The MacBook Air has just been upgraded with
Intel Ivy Bridge innards – can it beat the new wave of Ultrabooks?
Acer Aspire S5
Price: $ 1,559
Hidden
secrets
The
Acer’s best feature is the motorized flap running along its bottom that wedges
up to reveal USB and HDMI ports. It’s no gimmick, either – the extra angle it
gives the keyboard is great for typing.
Star qualities
At just 15mm thick, Acer’s second Ultrabook
is wafer-thin. At just 1.2kg it’s also wafer-light. Two 128GB SSDs work
together, giving extra space and near-instant sleep recovery, and it’s the
first Windows Ultrabook with a high-speed Thunderbolt port too.
Style or substance?
That dual-core Ivy Bridge processor has
plenty of poker for Windows, and is capable of overclocking itself by almost a
full GHz when it needs the extra performance. There are a few issues though:
the CPU fan never shuts up and the screen has decent enough colors, but viewing
angles are so tight that brightness tends to fade at the edges of the display.
Battery life is limited – don’t expect more than five hours on a good day.
Ultimately the S5 is a likeable laptop, but competition at this price point is
a little too high for what delivers.
Stuff says 3/5
Just being thin isn’t enough – the Acer’s
CPU fan and screen let it down.
Tech
13.3in (1366 x 768) ▪ Intel Core i5 @1.7GHz
▪ 4GB Ram ▪ 256GB SSD ▪ USB3.0 (x2), Thunderbolt, DHMI, SDXC ▪ 324 x 227 x
15mm, 1.2Kg
Apple MacBook Air
Price: $1,949 (256GB version)
Panel
beater
The
MacBook Air is the lowest specced of Apple’s laptops. The TN screen is bright,
but faintly washed-out compared to the IPS panel on a 13in Pro (or the 15in
Retina Pro). It’s still the best on test though
Star qualities
Outwardly the Air has hardly changed since
its release. But on the inside, it’s rocking Ivy Bridge for better graphics and
performance, with a far more practical 256GB SSD. With all these spec boosts,
the Air might just be the ultimate all-rounder.
Style or substance?
Other Ultrabooks may be lighter, but with
its satin finish and impeccable build quality, the Air is still the classiest
out there. Despite its processing prowess, it’s absolutely silent – even under
load – has a six-hour battery life, responsive keyboard and none of the heating
problems that plagued earlier Airs. But it isn’t cheap, especially if you want
more hard drive space or a faster processor. For now, the extra cost is
defensible, but with more pretenders to the skinny laptop throne on the way,
price could ultimately become its Achilles’ heel.
Stuff says 5/5
The Air hangs on to its position as the
lightweight laptop to beat – for now.
Tech
13.3in (1440 x 900) ▪ Intel Core i5 @1.8GHz
▪ 4GB Ram ▪ 256GB SSD ▪ USB3.0 (x2), Thunderbolt, SDXC ▪ 325 x 227 x 17mm,
1.35Kg
Samsung 900X4C
$2,026.9
Typing
terror
Of
all the notebooks here, the Samsung is the hardest to type on. Its keyboard
sits flat and low, and the keys have barely any travel. It’s not overly
susceptible to mishits, though, so you will get used to it over time
Star qualities
The 14.9mm Series 9 laptop beats its rivals
for height, and it’s almost as light as they are too – impressive given its
larger 15in screen. It’s a more conservative design than those of previous
Samsung Ultrabooks, but it’s certainly no worse off for it.
Style or substance?
A 15in screen is useful, but the Samsung’s
1600 x 900 res is the bare minimum you can get away with on it. A little more
contrast wouldn’t have gone amiss either. Battery lasts for seven hours easily,
while a special ‘silent’ mode locks the CPU to 522MHz to minimize fan use. Even
with this mode off, the Samsung never made a peep. But for the cash, we’d still
rather have an Air, as its finish and compact size make it more companionable.
Then again, if you find 13in screens eye-straining, the Samsung is a viable
option.
Stuff says 4/5
Too expensive – but with a better screen
it’d be a MacBook killer.
Tech
15in (1600 x 900) ▪ Intel Core i7 @1.9GHz ▪
8GB Ram ▪ 256GB SSD ▪ USB3.0 (x2), USB 2.0, Micro HDMI, SDXC ▪ 357 x 237 x
14,9mm, 1.65Kg
What is Ivy Bridge?
It’s a nice, natural sounding name for some
unnaturally powerful new processors. The 22nm chip architecture they’re built
around makes them mightier and more energy-frugal than ever before, while their
built-in HD 4000 graphics have sufficient power for video editing and decent
gaming.
Now add these
MSI GUS II
Price: $ tba (due soon)
Thunderbolt is great because you can
upgrade your laptop with a gaming grade external graphics card such as this one
from MSI. Sadly it’s not out for a few months.
Twelve South BookBook
Price: $80
“A novel way to cover a MacBook” they quip,
but if we shelve the terrible puns – ahem – this hardback case should make an
excellent tough leather protector for your Air
Windows 8 beta
Price: $ free
Only a few months to go until Win 8 comes
out, but until then you can try the beta for free. The 900X4C lacks a
touchscreen for Metro, but you’ll still get improved battery life.
