Best Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks Released so Far for 2012 Note: This article was republished from http://www.squidoo.com/ivy-bridge-ultrabook We recommend viewing the article from there for better image resolution and formatting
At Computex Taipei 2012 last May, an insane number of Ultrabooks carrying the third generation Ivy Bridge processor was announced (110 to be exact). While choice is good for consumers, it can be quite overwhelming for shoppers who just want to get the right one for their needs and budget. But don't worry as you will find below the basic characteristics of an Ivy Bridge ultrabook as per Intel's specifications. Further below is a list of these top rated Ivy Bridge machines, which I will try to update as often as I could as more and more are being announced this year.
Standard Features - What to Expect from Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks Ultrathin and lightweight Portability is one of the strongest selling points of ultrabooks. According to Intel, the machine must be 18 mm (0.7 inch) thick or less for those with under 14 inch display, or under 21 mm thick for displays over 14 inch. It must also not exceed the standard weight of 1.5 kg (3.3 lb).
Fast and responsive The 17-watt dual core Ivy Bridge processor should, in theory, perform better than its predecessor Sandy Bridge. The performance is now comparable to quad core processors found in high end laptops and desktops. Because of this, expect the ultrabook to be responsive, with quick loading and switching of applications, while video encoding will be twice as fast.
Because most ultrabooks have flash-based solid state hard drives, they should also wake up from sleep mode quickly (less than 7 seconds) and boot up in 20 seconds or less. The improved integrated graphics in the Ivy Bridge chip should also give better gaming performance, though still not at par with gaming laptops and desktops. But how do you know if an ultrabook runs on the latest 22-nanometer Ivy Bridge chip? The term Ivy Bridge is just an internal code name at Intel, but these chips use the same i3, i5, and i7 cores. You can identify them by looking for a part number that begins in number 3, which stands for third generation (e.g. Intel Core i5-3317U).
Longer Battery Life The minimum requirement is at least 5 hours but many ultrabooks already out in the market are rated up to 8 hours despite the very slim form factor. Security features For those working in the enterprise environment, security is rather important. New ultrabooks will have a hardware-based anti-theft technology that will lock down the system if it's stolen or lost. They also come with a chip-level authentication system for a more secure banking and shopping online.
Fast I/O ports As ultrabooks focus on increased productivity, they should also have at least any of the fast I/O ports for faster file and data transfers. These include ports like USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, and HDMI out. Wireless Display (WiDi) is also optional. Other features (optional) Intel says some manufacturers plan to release ultrabooks with touch screen capability, while a few will out convertibles or hybrid models. Other features may include: - Intel Smart Connect that updates your e-mail and social network even on sleep mode - voice command to launch apps and do other things
Price The latest high end Ivy Bridge machines are priced at $1000 or above as of post time. But one of Intel's goals is to be able to offer them under 1000 to get a wider user base. Fortunately, some of these sub-1000 ultrabooks are already out in the market today.
Top Rated Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 Has a low-glare IPS screen with a full 1080p HD resolution so not only are the images sharp and vivid, but the viewing angle is wide too. Other pluses include solid construction, backlit keyboard, very good performance even on games, and a very light and compact form factor. Many people like to compare this model with the MacBook Air.
Samsung Series 9 NP900X3C-A01US This is one of Samsung's top of the line Series 9 laptops, and the performance is indeed impressive. It has an improved battery life and a high quality display panel. It also has a USB 3.0 port, HDMI out, VGA port, SD card slot, Wireless Display (WiDi) and mini Ethernet.
Sony VAIO T Series SVT13112FXS Pros include a nice design, solid construction, has a clickable trackpad, great display quality, has all the basic ports, and good stereo speakers. It is also priced under $1000. A few cons are the lack of backlit keyboard and it is a bit heavier compared to other machines in this category.
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