Ultraportability combined with features is what the mobile professional looks for. These notebooks stand out among others for being lightweight and offering good features.
Lenovo ThinkPad X200 – $1,542
This is one of the best full-featured ultraportable laptops that offer wonderful performance and an unbelievable battery life. It is equipped with the new Centrino 2 processor and is far more powerful than its predecessor, the ThinkPad X61, although the screen is only 12.1 inches. But that doesn’t make this 2.95 pound beauty any less superior.
The screen is bright and easy to read with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and it also has a built-in Webcam, which makes it perfect for execs to work on the move. The keyboard is much bigger and is spill resistant.
It comes with 2GB of RAM, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo P8600 and a 160 GB hard drive. Lenovo has also expanded the battery line and offers three choices, with the most powerful nine-cell model giving almost nine hours.
For people looking for the “best” travel laptop, nothing can beat this Lenovo model.
Sony VGN-Z598U/B – $4,450
Sony has some of the most uniquely designed ultraportable notebooks, with prices starting from $1,499. Here, we are talking about this high-powered multimedia business machine that costs a whooping $4,450. This is for people who can afford to pay for the convenience.
The price of this wide-screened beauty is on the higher side because it comes with a couple of 128GB solid-state drives. It is also fitted with 4GB RAM, a 2.53-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 CPU,, as well as a dedicated G3Force 9300M GS GPU, all in its tiny 12.4 by 1.3 by 8.3 inch frame.
In spite of the heavy configuration, it weighs only 3.3 pounds. The battery life prolongs to a little more than 4 hours when working with the integrated Intel GPU.
It is also preloaded with Microsoft Works, a video editing program, video content exporter and the VAIO Control Center.
Except for the price, this is great for high-flying business people. But $2000 can be slashed off the price tag if one goes for a platter-based hard drive instead of the dual SSDs.
Samsung X360-34P – $2,500
This little machine is sleek looking and provides a clearer picture than most laptops and can attract people easily.
This is great for people who can afford to spend $2500 on an ultraportable machine that comes with a 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U9400 CPU, RAM of 3GB, a speedy 128 GB solid-state drive and weighs only 3.7 pounds. The 13.3 inch screen with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution is bright and easy to view even in direct sunlight. One of most impressive aspects of this laptop is the battery life, which is over 7 hours.
This laptop is travel-ready and comes with a lot of ports, both HDMI and VGA for video, a modem, an Ethernet jack, Bluetooth, three USB ports, a PC Express card slot, a five-in-one flash card reader and the headphone and microphone jacks, and a Webcam. It has a surprisingly loud sound for an ultraportable laptop.
It is a solid travel machine that can be used in the office too.
HP EliteBook 2530p – $2499
Well, this one costs $2499 but it worth every penny, as it comes with a lot of extras that are rare on an ultraportable.
It has a high-end configuration of 1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo SL9400, 80GB solid-state hard drive, RAM of 3GB and weighs 3.8 pounds. It has a 12.1 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel wide-aspect screen, which is bright and glossy while not being reflective.
If looks are important, then do not look beyond this black and silver beauty. Performance is great too with this Windows Vista business machine. It outperforms many laptops in the same genre.
The battery lasts pretty long, almost 7 hours and the EliteBook is equipped with the capability for Wi-Fi wireless, Bluetooth, modem and network jacks, SD Card slot, Firewire port, built-in Webcam, two USB ports and also several business applications.
A light and easily portable machine that can do wonders for a business person.
Acer Timeline 3810T – $799
This ultraportable is Intel powered and is one of the first laptops to use the Intel CULV processor. It fits snugly somewhere in between the netbook and notebook.
This slim and stylish looking laptop comes with a 1.4 GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400, 500GB Hard Drive, 4GB of RAM, and weighs 3.5 pounds.
The battery life is amazing at more than 8 hours, which is the best compared to so many others.
Some of the features include a Wi-Fi connectivity and Acer Backup Manager, HDMI and VGA for video with three USB plugs, RJ-45 ethernet port, Webcam, with a decent sized touchpad. Where software is concerned, beyond Microsoft Office, there is also Microsoft Works, Orion, MyWinLocker for the safety of files and the eSobi news reader among others.
This machine scores high in the looks department and is a great deal at the low price.
With so many ultraportables in the market today, it becomes difficult to find the best ones that offer great performance. Although, most of the laptops in this list are on the expensive side, they are certainly some of the best, for those of you that can afford to pay a higher price for better performance.