Ultraportable laptops review

03.Product profiles

Profiles - What to buy

Dell XPS M1330

Price $1798

Good points

• Best overall.
• Best ease of use.
• Best performance.
• Relatively low price.
• Battery has built-in status meter.
• Bag, noise isolation earbuds, ExpressCard, remote control included.
• On-site warranty.

Bad points

• Lowest rated LCD screen by expert LCD assessment panel.
• Relatively heavy.
• Only one-year warranty.

BenQ Joybook X31-PE04*

Price $1699

Good points

• Equal second best overall.
• Relatively low price.
• Roomy (250 GB) hard drive.
• Two-year warranty (requires registration).

Bad points

• No third-party firewall software.

*Soon to be replaced with the X32, featuring the new Centrino 2 chipset.

Toshiba Portege M800

Price $2310

Good points

• Equal second overall.
• Good quality speakers.
• Three-year warranty.

Bad points

• Hottest laptop tested (failed comfortable temperature test).
• Relatively heavy.
• Highest power usage.

Apple Macbook Air

Price $2499

Good points

• Judged most stylish by expert panel.
• Excellent data migration/synchronisation.
• Excellent touchpad and keyboard.
• Lowest power usage and running cost.
• Excellent software bundle included.

Bad points

• Failed comfortable temperature test.
• No Ethernet port or multimedia card slot.
• No optical drive.
• No fingerprint reader or lock slot.
• Battery not removable.
• Only one USB port.
• Only one-year warranty.

Profiles - the rest

Lenovo Ideapad U110

Price $1798

Good points

• Additional battery supplied as standard.
• Best rated LCD screen.
• External DVD burner (dual-layer DVD-RW) included.
• Roomy (250 GB) hard drive.
• Bag included.

Bad points

• Only one-year warranty.
• Shiny surfaces easily marked by fingerprints.
• No third -arty firewall software.

Sony VAIO TZ36GN/W

Price $1798

Good points

• Best battery life.
• Good sound quality via speakers.

Bad points

• Lowest performance score.
• Slowest boot time.
• Only one-year warranty.

Twinhead J13S

Price $1798

Good points

• Lowest priced.
• Fastest boot time.
• Carry bag included.
• Three-year limited warranty (requires registration).

Bad points

• No antivirus, third-party firewall or anti-spyware software.
• Lowest ease of use.
• Heaviest laptop in this test.

Pioneer Dreambook Light M725R

Price $1798

Good points

• Relatively low cost.
• Good ease of use.
• Good performance score.
• Roomy (250 GB) hard drive.
• Bag included.

Bad points

• Failed comfortable temperature test.
• Only one-year warranty.
• Shortest battery life.
• Shiny surfaces easily marked by fingerprints.
• Relatively heavy.