Anoop Verma
Headed for a gateway! A laptop is the best device to take along. Tablets are already with us, and the truth is that many of us are really addicted to our BlackBerry, but these devices, even though they are sleek and feature rich, can’t match the sheer computing power that is there in laptops. You still need a laptop if you are going to create content. A good travel laptop must be light and small. It should have a powerful processor that is of capable supporting heavy computing work while not squandering valuable battery life. It should be strong enough to withstand a few bumps and falls that they are sure to encounter on the road. Some kind of data protection facility is also a must to safeguard your data from corruption or theft. Here are some great suggestions to make your journey pleasant and productive:
HP Folio 13
Super light and incredibly thin, the HP Folio 13 will give you 9.5 hours of battery life. All your computing chores become a breeze with 2nd generation Intel Core i5 processor and Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. There is 4GB RAM and a 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD). The keyboard is comfortably spaced, and the keys are backlit, something that will allow you to use laptop in the dark or in poorly lit places. In terms of ports and connectivity, there is one USB 2 port, one USB 3 port, HDMI, Ethernet port and a card reader. Price: Rs 45,000
Samsung Series5 Ultra
Samsung’s first foray into the Ultrabook space weighs just 4 pounds and is 0.82 inch thick. Under the hood, there is a DVD-RW drive and a 500GB hard drive. It features an Intel Core i5-2467M processor, 4GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium. It also has a built-in WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, and a 16GB solid-state cache drive that helps it boot quickly and resume from hibernate more rapidly. The model features USB 3.0 and 2.0, multi card reader, HDMI port, Ethernet port, and a dual headphone/microphone jack. Price: Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 (Depending on features)
LG Super Ultrabook z330
With focus on performance and portability, the z330 is LG’s answer to the mobile age. It measures less than 0.6-inch at the thickest point, and weighs 2.66 pounds. Included in the z330 is LG’s Speed Boot Technology, which according to the company’s claims can boot the device in just 9.9 seconds. The Ultrabook is being offered with selection of Intel 2nd Generation (Sandy Bridge) Core i3, i5, or i7 processors, paired with 4GB RAM and choice of 128GB or 256GB SSD.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Hybrid
This super-slim Ultrabook comes packed in a stylish looking carbon-fibre casing. As the word ‘hybrid’ in the name signifies, the X1 runs both Windows 7 using a conventional Intel Core i-series processor, and a “customised version of Linux” on a Qualcomm 8060 ARM CPU, which is the same type of chip found in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S II. Essentially this is a laptop with versatile smartphones sleeping inside it. You can wake up the smartphone with the press of a key to have instant connectivity and a battery life of over 10 hours. Price: Rs 90,000 (approx.)
MacBook Air
Billed as the ultimate everyday Notebook, the MacBook Air boasts of aluminium unibody build. The 11-inch version weighs just 1.06 kg. With memory of 2-4GB and flash storage of up to 512GB, the device is best suited to travellers. If you put the MacBook Air to sleep, it enters standby mode to conserve battery life for up to 30 days. Power Nap, the new feature in OS X Mountain Lion, allows you to receive new email and calendar invitations even when the MacBook Air is in sleep mode. The devices is equipped with two USB 3 ports, which are up to 10 times faster than the usual USB 2 ports. Price: Rs 54,000 – Rs 85,000 (approx.)
