Laptop and Notebook Computers: September 2009

The huge success of netbooks gives way to the development of ultra portable laptops. These are basically a compromise between Notebooks and Netbooks. Ultra portable Laptop computers are designed to be highly portable even at the expense of certain features. A typical Ultraportable weighs less than 1 kg. Ultraportable Laptop computer have Screen sizes range from 11 to 13.4-inches. Ultraportable Laptop computers may completely eliminate or keep separate components such as the DVD drive. Here are some of the best Ultra portable Laptop computers.

1. HP Pavilion dv2-1110us 12.1-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC
HP Pavilion dv2-1110us 12.1-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC is really a bridge between a Netbook and a notebook. With the 12.1-inch screen, it is larger than a Netbook. HP Pavilion dv2-1110us 12.1-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC priced around $600, provides a highly portable platform for those that want to do basic computing on the go, decent battery life and even watch HD video. The biggest benefit of the Pavilion dv2 though is the graphics.
Specification

AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 Mobile Processor
2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory
250GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
External USB 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner With LightScribe
12.1" WXGA (1280x800) LED Backlit Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 Graphics With 512MB Memory
Fast Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless
Three USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, 5-in-1 Card Reader
11.5" x 9.5" x 1.3" @ 3.8 lbs.
Vista Home Premium, Works, HP MediaSmart, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Norton Internet Security

2. Apple MacBook Pro 13 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC
Apple's MacBook Pro 13 is essentially the older 13-inch MacBook aluminum MaBook system redesigned with some of the features found in the larger MacBook Pros. The MacBook Pro 13 is essentially a redesigned version of the unibody MacBook that gets features of the latest MacBook Pro series laptops. The aluminum body provide it with a very stylish and durable exterior. This combined with its solid performance and features make it a great laptop for those looking for a highly portable but fully featured laptop.
Specification

Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 Dual Core Mobile Processor
2GB PC3-8500 DDR3 Memory
160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
13.3" WXGA (1280x800) LED Backlist Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M Integrated Graphics
Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth
Two USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Mini-DisplayPort, SD Slot
12.8" x 9" x 1" @ 4.5 lbs.
Mac OSX 10.6, iLife '09

3. ASUS UL30A-X1 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC
ASUS UL30A-X1 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC has very long battery life. Thanks to Intel CULV (consumer ultra-low voltage) based Ultraportable. ASUS claims it can run up to 12 hours but it is more likely to be in the 8 to 9 hour range in real world usage. ASUS UL30A-X1 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC comes with 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive though.

Specification

Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 Mobile Processor
4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 Memory
320GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
13.3" EXGA (1366x768) LED Backlit Display With VGA Webcam
Intel GMA 4500MHD Integrated Graphics
Fast Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless
Three USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, 5-in-1 Card Reader
12.9" x 9.3" x 1" @ 3.8 lbs.
Vista Home Premium 64-bit

4. Acer Timeline AS3810T-6145 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC
Acer's Timeline laptops are again based on the Intel CULV platform that provides higher levels of performance compare to the Atom processors but still use very little power for long battery life. This version features a Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor that provides it with a good level of performance even if it doesn't quite meet a standard laptop processors capabilities. A large 500GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive and 13.3" WXGA (1366x768) LED Backlit Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam make this Ultraportable PC a good buy!

Specification

Intel Core 2 Suo SU9400 Dual Core Mobile Processor
4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 Memory
500GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
13.3" WXGA (1366x768) LED Backlit Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
Intel GMA 4500MHD Integrated Graphics
Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth
Three USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, 5-in-1 Card Reader
12.7" x 9" x 1.1" @ 3.5 lbs.
Vista Home Premium 64-bit, PowerDVD, McAfee Security Center

5. Sony VAIO VGN-SR420J/B 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC

Sony VAIO VGN-SR420J/B 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC is the best buy for those looking for graphics. The 13.3-inch screen is one of the best on the market with the best overall viewing angles to be found in a laptop screen. Dedicated Graphics Processor, Very Good Display and Wide Variety of Peripheral Ports make Sony VAIO VGN-SR420J/B 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC attractive. One question remains, why Sony adopted DDR 2 memory instead of DDR 3!

Specification

Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 Dual Core Mobile Processor
4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory
320GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
13.3" WXGA (1280x800) LED Backlist Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 Graphics With 512MB Memory
v.92 56Kbps Modem, Fast Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth
Two USB 2.0, FireWire, ExpressCard/34, VGA, HDMI, Memory Stick, SD Card Slot
12.4" x 9.2" x 1.3" @ 4.4 lbs.
Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Works, VAIO Suite, Norton Internet Security

6. Best Business Ultraportable - Lenovo ThinkPad X301

Lenovo ThinkPad X301 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC is considered as the best business ultraportables. Lenovo ThinkPad X301 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC comes with Solid Performance for Such a Small Machine, Modular DVD Burner and Windows XP Professional.

Specification