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A buyer's guide to laptops -- from mighty mites to mobile monsters
May 13, 2009 12:00 PM ET
Laptop categories
- Ultramobile PC
Extremely small and light - Netbook
Small, light and cheap - Ultraslim
Sleek status symbol - Thin and light
A bit more power, slightly larger - Tablet
A notebook you can scribble on - Rugged
Built for abuse - Budget
Affordable and ordinary - Mainstream
Solid, dependable, widely used - Entertainment
TV and multimedia machine - Power gaming
Impressive speed and graphics - Mobile workstation
The ultimate power tool
Ultraslim
It's funny, but ultraslim notebooks are defined more by what they do without than by what is included. To thin the machines down to their positively anorexic profiles, some notebook designers have cut out as much bone and muscle as fat, potentially reducing the system's usefulness on the road.
Still, because of their razor-thin profiles, these are the executive status symbols of our time. When you're carrying a beauty like the Apple MacBook Air, the Dell Adamo, or the Lenovo ThinkPad X301, those making due with a lesser model can only look up with PC envy.
Rather than the tiny screens and cramped keyboards offered by UMPCs and netbooks, this class delivers grown-up displays of 12.1 to 13.4 inches and full-size (or close to it) keyboards. With low-voltage processors, which consume less energy than most CPUs, they have just enough power for most everyday tasks. This type of machine is really meant for reviewing the work of others, doing some Web work, pounding out hundreds of e-mails a day and occasionally giving a presentation.
The Apple MacBook Air. Click to view larger image.
With jaw-dropping looks and the fastest processor in its class, the MacBook Air is the notebook to beat in this category. But it offers less than meets the eye because some of its parts -- like its battery and hard drive -- can't be easily upgraded or swapped. Plus, it lacks an optical drive and has just one USB port, and connecting to a wired network or an external monitor (other than Apple's own monitors that support the Mini DisplayPort connector) requires an adapter. This makes it less than road-ready.
Rather than a hard drive, ultraslims can be outfitted with a 32, 64, or 128GB SSD for saving files; models with a 256GB SSD should be available later this year. This solid state storage is much less fragile than a hard drive and can increase an ultraslim system's performance, but it can also add $800 or more to the system's already pricey bottom line.
Ultraslims at a glance
Target audience: Made for executives on the go, these systems are as thin as notebooks get these days.
The Dell Adamo. Click to view larger image.
Pros: Thin is in with this class of system, which easily slips into and out of a bag.
Cons: No DVD drive on some; limited ports, storage space and RAM upgradeability may reduce their useful life; and they can be very expensive.
Typical size / weight: 12.5 x 9 x 1 in. / 3 lbs.
Screen size: 12.1 to 13.4 in.
CPU / RAM: 1.2 to 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 1 to 4GB
Storage: 120GB HDD or 64 to 128GB SSD
Ports and connections: 1 to 2 USB ports; VGA, DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort; audio; sometimes Ethernet; some require an adapter for Ethernet or VGA
Price range: $1,600 to $2,700
Examples: Apple MacBook Air, Dell Adamo, Lenovo ThinkPad X301
Buying tips: An external DVD is a natural add-on for a super-slim system that lacks an internal one.
buyer's guide
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