Ultraportable Laptops: Reviews

Updated December 2009

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Best ultraportable laptop

*Est. $1,600 and up Compare Prices

It's not the lightest or most stylish ultraportable laptop, but reviewers say the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is blessed with an extremely solid and stable build while weighing less than 4 pounds. The 14.1-inch display is… larger than most ultraportable laptops, and experts say it looks crisp. They also love the matte screen coating that eliminates glare and reflections -- a major plus for office work. One of the biggest drawbacks is the price tag, and the use of integrated graphics is another notable shortfall. These quibbles aside, experts agree that the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is one of the best ultraportable laptops available for business or general use. A version with a multi-touch display is also available (*Est. $2,000 and up) but experts say to skip it unless you really need that feature.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s scores an Editors' Choice award from Laptop Magazine. Avram Piltch raves about the laptop, saying it ...

PCMag.com: Cisco Cheng at PCMag.com gives the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s a positive rating of four out of five stars. He's impressed with the ...

Computer Shopper: The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s scores another Editors' Choice award from ComputerShopper.com. While he acknowledges that the laptop is ...

CNET: While Scott Stein at CNET appreciates the solid design and best-in-class keyboard, he thinks the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is on the ...

HotHardware.com: The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s earns a Recommended award from HotHardware.com. Like other reviewers, Jennifer Johnson notes that the ...

Notebook Review.com: NotebookReview.com doesn't rate the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s, but Kevin O'Brien says the design is excellent and the T400s is a ...

PC World: Darren Gladstone at PC World has lots of praise for the T400s's keyboard, LED-backlit display and slim design. However, he notes ...

Wired: The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s gets an extremely positive review at Wired. Christopher Null calls its performance "simply ...

MaximumPC.com: Calling it a "lightweight gem," Florence Ion at MaximumPC.com says the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s is a great choice for work or ...

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eCOST.com

for $1,869.99

Ultra-thin ultraportable laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad X301

*Est. $1,890 and up Compare Prices

The ultra-thin Lenovo ThinkPad X301 is well-suited for users who value portability above all else. At just 0.7 inches thick and weighing 3.3 pounds, the ThinkPad X301 is exceptionally easy to tote around. Performance… typically beats other ultra-thin ultraportables, though you can get faster performance with heftier laptops. 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 ultra-thin 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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Expert & User Review Sources:

Notebook Review.com: NotebookReview.com reviews the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 in a detailed and testing-backed report. While no specific recommendations ...

PCMag.com: Cisco Cheng puts the Lenovo ThinkPad through its paces in this thorough review. He calls it the "most impressive ultraportable in ...

Laptop Magazine: Jeffery L. Wilson says the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 provides tons of business capabilities in laptop with all the sleekness of the ...

LaptopLogic.com: Daniel Shain calls the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 a "fully featured and fully portable unit, all for a fully painful price." Shain ...

PC World: This review in the PC World (Australia) isn't the most detailed, but covers the basics more than adequately. Opinions are backed ...

Pocket-lint.com: Britain's Pocket-Lint.com reports on the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 in a short report that seems balanced but lacks the detail of those ...

About.com: The Lenovo ThinkPad X301 is named the best business ultraportable by About.com's Mark Kyrnin. Discussion is solid, but not very ...

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General-use ultraportable laptop

HP Envy 13

*Est. $1,700 and up Compare Prices

Though pricey, the HP Envy 13 impresses with its sleek, brushed-aluminum design and 13-inch glass display. While the design gets very high marks, experts say the HP Envy 13 packs some serious performance into its… 3.8-pound case, handling casual gaming and multimedia better than most ultraportable laptops. Battery life is on the low side without the optional upgraded battery (*Est. $125), which significantly extends time between charges. The biggest drawback, however, is the multi-touch trackpad -- reviewers are nearly unanimous in saying that it is truly terrible, requiring too much precision and lacking responsiveness. There's also no optical drive, which isn't unusual for an ultraportable laptop.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: Michael Prospero at Laptop Magazine praises the performance and style of the HP Envy 13. However, he cites some flaws -- price, ...

PCMag.com: The HP Envy 13 impresses Cisco Cheng at PCMag.com with its incredible battery life -- as long as you upgrade to the optional ...

CNET: CNET gives the HP Envy 13 a very good overall rating, and Dan Ackerman thinks it's a compelling choice "if price is no object." ...

Engadget.com: While he doesn't rate the HP Envy 13, Paul Miller at Engadget.com says "hardware wise it's one of our favorite laptops ever." ...

Gizmodo: Joanna Stern at Gizmodo.com thinks the HP Envy 13 would be a tough competitor against Apple's MacBook Pro line if it weren't so ...

CrunchGear.com: John Biggs at CrunchGear.com says the trackpad is the biggest problem with the HP Envy 13, but he has good impressions overall. ...

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J&R Music and Computer World

for $1,899.99

Best value ultraportable laptop

Asus UL80Vt-A1

*Est. $850 and up Compare Prices

Though it's not the lightest ultraportable laptop, experts say the 14-inch, 4.8-pound Asus UL80Vt-A1 is a great value. Pluses include decent graphics, good sound quality and top-notch overall performance. Unlike many… portable laptops, an integrated DVD drive is included. What really impresses reviewers, however, is the outstanding battery life -- as much as 12 hours under light use in some tests. Some complain that the laptop could be sturdier, however, citing too much flex in the chassis and not enough firmness in the keyboard. Still, if you are looking for a top-performing lightweight laptop under $1,000, reviews indicate the Asus UL80Vt-A1 should be at the top of your list.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: Saying it offers "strong performance at a reasonable price," Avram Piltch gives the Asus UL80Vt-A1 an overall rating of four ...

PCMag.com: The Asus UL80Vt-A1 scores an Editors' Choice award from PCMag.com. Cisco Cheng praises the battery life and 3-D performance, ...

Computer Shopper: The Asus UL80Vt earns another Editors' Choice from ComputerShopper.com. "Long battery life and good performance help make the ...

Anandtech.com: Jarred Walton at AnandTech.com has a detailed overview of the Asus UL80Vt. He acknowledges that it is not a powerhouse, but he's ...

Engadget.com: Laura June at Engadget.com doesn't rate the Asus UL80Vt, but is impressed with this laptop's overall performance and battery ...

NewEgg.com: Only a few reviewers rate the Asus UL80Vt-A1 so far at Newegg.com, but initial impressions are mostly favorable. Users are ...

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Best tablet PC

Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet (Multi-Touch)

*Est. $1,700 and up Compare Prices

The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet has always been a favorite among reviewers, and some say the latest version, which takes advantage of the new multi-touch capabilities in Windows 7, is better than ever. The Lenovo ThinkPad… X200 Tablet (Multi-Touch) boasts an upgraded multi-touch display that can be flipped over to be used as a tablet PC. Experts say the touch screen is very well done, and the laptop recognizes multi-touch gestures promptly. It is also fairly easy to carry around, weighing 4.2 pounds even with an optional eight-cell battery, which most reviewers say provides excellent runtime. Performance is good compared to similar tablet PCs, but experts caution not to expect a speed demon. The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (Multi-Touch) includes only a trackpoint for navigation, and it also lacks an optical drive. If you don't need a multi-touch display, the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet without the upgraded display (*Est. $1,500 and up) also earns excellent reviews.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet (Multi-Touch) earns an Editors' Choice award from Laptop Magazine. Reviewer Avram Piltch says the ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com also gives an Editors' Choice award to the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet (Multi-Touch). Cisco Cheng says it offers a ...

Notebook Review.com: Kevin O'Brien at NotebookReview.com reviews both the standard and multi-touch versions of the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet. ...

Computer Shopper: The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet Multi-Touch earns yet another Editors' Choice award from ComputerShopper.com. Jamie Bsales says ...

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Lenovo ThinkPad X200 *Est. $960 and up

4 picks including: Laptop Magazine, PC World…

Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet *Est. $1,500 and up

3 picks including: Laptop Magazine, Computer Shopper…

Sony Vaio X Series *Est. $1,300 and up

3 picks by top review sites.

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s Multi-Touch *Est. $2,000 and up

2 picks by top review sites.

Dell Studio 14z *Est. $750 and up

2 picks by top review sites.


	Lenovo Thinkpad X200 12.1-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 6.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows XP Pro) from Amazon.com New: $1,099.99 $882.96 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet 7449 from Amazon.com New: $1,799.00 $1,601.60 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Lenovo ThinkPad T400s Laptop Computer with Multi-Touch Screen - Intel Core2 Duo SP9400 (2.40GHz, 6MB L2, 1066MHz FSB) from Amazon.com New: Average Customer Review:


	Dell Studio 14z Core 2 Duo T6500 2.1GHz 14.1" Laptop & 8x DVD±RW DL USB 2.0 Slim External Drive from Amazon.com New: Average Customer Review:

Ultraportable Laptops: Reviews

Best ultraportable laptop

Ultra-thin ultraportable laptop

General-use ultraportable laptop

Best value ultraportable laptop

Best tablet PC

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