ultraportable
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8310083100Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 review (13-inch): A beautiful design that’s almost run its course
While the Surface Laptop 5 hasn’t gotten a lot of updates on the outside aside from a fresh sage green color option, support for faster 12th-gen Intel CPUs and a new Thunderbolt 4 port give it a big bump in speed and versatility.
Dell XPS 13 Plus review: Beauty vs. usability
The XPS 13 Plus is a glimpse into the future of laptops, with its invisible haptic trackpad and edge-to-edge keyboard.
Dell XPS 15 review (2022): Still the best 15-inch Windows laptop
The XPS 15 is better than ever with Intel's 12th-gen CPUs and NVIDIA's RTX 3050 Ti graphics.
Dell unveils a slimmer XPS 13 and a detachable 2-in-1
Dell hasn't forgotten about the XPS 13 or the XPS 13 2-in-1, both of which are getting some useful upgrades for 2022.
Dell's XPS 13 Plus ultraportable is now available for $1,299
The Developer Edition, which ships with Ubuntu, will set you back $1,249.
HP Pavilion Aero review: HP's lightest laptop yet deserves a closer look
It's certainly not a premium laptop, but it has plenty of muscle where it counts.
Apple's 256GB MacBook Air M1 is down to an all-time low at Amazon
Apple's MacBook Air M1 is down to an all-time low price on Amazon for both the silver and space grey models with 256GB storage.
Razer's first mainstream laptop still has an RGB keyboard
The company is announcing the Razer Book 13 today, which it’s calling a “hyper focused productivity laptop.” The Book 13 also houses a 720p webcam in its slim bezels, and it’s Windows Hello-compatible.
Huawei's latest MateBook X looks great, but good luck getting one
The machine is light, powerful, gorgeous and... probably never going to be available to buy in the US.
Save up to $1,000 on Lenovo ThinkPad laptops ahead of Black Friday
With the exception of Amazon, most of the pre-Black Friday sales we've seen so far have been pretty tame. Not so with Lenovo's early Black Friday sale. Not only can you get as much as 45 percent off one of the company's laptops, which in some cases translates to more than $1,000 in savings, but Lenovo has put nearly every one of its portable computers on sale (some companies have no chill when it comes to Black Friday, it seems). Together, those two things make Lenovo's sale one of the more compelling ones we've seen ahead of actual Black Friday.
Dell's Black Friday sale includes price cuts on the XPS 13 and Alienware m15
With Black Friday around the corner, now is the perfect time to purchase a laptop if you need a new one. Dell has discounted most of its laptops, including popular ones like the XPS 13. Act fast, however, as a couple of models have already sold out.
Dell XPS 13 review: A perfect ultraportable
Dell's XPS 13 is pretty much the best Windows ultraportable around, and you should buy it. Is that enough of a review for you? The XPS has been one of our favorite laptops over the past few years, thanks to its thin screen bezels and elegantly compact design. But this year, Dell has refined it to near perfection. The webcam is finally at the top of the screen, so it's no longer peeking up at your nose from the bottom; there's Dolby Vision HDR support; and somehow Dell managed to shave off even more screen bezel. It's the rare gadget that we can recommend to just about anyone.
ThinkPad X1 Extreme review: Big on power and price
Full disclosure: I have something of a complicated relationship with ThinkPads. Once upon a time, I was what you might call a "fanboy." Over the course of my life, I've had five of them. In fact, I've never actually purchased any other brand of laptop. But about four years ago I bought an X1 Carbon, and the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I had to send it back to Lenovo for repairs four times in the first two years. That included having both the motherboard and keyboard replaced. Now, the screen is literally falling off. So I'm coming into this review pretty skeptical of Lenovo's quality control. Obviously, I can't predict how it will hold up over time, but I will say this: The X1 Extreme makes one hell of a first impression. That impression is important, though. This is Lenovo trying to move into a new niche and trying to fill a glaring gap in the ThinkPad lineup. If you wanted desktop replacement-level power in a sleek, ultra-portable package, you'd have to look elsewhere. This is a market served primarily by the larger MacBook Pro and Dell XPS models. But if you haven't been swayed by Apple or Dell's offerings, Lenovo just might have the answer.
ASUS’ new ZenBook S is thin, light and rugged
ASUS has announced the ZenBook S (UX391), a 13.3-inch ultraportable that is designed to be tougher than your average laptop. Built to military specifications, the company claims that the S has proved its mettle in a series of endurance tests in tough conditions. But, unlike most rugged devices, the ZenBook S is light and thin enough to make you think it's a delicate piece of gear.
Razer's Blade Stealth laptop now packs a quad-core processor
Like the thought of Razer's Blade Stealth ultraportable, but wish it had a bit more oomph for multitasking? You're getting your wish. Razer has released a version of its 13-inch ultraportable with a quad-core 8th-generation Core i7 processor (namely, the 1.8GHz i7-8550U) inside rather than the usual 7th-gen dual-core chip. This doesn't magically turn it into a gaming machine -- you'll still need a Core enclosure for that -- but it could make all the difference when editing a video or juggling numerous apps. The CPU update also gives you an extra hour of estimated battery life (10 hours total), so you're more likely to make it through a long day.
The Spectre 13.3 is the most intriguing thing HP has made in years
It's been a long time since I've wanted to test a laptop this badly. The HP Spectre 13.3 isn't just the world's thinnest notebook; it's the most exciting device Hewlett-Packard has made in years. I mean, just look at it. The 10.4-millimeter-thick, 2.45-pound PC is as slim as a AAA battery, with a sleek new logo and copper accents inspired by classic watches. Aside from being the skinniest notebook on the planet, the Spectre 13.3 differs from its closest competitors in a few other key ways: It brings a cushier keyboard, a more powerful processor and a larger selection of ports, including a USB-C adapter in the box. (Hear that, Apple?) The idea that HP produced not just a MacBook rival but one that has a distinctive design and potentially learns from Apple's mistakes makes it very interesting indeed. After using it for two weeks, I can confirm it's largely worthy of the hype. But it's clear that in the interest of building a thin, fast PC, HP made some compromises of its own.
Samsung's thin and light Notebook 9 harks back to simpler times
Samsung's new flagship laptop, the $1500 $1,200 Notebook 9, does not have a touchscreen. Its display does not detach or fold back into tablet mode. It's not even that exciting-looking. And yet I am fully enjoying my time with it. Though it doesn't offer some of the niceties we've come to expect on modern laptops, it excels in just about every way that matters, with healthy battery life, a comfortable keyboard, a bright display and a thin design. Even the touchpad is OK, and that's saying something.
HP's Spectre 13.3 laptop is as thin as a AAA battery
HP's newest laptop, the Spectre 13.3, isn't like anything else in the company's lineup. In contrast to the company's candy-colored Chromebooks and plain silver notebooks, the Spectre was inspired by jewelry and women's purses. In fact, HP chose to unveil it not at CES or any other tech show but at a luxury conference in Versailles. And, at 10.4mm thin, the Spectre is about as thick as a AAA battery, making it not just the skinniest PC in HP's portfolio but the slimmest notebook on the entire market. Think of it as HP's answer to Apple's 12-inch MacBook, except with a bigger screen, extra horsepower and a little more bling.
Razer's Blade Stealth gaming ultraportable is all work and no play
At some point, every laptop-owning PC gamer asks the question, "Can I hook a desktop graphics card up to my notebook?" Until recently, the answer was no, but times are changing. In the past year Alienware, MSI and ASUS have all announced laptops with external GPU accessories, promising a workhorse on the go and a gaming behemoth at home. Razer's take on this trend took CES by storm, running away from the electronics show with Best of CES awards for both People's Choice and Best PC. And why not? The Razer Blade Stealth is sleek with impressive specs and has a strong pedigree. Still, there's a problem: This ultraportable laptop ships without the GPU dock it needs to actually play games. Whoops.
Razer's gaming Ultrabook lets you bring your own video card
If you're a gamer, you don't have it easy when buying laptops: You may want a sleek, lightweight Ultrabook when you're traveling, but you also want the big, powerful desktop replacement when you're home. What to do? Razer thinks you can have both. It's launching the Blade Stealth, a 12.5-inch ultraportable with some proper gaming cred. Its centerpiece is an optional Thunderbolt 3–powered dock, the Core (below), which lets you use most any modern desktop graphics card when integrated video won't cut it—if you just have to play Battlefront at max detail with a GeForce GTX 980 Ti, you can. It has Ethernet and four USB 3.0 ports, too, so you only need to plug in one cable to get all your usual peripherals.
