If the fashion industry has taught laptop makers anything, it's that “thin is in”. But even though it's been three and a half years since Steve Jobs slid the first MacBook Air from its manila envelope on stage at MacWorld, the slimming evolution of notebook design is only just getting started.
At the Computex conference in Taiwan this year, Intel unveiled its concept of the future of mobile computing, the Ultrabook. Running the latest Intel processors, all Ultrabooks will be less than 20mm thick, feature elegant designs and prices under $US1000. By the end of 2012, Intel expects 40 per cent of all laptops sold to be Ultrabooks.
But while the Ultrabook category is yet to officially launch, it hasn't stopped manufacturers from releasing elegantly designed, razor-thin laptops to the market. With Intel's Sandy Bridge processors, flash storage solid state drives (SSDs) and stunning designs, the days of having to use ugly, heavy laptops are officially coming to an end.
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13-inch MacBook Air $1,899 (2011 1.8GHz Core i7 version) RATING:5/5Weighing just 1.35kg and measuring just 17mm at its thickest point, the current Air is a stunning feat of engineering. It comes with the latest version of Apple's operating system, OS X Lion, which may take some time getting used to.
The updated Air conveniently features a USB port on either side of the machine as well as an SD card slot. A new Thunderbolt port on the side allows you to connect to a range of peripherals, from monitors to hard drives, although there are few compatible products available on the market yet.
Testing the premium 13-inch Air with a 1.8GHz Core i7 processor upgrade and 4GB RAM showed the massive improvements over the previous Core 2 Duo processor. The 13.3-inch LED backlit screen is vibrant and easy to see in direct sunlight, while the backlit keyboard lets you work at night as well.
But most impressive of all is the price. Considering it features the latest Intel processor and 256GB of flash storage on board, at $1,899 it's one of the most affordable thin laptops currently on the market.
Samsung Series 9 $2,499 RATING 4.5/5
Black laptops never really went out of fashion, but there's something about the Samsung Series 9 that screams superior style. From the curved silver trim to the 1.31kg Duralumin body, this laptop is unquestionably designed for looks as well as function.
At 16.3mm thick, it's technically thinner than the Macbook Air, although the Apple looks thinner when comparing the two side by side.
Available with a Sandy-Bridge Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, the Seies 9's tapered sides house flip-down connection ports, including a mini HDMI connection, mini-LAN, MicroSD and two USB ports. Bulky USB connectors like 3G wireless dongles can be problematic in the flip down panels, and disappointingly there's no mini-HDMI adapter in the box.
Battery life is impressive for such a slim machine, offering about five hours of standard use. But for $2,499, it's definitely wedged in the premium notebook space.
Asus U36J $1,499 RATING 4/5
Asus boldly proclaim that the U36J is the world's first laptop thinner than 2cm with a full-voltage Core i5 processor, which is supposed to mean more power. The problem is that the Core i5 used is from last year's range of processors, meaning the advantage is all but cancelled out.
Unlike the other machines on test, the Asus also featured an old-fashioned 2.5-inch hard drive instead of the flash memory used elsewhere. While this means more storage, it also means more weight.
With a full suite of connections, including three USB ports, full sized HDMI, LAN and SD card slot, the U36J we tested was slightly heavier than the other laptops on test at 1.6kg, although it did feature a larger 8-cell battery that also added bulk to the back of the notebook.
The screen of the Asus was a bit stiff, requiring two hands to open, although the keyboard was one of the most comfortable to use on test, despite not being backlit. However, having a fingerprint scanner wedged between two small buttons at the bottom of the trackpad meant plenty of accidental scans while browsing, which was extremely frustrating.
Acer Travelmate 8481G $1699 RATING 4/5
You'd expect a laptop dubbed “Travelmate” to be thin and light by default, so Acer's latest doesn't disappoint, measuring in at 2.2cm thick and weighing 1.5kg.
While the Acer packs a Sandy Bridge Core i7 processor, it's most notable difference is its 14.1-inch screen. Acer has managed to reduce the frame around the screen, allowing for a bigger LCD panel in the same size as a 13-inch laptop. An integrated NVIDIA graphics card helps take advantage of that extra screen size too.
The Travelmate has a bevy of ports, impressively including an eSATA/USB combo slot. The keyboard is comfortable to use, but sadly the trackpad's buttons are the opposite - horrendously squishy and horrible to press. Lifting the screen is also a two handed job, with no easy access points to lift from.
Sony Vaio Z Series $3,999 RATING 4.5/5
With a $4000 price tag, Sony obviously believes the Z series is a luxurious masterpiece. To be fair, the 13.1-inch, Full HD widescreen display is one of the best screens on offer, while the trackpad has a satisfying raised texture that feels great.
The build quality on the Z series is amazing. Exceptionally strong, it weighs just 1.165kg including the battery. Convenient touch-sensitive shortcut buttons above the keyboard give you immediate access to the key features of the laptop, without being located where they can be pressed accidentally.
Powered by a Sandy Bridge Core i7 processor, the Sony is one of the best performing notebooks on test. But it's true strength lies in the included media dock, which connects via USB and offers a Blu-ray drive, an AMD Radeon graphics card and extra USB ports to boost the laptop's performance.
It's an amazing machine, but at $4000, is well outside most people's budgets.
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