Top 10 Ultrabooks

1. LG Z330 Super Ultrabook

Rather than a tapered design, the chassis on the 13.3-inch LG Z330 Super Ultrabook is 14.7mm thick from front to back. It runs Windows 7 (for now) and has a bigger brother, the LG Z430, which comes with a 14-inch display. Why is it 'Super'? Because LG says so.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO- http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/lg-z340-there-are-two-models-z330-and.html

2.Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook

 

Packing an Intel Core i5 processor, the Samsung Series 5 Ultra is small but perfectly formed. Available in 14-inch or 13-inch models, the 13 incher is 17.6mm at its fattest point, narrowing to 14mm.

It comes with a 128GB/256GB SSD or a 500GB hard drive and incorporates an LED SuperBright screen. The only worry? Battery life is pegged at around 6.5 hours, which is about 2 hours too short in our book.

 FOR MORE INFO GO TO- http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/samsung-series5-14-and-13-ultrabooks.html

3.Samsung Series 9

 

While the original Series 9 was one of the world's thinnest laptops, the new Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook is even thinner.

The design team has shaved off another 4mm, giving this 13-inch (1600 x 1200) laptop a waistline of only 12.9mm. Inside, a 1.7GHz Core i7 chip does all the hard work, ably assisted by up to 8GB of memory and SSD storage.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO- http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/samsung-series-9-ultrabooks.html

4.HP Folio 13

 

As the moniker suggests, the HP Folio 13 is yet another 13-inch Ultrabook. It's not much of a looker and, at 18mm around the middle, it's not the slimmest Ultrabook at CES.

But HP is claiming a 9-hour battery life for the Folio 13, which will be ideal for regular mobile workers who value staying power over pretty design.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO-  http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/hp-folio-13-ultrabook-review.html

5.HP Envy 14 Spectre

 

The HP Envy 14 Spectre is a little bigger than your average Ultrabook and a little fatter because of it. Intel specifies a sub- 18mm chassis for 13-inch models, but 14-inchers like this can bulk up to 21mm.

With a Core i5 (or i7) processor and 128GB HDD inside, HP claims a 9 hour battery life for the Spectre. And... that's really the only appeal.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO-  http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/hp-envy-14-spectre-reveiled-at-ces-2012.html

6.Dell XPS 13

 

The Dell XPS 13 might be a little late to the Ultrabook party, but it's one of the prettiest portables we've seen.

Amazingly, Dell will squeeze an Intel Core i5 or i7 inside the trim chassis, along with 4GB of memory and a 128/256GB SSD. How thin is it? 6mm at its slimmest point.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO-  http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/dell-xps-13.html

7.Lenovo IdeaPad U310

 

The Lenovo IdeaPad U310 has a distinctly MacBook Pro vibe to it. Packing a 13-inch display, the U310 tips the scales at 1.7kg and is squeezed into an aluminium chassis that's 18mm thick.

A Core i5 chip is expected to provide the processing grunt, with the choice of a 64GB SSD or 500GB hard disk for storage.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO-  http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/lenovo-ideapad-u310-and-u3410.html

8. Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga

 

We're loving the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga. This flexible, foldable Ultrabook also converts into a 16.9mm thick tablet with a 13.1-inch (1600x900 pixel) touchscreen.

Running Windows 8 you get the best of all worlds - a QWERTY keyboard for heavy duty working and a tablet experience for after hours net sessions on the sofa. The downside? It probably won't be cheap.

 FOR MORE INFO GO TO- http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/lenovo-ideapad-yoga.html

 

9.Acer Aspire S5

Thin (15mm) and light (1.35kg), the new Acer Aspire S5 isn't much of a design departure from the older Acer Aspire S3. But it takes advantage of its Ultrabook DNA with a 13.3-inch display, Thunderbolt technology, SSD storage and a fast (but as yet unspecified) Intel CPU. Are we excited? Meh.

 FOR MORE INFO GO TO- http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/acer-aspire-ultrabook.html

10.The Intel Nikiski concept

 

While not technically an Ultrabook, Intel tells us that a Ultrabook version of the oddball Nikiski is on the cards for later this year.

What makes it stand out is the glass touch pad that turns into a touchscreen layer to enable you to browse a slimline view of key information such as new emails.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO-  http://www.technobee.in/2012/01/intel-nikiski-concept.html

 

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Posted in: CES 2012,Dell XPS 13,HP Envy 14 Spectre,HP Folio 13,Lenovo Ideapad Yoga,Lg Z330 Super Ultrabook,Samsung series 5 Ultrabooks,Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook,Ultrabooks

The Intel Nikiski Concept

Use the Nikiski like a laptop, with a see-through glass touch pad that stretches almost the whole width of the base.

Touch it with a finger and it's a trackpad, put your palms down on it to type and the larger base of your hand doesn't register as a touch so you still get a wrist rest.

Close it, turn it over and the touch pad turns into a touchscreen layer to enable you to browse a slimline view of key information such as new emails. Despite the Metro look of the notification tiles in the interface that appears through the bottom of this glass touchpad, the prototype isn't running Windows 8, and the first version will launch this year running Windows 7.

"We're hoping to get the product out sooner and then we'll move to Windows 8," Intel's Peter Adamson told TechRadar. Although he didn't give a release date, to make it worthwhile shipping before Windows 8 comes along, we're expecting to see the first model by spring or early summer.

Some rumours put Intel's next generation Ivy Bridge chips on the market as soon as April or May, although we don't know what processor Nikiski will have.

Not an Ultrabook yet

The white prototype Nikiski device will not be an Ultrabook, according to Adamson. An Ultrabook version, more like the slim black prototype shown at Computex, will follow later in the year.

This first Nikiski will be priced "close to $699."

We spotted USB 3 ports, a memory card slot and an HDMI connector on the sides of the wedge-shaped chassis. Adamson is responsible for the Nikiski app, and was guarded about the final features - currently it shows details from your calendar, email, Facebook news feed and more, with Metro-style notification numbers for new messages since you last looked at the app.

Source: Tech Radar

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Posted in: CES 2012,Intel,Intel Nikiski xoncept,Ultrabooks

Lenovo Ideapad Yoga

But it's not a pie in the sky prototype; the 13.1-inch 1600 x 900 touchscreened Yoga is exactly the kind of machine that Intel's Mooly Eden was shouting about yesterday, taking the Ultrabook to the next level with touch and a convertible design so it can be a tablet when you need it. It's like Microsoft's vision for the Tablet PC from 2002. Only good. It's a reasonably standard Ultrabook weight at 1.47kg, while the device measures an incredible 16.9mm thick. Despite the small dimensions, the hinge feels strong and Lenovo says that is one of the things it thought most about with the design - it has patented the hinge itself. 

The convertible is powered by an as-yet undefined Intel Core processor, but we're dreaming of the possibility it could have a forthcoming Ivy Bridge next-gen chip inside. We do have other spec details though – 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Those kind of figures mean that the Yoga won't be slotting under Intel's Ultrabook target price of $999. Indeed, it'll be considerably more than that. Of course, the key component here isn't the hardware – it's Windows 8, which can be touch-based when the tablet is in viewing or converted mode and a standard laptop when in desktop mode. Lenovo has also thought about other details, too – there's soft touch rubber paint for gripping the device and a leather cover on the palm rest. Side buttons are designed for use in all modes. What's most exciting is that we'll be seeing plenty more devices like this during 2012. We can not wait. 

Source: Tech Radar

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Posted in: Acer ultrabooks at CES 2012,CES 2012,Lenovo Ideapad Yoga,Lenovo Ultrabook

Lenovo Ideapad U310 and U3410

As we revealed in our news on the launch, the IdeaPad U310 and IdeaPad U410 are the first Ultrabooks confirmed to have more "attractive price points" (Lenovo's words) starting at £599. That really does bring Ultrabooks into a more mainstream price point. Here's the IdeaPad U310. As you can see the keyboard and chassis are rather gratuitously Mac-alike, but appears to have the quality we've come to expect from Lenovo. However, these aren't really thin and light notebooks like the already launched IdeaPad U300s. 

The 13-inch U310 is 1.7kg with a thickness of 18mm, while the U410 is 21mm thick and weighs 1.9kg. Here they are atop one another, in a kind of notebook sandwich. The button you can see opens the lid. As you'd expect from an Ultrabook, there'll also be fast resume and up to eight hours of battery life. It's certainly a smart-looking thing, isn't it? It's not clear what processors these new units will pack, but signage on the Lenovo stand we saw indicated that the notebooks would have Core i5 processors. It is possible there may be a Core i3, while the cheaper model will come with a rather paltry 64GB SSD – though a 500GB standard hard drive option will be available in the UK. So our impression of these new models is a little reserved. Lower priced and great-looking they may be, but you get inferior features for that, while they're not proper ultraportables - and when PC World is doing £400 laptops with great specs and not a great deal more weight, we'd question whether they can really impress customers. It looks like a classic case of style over substance, but we'll have to wait for our full Lenovo IdeaPad U Series review to pass a final verdict. 

Source: Tech Radar

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Posted in: CES 2012,Lenovo,Lenovo Ideapad U310,Lenovo Ideapad U3410,Lenovo Ultrabook

HP Envy 14 spectre revealed at CES 2012 Las Vegas: Review

At 14-inches it's slightly bigger than most Ultrabooks making it great for watching movies or viewing pictures, but it features a super-thin bezel, which doesn't add any bulk. The panel itself is a stunningly bright 1,600x900 Super-TFT, making it a better laptop for movie watchers and entertainment lovers, than the Toshiba Portege Z830 and Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Ultrabooks of this world. The HP Spectre measures 20mm thick when closed, which makes it the chunkiest Ultrabook we've seen so far. The limit set by Intel for 13-inch Ultrabooks is 18mm, but as HP has crammed in a 14" panel, they're allowed to build in the 21mm or less category. It won't slip into a bag as nicely as the competition, but it still looks great. As well as being thick, it's also heavy for an Ultrabook, and the HP Spectre weighs 1.7kg, which is svelte in terms of most portables, but with most of its peers weighing 1.3kg, we did notice the step up.

1. 

All of these measurements combine to push the boundaries of what we'd expect an Ultrabook to be (the Toshiba Portege Z830 measures just 15mm and weighs 1.1kg) but there's no denying that the HP Spectre is a superb piece of kit.

We didn't get to run any tests on the HP Envy 14 Spectre, but HP told us they expect a 9 hour battery life. If that bold claim is true, then it could turn this into a real contender.

The Spectre looks sublime, and the black glass lid adds a new level of class, which makes it immediately attractive. It's certainly not an Apple MacBook Air clone like many Ultrabooks, and looks all the better for it in our opinion.

There is a drawback, however, and the black glass isn't just a magnet for fingerprints, it's a Death Star sized tractor beam. Simply examining the sharp, strong edges which define the Spectre were enough to spoil the gleaming look, and have us reaching for a cloth to wipe them away.

Under the hood there's an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and a 128GB hard drive, which is standard for an Ultrabook. Unlike the Asus Zenbook and Acer Aspire S3, there's a full range of connectivity, including 2 USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet and HDMI.

Call us greedy, but while it feels like one of the most solid and highest quality Ultrabooks we've seen so far, we can't help feeling a little short changed.

The increased size should pay off with a larger hard drive, more RAM, or even a more powerful graphics option. With Samsung doing just that on their new 530U Ultrabook, it looks like the HP might have a problem on its hands. While the look and feel is certainly premium, so is the price. HP is asking a whopping 1,299 Euros for the entry level Intel Core i5 model, so don't expect the Envy Spectre to compete on price. UK pricing is still to be confirmed.

Source: Tech Radar

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Posted in: CES 2012,HP Ultrabook,Ultrabook of HP at CES 2012

Samsung series 9 ultrabooks unveiled at CES 2012 Las Vegas

The original Series 9 was one of the world's thinnest laptops, but Samsung has managed to shave another 4mm from its size-zero body, and the updated 13" model measures just 12.9mm when closed.

The 15" version measures just 15mm, and one certainly gets the impression that Samsung wants to prove a point to the Ultrabook crowd. Duralumin, the tough alloy used on the original model, has been axed - possibly because it was prone to scratches - and replaced by standard aluminium, which feels much more resilient, and should stand up to contact with other items in your bag.

Inside is a 1.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor, and up to 8GB of RAM, and an SSD hard drive, which really makes a difference in boot times. Samsung boasts that the Series 9 can resume from sleep in just 2 seconds, and when we got hands-on, this claim certainly doesn't seem wide of the mark.

In a surprise move, Samsung has opted for an 1600x1200 matte screen on the Series 9, and there's no option for a glossier, more vibrant Super-TFT option.

For a portable laptop, it makes sense to include a matte panel, to stop annoying reflections when working in direct sunlight, however, this updated model feels more about style than business. The detail is fantastic, the screen bright, but it does lack vibrancy in colour and contrast, which may put off media lovers.

Source: Tech Radar

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Posted in: CES 2012,Samsung series 9 Ultrabooks,Samsung Ultrabooks

Samsung series 5 14" and 13" ultrabooks unveiled at CES 2012

Powered by an Intel Core i5 procesor, the Series 5 differentiates itself from many of the other Ultrabooks on offer at the show by packing beefed-up graphics in the form of an AMD Radeon HD chip inside the bigger 14-inch model. It also has something called an 'optical disc drive' – we're pretty scared that disc storage seems like such an outdated concept. The Series 5 is available in a 13-inch too – it's interesting that the sizes aren't more different - but both size variants have the Intel Core i5-2467M processor and up to 8GB of memory. The 300nit HD LED SuperBright screen is lovely and bright, and is anti-glare, though this didn't seem to help on the show floor at CES. The 300nit HD LED SuperBright screen is lovely and bright, and is anti-glare, though this didn't seem to help on the show floor at CES.

So let's talk about the 13-inch model. It's between 14 to 17.6mm thick and weighs a measly 1.38kg – a fairly standard Ultrabook weight.

As is generally the case with Samsung laptops, the keyboard seems great, while the trackpad buttons are definite and well designed.

As well a 128GB SSD or 258GB SSD, there is also an option to go for higher capacity by using a standard hard drive – up to 500GB. Samsung says the 14-inch can be configured with up to 1TB of storage – an incredible amount.

However, this creates a problem – SSD storage is fast. So the Series 5 includes a tech to boost the speed of the standard drive - ExpressCache by Diskeeper. This uses a small 16GB iSSD to speed up the system. Samsung cites a 20 second boot time and 2 second resume from standby, which is only a little slower than many other Ultrabooks featuring SSDs. The only area the Series 5 13 disappoints in is battery life – Samsung cites 6.4 hours. This pales in comparison to the 8-9 hours promised by many other Ultrabooks. The 13" model also has a full-size HDMI port along with one USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, a 4-in-1 multi SD card slot, an Ethernet connection and webcam. The 14" model offers full-size HDMI, VGA, two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, a 4-in-1 multi SD card slot, Ethernet and built-in webcam. It's 20.9mm thick and weighs 1.84kg.

Source: Tech Radar

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Posted in: CES 2012,Samsung series 5 Ultrabooks,Samsung Ultrabooks

LG Z340 and LG Z330 super ultrabooks reveiled by LG at CES 2012

LG Z340

There are two models, the Z330 and the Z430 and as you can see the chassis of this model looks very nice indeed – what's more, they're among the slimmest and lightest Ultrabooks on show. The 13-inch Z330 is the model shown here. LG has gone for the top of the pile with these models (and therefore they will be highly priced) and features the top-line Core i7 processor.  As with many other Ultrabooks, LG says it has managed to get the 13-inch display into a compact 12-inch chassis. Rather than being tapered at one end, the Z330 is 14.7mm thick across the whole chassis – gven that many Ultrabooks are 17-18mm thick, the Z330 really appeals. It's also among the lightest Ultrabooks around 1t 1.21kg. We also really liked the keyboard on the model we saw, although the trackpad was a bit slippy for our liking. As you can see, the 13-inch model pictured here has HDMI out and three USB ports - you only get two and a mini HDMI with a lot of the tapered Ultrabooks. There's a drop down bit for the Ethernet port and one USB 3.0 port.

 LG Z330

According to LG, the Z330 requires less than 10 seconds to complete booting and has a latest-class SATA3 SSD, too. The 14-inch Z430 weighs 1.5kg and is equipped with SSD and HDD, meaning storage capacities of up to 500GB. This is similar to the Series 5 from LG's great rival Samsung. But unlike that model, it's not clear if the Z430 can be bought with just SSD, or whether it comes with the two drives as a default. 

Source: Tech Radar

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Posted in: CES 2012,Lg Z330 Super Ultrabook,LG Z340 Super Ultrabook,Ultrabooks of LG at CES 2012