Ultrabooks: The Next Big Thing?
Ok. Raise your hand if you've heard the term 'notebook' (last time I checked this is what we called laptops). Now raise your hand if you've heard the term 'netbook' (remember those really small laptops that were all the buzz a year ago).
Well, here's a new one for you, 'ultrabook'. Apparently it's supposed to be the next big thing that PC manufacturers are raving about. So what is an ultrabook exactly and how is it different from the stuff you already know?
In a nutshell, an ultrabook is an emerging category of laptops that are undoubtedly fashioned after Apple's Macbook Air and boast most of the following specifications.
- 11" - 13" inch displays
- Very light and thin
- Battery life of 5-8 hours
- No optical (CD/DVD drive)
- Solid state drive (SSD) faster than older mechanical hard drives) and
- Retail for around $1,000
Apart from the specs, which deliver on next generation features such as SSD, USB 3.0, and new Intel processors, what's different about this category of laptop is the emphasis on portability, power efficiency and aesthetic design. This is a sure signal that Apple's innovation with the Macbook Air has caught on and now manufacturers see growing user demand for these qualities.
My personal take is that these are likely to be a permanent fixture of portable computing as the experience of lightweight devices such as tablets become the norm. I'm an openly proud PC user so chances are I'll be in the market for one of these as prices come down.[caption id="attachment_2540" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Toshiba Portege Z830 Series"]
According to most reports we should expect a flood of ultrabooks in the market in the first quarter of next year following the infamous Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. While newer models will most likely ship in the first quarter of 2012, some notable early entrants that you get your hands on include the Toshiba Portege Z830, Lenovo IdeaPad U300S and the upcoming HP Folio 13.