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Ultraportable laptops
These laptops are designed for people who travel a lot and need just enough computing power on the road with them at all times. The sad truth about ultraportables is that shaving off size and weight generally means sacrificing performance and features.
Ultraportables come with a . that allows you to get your work done in a hurry, but not much else. These laptops typically come with processors that range From 1 GHz to 1.8 GHz and include 256MB to 512 MB of RAM.
When it comes to ultraportables, small are a plus for frequent flyers or commuters who don’t have a lot of workspace. Most of these systems come with displays that range From 10.6 to 12.1 inches. On the other hand, you’ll be doing a lot squinting unless you use the zoom function in most frequently used applications, such as Word.
3D games cannot be played very well on such notebooks. Virtually all ultraportable laptops use integrated video chips with instead of discrete graphics with .
Many ultraportables have only one spindle—just a with sizes typically ranging From 20GB to 40GB. Nevertheless, an increasing number of models squeeze a DVD/CD-RW drive into their cases. The disadvantage is weight: ultraportables without optical drives can weigh less than two pounds while those that do have them generally weigh four pounds.
Ultraportables don't have space for lots of , but you can expect at least a couple of USB 2.0 ports, video output for presentations, Ethernet, and a headphone jack. Be happy if a memory card reader of some kind is thrown in.
If the whole key-point of an ultraportable is the ability to take it anywhere, you should also be able to connect from anywhere. Make sure you get integrated , either 802.11b or 802.11g. A physical switch or button for disabling the wireless radio (which can yield more minutes of precious battery life) should also be on your checklist.
Ultraportables are well known for having small keyboards, which is an indispensable tradeoff for their compact frames. However, some vendors do a much better job than others when it comes to making their keyboards smart enough to prevent typos. Fast typists should avoid ultraportables with shrunken right shift keys.
The pros:
• extremely convenient size
• power-efficient processors which entails longer battery life
• built-in wireless allows you to surf the Web From anywhere
The cons:
• frustratingly small displays
• keyboards often cramped for extended typing
• generally pricier than other notebooks
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