With the advent of iPads and tablet PCs it was though that the end of desktops are near and soon the era of personal desktop computer will be over. The iPads sale zoomed and broke all the records selling millions of units every month. Inspired by the success of Apple iPad many companies launched their version of tablet PCs but with little or no success. The notebook and laptop market which was shining with brisk sales started to decline and situation looked bleak. People though with the entry and success of tablets the laptop price will fall and eventually it will go out of the market but it is too early to put an end to the flourishing market of notebooks.
Now major notebook making companies are gearing for their second innings the notebook segment with launch of ultrabooks. This slimmest, lightweight and stunning looking machine can give a solid competition to the tablets PCs. The ultrabook concept was made popular by Apple with the launch of their MacBook Air couple of years back. Now once again companies are trying to reinvent the magic of laptop by all new meaning to its existence. We will have a look at the four UltraBooks launched recently.
HP Envy14 Spectre
HP is the market leader in Desktop and laptop PCs it has still maintained its numero Uno position. With the recent launch of HP Envy14 Spectre it has proved they have still not called it a quit. This beautiful beast weighs just around 3.9 pounds and comes loaded with some spectacular features. The 14-inch gorilla glass display protects the screen while delivering crisp and vibrant images. The well-built form factor comes with neatly designed keyboard and palm rest to support your palm during long hours of computing. This ultrabook also helps you connect wirelessly to an HDTV or projector and gives you the provision to use near-field communication, or NFC technology. The battery gives you up to nine hours of back-up for all day computing. The price is on higher side but it will be surely worth your every penny.
Acer Aspire S5
Acer rules the affordable category of laptops and notebooks. But sometimes it can surprise the market just like it did when it launched Acer Aspire S5, a premium series of ultrabook for the acer-enthusiast and who wants slim and solid notebook in their hands. Acer Aspire S5 comes with 13.3-inch screen and 0.59 inch thickness. Standard features like USB port, HDMI port along with innovative feature like Thunderbolt port comes nicely packed in this ultrabook. All it takes 15 seconds to boot-up but the keyboard need a bit refinement. The audio could be louder and with 6.5 battery life it leaves us wanting for something more. The revision of price below 50,000 Rs could add more buyers of Acer Aspire S5.
Dell XPS 13
Dell is the world leader in desktop and laptop segment and has a steep competition with HP and Lenovo. There are many firsts to the credit of Dell and lately dell has concentrated its effort on building an ultrabook. Dell promises that Dell XPS 13 will be amazing with advanced features and superior functionality. Dell XPS 13 weighs 2.99 pounds slightly heavier than Acer Aspire S5 but lighter than HP Envy14 Spectre and Samsung Series 5 ULTRA. The 12.4-inch compact display size is perfect to carry around. The stunning video quality and crisp images is a treat for entertainment lover. The boot time is 16 seconds and offers nine hours of battery back-up.
Samsung Series 5 ULTRA
Samsung was never a successful candidate in notebook segment. Although it did bring some amazing models in the market but it received cold response from the customers. Though a leader in Smartphone segment Samsung needed some boost-up in notebook category. Samsung after much thought and R &D have come-up with Samsung Series 5 ULTRA, ultrabook. Unlike many other ultrabooks which compromised on optical drive, Samsung Series 5 ULTRA comes with DVD Optical drive for burning DVDs and CDs. It weighs 3.9 pounds which makes it par with HP Envy14 Spectre but still lighter when compared to other heavy notebooks in the market. Samsung feature 500 GB hardisk compared to other ultrabook which features solid-state drive, this adds to its overall weight. The battery life is just around seven hours which is below for ultrabook. But Samsung has made a genuine attempt to make an ultrabook which is feature rich and compact. The price seems competitive and will make many customers to walk into the stores.
