I'm on the lookout for an ultrabook for business use only. I've got a list of models I am considering, but I wanted to get opinions from dMw to see if there is anything else I should have on the list and be considering.
I'm looking for
-light (approx 3lbs or less)
-13"-14" screen (ie not too big but not too small)
-5+hr battery life (I'll mostly be plugged in but unplugged sessions will usually be <3 hours. occasionally 5 hours)
-Windows
-fast startup time or wake facility
-decent screen resolution for spreadsheets or powerpoint
-good wireless/bluetooth
-4GB min RAM, preferrably 8GB
-Haswell or similar CPU for power reasons
I'm not too bothered with
-touch screen (but a bonus if it is)
-massive storage (I reckon any SSD from 256GB+ would suffice)
The shortlist I came up with was this:
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (http://shop.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-carbon/#tab-features) (the new 2014 model, not Gen One)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch (less sure on this one as it would be Gen One not Gen Two)
Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro (http://shop.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/ideapad/yoga/yoga-2-pro/)
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus (http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/pc-peripherals/notebook-computers/ultra-portable/NP940X3G-K02UK)
Sony Vaio Pro 13 (http://www.sony.co.uk/buy/vaio-pro-11-13)
Acer Aspire S7-392 (http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_S7-392_4th_Gen_Core_i5_8GB_128GB_SSD_13.3_inch_Touchscreen_Ultr_NX.MBKEK.003/version.asp?PID=681)
Asus Zenbook UX32A (https://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_ZENBOOK_UX32A/#overview) (this model seems a little long in the tooth, unless I'm missing a newer model somewhere)
Anything else I should be looking at?
You might want to shove the Dell XPS 12 onto that list. I've used one recently and it's a stunning machine. It's also currently PC Worlds A list ultrabook (http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/laptops/383785/dell-xps-12-2013/specifications).
XPS 13 (http://www.dell.com/uk/p/xps-13-9333/pd?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn) is a pretty nice bit of kit. I've got the Developer Edition (Ubuntu) before they stuck a touch screen on it.
4th Generation Intel® Coreâ,,¢ i7-4500U processor (4M Cache, up to 3.0 GHz)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600Mhz (On Board)
]256GB Solid State Drive
34cm (13.3â€) LED Backlit Touch Display with Truelife and FHD resolution (1920 x 1080)
Quote from: Jamoe;381960XPS 13 (http://www.dell.com/uk/p/xps-13-9333/pd?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn) is a pretty nice bit of kit. I've got the Developer Edition (Ubuntu) before they stuck a touch screen on it.
4th Generation Intel® Coreâ,,¢ i7-4500U processor (4M Cache, up to 3.0 GHz)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600Mhz (On Board)
]256GB Solid State Drive
34cm (13.3â€) LED Backlit Touch Display with Truelife and FHD resolution (1920 x 1080)
Hmm, I ruled that out as I thought the XP13 had an 11" screen! Looking at the Dell website it says:
QuoteXPS 13 Ultrabookâ,,¢ is slim and stylish, with touch Full HD display packed into an 11" frame
But if you then go to look at the system details it confirms a 13.3" screen, bizarre! Added to the list, I prefer the look of that to the XPS12 tbh.
Quote from: TeaLeaf;381961..., I prefer the look of that to the XPS12 tbh.
They are pretty similar machines, but the "twizzly" screen is pretty cool.
i got a sony vaio pro, tho ive hardly used it since i got my Surface 2 pro, best buy ive ever done, tho the screen on the surface might be a tad small for some
I think the screen size would be the killer for me, I regularly need to be entering and working with spreadsheets and 10" at that resolution would just not let me see enough of what I was doing. I do like the look of them though, particularly the pen aspect, but they also seem to be heading towards ultrabook prices once you spec it to 256GB.