Ultraportable Laptops

Best ultraportable laptops

With many tiny and light laptops, you end up sacrificing some features such as an optical drive, extra USB ports or battery life. One of the things that reviewers love about the Dell XPS M1330 (starting at *est. $1,000) is that you sacrifice little in its efficient ultraportable design. The 13.3-inch widescreen laptop is rated an Editor's Choice by NotebookReview.com, Laptop magazine and PC Magazine. All reviews commend performance with the latest Santa Rosa/Centrino Duo technology, plus a dedicated video card.

Reviewers are captivated by the design. You can choose from three colors: crimson red, tuxedo black or pearl white. Laptop magazine, CNet.com and Review Pub rave about the optional backlit LED display. Cisco Cheng of PC Magazine enthuses, "The Dell XPS M1330 … takes the best things from other great ultraportables and combines them into a single entity." With the stock four-cell battery, the Dell XPS M1330 weighs just four pounds. However, Walt S. Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal complains that battery life is too short. A nine-cell battery (*est. $90) is optional, but that adds an additional half-pound to the weight. An integrated optical drive is another plus.

NotebookReview.com offers the best balance of criticisms and praise of the Dell XPS M1330. "While issues like warm palm rests, awkward media buttons, a noisy slot-loading drive, and somewhat heavy weight with the 9-cell battery will make some demanding buyers look elsewhere," concludes NotebookReview, "most consumers looking for a 13.3-inch notebook will be hard pressed to find a better notebook in the same price range." Review Pub and CNet.com reviewers think the touchpad should be bigger. However, that's the type of tradeoff you make with an ultraportable, and most reviewers say the Dell model succeeds in minimizing drawbacks.

The Dell XPS M1330 has myriad of configuration options and an unusually long list of add-on options for such a small laptop. The latest upgrade is Penryn processors. Wireless LAN and Wi-Fi are integrated; integrated broadband and Bluetooth are options. Dell can even fit a webcam into the little laptop. (Each add-on will increase the weight by one or more ounces). Storage options range up to a 200 GB 7,200-RPM SATA hard drive. The options reviewers find most valuable are the video card (*est. $100) and backlit display (*est. $150 with or without webcam).

The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (starting at *est. $1,560) is a close competitor to the Dell ultraportable laptop, but it’s not as widely reviewed. That’s probably because Lenovo confuses the world by giving a tablet PC the same model number, and most reviewers cover only one or the other. The Lenovo ultraportable is smaller (12.1-inch display) and lighter (starting at 3.6 pounds) than the Dell XPS M1330. Like its competitor, the X61 is newly refreshed with Penryn processors. Unlike the Dell, however, it doesn’t have an integrated optical drive, so if you need to load or burn CDs and DVDs, you'll have to use an external drive, buy a docking station or use a USB drive instead.

NotebookReview.com and Computer Shopper each select the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 as an Editor’s Choice, and PC World rates the X61 a Best Buy as the top ultraportable laptop. NotebookReview.com’s Kevin O'Brien measured performance that was just as good as larger laptops, and easy portability is an obvious asset, even with an upgraded battery. PC World says it is the fastest ultraportable. PC World and Computer Shopper are pleased with the features. Both tested the ThinkPad X61 with a docking station, which can include an optical drive for loading software. All reviewers like the keyboard and good battery longevity. We read some criticisms for the display, which two reviewers say has poor viewing angles and low contrast.

Sony laptops are rarely reviewed by the mainstream media, even though Sony is one of the most reliable brands according to all owner surveys. Sony is a leader and innovator in the ultraportable-laptop category. The Sony TZ (starting at *est. $2,200) isn’t widely evaluated, but the available reviews are very favorable. NotebookReview.com selects it as an Editor’s Choice. Reviewer Kevin O'Brien concludes, "Compared against every other ultra portable notebook I have worked with, the Sony TZ was by far the brightest, lightest, and smallest of the bunch." O'Brien adds that the screen is "gorgeous." Long battery life and low weight are pluses.

Several articles claim the Apple MacBook Air (starting at *est. $1,800) was modeled on the Sony TZ. The Sony, however, has a considerably smaller screen -- just 11.1 inches. It weighs 2.7 pounds. Like the MacBook Air, the Sony has a slow 4,200-RPM hard drive. Unlike the MacBook Air, the Sony has an optical drive and a reasonable selection of ports for an ultraportable laptop. In O'Brien’s tests, the Sony's battery lasted almost seven hours. He did find that the bottom gets very hot. CNet’s Dan Ackerman says price and performance are disadvantages, but not deal-breakers. The Sony TZ has a backlit LED display.

Six models in the Sony VAIO SZ series (starting at *est. $1,215) are available: four are pre-configured and two are customizable. The average price is about $2,000. This series is also not widely reviewed by computer magazines, but PC Magazine reviewed a model in the previous generation last April. At that time, Cisco Cheng said, "The Sony VAIO VGN-SZ370P is the second-best ultraportable, next to the Lenovo ThinkPad X60." The X60 was the predecessor to the X61 discussed above. NotebookCheck.net rates a European model in the SZ series as the best ultraportable in a very recent review. NotebookReview.com has a detailed user review with performance testing of Sony SZ models. The NotebookReview.com reviewer reaches conclusions that are nearly identical to those of the NotebookCheck.net reviewer. One complaint we've seen is the absence of a Vista backup disk.

The Dell Latitude D430 (starting at *est. $1,510) is more expensive than the Dell XPS M1330 ultraportable laptop, but it does include a three-year limited warranty. With a 12.1-inch display, it can weigh as little as three pounds and is the smaller sibling of the 14.1-inch Dell Latitude D630, a mainstream business laptop covered in our report on laptop computers.

TrustedReviews gives the Latitude D430 a "Recommended" award. Reviewer Andy Vandervell achieved almost seven hours in his battery life tests. Durability, features, and performance contribute to the recommendation. A drawback is that the Latitude D430 doesn't have an integrated optical drive (available in an extra-cost docking station).

The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 (starting at *est. $2,550) has been recently released. Like the MacBook Air, it will fit into a catalog envelope. Apple beat Lenovo to market by a month, and earned the oohs and aahs from people who think thinner is better. Both computers have extremely high price tags. The Lenovo X300 has no mechanical hard drive. Instead, it uses a 64 GB flash drive, which is the major factor contributing to the high price. It also lowers the weight and enhances reliability. The laptop weighs 2.9 pounds, if you travel without the slim DVD burner. The X300 has a 1.2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB of RAM. A GPS receiver is also included, as is every imaginable wireless capability. Lenovo offers very few configuration options for the X300.

CNet.com selects the X300 ultraportable laptop as an Editor’s Choice notebook. Michelle Thatcher says it’s groundbreaking. She cites the price as an obvious drawback, but is otherwise enthusiastic about this model: "The ThinkPad X300 is truly unique in its balance of portability and usability." In CNet’s tests, however, the MacBook Air performed better than the X300.

PC Magazine columnist Michael Miller doesn’t conduct a formal review of the Lenovo X300 ultraportable laptop, but falls in love with it anyway. He says, "For a ‘road warrior’ who wants a lightweight Windows machine (both XP and Vista versions are available), it's just hard to beat the X300." He goes on to compliment the Lenovo laptop's features, good-looking screen and suite of connection options. If you are weighing the Lenovo X300 against the MacBook Air, a February 25 Business Week cover article describes the 20-month development process Lenovo undertook to create the X300. The article includes chart comparing the two models. See our Best Research section for a link.

If you are willing to trade some weight for more features and a larger screen, the Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 (starting at *est. $1,530) is an ultraportable laptop that edges into mainstream territory. NotebookReview.com and Computer Shopper both rate it highly, and both PC Magazine and Laptop magazines give it high scores as well.

NotebookReview.com’s Jerry Jackson explains, "The S6510 is the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebook we've seen. Performance is on par with (or superior to) the competition, and the build quality is among the best you can find in the $1,500 to $2,000 price range." He acknowledges that the display is a disappointment, but concludes that the LifeBook S6510 is still a great choice.

PC Magazine’s Cisco Cheng sees the LifeBook S6510 as embodying the best of a regular laptop and an ultraportable because the unit has a 14.1-inch display and full-size keyboard, but it weighs only 3.8 pounds. Computer Shopper’s Jamie Bsales and Laptop magazine’s Jeffrey Wilson concur. Wilson and Cheng are also impressed by the rare combination of portability and power. Bsales pinpoints the market for this laptop as "business travelers who value portability" but don’t want to sacrifice performance to get it. These three reviewers tested the Fujitsu in a higher-priced configuration (*est. $2,040) .

PC World and CNet.com don’t have specific disagreements with the other reviewers, but they question the value, and, based on that factor, they rate other comparable laptops higher. PC World ranks the HP Pavilion dv6500t as the best all-purpose laptop, but this model is now discontinued. CNet.com prefers the Dell Inspiron 1420 over the Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 and notes that performance is about equal.

Budget ultraportable laptops

Until now, you couldn’t buy a functional ultraportable laptop for less than $1,000. The Toshiba Satellite U300/U305 series (starting at *est. $855) cracks that barrier. Like most ultraportable notebooks, the Toshiba employs a 13.3-inch widescreen display to minimize size and weight, but it weighs at least 4.6 pounds, which is heavy for an ultraportable.

The Toshiba U300-ST3094 (starting at *est. $855) is customizable. The U305 series is sold in six pre-configured models, some only available at specific stores. The U305-S2804 is $900 direct from Toshiba. It includes a Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive and a DVD burner. All models include a webcam.

NotebookCheck.net gives a European model in the U300 series a good score. Reviewer Simon Leitner says, "One of the main pros of the Satellite U300 is its good price/performance ratio." Low noise and temperature emissions are other pluses. Leitner says the display is too reflective, and he found some workmanship flaws. PC World Australia gives the Toshiba laptop a very high 4.5/5 rating; reviewer Jesse Sutton credits great performance and excellent battery life, contributing to the easy portability. He doesn’t mind the small keyboard. TrustedReviews Andy Vandervell gives a Recommended award to another European model in the U300 series, specifically recommending it as a budget alternative to the Dell XPS M1330 and Sony SZ6.

NotebookReview.com has the most comprehensive U.S. review. Jerry Jackson notes that the U300/U305 series isn't the lightest notebook in its class and indicates that performance is just average. Those may be reasonable trade-offs for the price. Jackson likes the glossy display, selection of ports and hard drive size. He does complain about the quality of the keyboard and touchpad, however.

Tablet computers

Tablet-type notebook computers are useful for medical professionals, social workers, journalists and students who need to take a lot of hand notes. These laptops use a special digital pen, converting handwriting into text. Some tablet PCs are more like a digital clipboard that plugs into a base station. Most are considered convertible tablet notebooks, which can be used either as a regular laptop or in tablet mode, with a screen that rotates and folds down screen-side-up.

Tablet computers are a niche subdivision of ultraportable laptops with appeal to a narrow type of buyer. Some critics expect tablet computers to fade from existence. However, manufacturers continue to produce and market them.

The tablet version of the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (starting at *est. $1,560) is the consensus favorite of reviewers as the best tablet PC. It is not quite the same computer as the "regular" ThinkPad X61 covered above. PC Magazine designates it an Editor’s Choice because it has "the best keyboard in the industry, very good performance scores, and a sturdy design." PC World ranks the X61 second on its list of the top ten ultraportables; it’s topped only by the conventional version of the X61.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 convertible notebook is literally very flexible. It swivels, flips and rotates 180 degrees. The touchscreen responds to fingers, and you can enter text with a stylus called a digitizer pen. The tablet computer has a 12.1-inch display. Processor speed starts at 1.6 GHz, and RAM options range from 1 GB to 4 GB. The Lenovo X61 weighs 3.8 pounds with the stock battery or 4.5 pounds with a longer-life battery, and it comes with a one-year warranty. A key weakness is the lack of an optical drive. You can buy a docking station (*est. $80) or an external DVD drive. It also does not have a touchpad.

Battery life is very good in reviewer tests. PC World’s Carla Thornton would prefer a touchpad to the eraserhead. On the other hand, TabletPCReview.com’s Tiffany Boggs says, "The pointing stick and keyboard are both very responsive and accurate," and the X61 calculated Pi to two million digits faster than all ten tested competitors. Review configurations were priced at $2,000 to $2,400.

The Asus R1F (starting at *est. $1,500) tablet PC is highly recommended by NotebookCheck.com, NotebookReview.com, TabletPCReview.com and X-bit Labs. Reviews commend the display, which has excellent brightness and contrast, as well as being easily viewable from off-angles. Some say battery life could be better, however.

At 4.3 pounds, the Asus R1F is one of the heaviest tablet PCs on the market, but performance is good, and this is one of the few tablet computers with an internal DVD burner. A wireless mouse and case are also included. The R1F has handwriting recognition, shortcut keys, a biometric fingerprint reader and other features you’d expect to find with a tablet notebook. Experts say that if the weight is not a major concern, the RF1 may be the best value among tablet PCs.

The Toshiba Portege R400 (starting at *est. $2,105) wins the prize for the most reviews, but opinions are mixed overall. TabletPCReview.com’s Tiffany Boggs notes that the Toshiba Portege R400 isn't a great value. It has what she calls an "innovative design," but there's no optical drive and only a pair of USB ports. She likes the backlit LED display and "its unique and secure hinge," both of which "make it stand out above lower priced tablets."

Laptop magazine straddles the middle. Jamie Bsales summarizes, "We like, not love, the Toshiba Portege R400-S4931. The design is a bit polarizing, and we think an optical drive should have been integrated. But we appreciate the system's light weight." Other reviews compliment the handwriting recognition function, while some say the price is just too high. Some experts like the tablet PC's design, others, including PC World’s Carla Thornton, aren't as impressed: "Too many design inconveniences, along with difficult tablet input, make this model one of Toshiba's rare unsuccessful efforts. "

The Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 (starting at *est. $1,960) tablet computer performed very well in benchmark tests by Laptop magazine and TabletPCReview.com. The Santa Rosa-based convertible laptop works with a stylus, but it doesn’t have a touchscreen (optional or otherwise). Laptop magazine's John Delaney was delighted with performance, but disappointed by battery life. PC World’s Carla Thornton says the T4220 is "designed to weather outside use better than your typical convertible tablet." However, she believes you pay a premium for that ruggedness. PC World gives it a fairly low score.

The HP Compaq tc4400 (starting at *est. $1,400) is not especially recommended in reviews. Laptop magazine likes it, but prefers Lenovo tablet PCs. CNet.com’s short review shows impressive performance relative to old tablet laptops. The review is does not reveal much, but the 6.6/10 rating is unusually low for CNet.com. The TabletPCReview.com review is the most favorable, but we still found better reviews for the Lenovo X61 tablet PC.

Important Features: Ultraportable laptops

Reviewers say to look for the following in an ultraportable notebook computer:

• Get a Core 2 Duo processor with Santa Rosa technology. Intel's Core 2 Duo CPUs are the norm in laptops. Models with the new Intel Penryn processors are especially recommended. Because ultraportables normally get shorter battery life than bigger laptops with bigger and heavier batteries, Santa Rosa technology is essential for prolonging battery life.

• Make sure to get at least 1 GB of RAM. You can have more processing speed than you need, but you can't have too much RAM. High-end notebooks come standard with 2 GB of RAM, which can help applications run more quickly and smoothly. It will also allow you to work in more applications at once without system drag. Reviewers say a minimum of 1 GB of RAM is essential for running Windows Vista; 2 GB or more is better. Ultraportable laptops have little internal expandability, so maximizing your RAM at the time of purchase is prudent. Unless the laptop has an open RAM slot, you will need to replace your existing RAM to upgrade in the future.

• Consider the display coating. Reflective screen coatings are popular, since they make graphics and movies look more saturated. However, these screen coatings can be problematic in an office, where lighting and movement can create glare. If you plan mainly on office work, consider choosing a notebook without a glossy coating or pay more for a backlit LED display.

• Don’t worry about hard drive size. Few people use ultraportables as their primary computer. Unless you will, extra storage space is unnecessary. However, a faster hard drive is worth having. Because of heat dissipation considerations, ultraportable laptops generally have slow hard drives (most commonly 5,400 RPM).

• Take note of service/support and warranty. Warranties range from one to three years. All manufacturers offer warranty upgrades, and prices can vary by model. Tech support is generally free during the warranty period, but not thereafter. Because all laptops are proprietary and have few user-replaceable parts, experts generally recommend getting the longest warranty your budget allows. Some manufacturers such as Dell and HP are adding extras (e.g. theft insurance) as an enticement.

• Decide if you need an internal optical drive. Some ultraportables have no space for one. External hard drives can be used, but may not be convenient. Ultraportable laptops without an internal optical drive lack on-the-go entertainment capabilities, such as playing music CDs or watching DVD movies.

Manufacturers give you a choice of operating systems with most laptops, generally either Vista Home Premium or Vista Business. Microsoft carefully named these systems to make the more expensive products sound more necessary, functional or professional. Nevertheless, experts say the Home versions are suitable for most business and entertainment purposes. Many of the extras in the higher-end versions are also available in third-party software. However, Vista Basic Home does not include the Windows Mobility Center, which Microsoft is promoting for laptops.

The Windows Mobility Center is included in all other versions of Vista. It offers power management software, fast resumption from hibernation, an improved battery meter, support for a second display, presentation features and a HotStart button that lets you access media without fully booting to Windows. For example, you can play a CD with the laptop closed.

All versions but Basic Home also include Tablet PC support.

Windows Vista Home Premium replaces Windows XP Media Center Edition. Vista Premium includes the Macintosh-like Aero interface. Reviewers love the look and feel of Aero, but it consumes a lot of RAM, which makes 2 GB of RAM virtually essential.

Vista Business doesn't include the multimedia features, but it does add backup and restore software and remote access, as well as faxing and scanning software. It also includes Aero. Vista Ultimate combines all the features of the Home Premium and Business versions and includes an encryption feature that lets you lock your hard drive. Check the Windows website for more details.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of picks	Model(with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
9	Dell XPS M1330 (starting at *est. $1,000)	details
6	Asus Eee PC 4G (starting at *est. $400)	details
3	Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (starting at *est. $1,560)	details
2	Lenovo ThinkPad X300 (starting at *est. $2,550)	details
2	Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 (starting at *est. $1,530)	-
2	Toshiba Satellite U300/U305 (starting at *est. $855)	details
1 each	Dell Latitude D430, Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet , Sony SZ series , Sony VAIO TZ , Toshiba Portege R400 , Toshiba Portege R500

In spite of a few criticisms, the Dell XPS M1330's strengths make it a clear favorite in the ultraportable category among reviewers. The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 is a close competitor. Each represents a better value for certain consumers.

The Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 attempts to bridge the small gap between a mainstream business laptop and an ultraportable. Reviewers disagree about Fujitsu’s success.

The Toshiba Satellite U300/U305 series is one of the very few ultraportables available at a budget price. It doesn’t excel in any area, but several reviewers grudgingly acknowledge that it is a bargain.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 is too new and initially too expensive to assess fairly. Early reviews and several articles are adding to the buzz that Lenovo missed its goal by being beaten to the marketplace by the somewhat similar MacBook Air as the first laptop to fit into an envelope.

Manufacturers have tried to find a market for sub-notebooks for many years. Smaller has always been both better and worse. Tablet PCs and PDAs with the Windows CE operating system never gained mass popularity. Now, a new class of micro PCs are experiencing unprecedented popularity. These sub-notebooks are marketed to both children and businesspeople. The Asus Eee PC series captivates reviewers. They represent a rare instance of smaller being cheaper, but these micro laptops aren’t for everyone -- at least not all adults. They run the Linux operating system and have slow Celeron processors, 7-inch displays and cramped keyboards.

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