Ultraportable Laptops Review

Thin and light laptops go mainstream

This report covers Windows ultraportable laptop computers. With few exceptions, these models weigh a maximum of 5 pounds (most weigh less than 4 pounds with a stock battery) and have widescreen displays up to 13.3 inches. Tablet PCs, which are designed to be used with a stylus and touch screen, are a subset of ultraportable laptops; convertible tablets look like conventional laptops at first glance, but have a touch-screen display that can rotate and be folded flat for use as a tablet PC. If weight isn't such a big issue for you, ConsumerSearch has companion reports on regular laptops and on cheap laptops costing as little as $500. Apple computers, including the MacBook Air, are also covered in a separate report.

Smaller than mainstream laptops, ultraportable laptops are notably larger and more powerful than netbooks and similar mini laptops. Mini laptops typically have less computational horsepower than ultraportable laptops, less storage, cramped keyboards and small screen sizes of 10 inches and less; many are extremely lightweight and easy on the wallet, often costing under $500. While no one should assume the functionality of a more robust laptop, mini laptops can fulfill basic computing needs, such as email, web browsing and word processing, while more powerful machines are capable of much more.

Ultraportable laptops are full-functioning notebook computers, but you generally pay extra for miniaturization and the associated cooling requirements. Some have shorter battery life. Some small models forgo hardware, such as optical drives. Some of those shortcomings can be overcome by using optional, extra-cost docking stations and external DVD drives. However, public demand for thin, light and sophisticated laptops are leading manufacturers to bring more and more capable options to market, and the very best ultraportable laptops now can give even top-performing full-sized laptops a run for their money.

We found good comparative ultraportable laptop reviews and roundups at PCMag.com, Laptop magazine and PC World. Though the reports there aren't the most detailed available, they are competent, based on testing and comparative. For those who demand tons of details, the reviews at NotebookCheck.net and NotebookReview.com are hard to beat, but could be overwhelming for less technically inclined readers. That's especially true of the reports at NotebookCheck.net, which are also translated -- sometimes awkwardly -- from their native German. User reviews can be found at retailer sites such as Amazon.com and BestBuy.com

For most people, a laptop's projected reliability is an important buying consideration. Cooling an ultraportable laptop is more of a challenge than cooling a larger notebook, and heat is a computer's enemy -- the biggest obstacle to longevity. Relatively good brand reliability doesn't guarantee you'll never have a problem, but we find the support and reliability surveys conducted by PCMag.com, ConsumerReports.org and Australian consumer magazine Choice to be very valuable. Lenovo laptops have one of the lowest instances of repair according to all such surveys, though some large surveys indicate things may have slipped a little of late.

MacBook Air vs. Dell Adamo

Most experts agree that the MacBook Air (starting at $1,800) has set a standard in sophistication that competitors struggle to meet. While some critics point out that functionality could be better, other say it's good enough for the majority of users, and that the styling is stunning. The MacBook Air is covered in more detail in the ConsumerSearch report on Apple laptops and desktops.

Of course, other makers are not standing still, and we've seen a number of potential MacBook Air killers hit the market -- though few have actually hit the mark. The latest contender is the Dell Adamo (starting at $2,000), which following months of speculation and rumors -- partially fueled by Dell itself -- debuted earlier this year. While the Adamo was an object of desire for many pre-release, the reaction to the actual product has been more muted.

The Adamo is stunning to look at, no doubt, with its Air-like aluminum case and its 0.65-inch thickness -- which PCMag.com points out is about one-tenth of an inch thinner than the thickest part of the Air's case. That gives Dell a hook on which to hang the claim that the Adamo is the world's thinnest laptop. What the Adamo isn't, however, is the world's lightest ultraportable laptop, and its 4-pound weight is actually notably heavier than some competitors -- including the MacBook Air.

Many critics say that there's more sizzle than steak to the Adamo. To squeeze things down to create an ultra-thin laptop, Dell uses a physically small, 1.2 GHz ultra-low-voltage dual-core Intel processor that, despite its cost, is slower than the slightly bulkier full-powered processors used in many competitors, including the MacBook Air. The use of integrated graphics rather than a separate graphics processor exacts another performance hit. The result is benchmark scores that are just plain ugly in most cases.

There's also the matter of price. Given the economic climate in 2009, Dell couldn't have picked a worse time to launch the Adamo, which is clearly aimed for the luxury rather than performance buyer. That's led experts such as CNET's Dan Ackerman to say that the Adamo "will definitely attract plenty of stares at the coffee shop or airport lounge, not just because of its sharp looks but also because, with a $2,000 starting price, you're unlikely to see many of them in the wild."