Best ultraportable laptops
Your current laptop might not seem too heavy, until you have to lug it along on your daily subway commute or spend all day walking around at a business conference. Good thing, then, that the current generation of ultraportable laptops can go toe-to-toe with their bigger cousins. There are some trade-offs to be sure (slower processors, tiny keyboards, limited battery life), but when it comes to buzz-worthy products, this is where the action is.
Lenovo ThinkPad X200
8.2 Excellent (reviewed 8/14/08)
It lacks some basic features you may require--touch pad, optical drive--but the 12.1-inch ThinkPad X200 offers strong performance and the longest battery life we've seen. With a variety of connectivity options and a roomy keyboard, the X200 makes a great ultraportable for road warriors.
Read review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X200
Toshiba Portege R500
7.9 Very good (reviewed 2/14/08)
Toshiba's SSD version of the Portege R500 may be the best ultraportable laptop available right now, and it packs in much of what the MacBook Air lacks while weighing nearly half as much.
Read review of the Toshiba Portege R500
Asus Eee PC 901
8.0 Excellent (reviewed 6/30/08)
The long-awaited Asus Eee PC 901 is the best version of this inexpensive Netbook yet, but it's facing increased competition from the likes of HP, Dell, and MSI.
Read review of the Asus Eee PC 901
MSI Wind
6.2 Good (reviewed 7/16/08)
The MSI Wind U100 makes a positive first impression with its polished design and roomy (for a Netbook) display and keyboard, but it's missing a handful of features--bigger battery, solid-state hard drive, and WWAN--that would turn it from a very good to a great on-the-go mini-laptop.
Read review of the MSI Wind
Lenovo IdeaPad U110
8.0 Excellent (reviewed 5/8/08)
The 11.1-inch Lenovo IdeaPad U110 is the most beautiful laptop we've seen in years, and behind those good looks is a well-appointed, fairly priced ultraportable. Despite a few minor nitpicks, we recommend the IdeaPad U110 to those who want a lightweight, eye-catching laptop for frequent travel.
Read review of the Lenovo IdeaPad U110
Fujitsu LifeBook P8010
7.5 Very good (reviewed 3/26/08)
Call it the unassuming ultraportable. The Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 shuns attention-grabbing thinness and solid-state drives for a solid feature set for business travelers.
Read review of the Fujitsu LifeBook P8010