Ultrabooks are unquestionably a special type of laptop: thin, light and fast, they are an increasingly popular choice for the mobile worker. Now unbelievably thin, at less than an inch thick, they still pack a punch when it comes to performance. Intel, the company that created the category and administer the specification believe they will become more popular than standard laptops.
To be considered an ultrabook, these computers need to meet a certain specification which distinguishes them from a standard laptop. Intel requires ultrabooks to be slim although there is no parameters on screen size. A 14-inch screen or larger has to be 21mm thick or less, unless it’s touchscreen, in which case it can go up to 23mm – still under an inch. Screens smaller that 13.3 inch need to be 18mm thick or less. There is no restriction on weight but as a rule of thumb, the smaller sized ultrabooks weigh around 3 pounds or less while the larger versions come in at between 4 and 4.5 pounds.
Ultrabooks also need to reside on an ULV platform, Intel’s low-power hardware processors from the Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell or Broadwell families. These are designed to combine performance with efficiency. They also have to meet another important criteria using either SSD storage or a mix of HDD and SDD storage. Memory is also important but whilst there is no regulation most ship with at least 4 GB of RAM.
Ultrabooks are expected to boot quickly, as a result of the SSD/hybrid storage and resume from sleep in under 7 seconds.
A certain battery life is also expected as ultrabooks are designed to be used on charge. Intel requires Ivy Bridge or older to run for at least 5 hours, whilst newer Haswell versions need to meet 9 hours in idle, 6 or more of video playing and at least 7 days of standby time.
There are a few other requirements and features. An ultrabook needs to have at least one USB 3.0 slot or a Thunderport port. Due to their slim size, they don’t always have the capacity for an ethernet socket or in many cases an optical drive. Higher-end ultrabooks usually feature Intel’s Anti-Theft and Identity Protection which allows you to remotely lock the laptop and render it unusable if it’s lost or stolen, and even help you to relocate it.
Build quality or materials aren’t specified but most ultrabooks look smart and reasonably durable. In order to save space, the batteries are usually encased along with the main hardware components.
As you would expect, Exertis provides a great range of ultrabooks. Ask your account manager for details.
ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA
ZenBook 3 Deluxe achieves the almost-impossible, featuring a gorgeous 14-inch display in an elegant and compact chassis that’s no bigger than many 13-inch laptops. It’s an unrivalled combination of power and beauty, giving you the perfect balance between portability and productivity. Measuring just 12.9mm thin and weighing only 1.1kg, ZenBook 3 Deluxe has everything you need for superb on-the-go performance, including a 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor, up to a 1TB PCIe® SSD, two USB Type-C™ (USB-C) ports with Thunderbolt™ 3 for dual 4K UHD display supports, and a powerful quad-speaker audio system
Fujitsu Notebook LIFEBOOK U937
With its extraordinarily light design, weighing only 920g and an all-day battery runtime, the Fujitsu Notebook LIFEBOOK U937 is an ultra-mobile notebook for business professionals who are always on the move. The solid magnesium housing ensures durability while security features such as the integrated palm vein sensor keep your business data protected. The powerful performance and the optional embedded 4G/LTE provide you with best-in-class user experience.
Dell Latitude 7490
A business-class laptop built with premium materials. Featuring optional Intel 7th Gen or new 8th Gen processors. The 14″ FHD (1920×1080) display features an anti-glare embedded touch screen for reduced weight and remarkable viewing all day. Work confidently with a laptop equipped with all-day battery life and improvements to both web browsing and video playback time.
Acer Swift 5
Size, shape, and style: the triple combo that makes the Swift 5 the champion of portable computing. The sleek magnesium-lithium cover offers a deceptively strong touch of class and puts the total laptop weight at just 0.97kg. Share the screen and its true colours with the full high-definition IPS touchscreen display and experience optimum sound quality as Acer’s TrueHarmony™ meets Dolby Audio™ Premium.
