If you are a consumer and have been shopping around for a laptop as of late, then you will have come across a range of next-generation Ultra-thin laptops called ‘Ultrabooks’.
An Ultrabook is a name given to a laptop which meets certain Intel specified hardware requirements. These include that machines with the Ultrabook bearing brand name run the latest generation Intel Core processors, feature SSD (solid state drive) storage and USB 3.0 connectivity amongst other things. In essence, Ultrabooks are the most modern and up to date laptops on the current market.
If you are considering an Ultrabook as your next laptop purchase, then, you should know that within the past 3 weeks there have been a few announcements from manufacturers regarding new releases with three of them provoking particular interest from both consumers and industry analysts alike. In this article, we are going to introduce them to you.
The Lenovo Carbon X1
A laptop built from Carbon Fibre? You bet. That’s the name of the game with the Carbon X1, which rocks Intel’s latest Ivy Bridge processors and a 14” 1600 x 900 display. Touted as being perfect for media, this particular laptop is the lightest Ultrabook in the world, weighing in at a respectable 3lbs. What’s more, carbon fibre is also 3 times stronger than aluminium, so endurance in the long run will not be an issue.
Currently, reports on Lenovo Carbon X1 release dates note that in the US it will be available from August 21st. For the UK and Europe, a little bit later is expected.
The Acer Aspire S7 Series
Acer is well known for releases solid laptops, and the S7 series is touted as being the best Ultrabook Acer have ever made. This laptop features an optional touch screen for Windows 8 use, 4GB of RAM and a whopping 128GB SSD. What’s more, a 12-hour battery life is also one of this laptops best selling features, as well as being extremely handsome. This is available in 11.6-inch and 13.2-inch flavours.
The Aspire S7 series is tipped for a release date of September for Europe, the UK and US.
ZaReason Ultralap 430
You will probably have never heard of ZaReason. If you have not, then do not fret; they are a well known (if small) hardware manufacturer, and also a company with a bragging right. The ZaReason Ultralap 430 is the world’s first ever Linux laptop, with numerous open-source operating systems to choose from upon purchase. It has a 14.1-inch display, and Intel Ivy Bridge processors.
The ZaReason Ultralap 430 is available now in the US, from $899.99. Pricing goes up upon upgrading the spec, however.
Overall
Ultrabooks just keep on getting better. In mid-2012, we have seen the unveiling and launches for some truly spectacular machines as noted above, and in 2013 we can expect all Ultrabooks to probably feature a touch screen in order to make full use of Windows 8.
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Guest article written by: Jakk Ogden owns and runs UK Ultrabook News blog Ultrabook-News.co.uk. On top of owning other technology websites, he enjoys nothing more than a swim at the local gym and fresh orange in the morning.
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Guest article written by: Jakk Ogden owns and runs UK Ultrabook News blog Ultrabook-News.co.uk. On top of owning other technology websites, he enjoys nothing more than a swim at the local gym and fresh orange in the morning.
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I definitely want an Ultrabook. I’m very much interested in the Lenovo Carbon X1. I like the fact that its extra light and its got a carbon fiber shell. I just hope it has a good battery life.
The Carbon X1 is a great Ultrabook. There are some good reviews out for it too, check out The Verge they have a great review :).
Drooling! I really want to have one!
I have recently heard about the Intel Ultrabooks. They claim that it has a battery ;life of 7-8 hours and much stronger processing speeds. SI that true? I mean does Intel have launched their own ultrabooks or the ones that you have shown here are the ultrabooks that Intel claims?
That depends on the Ultrabook. Some Ultrabooks quote 8 hours, some quote 5 hours.
Intel do not have their own Ultrabook. They provide the processor, the software and benchmarks. Ultrabooks are made by PC manufacturers.
Wow! They X1 seems to be the winner, I just fell in love with that. But only one question: what about the macbooks? I thought that the air models would fit in the ultrabook category, don’t they?
I Lilla. Actually the Macbook Air was the first Ultrabook! It inspired a lot of the wedge shaped Ultrabooks such as those from Asus today. That’s not to say all Ultraboooks are MBA inspired though, because some of them are very unique (the Vizio Thin + Light for example).
i would like to go for Acer Aspire S7 Series. As it has 12 hours battery life , 4 GB RAM which makes this laptop unique.
Lenevo carbon X1 is surely a beast in ultra books but you should have also given place to dell xps 15..
excellent base
I really like Ultrabooks and I have recently purchased one myself. They are compact and light so ideal to carry around with you, which is perfect for me as I do a lot of travelling. The Acer one appeals to me because of the long battery life.
Cool man, what Ultrabook did you buy?