1. December 28, 2011
batteryfast.co.uk
Ultrabooks: Laptops as Light as Air by
Batteryfast.co.uk
What Makes an Ultrabook Different?
Since Intel has trademarked the Ultrabook name, the
company isn’t going to let PC makers slap the label
on just any skinny laptop. A few requirements are
involved. According to Intel, a laptop has to meet
these five characteristics to qualify for the Ultra-
book label.
• Quick startup: Going from hibernate to
keyboard interaction must take 7 seconds
or less. Resume from sleep should be even
faster than that.
Find out whether one of these superthin, capable • Long battery life: The minimum for a single
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/ultrabooks-laptops-as-light-as-air-by-batteryfast-co-uk/
laptops is the right choice for you. charge of the battery is 5 hours, and some
models promise up to 8 hours.
Apple’s most recent MacBook Air is selling like hot- • Thinness: Ultrabooks need to be less than
cakes, for good reason. Current Airs are incredibly 21mm (0.82 inch) thick. Most models that
thin and light, and–unlike the first version–they’re have come out so far are much thinner.
powerful enough for most everyday work. But what • Enhanced security: The laptop firmware
if you don’t want an Apple laptop? Finally, thanks has to support Intel’s Anti-Theft and Identity
to Intel and its partners, you have a Windows al- Protection technology.
ternative: the Ultrabook. • Powered by Intel: You didn’t expect Intel to
allow AMD CPUs, did you?
Ultrabooks are thinner, lighter, and in some ways
faster than standard ultraportables. Most are barely Of course, Ultrabooks ask you to make a few com-
more than half an inch thick. Priced from around promises. They don’t have room for optical drives,
$800 to over $1500, these are premium products, so you’ll need to add a USB DVD or Blu-ray drive to
and they feel like it. Some early Ultrabooks eschew load software or movie discs. The cramped sides
cheap plastic in favor of materials such as aluminum and back mean fewer ports, and a greater reliance
and magnesium alloy. You’ll find solid-state drives in on mini connections (such as Mini HDMI or Mini
most units, making them seem snappier and more DisplayPort). Most don’t have ethernet jacks; it’s
responsive. Open the lid, and your Ultrabook will Wi-Fi or nothing, short of breaking out another USB
go from hibernate to working in seconds, and it’ll peripheral. For most users, these trade-offs are wor-
resume from sleep in the blink of an eye. thwhile, and buying a new cable or adapter is a
small extra price to pay for a half-inch-thick laptop
that weighs about 3 pounds.
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2. December 28, 2011
batteryfast.co.uk
Ultrabooks: Laptops as Light as Air by Batteryfast.co.uk
Ultrabook Reviews Asus Zenbook UX31E: Sleek Machine, Iffy
Touchpad
Will your next laptop be an Ultrabook? Our tests of
the first four featherweight PCs to carry the label
should help you decide whether an Ultrabook is
right for you–click the links below to read our full
reviews. Don’t worry if you don’t see something
you like; in 2012, Ultrabooks are expected to flood
the market, improving selection and driving down
prices.
Acer Aspire S3-951: The Basic Ultrabook
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/ultrabooks-laptops-as-light-as-air-by-batteryfast-co-uk/
Asus’s supersleek Zenbook UX31E is gorgeous. With
its brushed-aluminum design, it more closely re-
Acer is offering its new Aspire S3 for a comparatively sembles the MacBook Air than other Ultrabooks do,
reasonable $899, and you can find it discounted and it really does elicit a Zen-like feeling. Throw in
to sub-$850 online. Still, $850 isn’t a budget price an i5 processor, Bluetooth 4.0, and a USB 3.0 port,
by today’s standards. Can the Aspire S3 deliver on and the $1099 Zenbook UX31E is almost perfect–
the promise of good performance in an ultralight, except for its mediocre touchpad.
ultrathin package at a not-unreasonable price? Un-
fortunately, no: Acer’s attempt at a cost-effective
Ultrabook ultimately cuts too many corners.
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3. December 28, 2011
batteryfast.co.uk
Ultrabooks: Laptops as Light as Air by Batteryfast.co.uk
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s: Thin and Toshiba Portege Z835: Light Weight,
Luxurious Middling Specs
If there’s a laptop that deserves the moniker “Ultra-
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/ultrabooks-laptops-as-light-as-air-by-batteryfast-co-uk/
book,” it’s the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s. Not because At just 2.4 pounds, the Toshiba Portege Z835 is
it’s faster or beefier than the competition (it’s not), the lightest of the first wave of Ultrabooks. Most
but because it actually looks like a thin coffee-table rivals, like the Lenovo and the Asus, weigh around
book when closed. It’s also the Ultrabook that many 3 pounds. You can immediately feel the difference
staffers in the PCWorld Labs gravitated toward due when you pick up this light-as-a-feather laptop.
to its luxuriously minimalist styling and superior Unfortunately, this Best Buy exclusive configura-
input ergonomics. At least, they did until they heard tion makes a few obvious concessions to reach its
that it cost $1595, a price tag that reflects the expense attractive $799 price.
of the machine’s large (256GB) solid-state drive.
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