1. Apple MacBook Air 13in
Price: $1,505
Website: apple.com/in
Ratings: 5/5
Apple
MacBook Air 13in
If you're an Apple fan, deciding which
MacBook to buy just got a lot harder, The 2011 Air has long been our No.1, and
the 2012 models now have new Intel Core i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge processors,
improved Intel HD 4000 graphics and two USB3.0 ports. So the best just got
better - simple. Except it's not that simple, because the new MacBook Pro with
Retina Display (below) is now more portable and more powerful than any previous
Pro. It's also loads more expensive, though, and while our hearts might say
‘Pro', our minds (and bank managers) are saying ‘Air'. That's why it keeps the
coveted top spot. Just.
Killer feature
It might be more powerful than ever, but
it's also silent
Verdict
Tiny it may be, but the stunning new
MacBook Air, paired with Mac OS X Lion, won't shirk big jobs.
2. Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Price: from $2,810
Ratings: 5/5
Apple
MacBook Pro with Retina Display
It’s the most powerful MacBook ever, the
most portable MacBook Pro ever, and it’s got the best screen of any laptop
ever. Simply put, this is the best laptop (ever). So why not the top spot? Because
it’s also rather pricey and in real life we’d have to go for the Air.
3. Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
Price: $1,248
Ratings: 5/5
Lenovo
IdeaPad U300s
At just 15mm, this 1.6GHz Core i5 aluminum
beauty is right there among the very thinnest ultrabooks. A perfect compromise
between power and size gives a clear 1366x768 display, 4GB memory and 128GB SSD
for well under 70K.
4. Asus Zenbook UX31
Price: $1,654
Ratings: 5/5
Asus
Zenbook UX31
All-metal design, a hi-res 13.3in screen
and dual-core Core i7 innards: Asus' Ultrabook has brains and beauty; enough of
both, in fact, to make it the most covetable Windows laptop in the world. The
Ivy Bridge-powered UX31A, launching soon, may be better still.
5. Dell XPS 13
Price: from $1,487
Ratings: 5/5
Dell
XPS 13
The XPS 13 forges its own path through the
Air-aping Ultrabook masses, with a metal lid, carbon-fiber base and rubberized
backlit keyboard. Just as importantly, it's kitted out with a 256GB SSD, 1.7GHz
Core i7 processor, 8hr battery life and excellent keyboard.
6. HP Envy 14 Spectre
Price: $1,838
Ratings: 5/5
HP
Envy 14 Spectre
The stunning 14in Spectre stands out from
the aluminum-clad Ultrabook crowd with a glass back, trackpad and wrist rest.
Yes, that adds a few grams to its frame, but it's a price worth paying. Check
out our review of the Ivy Bridge-packing Spectre XT soon.
7. Asus Eee Pad Slider
Price: $680
Ratings: 5/5
Asus
Eee Pad Slider
Replacing the Eee Pad Transformer on this
page (you'll still find it in tablets), the Slider is another Android ‘tablet',
this time with a non-detachable (but still excellent) keyboard that glides out
from beneath the touchscreen. Sturdier even than it looks
8. Samsung 900X3C
Price: $1,893
Ratings: 5/5
Samsung
900X3C
Cramming a 13in screen into a 12.9mm slim
body is impressive, and the finished product is one sharp ultrabook. With a 7hr
battery, a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor and 256GB SSD, it's an impressive, if
pricey, Air alternative.
9. Alienware M17x
Price: $2,993
Ratings: 4/5
Alienware
M17x
At 4.26kg the M17x is only really portable
in theory, but it’s carrying the good kind of weight - the kind that includes
Radeon HD7970M graphics, an Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge chip, and a precise 17in
1080p screen. The kind of weight that crushes modern games
10. Acer Aspire S3
Price: $988
Ratings: 4/5
Acer
Aspire S3
There's no denying Acer's first Ultrabook,
the 13.3in Aspire S3, is invading the MacBook Air’s territory, but holds ground
with a second-gen Intel Core i5, and 500GB HDD/ SSD hybrid drives. The Air is
pricier but has a sharper screen and better build,
Instant expert
Ultra Hooked
Sure, laptops today are thin enough to
slide into your backpack, with room to spare, but their clingy charger compatriots
are still huge and heavy hang-ons. But wait - 100W USB to the rescue! The port
party that never stops over at the USB Promoter Group (usb.org) has proposed a
new standard for USB, capable of carrying 100W of electricity. This
high-powered version of the cables will deliver enough raw power for an
external screen, camera, or hard drive to run off your laptop without the need
for another power supply. It'll also mean that your laptop itself will be
powered by the same charger that juices your phone. All of which means we could
finally be saying goodbye to pesky power bricks.
USB cables will deliver enough juice to run
an external screen.
What to look for
1. Connections
You can't have too many USB ports, and
ideally one of them should be USB 3.0. Insist on HDMI, and view VGA as a useful
back-up. FireWire, Thunderbolt (Intel's new 10Gbps superfast I/O) and eSATA
will expand your power-user options.
2. Interface
Keyboards and track-pads are often taken
for granted, but their quality and design really matters. Some keyboards play
rotten tricks by swapping critical keys round or omitting others altogether. If
possible get hands-on with the device before buying.
3. Operating system
If you're already on board with Mac OS it's
unlikely you'll entertain the idea of switching to the more complex (but also
more customizable) Windows. However, Apple doesn't do cheap laptops, so if your
budget is tight it'll be Windows 7 for you then. Google's browser-based Chrome
OS arrives soon.
