ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOPS

The Ultraportable laptop is the focus of this month’s group test, with such slim and light machines reflecting the way that people would like to work. These remain the most attractive of laptops, with a mix of innovative designs and lightweight form factors. However, this weight advantage comes at a cost in both price and features that many cannot live with, and therefore such machines continue to constitute a mere 10 percent of the laptop market.

There are two quite distinct segments that make up this category of laptop. For those who need the lightest weight possible, there are the sub-2kg machines that usually have 12.1-inch screens, low-voltage processors and a battery life that should see you through a good portion of the day before needing to be re-charged. The second group is for slightly larger machines, with screen sizes up to 14.1 inches and an internal optical drive. Such machines are aimed at those who need to work for long periods of time, but cannot bear to live without full desktop compatibility.

Intel’s Centrino technology has changed the way many such machines work, offering slimmer designs and longer battery life – without the need to change existing battery technology. An interesting development that has arisen since the last time we covered ultraportable laptops (August 2003) is the vast improvement in graphics performance. When Intel initially launched its Centrino package of processor, chipset and Wi-Fi solution, the 855 chipset was only capable of dealing with integrated graphics. The 855PM chipset, which supports dedicated graphic adapters, has been available for several months, but has now become common in the slimmer ultraportable format.

On the following pages are 10 of the latest and lightest machines on the market. Whether long battery life is your primary concern, or if power and performance in a portable package is preferred, then you’ll find we have a system for you. Ultraportable laptops are now not only the best-looking machines on the market, but also the most adaptable.

ACi Acclaim
AJP M3000N
Apple 12-inch PowerBook G4
Dell Latitude D600
Evesham Voyager XS 1.7
IBM ThinkPad X31
JVC Mini Note XP-731
NEC Versa S800
Sony VAIO PCG-Z1RMP
Toshiba Portégé R100

REVIEW CO-ORDINATORS:
Michael Browne
Roger Kirkwood