Buying Guide: The Best Windows 8 Laptop Ultrabooks

1 November 2012, Singapore – Having a hard time to catch up with the numerous Windows 8 portable devices and cannot decide which one to get? Here is a summary of Windows 8 Laptops and Ultrabooks that stand out in terms of design and honour the spirit of “Flexibility” on Windows 8 Operating System in the revolution for laptop. This guide will give you the Pros & Cons of these laptops in a glance to help put your money in the best pot.

 

Sony VAIO Duo 11

Sony VAIO Duo 11 is a slim 11″ Ultrabook that switches easily from tablet to laptop simply by sliding the LCD display to reveal the keyboard. Retailing at S$1,999 for the Intel Core i5-3317U Processor and S$2699 for the Intel Core i7-3517U Processor.

Pros

• Truly looks and works like a tablet when needed
• Comes with stylus for note taking
• Easily fits into any bag
• Comes with 2 USB 3.0 ports, Memory Stick Duo / SD memory card combined slot and a VGA port in such a small package
• Weighs only 1.3kg

Cons

• No stylus storage holder
• Pricey
• Angle for the LCD display is fixed, can’t adjust to avoid reflection
• Uses a trackball mouse control in laptop mode
• Only up to 5 hours battery life

 

 

 

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 (EDITOR’s Choice)

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is the world’s first multi-mode Ultrabook with 360 flip design. Retailing at S$1,899 for Intel Core i7 Processor.

Pros

• The largest display among the hybrid tablet Ultrabook category
• Clean, Slim & Sleek design that fits both the corporate and fashion personas
• Hitch is very sturdy for the 360 flip action
• Attractive price point for an Intel Core i7 Processor Ultrabook
• Light & slim at only 1.54kg & 16.9mm for a 13″ laptop
• Battery life more than 8 hours

Cons

• Too big to use as a tablet
• Keyboard is awkward in tablet mode, but it is automatically disabled

 

 

 

 

HP ENVY x2

HP ENVY x2 is a sleek hybrid laptop running on Intel Atom Processor with a detachable screen for true tablet experience. Retailing at S$1,099.

Pros

• Sleek and light weight aluminum chassis, MacBook Air lookalike
• Detachable design for tablet mode
• Magnetic hinge design for easy alignment when docking to keyboard
• NFC enabled
• Tablet mode only weighs 710g

Cons

• Runs on Intel Atom Processor which makes it no a powerful laptop when compared with Intel Core Processor laptops
• Rear camera protruding from the chassis makes it less appealing
• No USB 3.0 ports
• USB ports only available on the keyboard dock and not on laptop
• Only have 64GB disk space

 

 

 

Samsung ACTIV Smart PC Pro

Samsung ACTIV Smart PC Pro similar to HP ENVY x2, is a detachable screen hybrid laptop but running on Intel Core i5 Processor. Retailing at S$2,199.

Pros

• The intuitive Stylus applications from Samsung GALAXY Note series have been ported over to the laptop
• LTE (4G) / 3G enabled for mobile connectivity
• Full HD display
• USB 3.0 on tablet mode

Cons

• 128GB for S$2,199 is pricey
• Tablet mode is heavy at 878g

 

 

 

 

ASUS TAICHI

ASUS TAICHI is a slim and stylish Ultrabook laptop with an innovative back-to-back dual-screen design. Retailing at S$2,698.

Pros

• Slim, Stylish and Lightweight
• Cool to share presentation and video over coffee table
• 256GB of storage
• Always on with instant resume in 2 seconds
• Full HD Display

Cons

• The most expensive in the lot
• Only rear display screen is touch enabled
• Only 5 hours battery life

 

 

 

 

DELL XPS 12

DELL XPS 12 with its unique 12.5″ flip hinge touchscreen display allows easily transitions between laptop and tablet mode with a simple flip. Retailing at S$1,699.

Pros

• Competitive price point
• Comes with Backlit Keyboard
• Gorilla Edge To Edge Display
• Full HD display
• NFC enabled

Cons

• Looks and feels bulky when compared to Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13
• Only 5 hours battery life

 

 

 

Fujitsu T902

Fujitsu T902 is 13.3″ hybrid tablet laptop with rotational display to convert the laptop to a tablet. Retail price has yet to be available.

Pros

• LTE (4G) / 3G enabled for mobile connectivity
• Bi-directional display hinge
• Hard drive shock sensor
• Spill-resistant & Backlit keyboard
• Full HD Display
• Modular bay customizable to be second battery, Super multi DVD-RW, BD-writer or second hard disk drive

Cons

• Known to be premium, Fujitsu T902 may cost more than S$2,500
• Single hinge rotational display, Handle With Care
• Old school design
• Only enabled with four finger multitouch input
• Too bulky to even consider it as a tablet

 

Related articles

• Hands On: ASUS TAICHI – Dual Screen Ultrabook with Big Pricetag
• Sony VAIO Duo 11 – Windows 8 Tablet with Slider Keyboard
• Windows 8 – Samsung ATIV Smart PCs & Touch Screen Ultrabooks
• HP ENVY X2 – Slim & Sleek Windows 8 Tablet Hybrid Notebook
• Nexus 10 by Samsung and Google
• Nokia Lumia 920 & Lumia 820 – Nokia’s First Windows Phone 8 Smartphones