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by Tony Hoffman and Cisco Cheng
In this roundup, which includes links to detailed single-product reviews, Tony Hoffman looks at nine relatively powerful ultraportable laptops. The roundup includes lots of newer models but not the Dell… Adamo, which is covered in a separate single-laptop review at the site. Tony Hoffman says that while the Dell XPS M1330 lacks the latest technology, it is a "great and venerable" choice, and the only Editors' Choice selection in the group. In separate reviews written by Cisco Cheng, the Adamo is described as great to look at, but is held back by lackluster performance and too-short battery life. The Acer Aspire 3935 earns its own Editors' Choice award, and is called a "sweet deal" with features users want at a previously unheard-of price.
by Editors of Laptop Magazine
Laptop Magazine reviews as many laptops as anyone, and even though the magazine uses multiple reviewers, most have experience reviewing lots of models, which provides a strong frame of reference. Reviews… are occasionally comparative, and all products are rated. Testing is extensive and well explained. The very best laptops are honored with Editors' Choice awards. Laptop Magazine is among the first to review the new Acer Aspire 3935, and comes away impressed with performance, style and pricing. The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 is called an excellent choice for business users and "one of the best ultraportables around." Though the Samsung X360 is expensive, its style, functionality and great battery life place it among the best notebooks in its class.
by Contributors to NotebookReview.com
by Editors of NotebookCheck.net
This German website offers incredibly comprehensive reviews of many notebooks, including ultraportable laptops. Each illustrated review includes complete specifications, detailed test results with… comparisons to similar laptop computers, a lengthy list of similar notebooks and a consistent format. Each laptop is rated in a dozen subcategories then assigned a weighted average rating in its target-market category (office, multimedia, sub-notebook, desktop replacement). One weakness here is readability; translations to English are sometimes indecipherable. In addition, some of the ultraportable laptops are not available in the United States. Otherwise, the quality and quantity of the reviews here are excellent.
by Darren Gladstone
by Dan Ackerman
CNET is a prolific laptop reviewer. The reviews are comparative and testing is detailed, though discussion could be deeper. Unlike many reviewers, CNET focuses some of its coverage on preconfigured laptops… that are easy to find in retail stores, including the HP Pavilion dv3510nr, which earns an Editors' Choice award for its overall performance and value. Although it is not included in this list, the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 also earns an Editors' Choice award; though some features are missing, strong performance and long battery life are major pluses. The Dell XPS M1330 draws only a tepid recommendation, and the specific configuration reviewed is no longer offered.
by Editors of Computer Shopper
Computer Shopper reviews are balanced and backed by benchmark testing. Each product is rated, and although all ratings are high, they vary enough to provide distinctions. The best products are identified in… charts. Laptops are divided into six somewhat arbitrary categories, including Ultraportable Laptops (less than 4 pounds). Among current ultraportable laptops, the Toshiba Portege R600 is the highest-scoring choice, but you'll pay a price for its sophistication and performance. The HP EliteBook 2530p doesn't rate quite as highly, but does deliver strong performance and long battery life. Both laptops earn Editors' Choice awards.
by Editors of TrustedReviews.com
U.K. website TrustedReviews.com regularly covers new laptops, including some ultraportable and tablet laptops. Reviews are helpfully illustrated with photos, and benchmark results are published. All… notebook computers have high ratings, but the reviews are balanced. Because this site is based in the U.K, some of the tested ultraportable laptops aren't available in the United States. Two Dell computers do well here, earning the site's Recommended award, but the Dell Latitude E4200 is singled out as "one of the best ultra-portables around."
by Editors of PC World (Australia)
The Australian version of PC World is an extremely prolific reviewer of laptops, including some ultraportable models, but not all those covered are sold to the U.S. market. Testing is done, but results are… described in generalities and full results do not appear on the site. Capable ultraportable computers are mixed with less capable netbooks in this listing. Ratings are provided, but lots of laptops score similarly. Still, the Toshiba Portege R600 edges out the competition and is called the "ultimate ultraportable laptop." The Lenovo ThinkPad X301 scores nearly as highly, and is called "fantastic," but a few faults -- including a high price tag -- are found.
by Editors of LaptopLogic.com
LaptopLogic.com reviews lots of laptops, including ultraportables. Reviews are detailed, balanced and supported by formal testing. Ratings are provided, as are lists of top ultraportable and Editors' Choice… laptops. Interestingly, the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 is named an Editors' Choice, but is only ranked as the second-best ultraportable laptop because of its price. Though the review finds some shortcomings, the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 scores a touch higher; it is called a "healthy refresh" of the well regarded Lenovo ThinkPad X61.
by Stephen Patrick, Stuart Miles
by Sascha Segan and Eric Griffith
Almost 20,000 PCMag.com readers respond to the site's long-running annual survey of tech support and reliability. Among Windows laptops, Lenovo earns the best ratings in every category, though ratings have… slipped "just a smidgen across the board" -- something that PCMag.com says bears watching. Still, Lenovo's performance is sufficient to earn it an Editors' Choice award. At the other end of the scale, Gateway brings up the rear in every laptop category.
by Mark Kyrnin
About.com guide to PC hardware Mark Kyrnin names what he considers to be the best ultraportable laptops in five categories -- value, ultrathin, graphics, business and overall. Discussion is not overly… detailed, and performance is mentioned but testing is not spelled out. However, the listing is very up to date, and the recommendations seem to be in line with what we've seen elsewhere. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Editors of Computer Shopper
Computer Shopper rates a fair number of tablet PCs, with the very best listed on this page. The reviews carry the same positives and negatives as those listed above for ultraportable laptops. Though five… tablets are listed here, only two are named an Editors' Choice. The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet is expensive, but is "comfortable to hold and powerful enough to be your only business computer." The HP TouchSmart tx2z is heavy for extended use as a tablet, but is affordable, reasonably powerful, and "multimedia-savvy."
by Editors of PCMag.com
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
ConsumerReports.org rates six smaller laptop computers in its most recent update, though some stretch the limit of what most would call ultraportable. Testing is fair, though not well documented, and… discussion is very brief -- almost too brief to be of any value at all. Information on brand reliability and tech support, based on a survey of 63,000 readers, is also presented and is somewhat more useful.
by Editors of Choice magazine
Choice is Australia's answer to ConsumerReports.org. The magazine rates eight ultraportable laptops and names four as What to Buy selections. Not all are Windows machines, and not all are available in the… U.S., but the Dell XPS M1330 percolates to the top as the best ultraportable overall. Discussion, while lengthier than at ConsumerReports.org, could be more substantial. Reliability information is provided, but that's based on a fairly small sampling of subscribers (4,300).
by Editors of Which? magazine
by Contributors to BestBuy.com
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Amazon.com lets owners post reviews of ultraportable laptops that they own. Although a fair selection of laptops offered, most don't accumulate enough reviews to be a useful source of buying advice. One… exception is the Sony Vaio Z-series of ultraportable laptops, which as a group get more than two dozen comments. Most seem happy, though a couple of users complain of so-so performance that's made worse by the use of Vista.
by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer
RuggedPCReview.com was started in late 2005 to provide news and reviews about rugged mobile computer technology. The website reviews laptops, tablet PCs and handheld computers. Reviews are unique. They do… not include formal performance testing, relying instead on manufacturer testing of ruggedness. Other aspects are thoroughly addressed, including display quality in outdoor lighting conditions. Products aren't rated or ranked, however.
by Tiffany Boggs
TabletPCReview.com is a sister site of NotebookReview.com. Reviews are very similar, but a little less substantive, and there are few tablet PCs compared with laptops in general. This is the best specialty… source specifically for information on tablet PCs, but the absence of ratings or contextual buying advice makes it hard for users to identify the best tablet PC, or the best within a price range. A chart that shows the most popular tablet PCs may interest some prospective buyers. Few new reviews have been posted in recent months.
by Linda A. Epstein
TabletPC2.com has thorough reviews of tablet PCs and related products. Photos, including outdoor shots, are terrific. Reviews are very informative, but not comparative. Products aren't rated, but "Windows… Experience" scores provide a simple method of performance comparison. Lists of pros and cons are satisfactorily balanced. The current Editors' Choice selection here is long discontinued, and no new reviews have been posted in some time.
by Contributors to NotebookForums.com
This web forum has fewer and considerably less detailed reviews than NotebookReview.com, but some are very good. Many of the members are college students. Most of the reviews are augmented by additional… comments, and some reviews are accompanied by detailed photos. When possible, the most capable reviewers conduct benchmark tests and offer valid comparisons. Still, without laptop ratings or rankings, or even multiple reviews by one person, prospective buyers will only find NotebookForums.com useful as a backup source once they've already identified ultraportable laptop computers of specific interest.
by Contributors to Newegg.com
Newegg.com sells a vast selection of laptops from many brands. The company's typical customers are sophisticated and opinionated computer users, which often makes Newegg.com a good site for consumer… reviews. However, ultraportable laptops appear to be vastly less popular with Newegg customers than general-purpose or larger laptops. We found no models with more than six reviews. The samplings are too small to be representative of consumers in general.
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Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet 7450 - Core 2 Duo SL9400 / 1.86 GHz LV - Centrino 2 with vPro - RAM 2 GB - HDD 160 GB - GMA 4500MHD - cellular wireless ready - Gigabit Ethernet - WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft), Bluetooth 2.0 - TPM - fingerprint reader - Vista
 from Amazon.com New: $2318.16 In Stock.
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