Current location: Home Laptop Buying Guide Ultraportable Laptop Buying Guide

Ultraportable Laptop Buying Guide

Notebooks come in a few different size categories and the smallest and most portable ones are nice little things with the suiting name "Ultraportables" - usually between 12" and 13" in size and very light weight. As with all technological gadgets there are a few things you should know before making a purchase. Take a look at this guide and make sure that you get what you're paying for.

Recommended Ultraportable Laptops

Portability

Obviously, an ultraportable laptop is bought for a purpose - you want to be able to take it with you wherever you go, and as they're the smallest on the market this won't be a problem. The most common screen size for an ultraportable is 12" but sometimes they also come with smaller or slightly larger 13" screens. So, if you purchase an ultraportable you won't have any problems working on the move or if you're just slacking around in your apartment. Remember, that they're easy to connect with an external screen if you're at home. And oh… Did we mention that they're supposed to be very light-weight as well? Well, they are.

Speed

It's important to know that notebooks in general are often slightly slower than a desktop PC with similar components, and ultraportables more so than others. Hard drives, motherboards and slower CPUs are all responsible for the downgrade in speed. However, this won't this affect your work considerably, depending on what you will do with your ultraportable laptop of course. If you're mainly going to work with the Office suite you won't notice this at all.

Battery Life

As you probably will be working with your ultra portable laptop in places where you can't plug it into a socket its battery life is vital. You want something that combines long battery life and a petite size. What you can, and should, demand is something that gets you through an entire work day. It's often possible to get a larger battery when you purchase an ultraportable and yes - they will improve the life of your battery but they'll also add some weight to the notebook.

Pricing

The price tag on a good ultraportable laptop varies quite a lot, depending on what you require from it, and it could end up costing you anything from $1000 to $2500. If you think this is too much you might want to take a look at "netbooks". They're in the same weight category but have smaller screens, and cost between $400 and $600 - obviously you'll lose many of the features that come with a full-featured ultraportable, but if you need both portability and affordability, have a look at netbooks.

Recommended:

  1. Review by

    - image

    If you were groaning when Apple discontinued their portable iBook line you may be pleased to know that the thin and light Macbook Air is now on the market. It's svelte aluminium chassis weighs around 3 pounds. Read more

  2. Review by

    - image

    A healthy refresh to the previous generation X61 series, the Thinkpad X200 is the business professionals dream for mobile computing. Read more

  3. Review by

    - image

    The Lenovo IdeaPad U110 is well rounded ultraportable laptop that not only looks good but packs enough power to handle every business related project. However, you may have to forgive some of the ruggedness found in the ThinkPad line for looks. Read more

  4. Review by

    - image

    The VAIO Z series is one of Sony's premium ultraportable series, and is priced accordingly. Like most VAIOs it comes with a little extra, such as a high-resolution 'X-BRITE' LED-lit screen, a Blu-Ray player and dedicated graphics. Read more

  5. Review by

    - image

    Although it looks completely different (apart from its measures,) the Lenovo X300 is a direct competitor to the MacBook Air; it's a 13.3" super-slim, business oriented laptop that fits into a standard size interoffice envelope. Read more

Newsletter Sign-Up

Most Popular Laptops & Gear

  • 1. Pavilion Dv6-2150us Notebook

    Pavilion Dv6-2150us Notebook

  • 2. Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook - Customizable

    Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook - Cu

  • 3. MacBook Notebook

    MacBook Notebook

  • 1. EOS Rebel XSi Black SLR Digital Camera Kit

    EOS Rebel XSi Black SLR Digita

  • 2. EOS Rebel T1i Black SLR Digital Camera Kit w/...

    EOS Rebel T1i Black SLR Digit

  • 3. D90 Black SLR Digital Camera Kit

    D90 Black SLR Digital Camera K

  • 1. iPod Touch 8GB Black MP3 Player

    iPod Touch 8GB Black MP3 Playe

  • 2. iPod Touch 64GB Black MP3 Player

    iPod Touch 64GB Black MP3 Play

  • 3. iPod Touch 32GB Black MP3 Player

    iPod Touch 32GB Black MP3 Play

  • 1. UN55B8000 55" LED TV

    UN55B8000 55" LED TV

  • 2. 42LH30 42" LCD TV

    42LH30 42" LCD TV

  • 3. EOS Rebel XSi Black SLR Digital Camera Kit

    EOS Rebel XSi Black SLR Digita

Powered by
PriceGrabber.com

Reviews & News by brand

Latest Updates

  • ASUS Eee PC 1000HE

    The Eee PC has a slightly faster Atom processor and a faster FSB compared to the previous models. While this is not enough for anyone to upgrade, it could certainly attract first-time netbook buyers. Read More

  • Dell Vostro A860

    When price and performance must share in compromise, few laptops on the market readily answer the call of duty. When it comes to getting high quality at an affordable price, the Dell Vostro A860... Read More

  • Dell Mini 9

    By now Dell has a full range of netbooks in sizes 9", 10", and oddly a 12" model, of which we’re looking at the smallest 9-incher here. Read More

More Reviews

More Top Lists

  • Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2009

    Yet again, Apple's professional geeks will offer up sessions and hands-on code probing and testing at Moscone West in San Francisco. The dates for 2009 are June 8-12. Read More

  • E3 Expo

    The E3 Expo - also known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo - is the one trade show to visit to get the latest news from the computer and video games industry. Read More

  • CeBIT - Hannover 3-8 March

    Unlike CES, CeBIT is open to the public, so there's no need to be a press or industry affiliate to have a look at this massive trade show, which is the largest in the world. Read More

  • International CES 2009

    Find out all you need to know about the 2009 International CES. It features 2,700 exhibitors, including companies who manufacture products or provide services for the audio, digital imaging, home... Read More

  • Mac World Conference

    Make sure to make a note about the Macworld Expo at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, January 5-9. If you're a Mac user and wish to meet equivalent people in the industry this is the place for you. Read More

More Events

More Apple

More Linux

More Microsoft

Editor's Choice

  • Weird, Extraordinary and Record-Breaking Laptops

    Here are the laptops that break one record or another, be it oldest, ugliest, cheapest or just very out of the ordinary. Read More

  • Top 10 Technologies of 2008

    Laptopical's T.J. Aaron summarizes the breakthroughs in technology of 2008. As we are nearing the end of 2008 - find out what made his Top 10 of the most successful and talked about technologies of... Read More

  • Top 10 Netbooks

    The netbook world has gotten increasingly crowded, and until the massive popularity of the form factor wanes this trend will only increase. Beyond Asus and Acer, major corporations like Dell, HP... Read More

Latest Laptopical.com tweets

  •  

Follow Laptopical.com on Twitter