Ultrabooks: the new design for laptops

By Renate Grimming Dec 11, 2011, 3:07 GMT

Berlin - Laptops need an upgrade, it has been deemed. Into this breach steps chip manufacturer Intel and its brand new creation, ultrabooks, which have hit shelves just in time for the Christmas rush.

The point of an ultrabook is that they are better designed for mobile use, while also being easier on the eye. Intel has the sole right to decide what qualifies as an ultrabook.

One key factor is being thin. A computer can't be an ultrabook if it is more than 18 millimetres at its thickest point, says Intel manager Hans-Juergen Werner. An ultrabook also has to perform some of the functions that have traditionally been associated with tablets or smartphones. Despite, or because of, those demands, manufacturers are lining up to be able to use the label.

Energy efficiency is another important factor. Batteries have to be able to power the laptop for five hours without recharge and cannot consume more than 17 watts.

Acer, Asus, Toshiba and Lenovo have all trotted out ultrabooks, with prices ranging from 800 to 1,700 euros (1,075 to 2,285 dollars). But Werner notes that every manufacturer has at least one model available for less than 1,000 euros.

Thanks to Instant On mode, all of them start quite quickly. If you didn't power it all the way down, it should, theoretically, boot up within two seconds.

A prime example of this is the Zenbook from Asus, weighing in at 1.1 kilograms and measuring only 17 millimetres at its thickest. It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium in its 64-bit version. Use of a 128-gigabyte (GB) solid state drive (SSD) helps the Zenbook stay within the thickness guidelines.

Acer is competing in the new class with its Aspire S3, which weighs 1.35 kilograms and is only 13 millimetres thick. Users have the option of doing without an SSD drive and working with a 500 GB HDD hard drive, which could be a plus for the many computer users who don't want to sacrifice storage space when they're on the go, says Acer spokeswoman Alexandra Boeckelmann.

In other features, the Aspire has a battery with seven hours of life, and a 13.3-inch HD screen with backlit LED lighting. Instant On snaps it to life within 1.5 seconds. Acer says a green Instant On mode can let the machine run on one battery charge for 50 days.

Intel is supporting creation of the ultrabooks with various tools, including a 300-million-dollar fund. That has helped manufacturers experiment with the pros and cons of different design materials. Asus and Lenovo - which is bringing out the IdeaPad U300 - have opted for a chassis of pure aluminium, just like Apple's MacBook Air. It's designed to do more than just look fancy.

'The question of thermal radiation played a big role in the decision for aluminium,' said Loewy Chen, responsible for the Zenbook's design at Asus. 'Aluminium allows a fast dispersal of heat: that allows the ultrabook to operate safely and reliably.'

Lenovo has also employed a 'breathable keyboard' into its 1.32-kilogram IdeaPad, a cooling technology developed by Intel that allows air to vent through the keyboard, so heat buildup doesn't halt work.

The body of Toshiba's Satellite Z830-10J is made of magnesium. Its display measures 13.3 inches diagonally and weighs just 1.1 kilograms. Toshiba's developers strengthened the metal with a honeycomb design of their own invention.

The device is so thin that an ethernet cable actually no longer fit into its side, says Gabriel Willigens of Toshiba. That meant designers had to put it and the RGB port on the computer's base.

Acer, meanwhile, opted for layers of aluminium and magnesium for its Aspire, as well as a particularly aerodynamic design.

'Essential features of a smartphone and a tablet PC' like fast startup and a particularly fast connection to the internet, in comparison to standard notebooks, should hopefully make the Aspire S3 more attractive to customers, says Campbell Kan, president of worldwide PC operations for Acer. At 2.5 seconds, the S3 is online four times quicker than other machines.