Ultraportable Laptops: Reviews

Though not as thin and stylish as some competitors, when it comes to sheer performance, critics say few ultraportable laptops can keep pace with the 12.1-inch widescreen Lenovo ThinkPad X200. Most reviewers test the X200… with the optional 2.4 GHz processor (which adds $50 to the base price), and say that when equipped that way, it even gives the best full-size laptops a run for their money. The standard six-cell battery provides decent running times between charges, but the optional nine-cell battery (*est. $30) can provide up to six hours -- albeit with an increase in depth (by 1/2 inch) and weight (to 3.7 pounds). With only integrated graphics capability, game performance is lackluster. And this notebook isn't notably stylish; it's your basic black laptop.

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It's not the thinnest, lightest or least expensive ultraportable laptop, but experts say that the 13.1-inch. 4.6-pound HP Pavilion dv3510nr delivers the most bang for the buck. The dv3510nr is available only at Best Buy,… and is only offered in one configuration -- but that makes buying a much easier process compared to most ultraportable laptops. Even better, the dv3510nr leaves almost no desirable feature behind. The laptop includes 4 GB of memory, a 320 GB hard drive, a DVD burner, a backlit keyboard, a backlit LED screen, a fingerprint reader, a memory card reader, Bluetooth support and lots more. Performance is generally good, and while the discrete Nvidia graphics card won't impress hard-core gamers, it will run most games just fine. Battery life could be longer, but it's not bad overall. A two-year included warranty is another plus.

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Although it's been around for a long time, reports say that the Dell XPS M1330 delivers as much -- or more -- than many competing ultraportable laptops, and at a price that's hard to beat. Performance is excellent, and… the M1330 is packed with extras that either cost more on other ultraportable laptops, or are unavailable altogether. With the stock four-cell battery, the XPS M1330 weighs 4 pounds -- not bad for the price. However, battery life is short (about two hours). The optional nine-cell battery runs longer, but adds a half pound to the weight and a little bit to the thickness. The Dell XPS M1330 comes in three colors. The 13.3-inch widescreen high-definition display is available with an LED backlighting option, which is described as gorgeous.

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While not as seductively styled as some high-end ultraportable laptops (such as the MacBook Air covered in our report on Apple laptops), at just 0.7 inches thick and 3.3 pounds, the matte black Lenovo ThinkPad X301 will… still earn its share of style points. Performance typically beats other ultra-thin ultraportables, though some just slightly thicker ultraportable laptops are faster still. The standard solid-state drives are quicker and more reliable than hard drives, and weigh less, but add considerably to the X301's price. A bay accommodates either a super-thin DVD burner (*est. $225) -- a rarity in an ultrathin ultraportable -- or an extra three-cell battery (*est. $120), or it can be left empty to save weight or money. Battery life is excellent according to most reports.

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A favorite among reviewers, the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet is a convertible laptop with a special 12.1-inch touch screen that can be flipped over to be used as a tablet PC. Experts say that handwriting recognition and… overall usability is first rate. It is also fairly easy to carry around, weighing 3.9 pounds even with an optional eight-cell battery, which most reviewers say provides excellent runtime. Performance is good compared to similar tablet PCs, and even many ultraportable laptops, though it is just a step behind the non-tablet version of the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 in that regard.

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