The ultrabooks of CES 2012
Ultrabooks are one of the big stories here at CES 2012. Thin, lightweight laptops with impressive performance are all the rage at this year's show, with companies announcing them at an alarming rate. We expect the flood of ultrabook announcements to continue throughout the show, so we thought we'd round them all up in one place for you. Take a look right here at our Ultrabook stream, and keep checking back as we'll be updating it constantly over the next few days.
CES 2012
Toshiba Portege M930: a Windows 7 tablet with a keyboard and rotating screen (hands-on)
You've been dying for an Asus Eee Pad Slider running Windows 7, right? Hiding amongst the hoards of ultrabooks on display at the Microsoft booth at CES 2012, is your answer: the Toshiba Portege M930. Oddly, Toshiba hasn't announced this tablet / laptop hybrid and doesn't even have it on display at its booth, but the rotating tablet seems pretty far along, considering it has a real name and the unit on display was working quite well.
You'll want to check the video below for how the screen...
Microsoft
The best ultrabooks of CES 2012
By my count, there have been more than 20 ultrabooks announced here at CES 2012. That's a lot of laptops, especially when you consider that most of them have the same attributes: thin cases, Core i5 processors, solid-state drives, chiclet keyboards and single-button touchpads. But one has to be the best right? One would think, but choosing just one ultrabook amongst all of them isn't really fair. Some are cheaper than others, some aren't coming until the end of the year, and some have put a...
Microsoft
LG Z330 and Z430 'Super Ultrabooks' (hands-on)
We've just taken a look at LG's first ultrabooks, the recently-announced 13.3-inch Z330 and 14-inch Z430. LG is calling them "Super Ultrabooks" because they go "above and beyond" Intel's requirements. The two laptops are extremely similar — they're both made of aluminium, have (non-backlit) chiclet keyboards, and have thin bezels that let the company squeeze more screen real estate into a smaller frame.
The Z330 has a single USB 3.0 port on the left edge (alongside the power plug), and a...
Microsoft
XPS 13: Dell launches its first ultrabook for $999 (hands-on pictures)
Dell told us "thin and powerful is where it's at" when it threw its netbooks in the grave, and it's living up to its word here at CES. It's no Adamo XPS in terms of design or thinness, but the XPS 13 ultrabook is definitely looking to fill that void in the company's line up. It might live along the other XPS models, but it's a much thinner and lighter option; similar to the XPS 14z, Dell's using a thin-bezeled display that allows the 13-inch display to fit in more of a typical 12-inch laptop...
Microsoft
Sony VAIO ultrabook prototype shown behind glass
Sony doesn't technically have an ultrabook — the VAIO Z or VAIO SB doesn't really count — but it seems Sony's planning to look at the category sometime in the future. Labeled as a "future ultrabook concept," Sony's displaying a laptop that looks a lot like its current VAIO Z. Unfortunately, it's behind glass, but from what I can tell it has a different touchpad than the current VAIO Z and is a bit thicker. That's all I could really glean from the chassis trapped behind glass, but it seems...
CES 2012
Dell Windows 7 Ultrabook announcement due tomorrow
Microsoft just revealed that Dell is planning to announce a new Windows 7 Ultrabook tomorrow at CES 2012. Microsoft's chief marketing officer, Tami Reller revealed the announcement on stage during Microsoft's final CES keynote. "Dell is planning an announcement tomorrow about another amazing ultrabook so please watch for that and check it out," said Reller. Ultrabooks looks set to be one of the most popular buzzwords of CES 2012 this year, keep an eye on the latest ones in our Ultrabooks of...
CES 2012
Envy 14 Spectre: HP's Gorilla Glass covered, $1,399 ultrabook (hands-on video / pictures)
HP let our imaginations run wild with its Spectre teaser video last week, but it's time to put all those dreams of it being a flying, self-opening laptop to rest. The company is officially releasing its Envy 14 Spectre today, and while it may not be what you imagined, it's one heck of a machine. Termed a "premium ultrabook" the laptop takes everything we've liked about the Envy line and brought it to a .78-inch / 3.9 pound laptop. There's a lot to talk about inside and out of the Spectre —...
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga: a Windows 8 laptop that bends backwards into a tablet (hands-on video)
Lenovo has indeed saved the best for last here at CES 2012. After days of interminable laptop announcements, the company has one more to share: the 13.3-inch IdeaPad Yoga, which opens like a normal laptop but can then flip backwards to become a tablet. Yes, it's as crazy as it sounds, and even better it's running Windows 8. This is the sort of thing that is really best seen in video, so I suggest you scroll on down as soon as possible, but what I can tell you is that the .6-inch thick laptop...
CES 2012
Samsung Series 5 Ultra officially heads to the US on January 30th for $899 (hands-on pictures)
J&R let Samsung's Series 5 Ultra out a bit early last week, but today Samsung's officially confirming that its 13.3- and 14-inch ultrabooks are headed to the US on January 30th. Just like the overseas model, the 14-inch Series 5 has an onboard optical drive, yet still only weighs 3.9 pounds and measures .82 inches thick. The .58-inch thick 13.3-inch version has a similar design, but weighs just 3.24 pounds since it drops the disc drive. Although, both make room for an SD card reader,...
CES 2012
Samsung Series 9 gets a complete makeover, coming February 27th for $1,399.99 (hands-on and video)
At last year's CES, a time before every single laptop manufacturer was releasing ultrabooks, Samsung unveiled its extremely thin Series 9 laptop. So how is the company planning to maintain its lead this year? With two brand new Series 9s. While Samsung's not calling the 13.3- or 15-inch laptops "ultrabooks," the laptops are astoundingly thin and weigh just 2.5 and 3.5 pounds, respectively.
However, Samsung hasn't just refreshed the line with new processors, though it's done that too. The...
Microsoft
Intel Nikiski laptop prototype with see-through touchpad hands-on pictures and video
Sure, Intel revealed a lot about its future ultrabook platforms at its press conference a few minutes ago, but its prototype Nikiski laptop was the star of the show. The laptop has a transparent touchpad that spans the length of the palmrest. It's a clear piece of glass that does double duty as a touchpad for the Windows 7 laptop, but also transformers into a exterior touchscreen when the laptop is closed.
The exterior touchscreen is a pretty interesting trick. It reminds me a lot of what...
CES 2012
Intel announces over 75 ultrabook designs for 2012, partnership with Nuance for voice recognition
Intel's Mooley Eden was on stage today showing off a ton of crazy form factors, including the Nikiski with a very wide transparent touchpad. But he also boasted over 75 different ultrabook designs would be coming in 2012 — 50 percent of those in 14- and 15-inch sizes. That seems like an incredibly high number for a screen-and-keyboard combination, but that of course depends on how you define varying design. Still, what was shown off today was very promising, and in addition to the models on...
CES 2012
Vizio thin-and-light laptops first hands-on!
Don't call them "ultrabooks" — Vizio says they're thin-and-lights that meet or exceed Intel's ultrabook specs, but the company isn't using the name. Whatever they are, they're certainly thin, and that keyboard is something else. Vizio CTO Matt McRae told us the company is doing extensive testing on it to make sure it's comfortable, and we found it easy enough to type on, although the individual keys felt sort of huge. The build itself is nice and sturdy, with unibody construction, but Vizio...
Toshiba's 14-inch Satellite ultrabook coming in May for $799
Samsung already kicked off the trend of 14-inch ultrabooks, and now Toshiba's joining in. Or it will, when it brings its 14-inch Satellite ultrabook to the US this May with Intel's third generation Core processors (or Ivy Bridge). The .78-inch thick Satellite laptop is different than Toshiba's existing Portege ultrabook in two important ways — it's a bit thicker and it's more affordable. The $799 laptop is the cheapest ultrabook to date, and while Toshiba didn't detail the exact starting...
CES 2012
Lenovo ThinkPad T430u ultrabook and ThinkPad Edge S430 hands-on
Lenovo just hasn't been able to stop announcing laptops here at CES 2012, but amongst them all, the ThinkPad T430u ultrabook and ThinkPad Edge S430 have stuck out. Both laptops won't be available until the spring when Intel's Ivy Bridge processors are available, but Lenovo did bring two early prototypes to the show.
The T430u is really liked a slimmed down X1. It's got a very classic ThinkPad look, with the same comfortable chiclet keyboard that's on the X1. The early samples Lenovo was...
Lenovo IdeaPad U310 / U410 ultrabooks: next-gen Intel processors in colored cases coming in May (hands-on)
And you thought it wasn't possible for Lenovo to announce another ultrabook. While the more business minded got the ThinkPad T430u last week, Lenovo's also announcing plans at CES 2012 for its updated U Series ultrabook — the 13.3-inch U310 and 14-inch U410. An update to the IdeaPad U300s, the U310 and U410 have similar all-aluminum book-cover styling, chiclet keyboards (still with no backlight), and thin bodies (.7 and .83, respectively). Beyond the new colored lids and the addition of an...
Acer unveils Aspire Timeline Ultra at CES 2012
Acer's today announced its CES 2012 offerings. Up first, the Aspire Timeline Ultra. While we do not yet have full details (or even an image!) we do know that the ultrabook will come in 14 and 15-inch varieties, with as-yet-unspecified Intel Core i CPUs, Dolby Home Theatre v4 Surround Sound speakers, and they will feature Acer instant on, and be rated for up to 8 hours of battery life. We also hear that the Ultras will be just 20mm thick, and will have both HDMI and USB 3.0 ports. Acer says...
CES 2012
Acer announces Aspire S5, 'world's thinnest ultrabook' with Thunderbolt port
Ahead of its press conference at CES, Acer has just announced the new Aspire S5 ultrabook, which the company says is the world's thinnest — it's only 15mm at its thickest point. It's a black, magnesium-alloy and brushed-metal 13.3-inch laptop, weighing 1.35kg (2.97 pounds) and featuring Acer's Instant On technology that brings the computer back from sleep in 1.5 seconds. It also uses Acer Always Connect, which lets users manage data on their computers even when the machine is asleep — the...
CES 2012
Vizio enters the Windows game with all-in-one PCs, ultrabooks this May (update)
Last night, a little bird told us that Vizio's Rose Bowl ad wasn't for a TV: it was actually the company's first all-in-one PC. We didn't believe it at first, but that's exactly what Vizio is about to do: enter the Windows PC business. The company has a slew of machines in its arsenal, including a 24- and 27-inch all-in-ones and 14-inch and 15.6-inch ULV-powered ultrabooks, and Vizio told the Financial Times that they will "exceed ultrabook specifications." (In fact, Vizio tells us it won't...
HD & Home
Toshiba bringing 'world's thinnest and lightest' 10.1-inch tablet and 13.3-inch ultrabook to CES
Toshiba Japan has given us a little teaser of what it's going to be showing off at CES 2012 in a few days. The press release says it'll have both the world's thinnest and lightest 10.1-inch tablet and the thinnest and lightest 13.3-inch ultrabook at the show. Of course, Toshiba has already made similar claims in regards to its Excite tablet and Portege Z830 ultrabook, so perhaps we'll just be getting another look at those. Toshiba also says it'll be bringing a prototype waterproof tablet with...
Microsoft
Lenovo ThinkPad T430u: an $849 ultrabook with next-gen Intel CPUs and optional Nvidia graphics
Of course Lenovo wasn't going to let its tried and true ThinkPad brand go without an ultrabook of its own! In addition to its consumer-targeted IdeaPad U300s, Lenovo's announcing its plans for a more business-oriented ultrabook today — the 14-inch ThinkPad T430u. Starting at $849, it isn't as thin or expensive as its U300s cousin, but at .8 inches and "less than 4 pounds" it has room for that all-important SD card reader (which the U300s lacked), two USB ports, an Ethernet jack, and a...
