Are you looking to purcahse a good ultraportable
laptop? An ultraportable laptop is extremely lightweight and portable,
making it a very suitable device for the road warrior.
Now, I'm sure you know that it can be hard to
make a purchase decision, with so many models to choose from!
Not to worry, this article is meant to
provide you with more information on ultraportables, along with some of the
best models out there.
1. What Are Ultraportable Laptops?
Before we begin, let's first take a look at what exactly constitutes an ultraportable
laptop. Well, quite simply put, an ultraportable laptop is the smallest type of
laptop design available in the market. Most of these laptop models weigh less
than four pounds and are less than an inch thick. Some of the models sacrifice
certain features (e.g. a built-in DVD drive) to save on weight.
2.
Who Are They For?
Ultraportable laptops are designed specifically for road warriors. Road warriors
refer to mobile office workers who are traveling constantly. They usually need
just enough computing power with them wherever they are, be it in the hotel
room, Starbucks or the airport lounge.
3. What to Expect
What can you expect from a typical ultraportable laptop? Well, here is a list of
things to expect:
Fast-Enough Performance. An
ultraportable doesn't really need a top-of-the-line CPU. Most of the
ultraportable laptops come with processors that range from 1 GHz to 1.8 GHz. You
can expect to find around 512MB to 1 GB of RAM.
Small Displays. Again, with an ultraportable laptop, there is a need to save
space. Hence, they typically come with small screens that are a bonus for commuters who don’t have
much workspace. You will expect these laptops to come with
displays ranging from 10.6 to 13.3 inches.
Lack of Optical Drives. One thing to note about ultraportables is that some of the models leave out the
built-in DVD burner to save on weight (the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 comes to mind).
This is a plus for those who don't need to access DVDs very often. By omitting a
built-in DVD burner, you can end up with a super light laptop that weighs less
than two pounds.
Great Battery Life.
This point is important - ultraportable laptops are one of the most energy
efficient on the market. This is because they don’t expend a lot of energy -
usually only simple applications like word processors or email are used (unlike
in gaming laptops where heavy 3D games and applications are routinely accessed).
4. The Best
Ultraportable Laptops
The following lists three of the best
ultraportable laptops available in the market right now. I highly recommend them
if you're looking to purchase a unit right now.
Lenovo ThinkPad X61s The first ultraportable laptop that comes to my mind is the
Lenovo ThinkPad X61s. It weighs about 3 pounds and is very thin as well.
You will find that the laptop has a solid chassis and awesome computing power.
The machine comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 100 GB
hard drive, and is equipped with Windows Vista Business.
Fujitsu LifeBook P7320
The Fujitsu LifeBook P7320
is the second ultraportable we will look at here. This is one of the sleekest
and lightest laptops around and it still manages to incorporate a built-in DVD
burner. It comes with an Intel Core Solo processor, 1GB of RAM and a modest 60GB
hard drive. The small 10.6 inch make pose a problem to some folk - but otherwise
this is a very good laptop.
Toshiba Portege R500-S5001X
The final ultraportable we will look at is the Toshiba Portege R500-S5001X.
This baby weighs in at 2.4 pounds and is less than an inch
thick. The amazing thing is that it manages to squeeze in a DVD burner and a
12.1 inch display.
It comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of RAM and a
pretty big 120GB hard drive. It comes equipped with the older Windows XP
Professional though. On the whole, the Toshiba Portege R500-S5001X is a great
buy and is highly recommended.
Well, I hope this article has shown what an
ultraportable laptop is and what are some of the better models out there in the
market. If you are looking to buy an ultraportable laptop, good for you! My
personal laptop is also an ultraportable (the Lenovo ThinkPad X61s, to be
exact). You'll do well to remember the information in this article the next time you're
shopping. Until next time, good luck and happy shopping!
Searching For Good Laptop Advice?
If
you've been searching for comprehensive advice about laptops, you might want to
check out my new ebook:
This ebook package contains
excellent tips for topics like buying and using a laptop, preventing laptop
theft, extending battery life, laptop ergonomics and much more.
Related Articles
You may also wish to read the following related articles:
Searching For Good Laptop Advice?
