SPOTLIGHT: What Laptop Awards 2008 28/08/2008

Best Ultraportable laptop
When you need the ideal combination of power, security and mobility, an ultraportable laptop is the only way to go. Weighing 2kg or less, these sleek business tools let you take the office wherever you go and even let you enjoy basic multimedia use for staying entertained on your travels. What we’ve looked at in our nominations are laptops that provide the best blend of style, features, battery life and usability for a life spent on the road. We feel the four laptops nominated provide everything the modern business traveller needs and more.

Apple MacBook Air
With its stunningly sleek design and high-profile advertising campaign, Apple’s MacBook Air quickly grabbed the world’s attention and deservedly so. The ultra-thin 1.4kg chassis, stunning screen and outstanding usability made it a joy to use. Combined with the legendary design and functionality of Apple’s OS X operating system, this is the best way for Apple fans to work on the move, and despite some minor flaws, it’s still a great example of careful design put into practice.

Asus U6
Where ultraportables can often be bettered by large desktop replacements is in raw performance, but Asus showed no such weakness with the excellent leather-clad U6. Its distinctive design and fantastic usability put it a cut above the competition, and its high-powered components delivered some of the best performance we’ve seen in a sub-2kg laptop. Add its HSDPA wireless broadband technology and you’ve got a portable powerhouse ideal for business users and consumers alike.

Sony VAIO VGN-TZ31
Sony has a great reputation for producing some of the best ultraportables on the market, and the VAIO VGN-TZ31 was no exception. The 1.2kg chassis is one the lightest fully-featured laptops you can buy, and combines impressive build quality with style and usability. While performance trailed behind some rivals, the impressive specification and overall quality of the Sony was what pushed it a step ahead of the competition, and as with the Asus, it is a great portable partner for business and consumer use.

Toshiba Portégé R500
With an advertising campaign that placed it as a direct rival to Apple’s MacBook Air, Toshiba had a lot to live up to with its Portégé R500. It more than succeeded however, and we were stunned by its strong yet flexible 1.1kg chassis and great usability. As with the Sony, performance wasn’t the best. The fantastic battery life, comprehensive software package and three-year warranty all made it one of the most impressive ultraportables we’ve seen however, and even to this day it more than holds it own against the latest and greatest rivals.

Do you agree with our panel of judges? To vote for your favourite laptop in this year's WHAT LAPTOP MOBILE COMPUTING AWARDS, click HERE