Ultrabooks are the biggest thing
in laptops. Why? Because they’re slim, light and wake from sleep almost
instantly. You should also expect long battery life, which is great for everyone
from students to road warriors. But with seemingly every PC maker under the sun
debuting a MacBook Air alternative - or several - there’s a lot of models from
which to choose at different prices. Here’s our list of the Top 10
Ultrabooks.
1. Acer
Aspire S7 (2013)
One of
our favourite Ultrabooks, the 3-pound Acer Aspire S7 features a powerful
fourth-generation Intel Haswell processor, a fast 128GB SSD and a gorgeous 1080p
touch screen display. The S7 still features a beautiful glass and white
aluminium chassis that’s just .51 inches thin, but it now offers nearly 9 hours
of battery life.
2. Lenovo
IdeaPad U310 Touch
The
Lenovo IdeaPad U310
Touch makes our
top Ultrabook list for its fast performance and reasonable price. For just under
US$600, this Ultrabook has a graceful design and comes outfitted with a
third-gen Core i5 CPU. The addition of a comfy keyboard, accurate touchscreen
and loud, crisp audio make the U310 Touch a winner.
3. Dell XPS 12 (2013)
Dell’s
XPS 12 Windows 8
convertible now
offers excellent endurance, lasting nearly 9.5 hours on our battery test. The
flip display design is as compelling as ever, making it a cinch to switch
between laptop and tablet modes. At 3.2 pounds, the XPS 12 isn’t the lightest
hybrid around, but we love the full HD touch display and strong
performance.
4.
Toshiba Portege Z935-P300
Weighing
in at just 2.4 pounds, and measuring at 12.4 x 8.9 x 0.3 - 0.6 inches, the
Toshiba Portege
Z935 is the
lightest 13-inch Ultrabook you can get outside of Japan. The combination of a
third-generation Intel Core processor and fast SSD makes the Z935 a light-weight
powerhouse. Better still, this svelte system finds room for full-size VGA, HDMI
and Ethernet ports.
5. ASUS
Zenbook UX51Vz (2013)
The
15-inch ASUS Zenbook
UX51Vz is quite
a showstopper with its lovely aluminium chassis and captivating 2880 x 1620
Retina-like display. With a powerful Core i7 GPU, discrete Nvidia graphics and
blazing fast dual 256GB SSDs, ASUS backs up those good looks with serious
brawn.
6. Lenovo
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch
Our
favourite business Ultrabook, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Touch, retains
the fetching carbon fibre design, comfortable keyboard and accurate pointer
stick of the previous model and adds a 1600 x 900 touchscreen. Throw in the
snappy performance of a Core i5 CPU and 128 SSD and you’ve got a notebook that’s
ready to plough through your workload.
7. Sony
VAIO Pro 13
Weighing
in at a feather light 2.4 pounds, the VAIO Pro 13 is currently the world’s
lightest 13-inch notebook with a touchscreen. On top of the svelte dimensions,
the notebook comes with a 1080p display, blazing fast SSD and over 7 hours of
battery life. Adding the optional sheet battery boosts the endurance to 14.5
hours.
MORE: Sony VAIO Pro 13
Review
8.
Samsung ATIV Book 9
Weighing
2.6 pounds and measuring just .5 inches thick, the aluminium clad ATIV Book 9 is quite the looker. It’s also
quite the powerhouse, thanks to a third-gen Core i7 processor with 4GB of RAM
and a 128GB SSD. Samsung also included its SideSync software for better
integration with Samsung Android phones such as the Galaxy S4.
9. Lenovo
Yoga 11S
We’re
big fans of Lenovo’s Yoga Series, with its trademark 360-degree hinge and four
modes (Tablet, Laptop, Stand and Tent). The 11-inch version of this contortionist laptop
features a vibrant 768p touch display, comfortable keyboard and a third-gen Core
i5 processor. It’s a solid choice for consumers looking for more versatility
than a traditional laptop.
MORE: Lenovo Yoga 11S
Review
10. Sony
VAIO Pro 11
Feast
your eyes on the lightest notebook with touch. Weighing in at an astounding 1.9
pounds, the Sony VAIO Pro 11 manages to cram a fourth-gen
Core i7 processor, integrated graphics and a 128GB SSD into an 11-inch chassis.
The Ultrabook also offers a vivid 1080p display and offer over 14 hours of
battery life with the optional battery sheet for a super-portable laptop ready
for work and play.
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