Top 5 Ultrabooks at CES 2012

The Gadget Show  Thursday 12 January 2012

At CES 2012 there was plenty of gadgets to crow about. One of the major highlights was the dozens of ultrabooks on show. These are new portable computers that deliver the full specs and features of a laptop, in the sort of jaw-dropping dimensions previously thought not possible.

Unable to make it to CES 2012? Then read on for a tantalising read of what’s to come in the world of ultrabooks. One of these could be your next computer. Here is our top 5 ultrabooks of CES 2012.

Acer Aspire S5



The world’s thinnest laptop. That’s already enough to warrant the Acer Aspire 5 its share of attention. At 15mm thin, the Acer Aspire S5 is even thinner than Apple’s MacBook air, and weighs just 1.35kg. Features include a 13.3 inch HD display, HDMI to connect the Ultrabook to a nearby high definition TV set and a Thunderbolt power for high-speed data transfer.

Dell XPS 13

The Dell XPS is the first of what we’re sure will be many Dell ultrabooks. The Dell XPS 13 has a 13.3 inch screen and a profile just 18mm thin. So how the Dell XPS 13 crams in its impressive specs is a bit of a miracle. The Ultrabook will be available this March with either an Intel i5 or Intel Core i7 processor with a 128GB or 256GB Solid State Drive.

HP Envy 14

Another powerful Ultrabook The HP Envy 14 may look like an Apple MacBook Pro, however the HP Envy 14 is its own beautiful beast. The lid, display and trackpad are covered in scratch-resistant glass, and the rest of the chassis constructed from anodized aluminium to give it a premium look. Inside is an Intel i5 Core processor, 4GB of memory, and 128GB of Solid State Drive storage. Beats-branded speakers deliver some of the best sound you’ll hear from a portable computer. The HP Envy 14 is also said to have an impressive 9-hour battery life.

Samsung Series 9

CES 2012 saw Samsung unveil the second generation of its Series 9 Ultrabook The latest Samsung Series 9 laptops will be available in 13 and 15 inch varieties with Intel Core i5 processors, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. A thin and compact chassis and overall package weighing in at just 1.16kg for the 13-inch version will make the Samsung Series 9 some of the most desirable and portable computers around.

Lenovo IdeaPad YOGA

Not all ultrabooks will resemble souped-up laptops as we know them. The Lenovo IdeaPad is the first to include a touch screen, and will come running Microsoft Windows 8. The tile interface lends itself perfectly to touchscreen prodding. A 360-degree double-hinge lets you use the Lenovo IdeaPad YOGA as either a tablet or laptop.