Top 5 Best Ultrabooks Of Year 2012
First we witnessed desktop computers, then laptops and now Ultrabooks. In year 2011, Intel announced the Ultrabook concept. Suddenly everything else became old fashioned.
Ultra-sleek yet ultra-responsive is the mantra. In all 75 Ultrabook models are expected to sum up for 2012. But you will only be interested in the best, and here you go.
Dell Inspiron 14z
Specifications
| Price | $599.99 (Dell price) |
| Processor | 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U |
| Memory | 8GB,1,333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard Drive | 500GB 5,400rpm/32 GB SSD |
| Graphics | AMD 7570M/Intel HD 4000 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium(64-bit) |
| Width | 13.7 X 9.5 inches |
| Height | 0.8 inch |
| Display(diagonal) | 14 inches |
| Weight without / with adapter | 4.1 pounds/ 5.1 pounds |
The Plus: You get new slim design with Intel Core i5 CPU and discrete AMD graphics, everything at decent price.
The Minus: You will not get a full day backup as far as battery is concerned. Weight is bit more for an Ultrabook.
Overall: It is a good mix of price, design and performance with 14-inch display.
Acer Aspire S3
Specifications
| Price | $648 (starting price) |
| Processor | Dual-core, Intel Core i7-2637M, i5-2467M, i3-2370M |
| Memory | 4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard Drive | 20GB SSD + 320GB 5,400rpm |
| Graphics | Intel HD 3000 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium(64-bit) |
| Width | 320 X 216 mm |
| Height | 17 mm |
| Display(diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| Weight | 2.98 pounds |
The Plus: SSD cache provide instant resume. Give choice of CPU strength (i7, i5 or i3)
The Minus: Battery life (claimed 7 hours) is not competitive. Arrow keys are small and number of ports is less.
Overall: With its hybrid drive provides cheap but more storage. Performance is average but very affordable.
Acer Aspire S5
Specifications
| Price | $1399.99 |
| Processor | 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U |
| Memory | 4GB, 1333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard Drive | 256GB SSD (128GB x2, RAID 0) |
| Graphics | Intel HD4000 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Width | 9.8 x 2.6 inches |
| Height | 0.43-0.59 inches |
| Display(diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| Weight without / with adapter | 2.6/3.3 pounds |
The Plus: It is remarkably thin and light with awesome port selection. Performance is good. Thunderbolt port adds the speed.
The Minus: MagicFlip button can be a potential issue in case of breakdown. Keyboard is not backlit and battery life could be more.
Overall: It is quite thin and is ambitious Ultrabook. It is a good choice if few flaws and high price is taken care of.
Dell XPS 13
Specifications
| Price | $999.99 (Dell Price) |
| Processor | 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M |
| Memory | 4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard Drive | 128GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel HD3000 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Width | 12.4×8.1 inches |
| Height | 0.24-0.71 inch |
| Display(diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| Weight without / with adapter | 3 pounds / 3.6 pounds |
The Plus: Sleek design is sophisticated with reasonable price. Carbon fibre base is used to spread the heat and keep components cool.
The Minus: Limited port selection. Battery life is another concern. Fan is bit loud.
Overall: It has gorgeous design; quick start-up, lovely touchpad and backlit keyboard make it a great choice.
Samsung series 9 (NP900X3A)
Specifications
| Price | $1,649 |
| Processor | 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-2537M |
| Memory | 4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 RAM |
| Hard Drive | 128GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel HD 3000 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) |
| Width | 12.9 x 8.9 inches |
| Height | 0.62-0.64 inches |
| Display(diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| Weight without / with adapter | 2.9 / 3.3 pounds |
The Plus: It is thin and stylish with an excellent display. Ultra-light weight and has an LED screen that is vivid from any angle marks the difference.
The Minus: Short battery lifespan and a keyboard that doesn’t light up very bright. Cost is bit high.
Overall: Though bit expensive, it is light weight, well featured and closest to Apple MacBook.
Apple MacBook Air
Specifications
| Price | $ 999 (11 inch display), $1,199( 13 inch display) |
| Processor | 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 ULV (third-gen) |
| Memory | 4GB, 1,600MHz DDR3 |
| Hard Drive | 128GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel HD 4000 |
| Operating System | OS X Lion 10.7.4 |
| Width | 12.7×8.9 inches |
| Height | 0.11-0.68 inch |
| Display(diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| Weight without / with adapter | 2.98 pounds / 3.68 pounds |
The Plus: It has fantabulous screen equipped with strong graphics which allow it to run videos almost flawlessly. Better battery life. It provides 3 USB ports.
The Minus: There is no Ethernet port and the SSD storage option is lesser than the standards.
Overall: Though it has less memory, the lowered prices will attract many buyers.
Well, all models will provide the basic DNA (A low-voltage CPU with integrated graphics) of an Ultrabook but what suits you most depends on individual requirements. Spend some time in research now and reap the benefits later.
