Best Ultraportable Laptops

With a manufacturer suggested price of $800, the Gateway UC7807u is one of the best overall values in the ultraportable market. Even with its low price tag, the system doesn't skimp much on performance or features. The system uses an Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor, 3GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, 13.3-inch display and 802.11a/g/n wireless. The system is quite sturdy thanks to the mix of plastic exterior and a metal interior coating. Some may find the circular trackpad design a challenge to work with but it definitely gives it a different look. The big downsides to the UC7807u are the weight at a very heavy five pounds and a below average battery life.

For those that want an ultraportable to be their only machine and handle just about any task that you might hand to it including graphics, then the ASUS F6Ve-B1 is the best all around ultraportable for just about any task. The system offers a high level of performance thanks to the Core 2 Duo T9550, 4GB of DDR2 memory, 320GB hard drive, DVD burner burner, 13.3-inch display, ATI Radeon HD 4570 graphics, 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth and a variety of peripheral ports including eSATA. With a street price of between $1200 and $1300, the system is also quite affordable considering all of the features. The downsides are that the system runs quite warm due to all the components and the battery life is below average.

While the Samsung X360-34G does have the largest hinge height at 1.2-inches, the extremely low 2.9 pound weight and its great pricing make this the must have ultrathin. Manufacturer prices were originally around $1800 but the street prices bring the costs down to around $1400. Why the price drop? Samsung is releasing the X460 with a few extra features. The X360-34G comes with a Core 2 Duo SU9300, 3GB of DDR3, 120GB hard drive, 13.3-inch display, 802.11a/g/n wirelessand Bluetooth. Most ultrathin laptops have limited peripheral ports but Samsung manages to put three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, ExpressCard/34 slot and a 7-in-1 card reader into this small unit. Battery life is far less than the ten hours Samsung claims but still pulls around six.

If you happen to be looking for an ultraportable laptop for graphics work then the Dell Studio XPS 13 is an excellent choice. The upgraded 13.3-inch LED backlit screen comes with one of the widest color. Combine this with the optional hybrid graphics system that uses the integrated Intel GMA 4500 or the dedicated GeForce 9500M and this system can really handle graphics better than just about any ultraportable. Performance is also quite strong thanks to the Core 2 Duo P8700, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 320GB hard drive, dual layer DVD burner, 802.11b/g/n wireless and its wide range of peripheral ports including HDMI, DisplayPort and eSATA. The system is quite heavy at just under five pounds and can run quite warm.

Business ultraportables have to balance performance, battery life and portability much more than other systems, but cost isn't as much of an issue. While the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 has a nearly $2000 base price tag, it certainly is worth every penny for the business traveler. The system is extremely compact with a .9-inch profile and just over three pound weight. Even with these small dimensions, the system comes equipped with an internal DVD burner that can be removed to save weight or replaced by an optional 3-cell battery to improve running times. The sturdy design construction of the ThinkPad systems also makes it one of the most reliable. Business professionals will also be pleased that it comes with Windows XP instead of Vista.