178-degree viewing angles. Additional views:
Dell XPS 13 80 52 Reviews Dell’s new XPS 13 ultrabook measures just 0.71 inches at its thickest point and 0.24 inches at its thinnest. The laptop’s main body is a mix of magnesium alloy and aluminum along the lid and keyboard deck, with a carbon fiber base that’s cool to the touch. This makes it quite rigid yet also lightweight at just under 3 pounds. Ports and connectivity options include 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, one USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 port each, as well as a mini DisplayPort, but there’s no HDMI, Ethernet, or a memory-card reader. Additional views:
Toshiba Portege Z930 / Z935 79 13 Reviews Toshiba’s well regarded Portege Z835 is also getting upgraded with Ivy Bridge processors and rechristened as the Z935. The 13.3-inch laptop is super light, weighing in at just over 2.4 pounds, and it’s a slim 8.3mm at its thinnest point. Specs include Intel’s HD 4000 graphics, up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 512GB SSD, and an array of ports that include USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA and an SD card reader. Additional views:
Samsung Series 5 The 13-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultra is a more affordable ultrabook than the Series 9, and has plenty of ports crammed into its sleek body. If you can settle for an Ultrabook with HDD storage instead of SSD the Series 5 is a good deal at $800.
title: “Techspot Laptop Buying Guide Ultraportables” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-06” author: “Walter Best”
The typical thin and light sports an 11-, 12- or 13-inch display, Intel’s second-generation Core i3, i5 or i7 processors, 4GB of RAM, 6+ hours of battery life, and start with around 120GB SSD storage or 320GB HDDs. The vast majority of them also drop the optical drive for the sake of portability. Apple MacBook Air 88 40 Reviews Apple refreshed its thin-and-light MacBook Air lineup in July, adding Thunderbolt and Intel’s second-generation Sandy Bridge processors to the mix as well as backlit keyboards on all models. The 11-inch model is available in two configurations: one with a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor, 2GB of memory, 64GB of flash storage for a suggested retail price of $999, and one with double the RAM and flash storage for $1,199. The 13-inch MacBook Air model is just 0.68 inches thick and gets a 1.7GHz Intel Core i7-2637M processor, 4GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of flash storage for $1,299 or $1,599, respectively. Configure to order options include a 1.8 GHz Core i7-2677M processor and additional flash storage, but unfortunately no discrete graphics, only the built-in Intel HD 3000. Additional views:
Toshiba Portege Z835 71 11 Reviews Weighing in at just 2.4 pounds the new Toshiba Portege Z830 is the lightest ultrabook yet. It also offers long battery life, a backlit keyboard, and plenty of full-size ports. Not bad for its starting price of $930. The 13.3-incher has a sleek brushed-metal lid and makes liberal use of clean lines and greyish hues to achieve a design of “understated elegance.” It carries a 1366x768 display, a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3-2367M processor, 4GB of RAM and a Toshiba-branded 128GB SSD. Additional views:
Asus Zenbook UX31 - 4 Reviews In terms of specs and design the 13.3-inch Zenbook UX31 is quite similar to Apple’s MacBook Air, although the Asus comes in $200 cheaper at $1,099. It offers a higher resolution display and its SSD also supports the 6Gbps SATA III interface, but lacks keyboard backlighting. The UX31 has an instant-on feature that Asus says will allow the system to resume from sleep in about 2 seconds and when it comes to battery life Asus promises somewhere around 7 hours. Build quality is top notch on Asus’ ultrabook, measuring 0.71 inches at its thickest point and weighing 2.9 pounds. Additional views:
Sony Vaio Z Weighing just 2.6 pounds with a thickness of 0.86 inches, the 2011 Sony Vaio Z thinner and lighter than Apple’s MacBook Air, yet it still manages to pack in a full-voltage Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, along with up to 8GB RAM and up to 512GB of SSD storage. Graphics are handled by Intel’s integrated HD 3000 chip, but when paired with an optional Light Peak docking station you’ll be able to tap into the power of a discrete AMD Radeon card and connect up to four displays using the additional VGA and HDMI ports. Sony’s US pricing kicks off just shy of $2,000 and skyrockets beyond $4,000 with higher-end configurations. It’s definitely more expensive than the latest crop of Ultrabooks, popping up for around $1,000 and offering just enough power for the average user. Then again, the Vaio Z will blow those out of the water in terms of performance without sacrificing its thin and incredibly light profile. Additional views:
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s 75 Lenovo’s entry into the ultrabook arena is as well-engineered as you’d expect, with good battery life, Intel WiDi and great keyboard / trackpad combo. It does lack perks that some of its rivals offer, like a SD slot and backlit keys. Price range: From $1,095 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 76 The X1 has a lot going on for it: rock-solid build quality, clean design, backlit keyboard, a Core i3 or i5 processor and a solid-state drive. Though it’s not the thinner and lighter ultraportable, ThinkPad veterans will feel right at home with this machine. Price range: $1,299
