Most Stylish Laptops

High style, high-priced ultraportable laptops

Although the laptops in the preceding section deliver good performance and great portability, they don't have the super-thin profile of stylish ultraportable laptops such as the MacBook Air and Dell Adamo. If appearance is an important buying consideration, we've identified several contenders that do a good job delivering beauty and brains, but they cost a lot more than notebook computers that squarely focus on functionality like the plain-Jane Lenovo X200 discussed earlier.

Seen head-on, the matte black Lenovo ThinkPad X301 (Starting at $1,875) might seem dull compared to the sleek, aluminum-cased MacBook Air and Dell Adamo (both discussed in the Introduction of this report). However, with a thickness of just over 0.7 inches at its thinnest spots and a weight that ranges between 3 and 3.5 pounds (depending on the configuration), the 13.3-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X301 cuts just as captivating a figure. Even more alluring is that critics say the X301's performance is first rate. Cost, of course, is the fly in the ointment, but that has come down a bit since most reviews were written.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X301 builds upon its successor, the X300, by upgrading the computational heart to Intel's latest ultra-low-voltage chipset and Core 2 Duo processor. That processor still drags behind full-voltage options found in some slightly larger laptops, but, combined with upgraded memory, it gives the X301 a notable boost in performance according to benchmark testing by CNET, PCMag.com, Laptop Magazine and others -- though perhaps not as much as the 20 percent claimed by Lenovo.

Like many of the other ultra-thin ultraportable laptops, the Lenovo X301 has no mechanical hard drive. Instead, it uses a 64 GB flash drive, which is the major factor contributing to the high price. New this year is an optional -- and expensive -- upgrade to 128 GB (*est. $400). While solid-state drives are still relatively expensive, they also lower weight and enhance reliability.

In terms of features, the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 is loaded. Unlike the MacBook Air, there is ample connectivity, including a newly added DisplayPort connection. A GPS receiver is also included, as is every imaginable wireless capability, including an integrated AT&T mobile broadband (3G) card (a Verizon mobile broadband card is available as an extra-cost option for about $120). An ultra-thin DVD burner is available as an option (*est. $225), and that can be removed and replaced with a three-cell battery for extra battery life if desired (*est. $120). The bay can also be left empty for money-saving or weight-saving reasons. Luxurious but useful pluses include an LED backlit screen and a fingerprint reader. Like the MacBook Air and the Dell Adamo, the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 laptop lacks an integrated memory-card reader.

Most reviewers say battery life is excellent for its class, with run time approaching four hours with the standard six-cell battery and notably more when using the optional add-on three-cell battery. Laptop Magazine is one of the few dissenters, saying that the roughly 3.5 hours it achieved in its testing is less than what it expects from an ultraportable notebook.

Although cheaper than when first released, the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 remains pricey compared to some slightly thicker and heavier ultraportable laptops. Still, many reviewers say it could make sense for business users who are on the road continuously. For example, Jeffery L. Wilson of Laptop Magazine says, "You'll pay a premium for the X301... but if a no-compromise business notebook is what you need, you won't be disappointed." CNET's Michelle Thatcher concurs, saying, "It's pricey, but worth the expense for highly mobile users seeking a thorough feature set in a sleek, lightweight case." PCMag.com calls the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 "the most impressive ultraportable in its class." Unlike the cheaper Lenovo X200, the X301 includes both a trackpad and a trackball controller.

A couple of other high-end ultraportable laptops earn kudos from select reviewers. The Toshiba Portege R600 (Starting at $2,100) is the highest-rated ultraportable laptop at Computer Shopper. Reviewer Sarah E. Anderson says "It's like an Apple MacBook Air, but with ports and an optical drive and (sadly) Windows Vista." She adds that this very lightweight computer (starting at 2.4 pounds) is only a tenth of an inch thicker than the Air. However, the price is a major concern, saying that the configuration tested (*est. $3,000) -- which includes a 128 GB solid-state drive in place of the 160 GB hard drive in the base version -- is priced so high that the R600 is really only an option for a small -- and shrinking -- segment of the population. In terms of performance, the R600 is mid-range for its class, beating the MacBook Air in benchmark testing, but falling a little short of average for Windows-based ultraportables.