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Ten Ultra Cool Ultrabooks for 2012

By Ericka Chickowski on 2012-01-09



What’s better than a tablet or a netbook? An ultrabook! These slim and light PCs have all of the power and functionality of your full computer, unlike the underpowered netbook, and the convenience and comfort of a real keyboard, unlike your tablet. Yet they retain the portability and lightness of both these devices to offer consumers and business users alike a gadget that provides both power and mobility – an unbeatable combination. And prices of some of these ultrabooks are comparable to the higher end iPad tablets. Maybe that’s why this new ultrabook category of devices is all the rage this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. While several vendors have already been hawking ultrabooks, others are debuting at CES 2012. Here’s a look at some of the ultrabooks you available now and ones you can expect to see, and covet, at CES.

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HP Folio 13


HP has tried to keep a balance in its first ultrabook offering, preserving the endangered Ethernet port while also including TPM and Bluetooth. There's even a rubberized bottom to help keep the Folio off of the coffee-shop floor.
WEIGHT: 3.3 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.3GHz
SCREEN: 13-inch
COST: $900

LG z430


The z430 ships with both SDD and an actual HDD, offering 500GB of storage at the cost of battery efficiency.
WEIGHT: 2.6 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i7 family
SCREEN: 14-inch
COST: $TBA
CES DEBUT

LG z330


LG is rolling out the lightest and slimmest ultrabook in its class.
WEIGHT: 3.3 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i7 family
SCREEN: 13.3-inch
COST: $899
CES DEBUT

Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook


Samsung was trying to keep the lid on this one, but a mistake at web-retailer J&R spoiled the surprise.
WEIGHT: 3.25 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.65gHZ
SCREEN: 13.3-inch
COST: $899
CES DEBUT

Toshiba Portégé


The Portégé is designed to look and act the part of a business machine, with full-sized ports, somber black finish, and six hour battery life.
WEIGHT: 2.47 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5-2435M 2.40GHz
SCREEN: 13.3-inch
COST: $899

Macbook Air


It's hardly a secret that the other guys are racing to catch up with this sexy little number. Apple is trying to keep ahead of the competition with periodic boosts in processor power.
WEIGHT: 2.38 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz
SCREEN: 11-inch
COST: $999

Acer Aspire One D270


While it doesn't quite comply with Intel's official Ultrabook standards, this ultraslim netbook hints at long battery life, light weight, and attention-getting purple finish.
WEIGHT: 3 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel ATOM N600 200GHz
SCREEN: 10.1-inch
COST: $TBA

ASUS Zenbook UX31


The stylish brushed-aluminum look of the UX31 is a tip-off to the elegance of a machine running without an optical drive or SD reader. The trade-off is nearly five hours of battery life.
WEIGHT: 2.86 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5-2557M DTBAl Core 1.7GHz
SCREEN: 13.3-inch
COST: $1,099

Lenovo X1 Hybrid


The Hybrid stands out for allowing the user to toggle between Windows and LINUX with the push of a button, sort of like a United Nations for operating system fanatics.
WEIGHT: 3.75 lbs
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i3 family
SCREEN: 13.3-inch
COST: $1,599

HP Spectre


Based on HP's teaser video clip, the main capability of this ultrabook is the capability to rotate unsupported in midair and unleash a blinding flash of light.
WEIGHT: TBA lbs
PROCESSOR: TBA
SCREEN: TBA
COST: $TBA
CES DEBUT

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