When it comes to kitting out an office or workplace, the best business laptop is the right tool for the job at hand. This doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive, the newest, or even the most powerful. It's about picking the right machine for the role.

Do you need all-day battery life? A powerful dedicated GPU? A color-accurate display? Are you a Windows or macOS organization? Would you consider a Windows on ARM device? What's your policy on Copilot buttons? There are lots of key purchasing decisions to make – and, thankfully, lots of great laptops to choose from.

In this article, you'll discover our top picks for the best business laptops in every major category. IT Pro's team of laptop-reviewing experts has decades of experience in laptop reviewing, and in the past 12 months, we've rigorously tested and reviewed a broad selection of laptops from Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and more.

What to look for in a business laptop

It's been another stellar year for laptops. The ARM-based competition from Qualcomm and Apple has given the x86 chips from both AMD and Intel some much-needed competition, and the result is that the latest generation of chips provides a more potent cocktail of application performance, graphics power, and battery life than ever before.

This is great news for buyers: whether you want an affordable everyday business laptop, a long-lasting ultraportable, or a mobile workstation, there's plenty of great hardware out there to fit every use case, both in x86 and ARM-based flavours. You want a powerful, portable laptop and all-day battery life? Your wish has been granted.

AI remains on everyone's lips – and it also remains on their laptops. The neural processors (NPUs) in laptop chips are steadily increasing in power, and both Apple and Microsoft are harnessing that new resource to deploy a range of AI-powered features in their operating systems. These features aim to both boost productivity, power local large language (LLM) models, and shift battery-sapping video, image, and audio processing onto the NPU for more power-efficient operation.

Oftentimes, though, it's the far more basic, physical aspects of a laptop's design which elevate it above the competition: the display, keyboard and touchpad, the connectivity, the upgradability – or lack of it. These are the crucial factors in laptop design that you can only evaluate with proper hands-on testing. And that's why all of the laptops we recommend here have been tested by experts who use these devices for day-to-day work, and benchmark and test every key aspect of their performance.

Read on, and you'll discover our pick of the best laptops that have crossed our desks in recent times. Whether it's an affordable everyday laptop, a high-end ultraportable, or a heavyweight workstation, you'll find something for every desk.

Best business laptops

The Asus ExpertBook Ultra borrows a little glitz from the consumer-focused ZenBook range and brings some much-needed glamour to the business portable. It's also a potent demonstration of just how dramatically Intel's latest Panther Lake generation has caught up with the competition.

The hardware is luxurious. A stunningly bright, vivacious OLED touchscreen takes centre stage, and despite the 14-inch 2,880 x 1,880 panel, Asus has somehow kept the kerb weight down to an impossibly slight 0.99kg.

It's not delicate, though: the featherlight shell is built from magnesium alloy with a 'Nano-Ceramic' coating and has a MIL-STD-810H accreditation for toughness. A matte layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus shields the OLED screen from damage, too. You'd expect an 11mm-thick laptop to feel delicate, but the ExpertBook Ultra is anything but.

Nor is it poorly connected. You get two Thunderbolt 4-equipped USB-C ports, one on each edge, and also a further two USB-A ports, which reach USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 are included, too – although it's worth noting that there's no physical Ethernet socket.

The advances made by Intel's Panther Lake chips are transformative. The result is a laptop which is able to balance quite formidable power – both in applications and gaming – with excellent power efficiency. The 70Wh battery kept going for almost 21 hours in our tests.

For more information, check out our full Asus ExpertBook Ultra review.

Sometimes you just need a good everyday laptop. A simple balance of sturdy build, ample performance, and good battery life. The Omnibook 5 delivers exactly that for a retail price of around £900 – and far less if you shop around.

Bear in mind, though, that this is a Windows on ARM device. If that doesn't immediately rule it out for your business – software compatibility issues can be a dealbreaker – then Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chip offers a good balance of stamina and performance. It's around 25% slower than its Elite cousins, but we've found performance to be more than ample for everyday browser-based work. It consistently lasts a full day of work with some left in the tank.

Only GPU performance disappoints. Qualcomm is behind the competition here, and the modest Adreno X1-45 GPU limits it to very casual gaming.

Most buyers are unlikely to care. The 14in chassis is finished in a nicely solid-feeling aluminium chassis that's around 13mm thick and weighs in at 1.3kg. Pop open the display, and you're faced with a comfy-feeling keyboard and a decent-sized mechanical touchpad. The only complaints are minor: the half-height Enter key is one, the touchpad's loose, rattly feel is the other.

The presence of a decent OLED screen really sweetens the deal. Color accuracy is good, brightness reaches an ample 300 nits, and it covers around 99% of DCI-P3. That's impressive for the money.

For more information, check out our full HP Omnibook 5 review.

If it's desktop-adjacent power you crave, then the Pro Max 16 Plus is a superb investment. The specification is highly customisable, the chassis handles high-power CPU and GPU combinations, and the design is rock-solid. Only the cramped keyboard really irks.

The beauty of the Pro Max 16 Plus is that you can build it to your specification. If your use case needs a powerful CPU, no GPU, and a fancy OLED touchscreen that is just burning your IT budget, then you can keep the price under £1,500. If, however, you want a top-end CPU, 128GB of CAMM2 RAM, up to three PCIe 5.0 SSDs, and one of Nvidia's high-end RTX Pro chips, you can relieve a big chunk of your IT budget with ease.

We tested a fully stacked model with a Core 9 Ultra 285HX, RTX Pro 5000, 128GB of LPCAMM2 memory, and a 2TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD; the bill totted up to over £7,000. Around £500 of that was due to the stunning 3,840 x 2,400 OLED touchscreen – and we can confirm that its DisplayHDR 1000 True Black certification is well deserved.

Connectivity is a highlight. You get drop-jaw 2.5GbE Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, two USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports, a single USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, two 5Gbps USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headset port, and a full-sized SD card slot. There are optional extras, too: a smartcard reader, Bluetooth, and WWAN.

Bear in mind that the 'mobile' in mobile workstation is relative. Even the most basic specification tips the scales over 2.5kg, and that's before you've considered the extra bulk of a big, brick-sized power supply. You'll need a big, sturdy bag, and you'll get a workout thrown in for free.

For more information, check out our full Dell Pro Max 16 Plus review.

Chromebooks are not always championed when it comes to laptops – even in this Chromebook Plus era. They're often seen as the last resort of IT stock, the machine you take when your Mac or your Surface machine is out of commission. But the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is different and doesn't deserve to be tarred with that brush.

For starters, it's genuinely brilliant – not 'brilliant for a Chromebook' but actually, surprisingly good. The i5 model we tested proved to be the fastest Chromebook from 2024, with a Geekbench 6 multithreaded score of 7608 – that put it ahead of the excellent Asus ExpertBook CX54.

The integration of Google's Gemini AI into Chrome OS is also a big shot in the arm for Chromebooks and, what's more, there is an argument to make about it being more useful than some of Microsoft's more flashy Copilot+ features.

While employees might want Apple Macs, or the flashest Windows devices, IT teams should go against the grain and look at Samsung's Chromebooks. From as little as £649, your employees can have a stunning slimline laptop with a lovely OLED screen. One that is fast, lean, efficient, and easy to manage for small businesses or larger enterprises.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus review here

Squeezing the sort of hardware that keeps hardcore creatives or power-users satisfied into a 13.3in laptop is no easy feat but Asus has managed it and with some aplomb with the new ProArt PX13. Inside this compact laptop, you'll find a 100W Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and 2TB of storage. And there's a 360-degree lid thrown into the bargain for true convertible flexibility.

Made from matt-black aluminium the ProArt PX13 isn't the lightest 13.3in laptop on the market at just shy of 1.4Kg but the 360-degree hinge accounts for some of that and the whole package is MIL-STD 810H-rated so it should prove every bit as robust as it feels.

Connectivity is bang on point with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 on the wireless side along with two Thunderbolt 4 and a single 10Gbps USB-A port, an HDMI 2.1 video output, an SD card reader, and a dedicated DC-in jack so you don't have to sacrifice a Type-C port to charging duties.

Performance from the new 'Strix Point' AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370 is impressive but it's the graphics performance from the 100W TGP RTX 4070 GPU that marks the ProArt PX13 out from the herd. To find a better performer you'll need to invest in a larger and more expensive high-end gaming laptop.

The 2.8K OLED screen covers 99.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and recorded a Delta-E variance of just 0.48 which is outstanding. All-in-all It's a great display for creative work and media consumption: HDR content looks particularly impressive. The 60Hz refresh rate rather limits the ProArt PX13 when it comes to motion fidelity and gaming but it's hardly a deal-breaker.

The keyboard is of very high quality and the touchpad is surprisingly large given that this is quite a small laptop. Built into the upper left part of the touchpad is Asus' DialPad, a virtual scroll-wheel that provides granular access to tools in several creativity apps though its real strength is its deep integration with Adobe's creative apps.

Read our full Asus ProArt PX13 review here

Apple hasn't reimagined the MacBook Pro for the arrival of the M5, but then it didn't need to. The 14in model is the smaller of the two Pros, and it's a beautiful thing both inside and out.

The design is simple and elegant and the 1.55kg aluminium body is tough. It's not just a looker, though. The keyboard and touchpad remain top of the heap, with a lovely crisp feel to the keys and a haptic touchpad which doesn't put a foot – well, finger – wrong. It's still the benchmark by which laptop touchpads should be judged and demonstrates the benefit of tight hardware and OS integration.

Connectivity is eminently sensible compared to some rival laptops, too. You get three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, HDMI 2.1, a full-sized SD card reader, and – yes – a 3.5mm headphone socket.

The move from M4 to M5 is quiet evolution rather than revolution, adding a little more single core power and some neural AI processing chops, but if you can pick up an M4 model on the cheap, then do – it's more than good enough. Bear in mind that, at the time of writing, buying direct from Apple only gives you the choice of M5, M4 Pro or M4 Max. For power users, the previous generation Pro and Max chips still outmuscle the M5.

The 14in Liquid Retina display is a typical highlight. The 3,024 x 1,964 resolution is sharp, the 120Hz refresh rate is slick and the Mini LED backlighting pushes brightness over the 1,000 nit mark with ease. You'll need to pay an extra £150 for the matte Nano-texture screen finish if anti-glare coatings are top of your wantlist, though.

Unfortunately, UK and EU buyers won't get a charger in the box. The EU push to reduce e-waste means you'll be paying an extra £59 for the privilege of charging your new MacBook. US buyers can gloat quietly.

For more information, check out our full Apple MacBook Pro M5 review.

The Acer Aspire Vero 16 is a solid 16in business laptop that costs a little less than most. For well under £1,000, you're looking at a 16-inch laptop with a capable all-round specification and good design. Throw in MIL-STD-810H certification for toughness, and you have a recipe for affordable laptop success.

At the time of writing, we're seeing the Vero 16 down to as little as £750 at some retailers – for that money, it's very easy to forgive the all-plastic build. Not that you'll mind: the base feels taut and well-constructed, and there's only a little give in the lid. The 1.8kg weight is modest, and you can remove the base and replace the battery or SSD as required.

There's no skimping on connectivity. You get two Thunderbolt 4-equipped USB-C ports, a pair of 5Gbps USB-A sockets, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone output. Ethernet is absent, but fast onboard Wi-Fi 7 offers some consolation.

The 16:10 panel is a welcome sight: the 1,920 x 1,200 resolution makes the Windows desktop feel more roomy than on a standard Full HD panel. That's not the highest resolution, but the quality is superb. Color accuracy is good, and the panel covers 99.8% of the sRGB color gamut and 82% of DCI-P3.

Performance is also good across the board thanks to the Lunar Lake chips. NPU performance is low at 13 TOPS, but everyday applications – and even games – run incredibly well thanks to the Core Ultra 7 255H in our review sample. For GPU-based duties, the display's modest resolution is more a blessing than a curse. Efficiency is excellent, too, with an impressive 17-hour-plus runtime.

For more information, check out our full Acer Aspire Vero 16 review.

HP's big-screen convertible is a consumer model, but it gets a lot right. The 360-degree hinge allows it to transform from a standard laptop into tent mode and through into tablet mode. The USB-C stylus adds some welcome inking support, too.

It's another good-looking laptop from the HP camp. The chassis is clad in plates of aluminium, which add a nice, sturdy feel, and it weighs a reasonable 1.88kg. The all-important 36-degree hinges feel reassuringly solid, too.

Connectivity hits the spot. There's one full-sized USB-A port on either flank, and two USB-C ports, one of which supports Thunderbolt 4. Full-sized HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm headphone socket are welcome, too. Networking is solely wireless: you get Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

The OLED panel has a crisp 2,880 x 1,800 resolution, and peak brightness reaches 520cd/m2 in HDR mode. Color accuracy is great, and it also covers 100% of DCI-P3 and 95% of Adobe RGB. Impressive stuff.

Given the gloriously bright OLED display, the 15-hour battery life comes as some surprise. Performance from the Intel Lunar Lake chip is good, but we'd steer buyers towards a 32GB model, as the on-chip RAM is not upgradeable.

The only slight issue is that the integrated GPU struggles with the display's native resolution – you'll need to use Intel's XeSS upscaling to get playable framerates.

For more information, check out our full HP OmniBook X Flip 16 review.

FAQs

Why are business laptops more expensive?

You may have noticed that laptops which are specifically aimed at business buyers tend to be noticeably more expensive than those which are mostly consumer-focused. Although this is partially attributable to the fact that businesses can usually afford to drop a little more cash on their purchases, there are several good reasons why business laptops are more expensive.

For one thing, they’ll often come with AMD Ryzen Pro or Intel vPro chips. These special professional-grade components don’t confer any additional performance advantages, but they include extra security and manageability features designed to make it easier for IT admins to manage large fleet deployments.

Business machines are also more likely to have a wider range of ports and connectivity options, as many offices still rely on older connections like HDMI or even VGA for connecting to projectors and other peripherals. Other additional features like biometric security and better access to internal components for the purposes of repair and upgrade are a more common sight on business devices, too.

How long do business laptops last?

Another factor in why business laptops tend to command higher price tags is that they last longer than personal machines. The manufacturer’s warranty will generally cover a standard consumer laptop for a year, but business machines often come with a three year warranty.

Even beyond that, the typical device refresh cycle for most companies tends to be around five years - which means that business laptops will need to last for at least that long with no major problems in order to avoid unhappy customers. In fact, some companies can sweat their laptops for as much as ten years before replacing them – although they may upgrade certain components such as storage and RAM every so often.

Should I buy a convertible business laptop?

Convertible laptops allow users to seamlessly flip between tablet-style operations and the more traditional laptop form-factor. In theory, this offers increased flexibility and greater productivity, but while it can be a convenient way to display your screen for an informal presentation to colleagues, you may find its workplace utility to be somewhat limited unless you’re a big fan of taking handwritten notes or doing digital illustration.

The Dell XPS is a stalwart in the tech giant's laptop arsenal and its 13in 'Plus' variation is one of its very best. A refreshed design, smaller, portable size, and innovative keyboard design make the 13 Plus a laptop for the modern worker.

The keyboard design, known as 'zero-lattice', runs from edge to edge to house larger keys. The benefit here is that even the most inaccurate of typists can pick up a decent speed. The travel is good too, as it allows for a nice clean typing action across largely silent keys.

However, the real innovative part is the always-on illuminated symbols that run along the top of the keyboard. This appears to be Dell's take on Apple's ill-fated touch bar but with a more useful layout, with shortcuts for functions like print screen, volume dials, display controls play, and pause buttons.

You can also tap the Fn key and have the middle 13 of these symbols vanish to be replaced with backlit F1 to F12 icons. You can use the Fn-Lock to have the function key icons rather than the symbols as the default. Magic.

How we test

When we review a laptop, there are a number of tests that we use to determine its capabilities. To measure the quality of the display, we use the open-source DisplayCal app and a dedicated colorimeter to determine the maximum brightness, the contrast ratio and how much of the sRGB color gamut it covers (as well as the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB gamuts where applicable) – which determines the range of colors the screen can reproduce. We also measure the average Delta-E rating, which indicates how accurately those colors are displayed.

Performance is tested by running it through our own in-house benchmarks, which consist of three tests: an image conversion test, which gives an indication of single-threaded speeds, a video encoding test, which makes greater use of multi-core processing, and a multitasking test which runs both processes simultaneously while also playing a video. This test is the most strenuous and is designed to push processors to their limits. These tests give us individual scores, as well as an overall result.

We'll also run the Geekbench 5 performance test to confirm the accuracy of these results, as well as assessing its performance in day-to-day tasks throughout our evaluation period. Storage is tested using the AS SSD benchmark.

In order to measure battery life, we'll charge the battery fully, then set the display brightness as close to 170cd/m2 as possible using a color calibrator, turn on flight mode and play a looped video until the battery dies. This gives us a consistent figure to compare the battery life of different models, although it may not necessarily give us an indication of real-world battery life. For this, we assess how long the battery lasts over several days of actual use, subjecting it to a range of workloads and activities.

Taiwanese manufacturer Asus is one of the go-to brands when it comes to mid-range and budget laptops, with a good reputation for producing affordable devices that still offer a good balance of performance and looks. It hasn't quite managed to replicate that success with its high-end laptops, however.

While there have been a couple of standouts - such as the unique and powerful AsusPro B9440U - most of its output has been firmly below the 'premium' category. This time around, Asus is hoping to impress with a follow-up to one of its comparatively rare top-end devices, the Asus ZenBook 3, which impressed with a stylish design and solid speeds.

The new ZenBook 3 Deluxe is aiming to take on devices like the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo Yoga 920, and is banking on a larger screen size and a few new features in order to do it - but does it have what it takes?

Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe review: Design

While most manufacturers opt for an understated, business-like black or silver colour scheme, Asus has done the opposite, cladding the ZenBook 3 Deluxe in a rich, midnight-blue chassis with gold detailing.

It's the same design as the original ZenBook 3 - the only difference here is that it's spread over a larger footprint to accommodate the 14in screen. Having said that, it's a very attractive look indeed, and just as appealing here as it was on the original device.

Not only is this significantly more eye-catching than other, more common colour schemes, it also makes the device feel pleasingly extravagant without being as garish as a gold or rose-gold finish.

It's a very attractive chassis, but unfortunately, the design isn't as premium in other aspects. The build quality is slightly plasticky, particularly around the keyboard surround, and the aluminium chassis doesn't feel as rigid or sturdy as we might like.

However, the tradeoff is that it's still nicely portable. It's a little thicker and heavier than the regular ZenBook 3 weighing 1.1kg and measuring just under 13mm thick but it's not a huge increase. It's not quite the lightest, thinnest laptop around, but it's one of the more lightweight 14in notebooks we've seen, and it's easily svelte enough to carry around all day without feeling weighed down.

Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe review:Keyboard and trackpad

As is often the case with Asus' laptops, the keyboard isn't a particular highlight. Although feedback is reasonably crisp and precise, the travel depth isn't particularly satisfying, and the keys have a slightly bouncy feeling to them when typing. They are backlit at least, though, and the keys are large and well-spaced enough to prevent typos.

The trackpad is also good, with a smooth glass surface and multi-touch support. It's not as expansive as some of its rivals, but there's plenty of room to navigate without feeling overly constrained.

Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe review:Display

At first glance, the display is excellent. Its screen bezels are just under 7.5mm and while they aren't quite as razor-thin as those on Dell's excellent InfinityEdge displays, it ensures the screen feels nice and expansive. It also allows Asus to squeeze a 14in display into a relatively petite frame and we never felt starved of screen space while using the ZenBook.

Another nice touch is that the 1080p screen is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 4 something you don't often see on laptops. This means it will be protected from drops and scratches, up to a point.

Sadly, the actual image quality isn't quite so rosy. Despite the manufacturer's claims that it covers 100% of the sRGB gamut, our tests only showed a coverage of 84%, which is disappointingly middling. We found blues and yellows to be oversaturated, while reds and greens tended to be undersaturated. The maximum brightness of 307cd/m2 is also only average and may not cope well under bright lighting conditions, especially as there's no anti-glare coating either.

Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe review:Specs and performance

The ZenBook 3 Deluxe isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to performance; our review unit was packing a 7th-gen Core i7-7500U processor, one of Intel's more powerful laptop chips. That's paired with a meaty 16GB of RAM, which delivered a solid score of 50 in our performance benchmarks - for context, that's the same score as the Dell XPS 13, and only just behind the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. While that's not quite as impressive as some of the scores being racked up by laptops with Intel's newest Coffee Lake processors, it's still up there with the cream of the ultrabook crop.

Battery life was less inspiring, however. We'd expect something in this class to be able to get through a full working day without having to charge back up, but after acheiving a disappointing 6hrs 16mins in our battery tests you'd be advised to keep the ZenBook's charger handy if you're leaving the office. Luckily, if you do run out you can use the ZenBook's fast-charging capabilities to give it a speedy top-up.

Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe review:Ports and features

As with any ultra-thin notebook, the ZenBook 3 Deluxe has had to sacrifice most of its ports on the altar of slimness. Thankfully, Asus has upped the number of ports over the paltry single USB-C port seen on the original ZenBook 3 and now offers three USB-C ports. Two are ThunderBolt 3-enabled, allowing them to support video output and a faster data transfer rate in addition to power delivery, while one is merely a first-generation USB 3.1 port.

Biometric login functions are offered thanks to a fingerprint reader built into the touchpad. Login is fast and accurate, and the sensor encountered hardly any problems recognising our prints. It's not quite as fast and convenient as facial recognition, but it's a close second.

Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe review:Verdict

The Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe is a pretty great notebook, with an attractive design, strong performance and a handful of neat features. However, there's one rather large and ugly fly in the ointment: the price.

For the top-end configuration, the ZenBook 3 Deluxe is over 1,400 and that's excluding VAT. For that money, you can pick up a mid-level MacBook Pro or a ThinkPad X1 Carbon, both of which offer a more satisfying user experience.

The ZenBook 3 Deluxe is a good laptop. In fact, it's one of the better devices that Asus has produced in terms of style and functionality. Unfortunately, that still doesn't justify such an extortionately high price; as good as it is, there's simply no reason not to go for a more sensibly-priced competitor.

Verdict

Despite winning points for its speed, looks and portability, the Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe isn’t good enough value compared to cheaper and more capable rivals.

Processor	Dual-core 2.9GHz Intel Core i5-7500U
RAM	16GB
Dimensions	329 x 210 x 12.9mm
Weight	1.1kg
Screen size	14in
Screen resolution	1,920 x 1,080
Graphics adaptor	Intel HD Graphics 620
Total storage	512GB SSD
Operating system	Windows 10 Home

PC Specialist is one of a number of system builders that specialises - as the name would suggest - in building high-performance desktop machines. It's not all workstations and gaming rigs, though - the company also makes a number of laptops for both home and business users.

One such laptop is the Enigma VIII, a 14in device that's gunning for the mid-range ultrabook market currently being largely dominated by companies like Acer and Asus. In the face of rather stiff competition, can a company that doesn't usually deal in notebooks make a dent?

Performance

PC Specialist has made a name for itself crafting beefy gaming PCs, capable of chewing through demanding software with no problem. It's a shame, then, to find that the performance of this laptop is so utterly dismal.

The reason behind this is that it's using one of Intel's Y-series processors - the dual-core Core i7-7Y75, to be precise, backed up by 16GB of RAM. These chips are designed to be low-powered, in order to be less draining on the battery and to produce less heat, therefore allowing them to be integrated into ultra-slim fanless machines.

True to form for a Y-series machine, the Enigma's single-core score in our benchmarks was relatively competent, but its results absolutely plummeted when we ran it through our multitasking benchmarks. While last year's Acer Swift 3 (which had a sixth-generation Core i5 in it) completed our multi-tasking benchmark in just under an hour and a quarter, the Enigma took well over eight hours.

Its results in the Geekbench benchmarks painted a slightly better picture, although it was still trailing behind the majority of the pack. There's no dedicated graphics processor either, so you can kiss goodbye to the idea of doing any graphically intensive modeling or editing work with this laptop.

Real-world performance is acceptable - it managed to cope with heavy multi-tabbed browsing and numerous apps running simultaneously without complaint - but it's far from stellar.

Battery

Battery life is also a real disappointment. One of the few benefits of Intel's Y-series processors, aside from their suitability for fanless designs, is their low power results in a relatively decent battery life - usually. In this case, however, the Enigma does not deliver on that promise. Instead, it has a rather pitiful battery life of just 5hrs 16mins - well below what we'd consider average.

We suspect that the reason for the Enigma's poor performance in our battery tests is simply PC Specialists scrimping on its power cell. There's no dedicated GPU to suck up the charge, and the processor and screen aren't terribly demanding either - the most likely culprit is simply a cheap, low-capacity battery.

Design

The Enigma's design is attractive, if uninspired. Rather than adopting the flashy design flourishes favoured by other manufacturers, PC Specialist has erred on the side of a basic, functional design, with a powder-blue metal chassis.

This laptop is pretty chunky - although PC Specialist claim that the 14.9mm design is "ultra thin", it's actually edging towards the bad side of average. This is especially galling, considering that it's using a low-power processor which should - in theory - allow for a much slimmer, fanless design.

At 1.49kg, it's also not particularly light, even for a 14in laptop. It's not a huge chore to carry around all day, but there are better-equipped laptops in this price bracket that tip the scales at around 1.2kg. It does, at least, feel relatively sturdy, but the edges of the base are oddly sharp which makes it slightly uncomfortable to carry on occasion.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard is fairly basic. The keys have heaps of travel distance and feedback feels very slightly spongy, but it's full-sized and the keys are well-spaced with plenty of room to type - although it's not backlit, which feels slightly mean on a laptop of this price.

The trackpad is disappointing as well. It isn't as smoothly-finished as we would like, and it takes a little too much force to click. Feedback is pretty weak too, lacking the firm, satisfying clicks offered by other laptops.

Display

More often than not, the biggest weakness of any laptop is its screen. This isn't the case with the Enigma - but only by virtue of how god-awful its performance is. The panel in question is a 14in 1080p IPS screen with a matte anti-glare coating. On paper, this sounds like a pretty good display, but sadly our benchmarks proved this to be deceiving.

The Enigma's brightness is adequate, but with a maximum of 296cd/m2, it's not what you'd call spectacular, and colours look muted and dull. This is partly down to the matte coating - -which almost always has the effect of making screens slightly less vibrant, but it's mostly the fault of the poor-quality display. This was reflected in our tests, which showed that the Enigma's screen covers just 60% of the sRGB colour gamut - a very disappointing result that makes the laptop unusable for any graphics or imaging work.

Ports and features

The array of ports on offer with the Enigma are (much like the laptop itself) basic but functional. There are three USB ports, but only one is USB 3.0, while the rest use the lower-speed USB 2.0 standard. Similarly, the single Type-C USB port also uses USB 3.0, rather than the newer, faster Thunderbolt 3 connection.

Rounding out the port selection is a Micro HDMI port for connecting to an external display and a microSD card slot for expanding the storage. There's nothing in the way of additional features - there's no fingerprint reader or facial recognition scanner, which means no biometric authentication via Windows Hello.

There are some options with the software, though. PC Specialist will throw in a free 90-day license for BullGuard's internet security software, and you can add a full one-year subscription to the cost of the laptop at the point of purchase. You can also upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro (or strip out the OS altogether, if you're planning on running Linux on it) and add an Office 365 subscription as well - but bear in mind that this will push up the total price.

Verdict

The PC Specialist Enigma VIII disappoints on just about every front, which is a shame considering that the company's desktop machines are generally so good. The Enigma has a flat, inaccurate display, short battery life, and truly woeful performance.

The most galling thing is the price, though. The configuration we reviewed - with a Core i7-7Y75 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 500GB WD Blue SSD - costs 736.67 before tax, which is frankly extortionate given the caliber of the components it uses. You can knock the price down to 586.67 excluding VAT if you opt for a Core i5-7Y54 CPU and 8GB of RAM, but that will bring the performance down even lower.

By contrast, you can pick up the Acer Swift 5, which has a much nicer design, a far better screen and a full-strength Core i7 chip that vastly outperforms the Enigma's low-powered processor, for just 624 excluding VAT - and that's just one of the many cheaper and better alternatives available.

The enigma is a disappointment in pretty much every respect. While it's just capable enough to function as a basic, no-frills laptop, the wealth of more sophisticated competition within the same price point renders it all but obsolete. With so many better options, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to pick this up.

Verdict

The PC Specialist Enigma VIII features a disappointing display, weedy performance and a bog-standard design, all for a higher price than better-equipped rivals.

Chinese manufacturer Huawei attempted to increase its presence in the notebook market last year with the MateBook E, the MateBook D and the original MateBook X, which were released to relatively little fanfare. While the devices themselves were capable, they didn't generally make much of a splash.

For 2018, the company is looking to change that. Its new laptop, the MateBook X Pro, has got the MacBook Pro squarely in its crosshairs, and is aiming to take its place as the go-to business device.

Huawei MateBook X Pro hands-on: Design

Credit where credit's due - the MateBook X Pro is an attractive machine. The metal unibody chassis sports the same sleek, semi-gloss finish as the MacBook Pro, but it's subtle and understated in a very un-Huawei way. It's available in space grey and silver, and aside from the logo on the lid, there are no extraneous design flourishes and no garish detailing. It's almost minimalist, and it looks every inch the business machine.

It's not a particularly petite PC though. A weight of 1.3kg is tipping the scales ever-so-slightly to the wrong side of average, as is the 14.6mm thickness. It's not a bulky machine, by any means, but it's more in line with what we'd expect from a mid-range notebook.

Huawei MateBook X Pro hands-on: Keyboard and trackpad

The similarities to the MacBook Pro don't end at the design. The MateBook X Pro's keyboard is also very reminiscent of the one used by Apple, with large keys and minimal travel distance. Given that the MacBook Pro remains one of the best examples of notebook typing, this is a very good thing indeed. These keys need a little bit more actuation force than the MacBook Pro's, but overall the keyboard is pleasant and fluid to use.

The same is true of the glass-coated trackpad, which also borrows inspiration from the MacBook Pro. Like Apple's device, the MateBook X Pro's trackpad is huge - in fact, Huawei claims it's the largest trackpad ever fitted to a 14in machine.

Huawei MateBook X Pro hands-on: Display

If the MateBook X Pro has a piece de resistance, this is it. Huawei has made a point of emphasising how proud it is of this display and we have to say that we can see why. For starters, the screen looks huge - much like Dell's XPS 13, the MateBook X Pro's screen bezels are barely there. The MateBook X Pro has a 91% screen-to-body ratio, which means that the so-called 'FullView display' is expansive and immersive.

Quality looks to be pretty good too - we couldn't put it through too many tests or measure its colour accuracy but there weren't any immediately noticeable problems, and colours look rich and vivid. The 3,000 x 2,000 resolution ensures that detail should be pin-sharp as well. It's a touchscreen panel, but while we're still not convinced of the utility of touchscreens on traditional clamshells, it's nice to have - and it's protected by Gorilla Glass to guard against drops.

Huawei MateBook X Pro hands-on: Specs and performance

If you're expecting the MateBook X Pro to be a poor relation in terms of internal components, then think again. It's available in two configurations, both fitted with 8th-generation Intel chips. At the top end is the Core i7-8550U model, with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD and a dedicated Nvidia MX150 GPU. There's also a lower-end model, with a Core i5-8250U, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, although there's no discrete graphics chip in this one.

It feels nippy enough in use, although we haven't had a chance to put it through any particularly rigorous testing yet. Based on what we've seen of Intel's latest processor family so far, though, expect it to be very speedy indeed.

Huawei MateBook X Pro hands-on: Ports and features

One thing we're glad Huawei hasn't borrowed from Apple is an over-reliance on USB-C. The MateBook X Pro does have two USB Type-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 3), there's also a traditional USB 3.0 port for connecting flash drives and peripherals. Biometric login is taken care of too, thanks to a fingerprint reader built into the power button.

By far the weirdest feature of the MateBook X Pro, however, is its webcam which is not - as you might reasonably expect - housed above the screen. Instead, it's located within the keyboard, recessed into a neat little housing that pops up when you press it.

This allows you to hide it from view when not in use, which Huawei says is to address security concerns like hackers using webcams to spy on victims. It's a clever idea, and helps to keep the webcam out of the way - although it does mean that it'll probably be angled at your chest on the rare occasions when you do use it.

One last feature is the microphones. Huawei has demonstrated its commitment to framing the MateBook X Pro as a business machine by including four microphones, which are designed for conference calls with multiple people in one room and can pick up sound through 360 degrees.

Huawei MateBook X Pro hands-on: Verdict

The Huawei MateBook X Pro is an interesting device and does show some promise. However, there's one giant problem the price. The top-end MateBook X Pro with 16GB of RAM and a Core i7 process costs 1,899, which translates to a whopping 1,672.

While the MateBook X Pro is attractive, and looks to be a fairly nippy machine, we're really not sure it's impressive enough to justify dropping the best part of two grand on, especially when you can pick up a MacBook Pro for the same kind of money.

We'll be able to come to a final conclusion once we've had a chance to run the MateBook X Pro through our tests, but based on what we've seen so far, it looks like a mis-step for the Chinese manufacturer; it's just too expensive for a company without an existing pedigree in laptop construction.

Update 07/02/2018: Lenovo has issued a worldwide recall of fifth generation Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon machines built between December 2016 and October 2017, following the discovery that they contain an unfastened screw that could damage the device's battery and potentially cause it to overheat.

The company was alerted to the problem after three customers complained that a loose screw, which was left in the device when being manufactured, had caused damage to their laptop and its battery.

Although there have been no instances of fire damage or harm to users, Lenovo has advised customers to stop using affected devices immediately and schedule a free service appointment through Lenovo's support channel to have their laptop checked for unfastened screws.

Lenovo has provided a support portal for customers wishing to check whether their machine is part of the recall, which is available here. You will need to find the serial code and description tag on the back of the device, which details the machine type and its build date.

Only the 5th generation model of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is said to be affected by the issue, specifically those with machine type tags '20HQ', '20HR', '20K3', and '20K4'. Any models built after November 2017 are unaffected.

Original review:

Lenovo's ThinkPad range is one of the oldest on the market, celebrating its 25th anniversary earlier this year. Originally developed by IBM before Lenovo acquired the product line in 2005, the ThinkPad is one of the most venerable mainstays of the IT department.

Don't be fooled by its age, though. Despite its advancing years, the latest ThinkPad model - the X1 Carbon - is hardly a dinosaur. Lenovo has put some serious effort into making sure its newest fifth-generation ThinkPad is the thinnest, lightest, and most powerful yet.

2017's X1 Carbon sheds some of the weight and thickness of the previous model and has received a processor upgrade in the form of a seventh-generation Kaby Lake chip. The changes come at a cost however, as the self-proclaimed "world's thinnest 14in ultrabook" now starts at 1,149 exc VAT.

Design

The newest ThinkPad is a far cry from Lenovo's squat, boxy paving slab-type design of old, with a thin, sleek look that's clearly a product of years of refinement. As the name suggests, it is built from carbon fibre and smothered in a wonderful soft-touch coating that covers the entirety of the laptop - by far its most striking feature.

It still retains a flavour of the classic ThinkPad aesthetic, however, with the telltale logo in one corner and the trademark red detailing around the TrackPoint nipple and physical mouse keys. It's one of the most elegant-looking machines on the market, effortlessly blending modern sensibilities and timeless style to create an understated but sophisticated business machine.

At 322 x 216 x 15mm, its footprint is somewhat larger than competing 13in ultrabooks in this price range. It is bigger and chunkier than the most recent Dell XPS 13 and the 13in Macbook Pro, but thanks to that carbon fibre, it is much lighter at 1.1kg. In fact, it is lighter than most of its competition, including the wafer thin Acer Swift 7. A larger but lighter body makes perfect sense from a business user perspective, as it affords for optimal portability without having to scrimp on connectivity.

The X1 Carbon is surprisingly generous when it comes to port options. Users are treated to two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, two USB 3.0, a full sized HDMI slot, a headphone port, and the option for an ethernet connection, although this requires a bundled Lenovo adapter. It even comes with a nifty slot that supports both MicroSD and MicroSIM, although this is oddly located on the rear edge beneath the screen, requiring you to partially close the laptop to reach.

Keyboard & trackpad

Lenovo also hits it out of the park when it comes to the keyboard. The keys have a longer travel time than rivals such as the Dell XPS 13, and require fractionally more actuation force when pressed. If you're used to the light key presses of the Macbook range, particularly the new Macbook Pro that opts for a miniscule travel time and very little key pressure, you may find the X1 Carbon a little cumbersome. However, for those that like to feel a little more impact while typing, it is one of the finest typing experiences on the market, especially as it's paired with that soft-touch material.

However, there are a couple of niggling problems with the keys. We feel the the navigation arrows are too small to use comfortably, and you may find yourself accidentally pressing the nearby page up and down keys, which frustrated us to no end. The keyboard backlighting could also benefit from being a little brighter.

As is Lenovo tradition, the ThinkPad also comes equipped with both a traditional trackpad, and a red TrackPoint stick in the centre of the keyboard that pairs with two physical left and right mouse keys under the space bar. The stick allows for movements that are far more precise than the trackpad, with very little effort and without having to lift your hands away from the keys, although it takes some getting used to.

Unfortunately, to accommodate for the physical left and right keys, the trackpad is uncomfortably small, and while it functions well using Microsoft's Precision Touch, you'll find your fingers touch the edges far too easily.

As this is a business grade ultrabook, Lenovo has opted to add a few handy extras that are typically absent on rival machines. Next to the trackpad is a fingerprint reader, which comes as standard, allowing users to sign in using Windows Hello, and as an optional extra Lenovo will also add an NFC reader for the scanning of smart cards and devices.

Display

Thankfully, that larger frame doesn't go to waste, as Lenovo has managed to squeeze in a 14in IPS anti-glare screen with some beautifully thin bezels, which will make you immediately think of the the InfinityEdge display on the Dell XPS. It is nice to see that Lenovo chose the perfectly acceptable 1920 x 1080p resolution, as anything higher is often of no benefit and needlessly bumps up the price.

In terms of performance, the screen is one of the weakest aspects of the X1 Carbon. Although it is marginally brighter than the Dell XPS 13, at 312cd/m2 it is still too dull to use reliably outside in direct sunlight, and is put to shame by the Macbook Pro's 500cd/m2 display. While colours are sharp and vibrant, 82% coverage of the sRGB colour spectrum is a disappointingly average score for a device of this price range, and is again outshone by the Macbook (99%) and the XPS 13 (92%).

Hardware & performance

As with any decent business grade ultrabook, the X1 Carbon comes with an impressive array of hardware and software configurations. There is a choice of various Core i5 and core i7 processors available depending on how much power you're after, as well as a range of storage options and either 8GB or 16GB of RAM. You're also able to add a host of preinstalled software suites, including Office 365 and Adobe products, and upgrade to Windows 10 Pro if you wish. You even have the choice to upgrade to a more powerful adapter for faster charging.

Our review model came with a Core i7-7500U processor at 2.7GHz, with 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. In our 4K benchmarks the X1 Carbon achieved an impressive overall score of 52, which was two points higher than the Dell XPS 13 running an almost identical spec. Importantly, the X1 Carbon managed 10 hours and 20 minutes in our battery tests, which is quite frankly excellent and almost 2 hours 40 minutes longer than both the XPS and Macbook Pro.

As is to be expected from Intel's 'U'-series processor range, the X1 Carbon delivers a pretty decent performance while maintaining an all-day battery life. It easily handled multi-tab browsing across two displays without breaking a sweat, and fired up applications almost instantly. There's even enough muscle here to power more demanding apps like the Adobe Creative suite, and that's before taking the optional 16GB of RAM into consideration.

A note on price

The exact specification of the model we reviewed is currently priced at 1,272 exc VAT, which includes an upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. However prices range from 1,101 exc VAT, to 2,211, and that's before factoring in all the smaller hardware extras and software packages.

Verdict

The Lenovo X1 Carbon is a wonderfully stylish machine that offers understated luxury along with some superb extras that appeal directly to a business user. It is deceptively light given its overall size, offering excellent portability while still providing a superb selection of port options. It should also be able to handle most of what you can throw at it, with a battery life that will easily last a full working day.

The only down side is the fairly average display, which is somewhat disappointing for a device in this price range. However, for day-to-day business use, this shouldn't be a problem, and the 14in 1080p display with super slim bezels is otherwise great.

The X1 Carbon sits between the Dell XPS 13 and the Macbook Pro in terms of price and performance, yet its battery life eclipses both, which we feel ultimately matters most for business users. With a great selection of configuration options, which is to be expected from a Lenovo business grade ultrabook, The X1 Carbon is also a highly tailorable machine, so you're bound to find something that fits - so long as you're willing to pay.

Verdict

While not the thinnest ultrabook around, it is certainly one of the lightest, offering excellent portability and one of the most generous array of ports and optional extras we have seen on a device. It's built from the ground up to be a business companion, and it lives up to that beautifully. Only a mediocre screen keeps it back from true greatness.

2017 has been an excellent year for technology and hardware. Consumers have been wowed by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and a list of redesigned Apple products, while businesses have been able to take advantage of unparalleled processing power thanks to servers from companies like HPE and Dell.

With such a wealth to choose from, it's hard to pick which products have been most impressive, but with some careful thought, we've sifted through the year's launches to bring you IT Pro's top products of the year.

Best laptop

Winner - Apple MacBook Pro

Apple's top-end MacBook models are widely regarded as the gold standard in business-class notebooks, and with good reason. Combining a sleek and stylish design with nigh-unbeatable performance thanks to 2017's upgraded Kaby Lake model, the MacBook Pro is an absolute powerhouse for everyone from developers to designers.

It's not entirely without problems - we wish Apple had included a couple of ports besides Thunderbolt 3, for example, and the Touch Bar version has some battery life problems - but features like the ultra-shallow keyboard and mammoth trackpad set it apart from its competition.

Highly commended - Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Another heavyweight in the enterprise hardware space, Lenovo's venerable ThinkPad range has a sterling pedigree. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is sturdy, reliable and well-suited to tasks of all stripes, with a truly excellent keyboard and finely-tuned features for businesses.

Best tablet

Winner - Apple iPad Pro

Apple has thoroughly dominated the tablet computing category this year - and not just because it's been one of the only companies to release a premium tablet. The company's devices have been sophisticated, powerful and portable, and the iPad Pro is the perfect combination of all three.

The Apple Pencil support made it an excellent choice for designers and artists, but now that Apple has introduced a file manager and a suite of proper multi-tasking capabilities, the iPad Pro can genuinely be considered as a laptop replacement. Showcasing the very best of Apple's design abilities, both the 10.5in and 12.9in iPad Pro models are the pinnacle of tablet design.

Highly commended - Apple iPad

If you can't quite bear to part with the 620 starting price of the iPad Pro, Apple's entry-level iPad makes a handy compromise. While it doesn't have the full range of productivity features seen on the Pro range, the basic iPad is still sleek and speedy enough for day-to-day use.

Best 2-in-1

Winner - Microsoft Surface Pro

One look at how many companies have aped the design of Microsoft's flagship convertible should give you a good indication of how popular the Surface Pro is. The kickstand design is elegant and intuitive, and the keyboard is one of the most satisfying typing experiences we've had, whilst also being amazingly thin and light.

There's no compromise on components, either; the 12.3in screen is pin-sharp and absolutely gorgeous to boot, and one of Intel's seventh-generation processors provides a serious amount of oomph. Forget compromise; this 2-in-1 does everything a laptop can, and then some.

Highly commended - HP Elite X2 Folio

While it's definitely borrowing some design inspiration from the Surface Pro, the HP Elite X2 Folio brings a few things to the table that Microsoft's device doesn't. It's user-upgradeable, for example, which could end up saving corporate IT departments a whole heap of time and money in the long term.

Best Chromebook

Winner - Google Pixelbook

Chromebooks aren't just cheap and cheerful laptops for schools, and Google's out to prove it with the Pixelbook. A razor-thin body and eye-catching design is backed up by surprisingly powerful internal hardware and all the AI-powered software features you'd expect from a flagship Google product.

What's more, improvements to Chrome OS and the ability to run Android apps mean that the Pixelbook is (very nearly) as versatile and capable as a standard Windows laptop. It's expensive, but it's liable to inspire serious notebook envy wherever you go.

Highly commended - HP Chromebook 13

At around 600, the HP Chromebook 13 is much more affordable than the pricey Pixelbook, without making too much of a compromise on design or performance. Like most Chromebooks, it'll struggle with seriously heavy-duty workloads, but for general tasks, this lightweight machine should perform very well indeed.

Best smartphone

Winner - Samsung Galaxy S8

2017 has been a truly excellent year for smartphones, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 has been firmly leading the charge. The first major smartphone out of the gate with an edge-to-edge OLED display, the S8 set an example followed by companies like OnePlus, Honor and even Apple.

Combine this with one of the best smartphone cameras we've ever seen, super-quick internals and a very capable battery life, and it all adds up to a device that's very attractive indeed. Move over, iPhone; there's a new king in town.

Highly commended - Google Pixel 2

The follow up to last year's surprise hit, the Google Pixel 2 is a deeply impressive piece of technology powered by intelligent AI features and smart UI design. Its real selling-point is an absolutely world-class camera, which has yet to be beaten by any other smartphone. Were it not for a slightly underwhelming screen, the Pixel 2 would be topping our list this year.

Best 1U server

Winner - Dell EMC PowerEdge R640

The Dell EMC PowerEdge R640 is part of the company's recently-launched 14th generation of servers, and Dell has pulled out all the stops to cram this space-efficient 1U rack server full of storage and power. Not only does it have full support for Intel's Xeon Scalable processors, it's also got some mightily impressive storage options.

On top of that, Dell's iDRAC9 management console is a smash hit, offering a comprehensive overview of operational information, security-centric features and outstanding remote management and administration capabilities. It's every bit the equal of HPE's superb iLO5 controller.

Highly commended - Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630

Expansion potential is the name of the game here, with Lenovo's ThinkSystem SR630 offering plenty of internal space for further upgrades, despite a compact 1U form factor, and Xeon Scalable processor support for improved performance. More importantly, the XClarity Controller will make remote management a breeze.

Best 2U server

Winner - Dell EMC PowerEdge R740xd

The first server in Dell EMC's 14th-generation PowerEdge line, the PowerEdge R740xd is an excellent example of what customers can expect from the company now that the merger between Dell and EMC has been completed. Remote management capabilities have been improved, and EMC's expertise has been put to use with a superb array of storage features.

It's also a powerful showcase of Intel's relatively new enterprise-grade Skylake-SP Xeon processors. The R740xd supports the whole family, all the way up to Intel's 28-core Platinum Xeon monster, and its sheer processing power is tough to beat. Blue-chip vendors, take note: this is how it's done.

Highly commended - HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10

Like the PowerEdge, HPE's tenth-generation flagship 2U server features Xeon Scalable processor support and extensive storage options. It's an improvement over the previous iteration in just about every way, and it's got the huge room for expansion too, making it a great option for growing businesses.

Best tower server

Winner - HPE ProLiant ML110 Gen10

Smaller businesses on a tighter budget may think that cutting-edge Xeon Scalable servers are out of their reach, but not anymore. The 10th-generation update to HPE's ProLiant ML110 tower server brings SMBs excellent performance coupled with generous expansion options.

It also comes with HPE's outstanding iLO5 management controller, providing plenty of remote management, monitoring, and security features. For smaller organisations that want a heavyweight server without the top-end price tag, this is an excellent choice.

Highly commended - Fujitsu Server Primergy TX1320 M3

If you're tight on space, Fujitsu's smallest-ever tower server will be right up your street. Not only that, but it's also great value. Combine that with beefy Xeon processors and heaps of clever design features to make the most of the limited internal space, and you've got a very capable package.

Best security appliance

Winner - WatchGuard Firebox T70

The biggest thing that the WatchGuard Firebox T70 has going for it is its virtually unbeatable price. Not only is it extremely competitive, it's also one of the highest-performing desktop appliances we've ever seen, with 4GBits/sec firewall throughput.

It's bundled with a year's subscription to WatchGuard's enterprise-class software suite too, including anti-spam, anti-virus and web-content filtering, as well as a Gold-level support subscription. Lastly, it has top-notch monitoring features for ultimate peace of mind.

Highly commended - Kerio Control NG300W

The Kerio Control NG300W is one sturdy UTM appliance, with four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a 2.4GHz Intel Atom CPU, and an inbuilt heatsink. It doesn't fall down on security features either, offering a comprehensive and well-rounded package. The only absence is anti-spam features, but otherwise, it's an excellent security appliance.

Best storage array

Winner - HPE MSA 2052 Storage

HPE has raised the bar with its 5th-gen MSA 2052 storage appliance, doubling the performance of an already-excellent array whilst keeping it at the same wallet-friendly price as its predecessor.

Performance is accordingly excellent, and it's twinned with a load of powerful features to make virtualisation, deployment, and recovery as easy as possible. Considering that it includes HPE's full suite of data tiering capabilities as well, it's a steal.

Highly commended - Broadberry CyberStore 224S-WSS rack

Despite going up against titans like HPE, Dell EMC, and Fujitsu, Broadberry was first out of the gate with a Windows Storage Server 2016 appliance - and for a very attractive price, too. On top of that, the Broadberry CyberServe 224S-WSS comes with 26 hot-swap SFF drive bays, heaps of network connection options, twin Intel Xeon E5-2620 v4 processors and 64GB of RAM.

Best NAS drive

Winner - Qnap TS-1685 desktop

For those that want high-volume desktop storage capabilities, it's hard to beat Qnap's TS-1685. Not only does it feature 16 hot-swap drive bays, it's also got blazing network performance thanks to its four 10GbE Ethernet ports, and support for expansion via additional PCIe cards.

You'll be hard-pressed to match its performance in terms of disk read and write speeds as well. Add in a whole heap of backup and storage features, and the TS-1685 is a superb addition to any small office setup.

Highly commended - Netgear ReadyNAS RN426

Data protection is top of the priority list for this SMB-friendly NAS drive. Backup performance is excellent, with cloud sharing, disaster recovery and snapshot features aplenty. It's also nice and hardy, thanks to its rock-solid steel construction.

Best printer

Winner - Xerox VersaLink C400DN

The first thing that's likely to attract SMBs Xerox's VersaLink C400DN is the low price, but one of the most useful features is the large variety of onboard apps available for it, including heaps of cloud and network printing tools. It's also one of the rare printers that supports wired and wireless networking simultaneously.

Print quality is absolutely superb, delivering razor-sharp and detail-packed pictures and documents at exceptional speeds. As if that wasn't enough Xerox offers a lifetime on-site warranty - all you have to do is buy a toner pack in the last 60 days of your warranty period, and the company will renew it for another year. Can't say fairer than that.

Highly commended - Brother MFC-L8900CDW MFP

Although its initial purchase price isn't as attractive as some of its rivals, this A4 laser printer makes up for it with a battery of excellent cloud and security features, combined with speedy, high-quality prints. Running costs are reasonable, too, so TCO shouldn't be a problem later down the line.

After years of being scorned by consumers and businesses, hybrid devices have become an accepted (even desired) category, and we've got Microsoft's Surface Pro range to thank for it. The Surface Pro 4 has shown that you don't need to sacrifice the performance of a laptop in order to have the functionality of a tablet, and it's wrapped up in a gorgeous exterior to boot.

Design and TypeCover

The Surface Pro 4 shares the design sensibilities of Microsoft's other hybrid devices, with a matte magnesium alloy chassis and integrated adjustable kickstand. It's sturdy and functional, but also looks sleek and elegant, with an air of understated confidence.

The magnetically attached TypeCover screen cover still doubles as a keyboard and trackpad, and it's one of the best examples we've seen to date. It's easy to take off and reattach, and the connector is standardised across generations, which means you can use the superlative TypeCover released alongside the most recent Surface Pro.

With heaps of resistance and crisp, firm feedback from keystrokes, the TypeCover is one of the most pleasant keyboards we've ever used on any device. The trackpad is superb, too. The only gripe we have with it is that it's sold separately to the Surface Pro itself (and at a not insubstantial price, too).

Measuring 8.45mm (without the TypeCover keyboard) and weighing 800g, it's light for a laptop, but slightly weightly compared to most tablets. It's too heavy to comfortably use handheld for more than a few minutes at a time, but it's not going to weigh you down at all when slung in a bag and taken out and about.

The keyboard cover is now stiffer than before. Although this comes at the expense of added thickness and weight (which takes the combined weight to 1.1kg), it means it's now actually possible to use the Surface Pro 4 on your lap in most circumstances - a feat that couldn't be said for previous models. There are still caveats though - the bigger your lap, then the more stable the Surface will be. Stability will also still be compromised if you cross your legs, although it's less of a problem that it was with previous Surface Pros.

Screen, Stylus and Extra Features

The 12.3in screen is very bright, almost painfully so, with great colour accuracy and contrast. It also has a high resolution of 2736x1824 pixels, although that's sometimes as much of a hindrance as it is a benefit. Although the benefits of a high resolution screen are obvious, some Windows programs still haven't been updated to take advantage of all those pixels, so fuzzy, pixellated graphics or unreadably small text are still recurring problems, albeit not quite as common compared to just a year ago.

The high resolution, and the sheer size of the screen, are both essential for using graphics apps and the included stylus though. Drawing, painting, sketching and note taking would be trickier and more fiddly on anything less. Although the Surface Pen, as Microsoft calls its stylus, isn't quite as precise and lag-free as the optional Apple Pencil for the iPad Pro, it's still very good. It has a grippy texture, and a flat side so it doesn't roll away when placed on a tablet. We especially like the ability to magnetically dock the stylus to the side of the tablet, making it less likely you'll lose or misplace it.

We like the eraser at the opposite end of the pen, as well as the ability to quickly double press it to launch Microsoft OneNote. The only disappointment here is the inability to customise this shortcut, so you can quickly launch the note taking program of your choice instead of OneNote.

Windows 10 has other stylus-oriented features, such as the ability to annotate web pages in Microsoft's Edge web browser. More stylus-specific features will arrive in a forthcoming Windows 10 update. These include a central launchpad in Windows for stylus-enabled apps, an updated virtual sticky notes app that will recognise handwritten dates and times as well as tools such as an onscreen ruler. Third-party app developers should easily be able to add the latter into their apps. If so, all these improvements should further improve the utility of the stylus.

The stylus is powered by a single AAA battery. Surprisingly though, there's no way to check the battery life of the stylus so there's a possibility you could get left high and dry unless you keep a spare AAA to hand. It's baffling that Microsoft hasn't included a stylus battery life indicator widget in Window's system tray.

It has plenty of flexibility when it comes to hardware peripherals as it has a full-size USB 3.0 port, a micro SD slot and a Mini DisplayPort. One of the Surface Pro 4's best features was, surprisingly, its Intel RealSense forward facing camera. It worked perfectly with Windows Hello in Windows 10. Once set up, a quick glance at the camera was enough for Hello to recognise our face and unlock the Surface Pro. It was quick, accurate and not fooled by a simple photo of the registered face.

Battery Life and Performance

Battery life, while okay, was a little disappointing given that the Surface Pro 4 uses Intel's Skylake processors which are supposed to be even more power efficient than its energy sipping predecessors. It lasted just over seven and a half hours when browsing the web and playing music while connected to a 802.11n router. When playing H.264 video on a loop, it lasted just over eight and a half hours. While these scores aren't bad, other tablets and laptops can last much longer.

This is a shame, especially as our review sample was easily fast enough to replace most laptops and desktops for all but the most demanding workstation-level tasks. Our unit came equipped with 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and a 2.4GHz Core i5 6300U dual core processor.

The Surface Pro 4 has a fan, but it never became loud enough to be intrusive unless we really pushed it with something demanding such as our video editing test. Even then, it wasn't as flawed as some other Windows tablets which not only have loud fans but pump out uncomfortable amounts of fan through their cooling events.

This configuration comes at a high price of 1,079 inc VAT though (and remember, that price includes the stylus but not a keyboard cover). Although there are cheaper versions available, we'd currently recommend against them. There's a 849 model which retains the Core i5 but has only half the RAM and storage space, shortening its useful life span. There's an even cheaper 749 configuration based around the Core m3 processor, but performance is a distinct let-down.

Verdict

Although Microsoft's marketing would have you think otherwise, making a laptop-tablet hybrid is all about compromises - choosing and refining those features considered most important. Microsoft's basic design philosophy hasn't changed since the very first Surface Pro. What has is the quality of their materials, production processes and components allowing the Surface Pro 4 to be thinner, more stable and more comfortable to use than any of its predecessors. It's far more usable as a laptop thanks to its improved keyboard cover and, if peripheral flexibility is more important than weight, it's not a bad tablet either thanks to its ports and Windows 10.

It's still not perfect though, as you have to live with certain trade-offs. It's still not as effortlessly usable on a lap as a proper laptop, while its weight and continued paucity of touchscreen apps continue to hold it back as a tablet. Its battery life is also somewhat disappointing. We also noticed a few bugs in the driver for the Intel integrated graphics chip which caused the screen to go blank even while programs were actively running the only way to get around this was to plug in a second monitor temporarily.

The Surface Pro 4 is by no means a bad computer; it's merely a niche one and if you can live with its slightly odd, niche mix of design choices then it's a good computer.

This review was originally published on 26/11/2015 and has since been updated, most recently on 15/12/2017.

Verdict

The best Surface Pro yet, but it’s still not for everyone

Display: 12.3in 2736 x 1824 touchscreen

OS: Windows 10

Processor: 2.4GHz Core i5 6300U dual core processor

GPU: Intel HD 520

Memory: 8GB DDR3

Storage: 256GB SSD

Connectivity: Bluetooth 4 LE, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Ports: 1x USB 3, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1 x combined audio, 1x micro SD

Dimensions: 201x292x8.5 mm (HxWxD without keyboard cover)

Weight: 800g (1.1kg with keyboard cover)

The Dell XPS 13 may have been on sale for a year now, but that doesn't mean it's yesterday's news. This laptop can still give its competitors including the MacBook a run for their money and with a rumoured Intel "Coffee Lake" chip upgrade coming next year, it's still well worth considering this sleek device as your next computer.

Design

In reality, very little has changed from its previous model, although this is by no means a bad thing. On the outside the two iterations are almost identical, both featuring an aluminium chassis, a lid that tapers to an edge measuring just 9mm, two USB 3 ports, and one Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C port. The only visible difference is that the newest model is available in a rose gold finish, as well as gunmetal grey.

Side by side it is difficult to discern any changes - so why the reboot? Well, the biggest improvements can be found under the hood.

Performance and battery life

While very little has changed on the surface, the real upgrades can be found on the inside. Dell has fitted the latest model with a seventh-generation Intel Core i7-7500U 2.7GHz processor, a much-needed boost over the sixth gen chip in the 2015 model. In our 4K benchmark tests, the quad-core Kaby Lake scored 50, a 9% performance increase over its predecessor. It's possible that this performance is about to get a further bump as well. The Dell XPS 13 is expected to be updated with Intel's latest Coffee Lake processor range in 2018. As for when this is likely to happen, it's hard to say. CES in early January seems an obvious choice, but Dell could wait until all the hubbub from the event has died down in order to make a bigger splash with its own announcement.

Though only a modest improvement, results were most likely bottlenecked by the 8GB RAM included in this model - there is a 16GB version, which would probably see more impressive numbers. Still, the upgraded processor will be welcome to those who find their older model begins to buckle under the strain of too many programs you'll find none of that this time round.

Sadly, there is a trade-off for that extra power, mainly a hit to the average at best battery. The XPS 13 managed to last just 7 hours 46 minutes in benchmark tests, a fairly disappointing lifespan compared to the 11 hours 30 minutes of the previous model. While this is enough to last a working day, especially if you're able to occasionally top it up, it's clear the device has issues with power efficiency. If you're a user that has come to rely on that impressive 2015 battery, upgrading could cause some issues.

Display

The screen is built using that familiar ultra-thin 'Infinity Edge' bezel that cuts away a lot of the excess border, a result that is undeniably gorgeous. It also frames a 13.3in, 1,920 x 1,800 display that features superb image and colour accuracies. As it covers 92% of the sRGB gamut, colours are wonderfully intense, while the contrast ratio of 1,109:1 ensures deep rich blacks and strong detail.

There is also an optional touchscreen available, which can come in handy in some instances, such as swiping between browser tabs. Although it's only 30 more, it adds 90g to its weight - ultimately an unnecessary luxury for most.

Dell has once again decided to place the webcam to the lower left of the display, rather than the standard centre top. It's a puzzling decision and an unwelcome hangover that makes finding a flattering angle for video chats needlessly difficult.

Keyboard and touchpad

The design of the keyboard on the XPS 13 is virtually identical to that of the 2015 model and for good reason it had already struck gold. Once again, the keys are well spaced out and provide a good amount of feedback with each keystroke. The keyboard is also backlit, a nice feature even if it is largely standard for this price range.

The touchpad is also a decent size, despite the device's slim frame, with enough room to comfortably perform gestures, making it a compelling alternative to a mouse. Our only gripe is that it tends to attract greasy fingerprints, but in the grand scheme of things this is a minor issue.

It is always reassuring to see an ultrabook designed with comfort in mind, particularly given the increased usage a busy work schedule will bring, and the XPS 13 does not disappoint. Dell has fitted the keyboard with a velvety smooth, carbon-fibre surround that makes typing a genuine pleasure a welcome change from the cold metal surfaces of many other devices in this price range.

Verdict

With the new and improved XPS 13, Dell has once again delivered one of the best Windows ultraportables on the market. Fans of the previous model will once again fall in love with Dell's 2016 offering, with all the comfort and style of last year's version combined with added performance.

It's certainly not the thinnest or lightest device on the market, but the ultra-thin bezel means that the footprint is much smaller than on other 13in laptops, making it vastly more portable than many of its rivals. Combined with the excellent display and sleek style, you'll be hard pressed to find a similar package in this price range.

If you already own the 2015 XPS 13, there are few improvements here to justify forking out on the upgrade, but for those looking for the best portable Windows experience, the latest Dell XPS 13 is a no brainer.

This review was originally published on 20 April 2017

Verdict

An improvement on the already fantastic MacBook alternative, this is one of the best portable Windows 10 experiences available.

Toshiba is back with a bang. After falling behind the likes of Apple, the company is aiming to retake its place as one of the premier business notebook manufacturers, and the new Portg range is how it plans to do it.

Following on the heels of the convertible Portg X20, the X30 is a traditional 13in notebook that's squarely aimed at taking on devices like the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Pro. But does Toshiba still have enough of the old magic to win back a place at the top table?

Design

The X30 is a truly gorgeous machine. The black semi-gloss chassis is elegant and understated, with subtle gold detailing that adds a touch of class without being too garish or overpowering.

It's got a lot in common with its convertible cousin, the Portg X20W. It's made from the same (admittedly slightly plasticky) magnesium material, and shares a similar design aesthetic. The main differences are that it's a traditional clamshell notebook rather than a 2-in-1, and a change to the keyboard and trackpad setup, which we'll talk more about later.

It's thin and light enough to rival pretty much any other ultrabook on the market, too. The 1.05kg weight is lighter than the MacBook Pro, and at just under 16mm, it's still more than slim enough to slip neatly into your bag.

It's a seriously good-looking device, and can easily go toe-to-toe with the MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 13 as one of the most attractive clamshells available.

Display

The X30's screen is less impressive, but still perfectly efficient nevertheless. The 13.3in Full HD display has a non-reflective matte coating commonly used on business devices to reduce screen glare under harsh lighting.

A maximum brightness of 357cd/m2 is perfectly capable, while not reaching the eye-searing levels of Apple's latest notebooks, and colour accuracy covers an impressive 91.95% of the sRGB gamut - more than enough for standard tasks, and even capable enough to handle some light photo editing.

Keyboard and trackpad

The X30 has a slightly unusual keyboard setup that's reminiscent of older laptop designs. In addition to the standard keyboard and trackpad combo found on most notebooks, it also has physical mouse buttons positioned between the trackpad and the keyboard, as well as an AccuPoint nipple embedded in the center of the keyboard.

It's an unusual combination, but one that we're big fans of. It gives an extra layer of versatility in how you use the device, particularly for older users who remember when this kind of setup was the norm.

The keyboard itself is excellent, with good spacing and travel depth, and firm, solid feedback on the keys. The touchpad is smooth and responsive too, with a coating that lets your finger glide over the surface. It's a superb setup all-round, and offers a level of flexibility in terms of how one uses it that will be sure to please many CIOs.

Performance and specs

Looks aren't everything though, and the X30 needs to be able to back those good looks up with some muscle if it wants to succeed as a business device. In order to do that, it's packing Intel's latest Kaby Lake chips. Our review model was powered by a Core i5-7200U processor with an 8GB RAM allocation, but as with most of Toshiba's business notebooks, several different configurations are available.

The X30's performance in day-to-day use was good, with no dips in speed or reliability even under intensive multi-tasking use. An overall benchmark score of 49 is very respectable - especially considering it's only fitted with a Core i5 chip - and puts it on par with the Surface Laptop.

Battery life was similarly capable, offering a creditable result of 10hrs 28mins in our tests. We found that it was more than capable of lasting through an entire workday with charge to spare, even while multi-tasking.

Ports and features

Many ultrabooks struggle to walk the line between offering a high number of ports for business users whilst keeping the chassis thin enough to retain the 'wow' factor. Thankfully, the Portg X30 isn't one of them.

It includes a very healthy complement of ports and connectors, including one USB 3.0 port, a HDMI output, a micro SD slot and two Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB C ports, providing power, display and data transfer. It's even got a security card reader. All in all, it's more than enough to cover the vast majority of enterprise connection needs - and for any extra connectivity you need, Toshiba offers a fulsomely-equipped USB-C docking station.

In terms of extra features, the X30 supports Windows Hello biometric authentication via an IR camera sensor and a fingerprint reader, as well as PXE, vPro, SCCM and WMI support.

Verdict

The Portg X30 is an excellent business ultrabook, and a true return to form for Toshiba. Not content to sit back and let Apple and others encroach on its turf unchallenged, the Japanese company is coming back to retake its position with all guns blazing.

The X30 may not be the very fastest or longest-lasting laptop, but it's more than capable of keeping up with others in its category and price bracket. What's more, it twins this with a sleek and attractive chassis, packed with a generous allocation of ports whilst still being slim and light enough to qualify as an ultraportable.

Toshiba has succeeded in producing an exceptional business device, and one that we're sad to see leave our review pile. It may be a little expensive, but it's worthy of gracing the desks of even the most discerning techies, from developers all the way to the CIO.

Verdict

The Toshiba Portégé X30 is a phenomenal business ultrabook, dripping with features that make it much better-suited to an enterprise environment than other high-end laptops. It's not the top of the tree in terms of power, but it's close, and it can't be beaten for versatility.

Although Asus has yet to produce a truly outstanding ultrabook, it does do consistently well in the budget and mid-ranger tiers. Recently the company has shifted its focus to high-end devices, and the ZenBook UX330AU is its latest attempt.

Packed with a Core-i7 and featuring a design heavily inspired by the MacBook, the ZenBook 330 is aiming to take on the big boys of enterprise and pro-sumer computing - and with its 900 pricetag, it may just succeed.

Design and dimensions

With that in mind, the ZenBook 330 looks appropriately premium, with a slender ultrabook frame and a brushed-aluminium finish on the lid. Its slender frame is also suitably attractive, and at 13.6mm it is thinner than the new MacBook Pro.

It is also incredibly light for its price range at just 1.2kg - that's lighter than the Dell XPS 13 (1.29kg) and only slightly heavier than the HP Spectre Pro 13 (1.16kg), both of which are much pricier rivals.

Sadly, in the hands this expensive looking device feels rather cheap. The lid, which we are assured is made from aluminium, lacks the premium quality chassis seen in other notebooks in this category, and displays a disturbing amount of flex when picked up. As a result, we have some major concerns for its durability as a workhorse device.

The rest of the body is made from a "metallic-coated plastic", which does nothing to sway our opinion that Asus has skimped on quality to create an attractive price point. It looks great from a distance, but up close you will find the build quality is disappointing for a 900-plus ultrabook.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard is something of a mixed bag. The backlit chiclet keys are nothing to write home about and feel slightly mushy and unresponsive to use, but the travel distance is good (especially considering the svelte frame) and the matte finish gives them a satisfying feel. The keyboard itself doesn't feel cramped either, which can often be a danger with 13in laptops.

The poor build quality rears its ugly head once again here, however; there's a noticeable flex while typing, as the plastic body literally bows inward under the force of your keystrokes when you're typing with any kind of force.

The trackpad is also a bit rubbish - at default sensitivity, the cursor moves at an absolute crawl. It's also a little too small to be totally comfortable, and requires frequent repositioning of your hand. Clicking doesn't take a great deal of actuation force, which is nice, but there's also a lack of feedback and travel depth which feels a little unsatisfying.

Display

The IPS panel is matte-finished, meaning that glare shouldn't be a problem even outside or under harsh fluorescent lighting, and the viewing angles are pretty good. It's also got a ridiculously high-resolution 3200 x 1800 QHD+ panel, so text and images should be pin-sharp.

The maximum brightness isn't fantastic initially, although turning off the ambient brightness sensor can noticeably improve that. Unfortunately, the screen's matte coating means that blacks can appear crushed and colours can at times look a little flat and muted. This is a shame, as it's otherwise a really good display.

The quality is excellent, with pin-sharp details. We noticed some slight problems with the image post-processing, but on balance it's an excellent screen both for business use and video.

Specs and hardware

Althugh the build quality is poor the specs for this product are surprisingly good. The ZenBook 330 is fitted with a full-fat Intel Core i7 6500U processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SATA3 SSD. This is more logical for a device that costs most of a grand; compared to rival ultrabooks from companies such as Dell and HP, it's a steal. This is because the Core i7-fitted XPS 13 and Spectre Pro 13 are both more than 300 more expensive.

These specs helped it during our benchmarks as the ZenBook 330 reached an impressive overall score of 46. That's the same as the XPS-13, and the ZenBook also beat Dell's offering in our multitasking tests.

It won't be able to stand up to any hardcore video editing, but apart from that, Asus' ultrabook is a highly capable machine. It's easy to browse the web, edit documents and multitask, and it can also run Adobe Photoshop as well as multiple media-heavy Chrome tabs without a fuss.

It has a credible battery life of 6 hours 47 minutes which was much better than we were expecting considering that the ZenBook has a Core-i7 processor and a QHD+ panel to power. It won't be enough to get you through a full day of work but thats not unusual at this bracket and price point.

Ports and features

The Zenbook 330 features an odd assortment of ports and connectors. It's got two full-sized USB ports (one of which offers fast-charging for mobile devices), one first-generation USB-C port, a micro-HDMI port and an SD card reader. This seems like a halfway-house between the modern trend of replacing everything with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 slots and the older strategy of including as many different ports as possible.

The micro-HDMI and SD card ports in particular seem like strange additions - we'd have preferred that space to go to more USB-C slots, or a full-size HDMI input. It's got a larger variety than many of its rivals though, and as always, any ports it's lacking can be added through judicious use of adapters and docks.

Asus has also stuffed the ZenBook with its usual array of after-market bloatware and third-party apps. It's not the only company doing this by a long shot, but it's certainly among the most egregious and it's a habit we wish it would shift.

Verdict

Reviewing the ZenBook 330UA has been something of an emotional rollercoaster. First impressions are excellent, and the design is immediately arresting. Once we started using it, however, it became clear that Asus has cut some corners regarding the quality of the materials.

The flip-side of this, of course, is that the ZenBook is phenomenally good value. For less than a grand, you get a razor-thin ultrabook with 8GB of RAM, a QHD display and an almost cutting-edge Core-i7 processor, which is an absolutely superb deal - especially when you consider that its more well-known competitors are at least 300 more expensive.

As ultrabooks go, the ZenBook is a damn fine example, and we found ourselves growing rather attached to it. The weight and dimensions make it extremely portable, and it backs this up with performance to match much pricier rivals.

It's not perfect, by any means - the build quality could be better, and we wish Asus didn't stuff its machines with quite so much aftermarket bloatware - but if you're looking to pick up an enterprise-grade Windows laptop for under a grand, you could do an awful lot worse.

Verdict

If you can get past the slightly iffy materials and build quality, the Asus Zenbook UX330UA is one of the most cost-effective ultrabooks around. With an i7 processor, a QHD+ screen and a sub-£800 pricetag, it easily undercuts its competition.

Processor: Intel Core i7 6500U Processor, Intel Core i5 6200U Processor

Operating System: Windows 10 Home - ASUS recommends Windows 10 Pro

Display: 13.3" (16:9) LED backlit QHD+ (3200x1800) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 72% NTSC with IPS

Supports ASUS Splendid Technology with WideView Technology

Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 520

Storage: Solid State Drives: 512GB SATA3 M.2 SSD and 256GB SATA3 M.2 SSD

Keyboard: Illuminated Chiclet Keyboard

Card Reader: Multi-format card reader

WebCam: HD Web Camera

Networking: Wi-Fi; Integrated 802.11 AC (WIDI Support); Bluetooth (built-in Bluetooth V4.1),

Interface:

• 1 x COMBO audio jack
  2 x USB 3.0 port(s) *1 1 x USB-C Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
  1 x micro HDMI
  1 x SD card reader
• Audio:
• Built-in Stereo W Speakers And Array Microphone
  ASUS SonicMaster Technology
• Battery: 57 Whrs Polymer Battery; Up to 12 Hours web browsing
• Power Adaptor;Plug Type :ø4 (mm)
  Output : 19 V DC, 2.37 A, 45 W
  Input : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
• Dimensions
  323 x 222.3 x 13.65 mm (WxDxH)
• Weight: 1.2 kg with Battery

In the Swift 7, Acer has delivered a truly beautiful machine that is designed for those who prize a thin frame above all else. It's one of the thinnest ultrabooks on the market, a frame you would normally expect to find in the 1200 - 1500 range. It also happens to be a lovely-looking machine, wrapped in striking black and gold aluminium.

Before you go thinking that this is a steal, however, you should know that Acer has had to make a number of sacrifices to make the Swift 7 this thin, nowhere more so than its performance.

Design

The first thing that is immediately obvious about the Acer Swift 7 is its superb build quality. Acer has clearly taken inspiration from the HP Spectre 13, with its aluminium covering, a matte black colour on the lid and underside, which opens up to reveal a striking gold on the keyboard and trackpad. It's a bold choice of colours that gives it an understated feel, while offering a lick of luxury at the same time.

It is also fairly light and astonishingly thin, measuring just 9.98mm and weighing 1.1kg. That makes it thinner than Dell's latest model of XPS 13 (15mm) and even slimmer than HP's ultra-thin Spectre 13 (10.4mm), although it is marginally heavier. What's more, you're paying 400 less for basically the same portability.

Despite the thin chassis, Acer has been able to maintain a solid build quality - thanks largely to its aluminium body - which gives it a sturdy feel even when picked up at the very edge of the device.

While we felt the overall design was gorgeous, the matte black on the lid and underside mean it's almost impossible to keep clean, attracting every single fingerprint and greasy mark. It's particularly problematic given how often you will be picking the thing up, and we can't help feel that either a different colour or material would have worked better.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard itself, while having nicely spaced keys, felt a little too squishy and unsatisfying for our tastes, and some users may find the lack of decent feedback when typing an issue. The keyboard is also missing backlighting, a significant oversight that should be a staple for devices in this price range.

Another niggle is a lack of indicator lights for the Caps Lock or Num Lock keys. Instead, it opts for an on-screen overlay to tell you when Caps Lock is activated, but I found this would often fail to appear, and an additional set of lights beside the power indicator would have been welcome.

The trackpad, however, is superb, offering an oversized surface allowing for easy navigation using gestures. The edges of the pad are even framed with chamfered aluminium, avoiding that jagged edge you sometimes encounter on other models when moving your fingers from the pad.

Left and right clicks also require very little force, and it even features Microsoft's Precision Touchpad software, which improves accuracy and allows users to take advantage of built-in Windows 10 gestures as they're added. These little touches all come together to create a truly great trackpad experience.

Connectivity and features

It's not all rosy though; given its dimensions, you won't be surprised to hear that connectivity suffers as a result. The Swift 7 comes with a headphone jack and two USB-C ports used for charging and connecting displays and data transfer -- that's it, aside from the built-in Bluetooth.

Another issue is that these ports do not support Thunderbolt 3, which is becoming increasingly popular on higher end machines. As such you're limited to 5Gbps data transfer speeds, instead of a much speedier 40Gbp, as well as missing out on the other enhanced features of Thunderbolt. On the other hand, it does feature 2x2 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi, which means faster and more reliable connections to your wireless network.

Display

The Swift 7 is only available in a 13.3in 1920x1080p configuration, although it does feature an IPS LCD display with a layer of Gorilla Glass 5 on top for some added scratch resistance. This is especially welcome on a device that is designed to be on the move a lot, and that added protection is reassuring.

Hardware & Performance

Disappointingly, the Acer Swift 7 is only available in one configuration in the UK. Packed with a 7th generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, on the surface it appears to be have decent specifications. There is an i7 option with a 512GB SSD available, however it appears that is currently only available in the US.

However, the first thing that should be addressed is that misleading Core i5 badge. Acer has chosen to fit the Swift 7 with Intel's Core i5-7Y54 processor, which is effectively a rebranded 'Core M' series chip. These dual-core processors are built to operate at low power states while producing minimal heat, which is perfect for ultrabooks using fanless designs, helping to keep thickness down to a minimum.

The downside is that these chips sacrifice power as a result, meaning the i5 badge is no longer an indicator of performance, and it's difficult to tell at a glance whether it is tuned for beefy output or light web browsing.

With any Y-series chip, you shouldn't expect a speedy machine, but the up-side is that an ultra-low power rating of 4.5W will ensure it stays relatively cool during longer sessions. Given the fanless design, you should expect to feel some heat just above the keyboard when doing anything particularly demanding, but nothing excessive.

Unsurprisingly, that Y-series processor performed fairly poorly during our benchmarks. It achieved an overall score of just 29 in our 4K benchmark tests, and was even out-performed by its much cheaper cousin, the Acer Swift 3, which scored 32.

These benchmark results are admittedly dire, and the Swift 7 will buckle if you try and do any particularly strenuous tasks with it. However, light to medium workloads shouldn't overly tax it, and it should cope perfectly well with day-to-day work tasks or multi-tab browsing, particularly given the generous 8GB of RAM provided.

As you're sacrificing performance for lower power consumption and thermal output, you'd expect the tradeoff to be a decent battery life. However, the Swift 7 managed just 7 hours and 6 minutes in our video playback test, and while this is by no means a disaster, it is still disappointing given the amount of power that is sacrificed for portability.

Still, it's enough to last through a working day, particularly if you have access to occasional power top-ups.

Verdict

Acer has delivered one of the thinnest ultrabooks you can buy, in a price range that is relatively low compared to its rivals. The keyboard may not be spectacular, but it is certainly useable, and when paired with that fantastic trackpad you have an ultra-portable that is a joy to use. It also helps that it has a gorgeous looking design.

But aside from that ultra-thin frame, there's very little to shout about. Performance is average at best, and for that power sacrifice you aren't getting much in the way of added battery life. With the omission of keyboard backlighting, a meager offering in terms of ports, and a lack of different configurations, we can't help shake the feeling that Acer has cut too many corners. Even if you are able to get your hands on the US i7 version, we feel this would be even less value for money, as it is also stuck with the Y series processor.

If you're after the thinnest ultrabook around that can be used for general work purposes, you will struggle to find anything better than the Swift 7. But for those who don't mind adding a few millimetres or forking out a little extra, there are plenty of more compelling options available. For example, for 200 more you could get a Dell XPS 13 with a capable 7th generation quad-core i7 processor, a frame that is only 15mm thicker, and a battery that lasts almost a full hour longer than the Swift 7.

Verdict

The Swift 7 is beautiful looking machine with one of thinnest frames on the market, but it’s let down by a low performance CPU and too many cut corners. A solid ultrabook for those that want something thin, but otherwise there’s very little it offers over rival devices.

Modern business is about flexibility, giving employees the ability to work from anywhere on the planet. Thanks to the HP EliteBook 800 series laptops with Windows 10 Pro, your workers can get the power and flexibility they need on the move.

One of the first challenges of going mobile is to get employees to carry a laptop at all times. In other words, nobody wants to lug around an ugly, heavy computer. With the HP EliteBook 800 series, you can overcome this first hurdle quickly, as you get slim and stylish laptops that your workers will actively want to carry.

There's a range of options to suit all needs. The EliteBook 820 has a 12.5in screen, measures 311x218.9x18.9mm and weighs 1.26kg; the EliteBook 840 has a 14in screen, measures 338x237x18.9mm and weighs 1.48kg; and the EliteBook 850 has a 15.6in screen, measures 383.3x257.7x19.4mm and weighs 1.84kg.

Although the laptops may be slim, they're tough and built to withstand the rigours of a harsh work life, with all EliteBook 800 series passing the MIL-STD 810G tests. These include simulating vibrations caused by 1,000 miles of ground transportation; being covered in road dust for six hours while in use; being dropped 26 times on every side and angle; and surviving an altitude pressure of 15,000 feet and temperature change of 100-degrees Celsius.

Travelling with a laptop should be easy, so the EliteBook 800 range has an array of full-sized ports, so you can use them without needing adaptors. These include two USB 3.1 ports, with one that can charge devices even when the laptop is sleeping. There's also a USB Type-C port, and both analogue VGA and digital DisplayPort video outputs, plus a headphone socket and Gigabit Ethernet port.

Wireless connectivity is well accounted for, too, with the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi giving you super-fast network access, and Bluetooth 4.2 for high-speed, low-power peripheral connection. Optional integrated LTE can give your workers a fast 4G connection on the move, too.

Powered by the latest 7th Gen Intel processors and with the option of SSDs for storage, performance from the EliteBook 800 range is phenomenal. These laptops can easily cope with any business task, and the days of wishing for a powerful desktop computer are well and truly over.

Thanks to Intel's efficiency, the EliteBook 800 range lasts a long time away from mains power: 14h 45m on the 820; 15h 15m on the 840; and 14h 15m on the 850. When a laptop needs more juice, HP's fast charging batteries can soak up 50% battery life in just 30 minutes of charging with no impact on recharge cycles.

Security is incredibly important, but never more so than on a mobile device that will spend a lot of its life outside your business. HP has built in the tools you need to enforce strong security without infuriating your users. With HP Multi-Factor Authenticate, you can combine passwords with an integrated fingerprint reader for an easy way to add extra security.

HP SureStart Gen3 is there to prevent BIOS-level malware attacks from taking hold. This technology monitors your BIOS and replaces it with a clean version should an infection occur.

It's Windows 10 Pro that brings the best out in the EliteBook 800 series, though. Built with security in mind, Windows 10 Pro helps protect your mobile data. As well as being a security-hardened OS with dedicated remote management tools, Windows 10 has additional features to increase protection.

BitLocker is a must, as it encrypts hard disks to prevent data being copied should a laptop be stolen. Given that the ideal work laptop will be used for personal use as well as business, it's sensible to use Window Information Protection (WIP).

This policy-based system can separate business and personal data on the same device, giving flexibility without compromising security. WIP is smart, as you can define the authorised users and apps that can access business data. For example, you can stop a personal email client from being able to email a sensitive business document. WIP can even dictate where content can be copied and pasted, preventing the accidental leakage of data.

Windows 10 Pro is a more powerful tool for communication, too. With the EliteBook 800 range's Bang & Olufson-tuned audio and HP Noise Reduction Software, your users can talk clearly using Skype for Business, no matter where they're located.

If you buy EliteBook 800 laptops with a touchscreen (Full HD on the 840 and 850; 1,366x768 on the 820), Windows 10's impressive support gives your users a new way of interacting with their mobile devices. Even without a touchscreen, the EliteBook 800 range has a large glass touchpad with gesture support to make navigating Windows 10 a doddle.

The best way to buy business laptops, such as the EliteBook 800 range, is via a trusted partner, such as CCL Computers. Providing you with a dedicated account manager, you've got a single-point of content to ensure that you have a stress-free experience. CCL Computers offers competitive pricing, with your account manager able to give you a tailored quote for the exact spec of laptops that you require. With leasing and credit options available, you've got the flexibility to spread your capital payment and keep the finance department happy. Need your computers in a hurry? CCL Computers has same day and next day options available, so you can roll out your new laptop fleet quickly and efficiently.

To find out how the HP EliteBook 800 Series with Windows 10 Pro can change the way your business works head over to CCL Computers.

Acer has been attempting to raise its profile as a maker of prosumer and business-grade hardware in recent years, with a series of notebooks aiming to take on higher-priced devices like the MacBook and XPS ranges.

After reviewing Acer's surprisingly good Swift 3 notebook, we were expecting big things from the company's latest 2-in-1. The flagship of its convertible line, the Acer Spin 7 aims to cement Acer's position as a contender in the realms of high-end hybrids - but can it match its established rivals?

Design

We were immediately taken with the Spin 7's design. With the lid closed, the all-metal chassis is only 11mm thick, and the clean lines and understated, minimalist aesthetic go together to create a striking-looking device. Sadly, our positive feelings quickly began to fade away once we actually started using it.

The 360-degree hinge is the first flaw - it's simply not stiff enough to hold the display firmly in place. Flip the Spin 7 over into tent mode, and it feels like it's in constant danger of falling over. Worse still, it even wobbles slightly back and forth when you're typing in laptop mode. Attempt to carry the Spin 7 across the room with the display upright, and it barely makes a few steps before sagging downwards and pointing towards the floor.

At 1.2kg, it's among the lightest 14in notebooks we've seen. This feat is even more impressive when you consider that it's a touchscreen model too, as this generally adds a couple hundred grams to the weight. However, while it is undeniably light for a 14in laptop, the Spin 7 is too heavy to comfortably use as a handheld tablet - like many convertible 2-in-1s, it's a much better laptop than it is a tablet.

Keyboard and trackpad

It's tough not to like the Spin just a little, though. The gorgeous looks get it off to a good start, and it's all the better for marrying that handsome figure with a rather nice keyboard and trackpad. Despite the thin base, the chiclet keys have just enough travel and responsiveness to feel good under the finger, and the ultra-wide trackpad is great - multi-touch gestures such as swiping between open programs are an absolute breeze.

However, the Spin 7 does lose points for having no keyboard backlighting. This should be an essential feature by now and the fact that Acer has neglected to include it feels like a missed opportunity, especially for this kind of money.

Performance and hardware

Sadly, Acer hasn't outdone itself in the hardware stakes. On paper, it sounds like it should be a potent performer: in addition to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a shiny sticker on the chassis proudly proclaimed that it's fitted with a seventh-generation Core i7 processor. However, a surprisingly lacklustre showing in our benchmark tests prompted us to take another look.

While it acquitted itself capably in our image editing benchmarks, it seriously underperformed in the video editing and multitasking tests, scoring much lower than we'd expect from a 5th-generation i7 processor, much less one of Intel's latest models.

On closer inspection, however, we discovered that the Spin 7 uses one of Intel's Y-series Kaby Lake chips. In other words, it's a rebranded Core m7 processor, which explains its rather unimpressive results in the more demanding portions of our benchmarks.

With this in mind, the Spin 7's results actually look very respectable; it offered performance roughly on par with what we'd expect from what's effectively a Core m7 chip, and it even outperformed Apple's 12in MacBook.

It's worth bearing in mind, though, that it's still roundly trounced by any of Intel's full-fat processors. Kaby Lake's low TDP talents have allowed Acer to pare the Spin 7 down to a sliver, but the trade-off is performance. If processing power is what you're after, you'll get better performance at a cheaper price from one of last year's Core i5 Skylake notebooks.

Indeed, one of the keys to the Spin 7's slenderness is that it's forgone fans completely. The silence is welcome, but despite the power-efficient Kaby Lake processor, the chassis does tend to heat up noticeably even under light use. Push it harder with heavyweight applications, and it gets uncomfortably hot. According to our measurements, the temperature of the area just above the keyboard hit almost 50 degrees, even with a relatively minor load on the processor.

As you'd expect with a chassis this pared-down, there's hardly any room for ports on the Spin 7. You're left with just two USB Type-C slots, which is an acceptable number, although more would be welcome - especially given that you'll need to use one when charging the unit.

Display and battery life

Things start to look up when we get to the 14in Full HD display, which is really rather good. As it covers 95.3% of the sRGB colour spectrum, colours are vibrant and natural, and the maximum brightness of 321cd/m2 means that legibility shouldn't be a problem even on sunny days. Contrast is great too, which helps to eke out plenty of detail from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights. The glossy screen finish does mean that glare could prove an issue under harsh fluorescent lighting, though.

The decision to stick with a 1080p panel over a more impressive QHD or 4K resolution helps to extend the battery life, and it's clearly a necessary compromise. Although the Spin 7's score of 6hrs 57mins in our battery tests is firmly respectable for a notebook this thin, a higher resolution would unquestionably have shaved this down by at least a couple of hours.

If an ultra high-definition display is a sticking point, however, higher resolution displays can be found in rival machines at the expense of processing power and touchscreen functionality.

Verdict

The Acer Spin 7 gets an awful lot right; it's lovely to look at, the trackpad is a joy to use, and it's one of the thinnest convertibles we've ever seen. However, it's a machine that is built on compromise, which ultimately proves to be its downfall.

Issues with build quality - such as the lack of keyboard backlighting and the disastrous hinge - make it feel cheap. At the same time, its 1,200 price tag puts it in the same ballpark as the 12in MacBook and the Surface Pro 4, both of which are much more refined machines.

The Spin 7 is too flawed to be a credible convertible, and too underpowered to rival the best ultrabooks. Whether you're hunting for a lightweight 2-in-1 or a business-grade laptop, there are several better-performing and more cost-effective alternatives which we'd buy instead.

If you're after an ultraportable laptop, the new Dell XPS 13 offers substantially better performance and a much higher build quality for only 50 more, while those who need touchscreen functionality are advised to go for Microsoft's latest Surface Pro, which is better value with a much more attractive screen and hinge.

Verdict

While there’s a lot to like about this device, it’s also dogged with compromise. It’s hampered by poor performance, a high price tag, and questionable design choices - an unfortunate combination that means you’re better off looking elsewhere.

Historically, Acer has had a reputation for producing 'cheap and cheerful' Windows notebooks, angled more towards the average consumer rather than the discerning techie or business user. This, however, is no longer entirely fair or true.

While Acer's devices still fit into the mid-range rather than premium bracket, they're no longer plasticky and disposable. In fact, the company's recent output has been of impressive quality, with devices like the Swift 3 providing an attractive alternative for those who don't want to shell out for a more expensive machine.

Design and appearance

The Swift 3 has an all-metal aluminium chassis, which feels pleasingly premium to the touch. Build quality is excellent too, with little evidence of the flex seen in other products at this price point.

It's fitted with a 180-degree hinge, which means that the screen can be pushed back to lie flush with the desk. It's a small touch, but one that ensures you can get a comfortable viewing angle, regardless of how high you are in relation to the laptop.

It's attractively svelte, too - at 18mm, it's only a hair thicker than the MacBook Air, and barely 150g heavier. It's absolutely no bother to carry around all day in between meetings, and it slips into a bag without weighing you down.

The Swift 3 is available in gold or silver. The former colour ,in particular, is far less garish than some others we've seen in the past. We initially thought it would be too brash for us, but it ended up growing on us considerably.

All in all, it's a far cry from the tacky, cheaply-made fare that Acer used to be associated with. It may not have quite the level of polish boasted by more expensive rivals, but you certainly won't be ashamed of it either.

Keyboard and trackpad

The trackpad is a good size and has decent sensitivity. We could easily move the cursor from edge to edge without having to reposition our hand, which is always a good sign. The trackpad buttons are nice as well, with strong haptic feedback providing a good, firm click.

The keyboard is also excellent - the chiclet keys have a decent amount of travel depth, with none of the rattling and bounceback that you get from cheaper keyboards. A backlit keyboard is also available as an optional extra, which is an all but essential feature for any notebook.

One feature that we were particularly taken with was the placement of the navigation keys (page up, page down, home, etcetera). Rather than excluding them entirely, as most manufacturers do, Acer have opted to place them on the right hand side of the keyboard.

Insert and delete are just above the backspace bar, while the rest are arrayed vertically along the edge. These also double as media control keys. It's a nice touch that means it can maintain a nice compact footprint without sacrificing any functionality.

Performance and features

The Swift 3 is kitted out with decent internal hardware, including a 6th-gen Core i5-6200U CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a 256GB SSD. These are pretty respectable business-grade specs, but they're unlikely to stand up to the likes of a Core-i7 machine.

Light-to-medium use is unlikely to tax it, however. We had no problems running multiple Chrome windows simultaneously containing various web apps, videos and plugins, as well as tools like Slack and Word.

More intensive tasks may prove problematic though, and it's here that the Swift 3 fell down a little. It achieved an overall score of 32 in our benchmarks which, while serviceable, isn't anything to write home about.

At 6hrs 57mins, the battery life is not bad. In fact, for a mid-range notebook such stats are far from shameful. It's less than an average eight-hour working day, but not by a huge amount - and you can easily stretch that out with judicious power management.

The Swift 3 comes with a decent complement of ports, which is always welcome news for CIOs. It's fitted with USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and USB Type-C ports (one of each) as well as a HDMI output and an SD card reader. SD card reader is particularly nice to see, as it's becoming an increasingly rare feature.

It's also got a built-in fingerprint reader, allowing users to take advantage of Windows Hello, Microsoft's biometric authentication technology. The sensor is generally good, unlocking incredibly speedily. We had a couple of issues with reliability, where the sensor took a couple of goes to recognise our fingerprint, but this may have been down to greasy fingers on our part.

Display

For the 14in display, Acer has opted for a 1080p resolution, rather than upping it to QHD or 4K. This is an eminently sensible decision - while a higher-resolution panel might be more impressive, it also takes a greater toll on the battery life.

The IPS screen is well-suited to office environments, particularly given its nice, wide viewing angles. It also has a matte, anti-glare coating, meaning that harsh fluorescent lighting won't reflect off the screen.

There are some issues, however, starting with the colour accuracy. Our testing revealed that the Swift 3's display only covered around half of the sRGB colour gamut, but it's obvious that the display isn't much cop just by looking at it - colours are washed out and muted, with under-saturation virtually across the board.

For most office-based tasks, this may not be an issue. It's not eye-searingly horrible to look at, and the contrast ratio is fine, so editing documents and reading emails is unlikely to be a problem. Brightness is rather lacklustre, however, meaning that working outside could prove tricky.

Verdict

The Acer Swift 3 isn't a hugely inspiring laptop. Its performance and battery life are both passable but not amazing, and the display is disappointing. However, the Swift 3 makes up for this with an excellent keyboard and an appealingly-designed chassis that feels like it comes from a much more expensive machine.

All in all, this is a highly respectable laptop given the 500 asking price. Sure, the actual hardware isn't going to blow anyone's socks off, but many people won't need 1,000-worth of horsepower on a day-to-day basis. Ultimately, the Swift 3 is an excellent option for those who want the look and feel of a premium-grade ultrabook without the exorbitant pricetag.

Picture credit: Adam Shepherd/IT Pro

Verdict

The Acer Swift 3 is an excellent mid-range notebook. Its performance isn’t going to blow anyone away but, for £500, it’s a very capable all-rounder. The fact that it’s eye-catching and well-designed is just icing on the cake.

The Surface Book is a 2-in-1 PC-tablet produced by Microsoft. It is part of the Surface series of devices, which include the Surface Pro.

The key differentiator of the Surface Book is its full-sized, detachable keyboard, which uses a dynamic fulcrum hinge that expands when it is opened. It runs Windows 10 Pro, and is compatible with other Windows 10 applications and devices.

In this article you will find the latest updates about the Surface Book.

Surface Book news

17/02/2016: After Microsoft increased the price of the Surface Book range by 11.5% due to a Brexit slump in the pound this week, it is now seeking to win back favour among customers with some tasty software bundles.

Those who purchase any model of Surface Book before 1 March 2017 will also receive a two-year Microsoft Complete insurance plan for free, worth 219 on its own.

Not only that, but customers will also receive a one year subscription to Office 365 Home, normally valued at 79.99. This means customers would save almost 300 in software, and be covered for accidental drops and spills for a full two years.

If you were planning on buying those extras anyway, you actually stand to save 150 even after the Brexit price hike, on the basic model at least - the more powerful options received up to a 400 increase in price thanks to the weakened sterling currency.

Microsoft is also throwing in free software with sales of the Surface Pro 4, which thankfully managed to avoid the swing of the Brexit price bat. Customers buying models of Surface Pro 4 with an i5 processor or above will also receive two years worth of Complete protection insurance worth 149. Sadly the Office 365 deal is exclusive to the Surface Book range.

The deals for theSurface Book and Surface Pro 4 run for a couple of weeks, though some customers might look at the price hike and decide it's still not worth it.

15/02/2017:Surface Book gets a Brexit price hike

If you were looking for a deal on Microsoft's Surface range over the Christmas period, you might have seen some pretty generous discounts on the Surface Book. But it now appears the convertible will be the latest victim on the list of devices hit by a Brexit price hike.

A steep drop in the pound in the aftermath of the UK's decision to leave the EU means that all Surface Book models will now cost 150 more through Microsoft's online store - a price jump of almost 12% on the basic model.

The basic Surface Book model, which features an i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, will now cost you 1,449, while the next model in the line will be an eye-watering 1,849.

This follows Microsoft's move to increase the price of enterprise software packages by 13%, effective from the start of 2017, while the price of its enterprise cloud services also increased by 22% to "realign close to euro levels".

"In response to a recent review we are adjusting the British pound prices of some of our hardware and consumer software in order to align to market dynamics," a Microsoft spokeswoman toldTechCrunch.

While the prices for individual products have gone up, the spokeswoman confirmed that partners buying in bulk through licensing agreements would be unaffected by the new prices.

The Surface Pro 4 has managed to avoid the price hike for now, but who knows whether Microsoft will decide to 'realign' that device too.

Dell, Apple, and HP have all inflated the price of notebooks following the vote to leave the EU, and earlier this week Bluetooth speaker provider Sonos announced it would be increasing prices across its entire range.

31/10/2016:Free Xbox One S bundle with Surface purchase

To celebrate the announcement of the new Surface range, Microsoft will be giving away Xbox one S bundles alongside sales of Surface devices at a select number of UK stores.

Customers buying any model of Surface Book or Surface Pro 4 that is at least 256GB, will get an Xbox One S FIFA 17 bundle thrown in for free.

The deal is currently available on Surface devices bought at John Lewis, Curry's, PC World or the Microsoft Store.

Preorders for the new Surface Book are now available, which is expected to launch in the UK shortly after the 2017 US release. To qualify for the deal, expect to pay 1,439.10 for the Intel i5 256GB version.

The free Xbox One S bundle will include a copy of FIFA 2017, a 1TB hard drive, and an additional wireless controller.

For those considering buying a new Surface device, this is certainly a great incentive to do so. But you need to act fast, as the Xbox One S deal will only be available until 8th November.

26/10/2016: Microsoft has unveiled an updated Surface Book design at its special event in New York.

Although it's not quite a Surface Book 2, the new iteration packs twice the graphics horsepower of the original, and features an upgraded battery offering 16 hours of battery life. It also includes improved cooling thanks to a new fan design and an upgraded Intel Core-i7 processor.

It still retains the same screen, however, as will as the same form factor and thickness - although the base is now convex rather that flat to accomodate the beefed-up hardware. The new device is avbailable to pre-order in the US from today and will be released on 10 November, costing $2,399. UK pricing and availability has yet to be announced.

12/08/2016: The next version of the Surface Book could lose the gap in the hinge.

Microsoft's fulcrum hinge could be dropped from the next hybrid device following complaints from users that the gap allowed the keyboard and screen to get dirtier than rival laptops.

According to a report on Windows Central, the new Surface Book would be able to be closed and keep the display and keyboard flush.

The device may also sport Intel's new Kaby Lake processor as well as native support for USB 3.1 (gen 2) and 3D and 4K graphics capabilities.

It is speculated that the new machine will be announced in the Autumn in New York City with shipping a few weeks later.

11/07/2016: Microsoft has announced it will be offering the Surface as a Service programme, meaning enterprise customers can lease Surface devices alongside subscriptions to Office 365 and Windows 10.

This means smaller businesses can take advantage of the Surface Book and other Surface devices, without the initial hardware outlay.

"The digital revolution is changing the traditional workplace environment, making us more reliant on our peers to share knowledge and work together; while more people are working remotely and need to be productive from anywhere,"Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president, Windows and Devices Group said in a blog post.

"And, the workforce demographic is shifting towards millennials who are more collaborative, multi-task more, and use multiple devices."

He explained Microsoft's new offering addresses this new breed of employee, while enabling the flexibility of solutions, ensuring customers can have the latest Surface devices and the knowledge that whenever updates are released, they will be among the first to get them.

Surface as a Service will be available through many of Microsoft's partners who are already offering services such as managed cloud services, Office 365, Windows 10, and relevant ISV software.

"With our growing portfolio, we are creating not just great devices, but breakthrough categories that open up a world of new opportunities for partners to build capabilities in new areas, and to create solutions and services for customers," Mehdi added.

04/07/2016:Microsoft is working on a new Surface device for release later this year, it is believed.

On a tour of Redmond's building 88, Indian app developer Shubhan Chemburkar tweeted a picture of a wall depicting Microsoft's recent hardware releases, with various Surface devices pictured, as reported by The Verge.

One vacant spot simply has a placeholder with a silhouette of a Surface with the caption coming soon' three similar placeholders stand next to it, with the year 2017'.

It is not clear what kind of Surface will arrive this year, however, though DigiTimes reported that Microsoft may release a Surface all-in-one PC to provide an alternative to the Surface Book.

Windows Central now reports the same thing, with the device expected to contain Intel's new Kaby Lake chip though it is not clear when this processor will be ready.

30/06/2016:Two weeks after it went on pre-sale, the 1TB Microsoft Surface Book is now available to buy in shops. The 1TB SSD drive is described by Microsoft as "a powerful edition to the device for customers who put a premium on having all of their work with them wherever they go".

Indeed, Microsoft is squarely targeting this 2,650 notebook, which also comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, at "power user" professionals who use graphics-heavy programmes, such as engineers, designers and videographers.

"There are people in a huge variety of fields ... who depend on a library of presentation, digital content, and image and video files relating to client projects who want truly instant access to all of these resources on job sites, in the air, and wherever else they may find themselves," said Microsoft.

The 1TB version of the Surface Book is over twice the price of the entry-level, 128GB, Core i5 version, but only 400 more than the 512GB Core i7 version.

06/10/2015: Microsoft surprised everyone at its New York press conference by unveiling its first ever laptop; the Surface Book. The new notebook fires a shot across the bows at Apple and its MacBook.

The Surface Book also pits itself against the iPad Pro with a detachable keyboard. It is only 7.3mm in thickness and weighs in at 1579g.

The device itself sports a 13.5-inch optically bonded PixelSense display boasting around six million pixels or around 267 PPI. The screen itself is composed of Gorilla Glass 4. PixelSense is a technology used in Microsoft's line of Surface and Surface Pro and purports to be able to sense if the display is being touched by a finger or stylus and optimise performance accordingly.

It comes with a backlit, scissor-action keyboard and a glass trackpad. The trackpad (incidentally glass is also used on the MacBook) boasts five points of multi-touch accuracy.

It comes with two processor options; an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 chips and claims up to 12 hours of battery life. There is also an optional discrete GPU, which Microsoft said enabled seamless video editing, fast rendering or immersive gaming.The GPU itself is an Nvidia GeForce chip with GDDR5 memory.

Speaking at the press conference, Panos Panay, corporate vice-president at Microsoft,took a leaf out of the Apple playbook on product launches and claimed the Surface Book was "the thinnest, most powerful PC ever created".

He added that the detachable display meant the Surface Book could be used as a tablet or clipboard and was aimed at architect, scientists, designers and others needing more processing power and better graphics. The hinge on the Surface Book also allows users to fold the display around to hold the device in tablet mode while still using the GPU.

There is also support for the Surface Dock which expands the number of port available. This includes dual 4K-capable DisplayPort outputs, four USB ports and an Ethernet connection.

On the device itself, a front-facing camera features Windows Hello authentication that negates the need to enter a password. There's also a rear-facing 8MP camera, two full-size USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader and Mini Display Port.

Surface Book starts at $1,499. This gets you the Core i5 processor, a 128GB solid-state drive and 8GB of RAM. For $2,699, the Surface Book comes with aCore i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and discrete graphics. It's available for pre-order in the US now, but no UK release date has yet been revealed.

Ahead of CES 2017, Dell has revealed an upgrade to the well-received XPS 13, aimed at creating a more business-focused device.

Dell has taken the existing XPS 13 design and added a 360-degree hinge, turning an ultrabook into an ultraportable 2-in-1 convertible. As with other convertibles, you will be able to switch to different configurations depending on your needs, including 'tent' and tablet, which Dell hopes will help with productivity.

The new model will feature the same 13.3in screen with both 1920x1080 FHD and stunning 3200x1800 QHD touchscreen displays available.

Customers will have a choice of processors; either the Intel Core i5-75Y54 at 3.2GHz and the more powerful i7-7Y75 at 3.6GHz, using a completely fanless design.

Importantly, both vPro processors are designed for business users, shipping with the latest in manageability tools such as built in multifactor authentication for hardware and remote management services for networks.

As Windows 10 powers the 2-in-1, users will also be able to take advantage of the 'Hello' compatible fingerprint reader, which allows the device to be securely unlocked with a touch.

At 1.2 kg it is also lighter and smaller than Microsoft's Surface Book, while boasting a much longer battery life of 15 hours, according to Dell. It also ditches the USB 3.0 found on the Surface Book in favour of two USB Type C ports, including ultrafast Thunderbolt 3 support.

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available for order on the 5 January from its online store, as well as Best Buy in the US. With configurations starting at $999, the device is priced at almost $200 more than the XPS 13.

Design' is a word that tends to be horribly misused, at least in the world of IT. Here, design doesn't just mean the appearance of a product, but also how that product works from the bottom up. How a device looks is informed by how it works and vice-versa - the very best computing products combine the best of both worlds with one informing the other. It's a valuable lesson that HP has somehow forgotten with the EliteBook Folio G1. While this ultra portable laptops looks great, there are far too many gaps in how it works.

Metal and glass

There's no doubting that the HP EliteBook Folio G1 looks and feels great. The metal unibody casing and black glass surrounding the screen are highly reminiscent of Apple's 12in Retina MacBook, especially as it has almost no other ports besides USB-C. It's not a complete copy of Apple's trend-setting ultra portable though - the shiny hinge and the speakers' distinctive cross-hatch grill pattern help set it apart.

While the Folio G1 is dependent entirely on USB-C for connecting any sort of wired peripherals, including video-out, and for charging, HP had the good sense to include two USB-C ports rather than just one as Apple opted to do on the MacBook.

Annoyingly though, the two ports are placed quite closely together - close enough that we had trouble inserting and unplugging a USB-C flash drive while the charger was also plugged in. A little more clearance between the two ports, or perhaps placing one on the opposite side of the laptop, would've been better. There's no SD or SIM card slot of any kind - the only other physical port is the 3.5mm combined audio input and output jack.

Performance and battery life

The Folio G1 is completely silent as it has no fans. This is made possible by its Intel Core m7-6Y75 processor which is power-efficient enough to not need a fan. It's no speed demon in either our benchmarks or everyday use - we noticed some periodic sluggishness when using webapps which is surprising. Still, combined with 8GB of RAM, it's quick enough for most office productivity tasks.

The processor can turbo boost from 1.2 to 3.1GHz as needed, but this is when its lack of a fan became most obvious. When turbo boosting, the underside of the metal laptop became noticeably and uncomfortably hot - sometimes unbearably so - which is a significant flaw.

Battery life was a mixed bag. It initially appeared very poor, lasting less than four and a half hours playing H.264 video. But it did fare a little better in our other tests, lasting six hours and 42 minutes when web browsing while playing video intermittently. It lasted a more impressive ten and a half hours when scrolling through a text document.

HP Inc clearly has work to do in optimising the battery for all situations. Even in sleep mode, the battery lost a lot of charge compared to other Core M laptops. All of this is a real shame - at just over 1kg, the Folio G1 would otherwise be ideal for working on the move.

Keyboard, touchpad and touchscreen

It's not all bad. The keyboard is excellent - no surprise given that HP has arguably overtaken both Lenovo and Apple in producing the best laptop keyboards around. The large, well-spaced and crisp keys have plenty of travel and give lots of feedback when pressed. They're backlit too for working in dim conditions.

HP Inc has wisely abandoned the touchpad from the EliteBook Folio 1020 which aped the needless pressure sensitive touchpad of the MacBook. Unfortunately the touchpad here has problems of its own. It was often sluggish at recognising the presence of our finger, its tracking was annoyingly laggy and its accuracy was often a bit off. All of these flaws made for a very frustrating experience.

The touchscreen was no better. Although the hinge can tilt back far enough so it lies parallel to the keyboard, reaching from the keyboard to prod at the screen is a quick recipe for arm ache if done for any extended period of time. It wasn't even good enough for occasional taps and strokes, as the touchscreen's touchsenstivity was off - we had to angle our finger quite specifically to get it recognised by the touchscreen.

Screen and extras

It's no surprise to see that the 12.5in screen has a 4K resolution of 3840x2160 pixels - an increasingly common sight on high end laptops. Windows 10 on the Folio G1, out of the box, is set by default to show crisper text rather than attempt to show as much working space as possible.

You can change this setting of course, although the pace of developers upgrading their software to take advantage of such high-resolution, high pixel density screens remains frustratingly sluggish. Even HP itself isn't immune - a few screens in the BIOS were almost unreadably tiny as they hadn't been designed with a 4K screen in mind.

This situation is likely to affect you particularly strongly if you use a lot bespoke in-house software which tends to get updated even more infrequently. In the case of legacy apps, where the in-house or contract staff who coded it have long since moved on, it may not be even feasible to upgrade the software to make it work properly.

At least the screen itself is very bright with vibrant colours and a high degree of colour accuracy and contrast. Glare caused by overhead lighting reflecting off the display's glossy finish can be an annoying problem. You can work around it by pumping up the screen's brightness, although this will obviously deplete the battery faster.

There are some extras that business users will particularly appreciate. The three year warranty is no surprise. An unexpected bonus is the ability is an option in the first-run setup wizard to bind new Windows user accounts to existing Azure Active Directory accounts.

Conclusions

We've been fond of previous HP laptops, so the lack of attention to detail in the HP EliteBook Folio G1 is surprising. From responsiveness, performance and cooling to battery life and ergonomics, HP has fumbled the ball with the design of this ultra portable laptop.

Verdict

There’s a lot to like with HP’s super thin ultra portable laptop, but one too many flaws mean we can’t recommend it wholeheartedly

Latest news:

19/04/2016: Apple has updated its 12in MacBook with a 2016 iteration boasting 12th generation Intel processors and up to 10 hours of battery life.

Available in rose gold as well as the traditional silver, gold and space gray, the new 12in MacBook will measure 13.1mm in thickness, and weigh just 2lbs.

Its 12in Retina display boasts a resolution of 2304 x 1440 pixels, while its trackpad will incorporate Force Touch, which monitors the pressure you place on the trackpad to give you better control over the computer.

Coming in two price ranges, the $1,299 12in MacBook will boast a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor, while the $1,599 version will come with a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor. Storage comes in two sizes - 256GB flash and 512GB flash respectively.

The new MacBook will also ship with 8GB of onboard memory.

08/02/2016: The latest rumours say that Apple will launch revamped 12in MacBooks with the latest Skylake processors from Intel. The new Core m3, m5 and m7 processors are the successors to the original Broadwell-class Core m used in the MacBook reviewed here, so we'd expect Apple to adopt them. MacBooks allegedly equipped with these new Core m processors are rumoured to appear at an Apple launch on March 15th which makes sense as this would be almost a year after this laptop was first announced.

Apple is no stranger to jettisoning what it sees as old and outdated technologies in favour of newer, more efficient ones. From abandoning floppies in favour of USB in the original iMac to jettisoning PCI-Express slots in favour of Thunderbolt 2 in the current Mac Pro, Apple isn't afraid to leave the past behind even if its customers are more reticent. Apple has done it again with its latest ultra portable laptop, the 12in MacBook Retina.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: USB-C

Aside from a headset jack, this laptop has just one port a completely new type of USB port. USB 3.1 Gen 1 has the same speed as USB 3.0 (5Gbit/s, although Gen 2 will raise this to 10Gbit/s), but what it lacks in speed improvements it more than makes up for in increased versatility.

USB 3.1 Gen 1 has a new smaller connector, Type C, which is reversible so it doesn't matter which way up you plug it in. Plus it's the same connector at both ends of the cable, so it doesn't matter which end you plug in either. These sound like small improvements, but we've seen plenty of confused users fumbling around with their USB cables. USB 3.1 Gen 1 can also natively handle video output so, with adapters, it can be used to connect monitors, projectors and TVs without impacting on processor performance as with older versions of USB.

Of course, the Type C connector means you'll need adapters to use existing USB peripherals and displays. If you still rely on Ethernet, you'll need an adapter for that too. Plus, as there's only one port, you'll need a multiport adapter or hub to connect multiple devices simultaneously. Apple's vision is that you won't need to do this often, if at all, as you'll use wireless peripherals and, in the case of storage and storage-hogging software, the cloud.

A standard USB 3.0 Type-A connector (left) compared to a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C connector (right).

It's a compelling vision, but not practical for everyone. Cloud-related compliance issues aside, even if you're willing to undertake the expense of deploying wireless peripherals in your office, you'll have to make sure they're properly secured. On top of that, you'll still need a gaggle of adapters for use in the outside world. Sadly, USB Type C isn't magnetised like the MagSafe charging connectors on other MacBooks, so there's a greater chance that someone tripping over the charging cable will send the laptop crashing to the ground.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: weight and build

This dramatic reduction in the number and type of ports has allowed Apple to make the 12in MacBook remarkably lighter and slimmer than any other laptop we've seen 12in or otherwise. It's around the same thickness as three copies of Time magazine stacked on top of each other and weighs just 920g. This makes it almost effortless to tote around. Despite its svelteness, the metal casing is just as rigid and robust as we've come to expect from a MacBook. Like the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, the MacBook is available in grey, silver and gold with the latter far less garish than we expected.

However, like most of Apple's other Macs, serviceability and upgradeability are non-existent. The memory chips are soldered into place, while the proprietary connector on the SSD makes it difficult and costly to replace or upgrade yourself.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: performance and battery life

Despite the MacBook's slenderness, Apple has squeezed in a huge battery made possible in part by the Core M processor and its smaller-than-usual motherboard. The battery lasted 14 hours and 26 minutes in our light usage test and six hours and 52 minutes in our more strenuous YouTube playback test. Only the 13in MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro Retina last longer no Windows ultraportable we've seen can match it.

This exceptional battery life is also due, in large part, to the power efficient Broadwell-based Core M processor. The trade-off is performance. While the 1.1GHz dual core 5Y70 is more than fast enough for office tasks, JPEG editing and light HD video work since it can Turbo Boost to 2.6GHz and is paired with 8GB of memory, it's not ideal for anything more demanding. In our video editing and multitasking benchmarks, it was only around a third the speed of our reference PC with a Core i5 3570K desktop processor.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: keyboard and touchpad

One consequence of the MacBook's incredibly thin profile is its dramatically redesigned keyboard. As there's less space for the key switches, the keys have far less travel than almost any laptop keyboard we've ever used. We thought we would find this hatefully awkward, but to our surprise we found typing fast, accurate and very comfortable indeed. This is because the keys give plenty of feedback when pressed as well as a satisfying clicky sound. The keyboard still takes getting used to we found we had to type with less force or risk arm ache, for example but it's quick to acclimatise too. The only real annoyance we encountered was the up and down cursor keys, which are smaller than the others and therefore hard to tell apart when touch typing.

The MacBook's touchpad is large, accurate and responsive. What sets it apart even more from the touchpads on Windows laptops is its Force Touch pressure sensitivity feature, something which it shares with the MacBook Pro Retina laptops. Pressing down harder on the touchpad causes different things to happen, depending on which program you're using and the context. Doing this in Safari while a word is highlighted will show you a definition for that word, while force clicking on a meeting attendee in Apple's Calendar app will show you the contact details for that person.

We don't find any of Apple's uses for Force Touch to be particularly compelling most simply replicate what can achieved more easily in a right-click menu. The Force Touch touchpad does have another trick up its sleeve though. It can give you feedback by vibrating gently, which feels like a gentle tapping against your fingers, although the number of programs that currently support this are very limited. One clever third-party app that combines both of these unique touchpad features is Inklet which lets you use the touchpad as a basic graphics tablet.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: Retina screen

We had no complaints about the 12in screen. Although it has a resolution of 2304x1440 pixels, you see the same amount of text as you would on a 1280x800 screen. The extra pixels are instead used to render text very sharply so much so that they look like print. You can change the resolution to 1440x900 pixels giving you extra working space, but at the expense of making everything illegibly tiny. Regardless, image quality was top-notch with eye-watering brightness as well as good colour accuracy and contrast.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: conclusions

Apple's 12in Retina MacBook is a stunning ultra-portable laptop. Its sturdiness, battery life, screen quality and touchpad are rivalled only by Apple's other laptops. If portability is absolutely paramount, then the MacBook's light weight and battery life make it a superb choice, but its unique one-port configuration and reliance on wireless peripherals may make it challenging to fit into how you work at least in the short to medium term. It's a great buy, but misses out on an Editor's Choice award.

This review was first published on 26/05/2015 and has since been updated, most recently on 08/02/2016.

Verdict

Apple’s ultra portable laptop is stunning, but the compromises made to achieve its low weight and slender profile won’t suit everyone

Processor: 1.1GHz Intel Core M 5Y70

Graphics processor: Intel HD 5300 integrated

Memory: 8GB

Storage: 256GB SSD

Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0

Ports: 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, 3.5mm headset jack

Screen size: 12in

Screen resolution: 2304x1440 pixels

Operating system: Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite

Dimensions: 13x280x197mm (HxWxD)

Weight (with charger): 920g (1.1kg)

Warranty: One year

Chromebooks are great with their speed, hassle-free nature and long battery life. But all of that has been in spite of, rather than because of the hardware released by the numerous PC manufacturers to date. Iffy low-resolution screens and suspect build quality tend to be the order of the day. This is finally starting to change though with Dell finally following the example of the Google Chromebook Pixel by releasing a Chrome OS laptop you that wouldn't be ashamed to be seen with in public.

XPS-style casing

The Chromebook 13 7310 follows the look of Dell's high-end XPS range of Windows laptops. The carbon fibre lid and dark grey metal of the base not only look stylish, but feel rigid, robust and very well made. It's not all unforgiving metal though - there's a soft-touch rubbery material on the palm rest for a bit of warmth. It's a world away from the cheap-looking and flimsy-feeling creaky plastic casings of most admittedly much cheaper Chromebooks. It weighs 1.6kg so it's easy to carry around all day.

As Dell is aiming this Chromebook at education and corporate users, there's a Kensington lock slot alongside the universally useful HDMI port and pair of USB3 sockets. Despite the expanse of metal on both sides of this laptop, there's only a micro SD slot rather than a full-size one. Although inconvenient if you want to regularly transfer photos from a camera, it's ideal for quickly transferring files to and from a micro SD equipped Android or Windows phone.

Screen

Most Chromebooks tend to have just good-enough image quality and lowly 1366x768 pixel resolutions that aren't well-suited for multitasking. Thankfully, the Dell Chromebook 13 7310 doesn't suffer from either problem. It's bright with good colour accuracy and contrast. It's not quite as good as the Google Chromebook Pixel, but it's not far off either.

The resolution of 1920x1080 pixels is high enough to not only watch HD movies in their full glory, but, more importantly, gives you enough room to work on two documents side-by-side. Squeezing 1080p into a 13in screen means everything can appear a little too small if you have less than perfect eyesight though.

Thankfully you can switch to a more comfortable if non-native resolution - 1536x864 is an oddity and isn't quite as sharp as the native 1920x1080 but it does make everything on-screen easier to read. We wish Dell offered a native 1440x900 or 1600x900 resolution screen as an option, but this is the next best thing. It's here where we miss the 12.85in Chromebook Pixel's 3:2 aspect ratio which lends itself well to its high 2560x1700 resolution - sharp with plenty of working room, but with everything still very legible.

The screen has a glossy sheen which helps pump up brightness at the expense of more glare caused by overhead lights reflecting off the glossy finish. It's not too bad though when compared to other laptops with a glossy finish, especially if you up the brightness to compensate.

Keyboard and touchpad

The quality of the keyboards on Dell's other laptops is surprisingly variable, ranging from merely okay to very good. Thankfully, the Dell Chromebook 13 7310's keyboard is top notch. The large backlit keys have plenty of travel and tactile feedback, so typing is a real pleasure. As expected, the touchpad is also very good - smooth and accurate with very responsive two-finger gestures.

There's the option to have a touchscreen on some cheaper versions of the Dell Chromebook 13 7310. We think that touchscreens generally aren't worth having in a traditional upright non-hybrid laptop - you'll only use it occasionally given how ergonomically awkward it is, especially as Chrome OS and most web apps aren't designed for touchscreen control.

Performance and battery life

Battery life didn't quite match Dell's claimed 12 hours, but the battery still lasted a respectably lengthy ten hours and 15 minutes when we used light to medium intensity web apps. This included Google Apps, Simplenote and WordPress with occasional forays into Spotify, YouTube and Pixlr.

The Dell Chromebook 13 7310 is more than capable of running those apps and more. Our review unit, the most expensive available, is heavily over specified for a Chromebook with 8GB of memory, a 32GB SSD and a 2.3GHz dual core Intel Core i5 5300U processor. It had no trouble running any of the web apps we threw at it, so it should serve you well for a long time to come.

Conclusions

The Dell Chromebook 13 7310 is a very impressive Chrome OS laptop. But unless you're developing a particularly demanding in-house hybrid cloud app and need the client hardware to run it, you're better off skipping this particular configuration in favour of one of Dell's cheaper, better value versions of the 7310. For example, the 556 ex VAT model with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of memory and a 16GB SSD will be more than good enough for most.

Even if you do need or want the processing grunt of the most expensive 13 7310, it's worth considering the slightly cheaper Chromebook Pixel unless you need the extended warranty service options that only Dell offers.

Verdict

Dell’s latest ChromeOS laptop is a barnstorming Chromebook, but you’re almost certainly better off with a cheaper, less over specified configuration or, unless you need an extended warranty, a Google Chromebook Pixel

The Microsoft Surface Book is one of Redmond's most surprising products in years. Due to the, at best, modest success of the Surface Pro tablets, few expected the company to release its own laptop.

Microsoft couldn't resist pushing its Windows 10-based hybrid vision of computing though. The Surface Book is also a tablet - push a button on the keyboard and the screen detaches. While it comes with a stylus just like the one included with the Surface Pro 4, this is still a very different computer with the focus more on laptop use than tablet use - it comes with its keyboard in the box, rather than as a pricey 100 optional extra as with the Surface Pro 4.

Typing

The Surface Book is, if nothing else, a beautiful object to behold. The off-grey aluminium alloy with its matte surface and gentle sloping curves looks like nothing else and is exceptionally sturdy and rigid too. It looks more like a piece of modern art or a concept design rather than an actual shipping product you can actually buy.

Even more distinctive is its unusual accordion-esque hinge (or Fulcrum Hinge reinforced with Muscle Wire as Microsoft insists on calling it) that expands as you open it. It's very sturdy, even with the screen docked, suffering from very little wobble. The downside is that it doesn't tilt back very far, so you might have trouble getting a comfortable viewing angle when standing or in very tight spaces. We didn't have too much trouble though, even on a cramped London commuter train seat.

Another oddity is that, when closed, the hinge leaves a large gap open at the sides. We'd therefore ensure that, when carried in a bag, nothing else shares its compartment in case small objects slide in and scratch the screen.

Unlike other laptops, the hinge doesn't lower the screen down. This, combined with the height of the 13.5in 3:2 aspect ratio screen makes it noticeably larger than 16:9 13 or 14in laptops. It's still easy to carry around though, due to its combined weight of 1.5kg, plus the screen's size does feel very immersive by dominating your field of vision.

The backlit keyboard is a real pleasure to type on with plenty of travel and clicky feedback. They're large and backlit too - we can't find any fault with them. The touchpad is also very good - a surprise for a Windows laptop. It's smooth with responsive multi-finger gestures and clicky buttons built into the bottom of the pad. There was only some slight hesitancy when moving the cursor. If nothing else, this touchpad should shame other Windows laptop manufacturers into upping their game.

Unlike the Surface Pro, all the ports on the Surface Book are located on the keyboard rather than on the screen. There's a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a full-size SD slot, a Mini DisplayPort and a MacBook-style magnetic power connector. This disconnects harmlessly if someone trips over the power lead, rather than dragging the entire laptop to the ground. Surprisingly, the Mini DisplayPort isn't also a Thunderbolt connector which would've added a lot of extra port flexibility.

Although almost all of the internal components are located in the screen rather in the keyboard, the Surface Book didn't feel too top heavy or liable to tip over like other detachable hybrid laptops.

Pressing the undocking button produces a very satisfying clunk sound, but we noticed plenty of software bugs related to both the docking mechanism and general usage. We noticed numerous incidents where the Surface Book didn't go to sleep properly or where it woke up unbidden, thus burning through its battery. The graphics drivers would sometimes crash when docking the tablet too, or the keyboard and touchpad wouldn't be recognised upon docking.

To be fair, most (but by no means all) of these problems were eventually solved in a UEFI update downloaded via Windows Update, but the continuing existence of these problems is still surprising given that the Surface Book has been on sale in the US since October 2015 - four months before its UK launch. A few wrinkles immediately after launch are understandable. Problems that continue to impact usability and reliability months after launch are worrying when considering a mobile computer for business use.

Writing and drawing

The 13.5in screen's less elongated shape compared to widescreen displays, due to its 3:2 aspect ratio, make it better suited for tablet use from reading to drawing and note taking. However, this does mean widescreen videos will have bigger black bars at the top and bottom.

Drawing and writing unsurprisingly felt very similar to the way they do on the Surface Pro 4. Although not quite as finely precise and pin-point accurate as the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro, the Surface Pen was still very good and easily the best Windows tablet stylus we've seen. Combined with the excellent palm rejection, jotting down notes and sketching were a breeze. We only wish the nib wasn't quite so spongy. Neatly, the stylus magnetically attaches to the side of the screen for safe keeping.

As a tablet, the detached Surface Book is light for its size at 730g. It's still not our first choice for reading, web browsing, email and other typical mobile tasks on the go, but the weight is less noticeable for more involved tasks when you're staying in a single place.

It did become warm to the touch with an intermittent gentle whirring from the fan when running demanding tasks such as our video editing benchmark and Photoshop. Although not as intrusive as other laptops and tablets, it was still enough to be a little distracting.

The screen itself is dazzlingly bright with top-notch colour accuracy, contrast and viewing angles. Although it has a glossy sheen, it didn't reflect as much overhead light as other glossy screens so glare shouldn't be too distracting unless you're working under incredibly bright strip lighting.

Performance and battery life

The Surface Book is a fast laptop with ample memory and storage, but only if you opt for the most expensive configuration. At an eye-watering 2,249 (1874 ex VAT), the top-end Surface Book comes with 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a dual core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 6600U processor.

It switches between Intel integrated graphics and a custom Nvidia dedicated graphics chip, close in performance to the reasonably fast GeForce 940M, as needed. The latter is only available in laptop mode as it's cleverly contained with the keyboard dock.

This configuration should leave you wanting for nothing. It zoomed through our benchmarks, especially with the help of the PCI Express-based SSD. The Nvidia processor will boost GPGPU-enabled software and is even powerful enough for a cheeky round of 3D gaming, albeit not with the latest and most demanding titles in their full graphical glory.

Cheaper configuration are available, but they chip away at storage, memory and processing power and thus much, but by no means all, of the Surface Book's appeal.

There are actually two batteries, one built into the screen and the other built into the keyboard dock. The magnetic charging port is located on the right hand side of the keyboard and charges the tablet first.

If used purely as a tablet, the Surface Book's battery life will be somewhat underwhelming. It lasted nine hours and 40 minutes when playing video which is fine for the size. Scrolling through a text document lasted just three hours and 48 minutes, while a mixed video and text test managed just two hours and 48 minutes.

When docked together and used as a laptop, the Surface Book's second battery added another six hours and 43 minutes in our text test and an additional nine hours in our mixed use test. The overall combined times are good results for an ultra portable laptop, comparing well to the competition.

Conclusions

The Surface Book is a very good laptop, especially as a first effort from Microsoft, with plenty of finely designed components and elements coming together nicely (in spite of the various software bugs) to make a sleek, powerful and desirable computer.

We can't recommend it unconditionally though unless you have deep pockets. The 2249 inc VAT Surface Book is 650 more expensive than a comparably equipped Dell XPS 15 and 250 more costly than the equivalent 15in MacBook Pro. Both of those laptops have quad core i7 processors better suited for multithreaded applications, but have keyboards that aren't quite as good as the Surface Book's.

The Surface Book is only really worth buying if you need a very powerful laptop with a proper usable keyboard and an excellent stylus-equipped tablet for graphics work. Buying an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and a comparable laptop would exceed the cost of a Surface Book. We'd only consider one of the cheaper, less well-equipped configurations if you're absolutely certain you can live with the less future-proofed specifications.

Verdict

Like the Surface Pro tablets, the Surface Book is great if you fit its peculiar niche and have loads of cash to spare - and can put up with lingering, persistent bugs.

Huawei has entered into the competitive 2-in-1 hybrid market, taking on the likes of the iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with is brand-new MateBook. Although Huawei isn't known for making client devices aimed at businesses, the Windows 10-powered, 12in device is clearly aimed at office workers.

As is customary with Huawei, all the focus on the MateBook was initially on its physical appearance. However, we're not convinced that the plain silver, slightly tapering edges on the rear of the tablet are really anything to shout about. The super thin bezels around the edge of the device do give it the feel of a smaller laptop and not one with a 12in screen. The tablet portion weighs just 640g, which Huawei was keen to point out is less than both the Surface and the iPad Pro. At 6.9mm thick, it's very svelte.

This is a machine untouched by messy ports: on the side there's a single USB3, Type-C connector. This can be used for both charging and data transfer, but you'll probably want to buy a dock. Handily enough, Huawei also introduced the MateDock, which costs $89 and includes extra USB, Ethernet and display output connectors.

Also on the side is a fingerprint reader, which integrates with Windows Hello, allowing you to log in simply with a touch. You can assign different accounts to different fingerprints, too. I wasn't able to test this feature, however, but Huawei's smartphone fingerprint scanners have always been very good so that bodes well.

The screen is a 12in, 2,160x1,440 IPS panel with a maximum brightness of 400cd/m2. The real interest here isn't the resolution, however, it's the claimed 85% NTSC colour gamut coverage. If this turns out to be accurate - and I have no reason to believe otherwise - this will eclipse both the Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro in this area. Of course, NTSC is only used by visual professionals so this won't mean a huge amount to your everyday consumer, but Huawei doesn't appear to be targeting the everyday client.

This is clear from the MateBook's MatePen. A fairly conventional stylus, albeit with 2048 levels of sensitivity, I had some time to draw a few doodles on the MateBook using Fresh Paint. The stylus itself is actually fairly good, although I can imagine some more free-handed artists will feel a little constrained by the rather grippy nib. I also had problems with palm rejection; there were multiple occasions where the side of my hand was interpreted as a pen press.

The pen also has three buttons, including one that activates eraser functions and another that acts as a right-click. In presentation software these will act as back and forward buttons. The third activates a laser pointer that shines its red beam out of the top of the pen.

If art isn't your thing and you want to get written work done, the $129 keyboard is essential. The keyboard also acts as a screen cover, protecting the screen with faux leather (brown, orange, black and beige available). The MateBook attaches via a single connector using magnets, so you can detach at any time without having to mess around with other buttons. The keys themselves are fine with lots of travel, but the structural integrity of the keyboard is a greater concern. It didn't sit properly flush with the desk and there's a lot of bouncing around as the keyboard flexes with each press.

With the keyboard cover attached you can angle the tablet at either 52 degrees or 67 degrees; you switch between these two angles by sliding the dock back and forth up the rear of the tablet.

There's also a touchpad on the keyboard dock and this, for me, was the highlight. It's very sensitive and I felt very much in touch with what was going on on-screen. Windows 10 gestures worked well, although it does not appear to support either of the swiping in from the left or right gestures.

In terms of speeds and feeds, Huawei will be offering various combinations of the following: Intel Core m3, m5 and m7 processors, 4GB or 8GB of RAM and 128, 256 and 512GB of SSD storage. It felt fast enough, and we've long been fans of the Core M line of processors, but we'll have to get one in for review before we can give a full verdict on how this device performs. With such low-power processing, Huawei claims 10 hours of battery life under normal use.

UK pricing and availability haven't been confirmed, but we expect the MateBook to appear on store shelves in the next three months. We do have US pricing, however, which will give us a reasonable idea of how much it'll cost in the UK. Pricing starts at $699 for the 4GB, Core m3, 128GB storage model and goes all the way up to $1599 for the 8GB, Core m7, 512GB edition. These prices exclude the accessories though.

Huawei is better known for networking equipment and smartphones than it is for Windows hybrids. If Huawei can sort out the keyboard though, the MateBook could open up a whole new market to the company where it could outrun complacent incumbent manufacturers just as it has in the smartphone market.

Windows PC manufacturers have been falling over themselves with new laptop-tablet hybrids coming out seemingly every other week. While Lenovo has been setting the pace for consumer hybrids with its Yoga series, practically defining the idea of hybrids in most people's minds with its 360-degree hinged screens, it's been far more sedate when it comes to its vaunted ThinkPad business line. There have been relatively few ThinkPad-branded hybrids.

That's all changed with the ThinkPad Yoga 260, the first in a new burst of business hybrids from the company for 2016. The Yoga 260 (which sounds misnamed given its 360 degree rotating screen hinge) isn't Lenovo's really ambitious and peculiar hybrid - that's the still unreleased ThinkPad X1 Tablet.

ThinkPad tablet

The 260 is a much more conventional laptop with a screen that can fold back flat to be used as a tablet. Alternatively you can orient the screen and stand it on end like a tent or position the screen so the upturned keyboard acts as its base.

We're still not convinced that anyone wants to use a tablet this thick and heavy - 1.3kg is light for a laptop, but hefty for a tablet. A thickness of almost 2cm makes for uncomfortable holding over long periods of time. Still, the other flexible screen orientations are useful, especially when combined with Windows 10 which switches more seamlessly between laptop and tablet use than Windows 8 ever did.

A silver variant will also be available

The touchscreen itself was smooth and responsive, just as we expected. It just doesn't rely on this for appeal though - it also comes with a small stylus which can be tucked away in a nook when not in use. It's no Surface Pen or Apple Pencil, but it's sensitive enough and has good enough palm rejection that it's perfectly usable for jotting down notes, signing contracts and basic drawing too.

Command and control

Of course, no ThinkPad would be complete without the legendary IBM-descended keyboard and touchstick. Although we still prefer the classic ThinkPad keyboards of the IBM era with their unmatched travel, the keys here are still very good. Large with lots travel and feedback, they make for one of most comfortable, natural-feeling and accurate typing experiences we've come across on a laptop. It's also better than the keyboards on Lenovo's consumer-class laptops.

You'll either love or hate the touchstick and its soft-feeling, deep-travel buttons. If you hate it, then there's no need to worry as there's a large touchpad with its own clicky buttons built into the bottom of the pad itself. While its tracking and its gestures don't feel as smooth or as accurate as the best MacBook touchpads, it's still noticeably better than much of the Windows competition.

Black is the new black

Although some might deride ThinkPads for their boxy black plastic casings, we think there's a lot to like here. Not only does it feel rigid and sturdy, especially the adjustable hinge, it looks timelessly elegant and minimalist too. The only dashes of colour, apart from the backlit keyboard, are the odd dashes of red such as the lit-up i' in the lid's ThinkPad logo.

As befits a laptop aimed at business, the Yoga 260 has a smartcard slot and a connector for docking stations and port replicators. On configurations with a built-in 4G modem, the micro SD tray also doubles as SIM card tray. You'll need a straightened paper clip, or something equally prong-y, to extract the tray from its crevice though. There's no Ethernet port though.

Unlike the Yoga 2 Pro, and subsequent Lenovo consumer laptops that have adopted its design, the underside of the Yoga 260 never became uncomfortably hot. This is due to the cooling fan which does, however, become noticeably loud with an irritating whirring that was audible over the hum of the IT Pro Labs' air conditioning. Its aggressive cooling may help keep the laptop cool, which is appreciated, but its its tendency to come on during light work such as web browsing was annoying.

Performance and battery life

The fan is necessary to keep the Intel Core i7 6500 dual core processor running cool. Paired with 8GB of memory and a 512GB SSD, it's fast enough that this laptop could easily be your main workhorse computer. Plus, with some effort, you can upgrade the RAM to a maximum of 16GB although you have to junk the 8GB stick already present. Although cheaper versions of the Yoga 260 are available, the slower processors, less memory and smaller SSDs means the trade-off isn't worth it.

Battery life wasn't as lengthy as other similarly priced ultra portable laptops, but it's still long enough to get you through most working days. It lasted 5h41m under moderate use and just under ten hours in light use.

Display

Although some will be disappointed that the Yoga 260 doesn't have a high pixel density 4K screen, we're not among them. The 1920x1080 resolution is more than high enough for crisp text and detailed images in laptop mode. If anything it's a little too high for a 12.5in screen when used in laptop mode - if you have failing eyesight then you'll need to fiddle with Windows' display scaling options to get text at an optimal size.

The 1080p resolution does admittedly fall down somewhat in tablet mode where, when held close to your face, it looks somewhat coarse. We don't think this is a huge concern though as we think most people will use this computer primarily as a laptop.

The screen's glossy finish doesn't suffer too much from glare caused by overhead reflections, no doubt helped by its very high brightness levels. Contrast is good too, but colour accuracy falls far behind other ultra portable laptops at this price. It's good enough if you're not concerned about colour accurate photo work and other graphic design and art tasks though.

Conclusions

The Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 260 is a somewhat flawed hybrid with its tablet mode compromised, as expected, by undesirable weight and thickness while the screen resolution isn't quite right for either tablet or laptop use. It's not all bad though - the comfortable keyboard, excellent build quality and useful business features such as a smartcard slot are all worthwhile. It's a touch pricey compared to some other ultra portable laptops and it's surprisingly lacking in biometric security options, but it gets enough right to make it a desirable business laptop for the road and office alike.

Verdict

Unsurprisingly, the ThinkPad Yoga 260 is a very good laptop but, at best, an imperfect tablet

HP gets attention for all the wrong reasons, from its recent split into two separate companies - HP Inc and Hewlett Packard Enterprise - to its embarrassing former CEO currently seeking political office. HP Inc should instead get attention for its high quality products, such as the EliteBook Folio 1020.

Casing

The latest in a long line of business-oriented ultra portable laptops, the Folio 1020 has features that make life easier for IT departments in an attractive casing that will appeal to vain C-level executives and rank-and-file workers agitating for a BYOD policy.

The Folio 1020 bears more than a passing resemblance to Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops with its sturdy yet slender tapered metal casing and the black glass around its display surround. It weighs in at 1.3kg which is easy to carry around all day.

Security

While HP's use of a Core M processor will invite comparisons to Apple's 12in Retina MacBook, the Folio 1020 is very different from Apple's flagship ultraportable - not least because of its various security features.

IT departments will like the BIOSphere and SureStart features which, HP claims, can restore the BIOS to its default state in the event of a malware attack directed at it. A more prosaic everyday feature is the fingerprint reader nestled beneath the keyboard. It's nowhere near as fast as the fingerprint readers built into recent iOS and Android devices, but it was still accurate, easy to set up and didn't suffer from too many false negatives.

Keyboard, Touchpad and Ports

The Folio 1020 also differs from the Retina MacBook when it comes to its keyboard. The large keys have far more travel than those on the MacBook. This, combined with its crisp feedback, make typing not only accurate but also fast and comfortable without the period of adjustment needed for the MacBook's keyboard.

While the Folio 1020 isn't as slender as its Cupertino designed rival, HP has put the extra space to good use by squeezing in plenty of ports. There's a pair of USB3 ports, a HDMI connector, a port replicator socket, a Kensington security slot and a micro SD slot. Although photographers would prefer a full-sized SD slot, a micro SD slot is a reasonable compromise given the relatively limited amount of space available. Plus it's more convenient for quickly transferring data to and from micro SD-capable smartphones and tablets without having to rely on the cloud.

HP has aped Apple in equipping the Folio 1020 with a pressure-sensitive touchpad, but we remain unconvinced of the utility of this technology in a laptop. You can press harder on the bottom right of touchpad to right click or press down hard on an icon to then drag and drop it without having to continuously hold your finger down. The lack of tactile feedback and imperfect responsiveness make these pressure-dependent gestures tricky to achieve though.

Battery Life, Performance and Screen

Far more impressive and useful is the Folio 1020's battery life. It lasted just over ten hours in our light use test. Although we've seen other laptops, based on Core M or otherwise, last even longer, this is still a respectable score. It should last through all but the most hectic of working days and is long enough to get you through most transatlantic flights with ease.

The 1.1GHz Intel Core M-5Y51 processor, which can Turbo Boost to 1.3GHz, paired with 8GB of memory isn't cut out for video editing, but it's otherwise perfectly capable of handling other office tasks. When it lacks in raw speed, it makes up for in lack of noise - its fanless design makes this laptop very, very quiet.

HP has shimmied 2560x1440 pixels into the 12.5in screen. By default, text looks unreadably small but you can adjust Windows 10's display scaling options to compensate for this. Unfortunately, scaling problems remain in many Windows programs when used on such a high pixel density display such as this one from fuzzy graphics to wildly different text sizes in different programs.

While the screen itself is high quality with good colour accuracy and contrast, the distractingly reflective glossy finish can make this hard to appreciate. The resulting glare, especially when used under office fluorescent strip lighting, can be very distracting.

Conclusions

Despite problems with its screen, the HP EliteBook Folio 1020 is still a very good ultraportable laptop. HP's list price of nearly 1500 ex VAT is hard to stomach, but thankfully it can be had at a much more reasonable 956 ex VAT if you shop around. Its excellent build quality, good battery life, comfortable keyboard, wide selection of ports, quiet operation and useful security features make it a top-notch lightweight business laptop. If you don't need its security features, then it's worth considering alternatives with even longer battery life such as Apple's various MacBooks and the latest Dell XPS 13.

Verdict

A slender and sturdy lightweight laptop, but a few niggles stop it from getting our unconditional recommendation

HP Inc has unveiled the Elite X2 1012, a Skylake-powered hybrid aimed at businesses that bears more than a passing resemblance to Microsoft's Surface Pro flagship.

The silver-coloured chiselled metal of the X2 1012 felt very rigid and sturdy in the hand, even in its pre-production state. Like the Surface Pro, the tablet will come with a Wacom-powered stylus while a magnetic keyboard and screen cover will be sold separately. By itself, the tablet will weigh 840g and the combined weight is unlikely to be much more than this.

As HP has chosen to go with the yet-to-be released Skylake-based Core m3, m5 and m7 processors, the X2 1012 will be fanless. The battery, rated for ten hours of use, will be recharged via USB Type-C. This port will also be used for peripherals as well as video-out using adapters.

Although the easel-like multi-angle stand looks fragile, it felt sturdy enough during our brief encounter. HP claims that the stand has been designed so, in the event it should ever be irretrievably damaged in an accident, it will detach cleanly and easily so you can fit a replacement yourself. The SSD and memory in this hybrid will also be easily accessible.

The optional 109 keyboard-screen cover is where the X2 1012 most closely resembles the Microsoft Surface Pro range. From the fabric cover to the magnetic connector, it's a dead ringer for Redmond's accessory. It can even be attached at a slight angle, raising the keyboard upwards which some will find more comfortable to use.

Where it differs is that the keys are essentially indistinguishable from those of a good laptop - large with plenty of feedback and just the right amount of travel and resistance. Plus the keys are backlit too. A more expensive 159 keyboard cover is identical with the addition of a SmartCard slot. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be anywhere to stow or attach the stylus on either keyboard cover.

From first impressions the keyboard cover appears to be rigid enough for use on a lap with lap use further helped along by the multi-angle stand. We'll have to wait until we get our hands on a final review unit before coming to a firm conclusion, but early signs are positive.

Oddly, the fingerprint reader on the back of the tablet doesn't appear to be Windows Hello compatible but it can be used as part of a two-factor authentication scheme. Other business features include HP's SureStart automatically restorable BIOS, optional built-in 4G, vPro and compatibility with WiGig wireless docking stations and port replicators.

The HP X2 1012 is due out in January starting at 749 including a stylus but excluding the keyboard cover.

HP is splitting into two separate companies with HP Inc taking over business PCs and laptops as well as consumer ones. HP Inc isn't resting on its laurels and has released the ZBook 14, its latest mobile workstation. It's a smaller version of the ZBook 15 G2 was saw in May, and it's got many of the same business-friendly features that made that laptop so useful.

Casing

The 14in version of the ZBook looks like its bigger brother, with mundane plastic and understated colours but is unsurprisingly lighter and thinner. It weighs 1.7kg and is 21mm thick. That's a big difference from the 15in model, which was more than a kilo heavier and almost twice as thick.

HP has kept many of the office-friendly features from the larger model. The keyboard has a touchstick with its own buttons and there's a SmartCard reader and fingerprint sensor too.

Oddly, only the SDXC card slot and Gigabit Ethernet ports are protected behind flaps. The four USB 3 as well as the VGA and DisplayPort outputs are left exposed.

The ZBook is easy to upgrade, which is rare for an ultra portable laptop. Just one screw needs to be removed before the base panel tugs away, and the two memory slots, battery, hard disk and Wi-Fi card are all accessible. There are even spare 60mm M.2 and mSATA sockets.

On the inside, there's dual-band 802.11ac wireless and Bluetooth 4.0, but no mobile broadband on our model you'll have to pay extra.

Build quality is impressively sturdy, so we don't have any qualms about tossing the Zbook 14 into a bag, but it's still outpaced by some of its competitors. The aluminium shell of Apple's 13in Retina MacBook Pro feels even sturdier and looks classier too, while the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has been tested to military standards. Both rivals are thinner and lighter than the ZBook, too.

Specification and Performance

The most intriguing component inside this laptop is AMD's FirePro M4150 graphics chip. Although based on the consumer-focused HD 8750M, it's also got ISV certification which ensures it'll work with professional graphics applications such as Adobe After Effects and SolidWorks 2015.

The AMD graphics chip scored a modest 42,182 in 3D Mark's Ice Storm test, which isn't impressive compared to the Intel HD 5500 graphics chip integrated into Broadwell processors which outpaced it with a result of 48,874. The FirePro fared much better in the tougher Fire Strike test though: its result of 1,309 is around twice as fast as the HD5500. It's clear evidence that the AMD chip is better when handling tougher graphical tasks.

The Core i7-5600U processor is one of Intel's recent chips and uses the Broadwell architecture, which means it's a 14nm part with equal concentration on power saving and performance. It's got two Hyper-Threaded cores clocked to 2.6GHz with a Turbo peak of 3.2GHz. It's accompanied by 16GB of memory, which is ample for most applications.

The energy efficient Core i7 processor sped ahead in our benchmarks. Its overall score of 71 is quick for a laptop processor and it's bolstered by a particularly good image editing benchmark score of 103 a result that provides further evidence of the AMD GPU's graphical prowess.

Third-party benchmarks further illustrate the ZBook 14's impressive performance. Its Geekbench 3 result of 6,822 is among the fastest we've seen in a laptop. There's clearly enough power here to get work done: only really high-end, intensive applications will cause this laptop to struggle.

Although we'd have preferred a 1GB SSD, the 512GB SATA SSD present is still spacious and it managed read and write speeds of 398MB/s and 364MB/s. That's pretty good for a solid-state drive, and it's miles faster than a traditional hard disk both wake from sleep and boot times were fast.

Thermal performance was inconsistent. The processor heated up to a maximum of 92C during stress-testing and, while the GPU was cooler, some of that heat wasn't dispersed well the bottom became noticeably warm, and the fan noise will be audible in a quiet office.

The HP ZBook 14's battery life was reasonably lengthy. In our light usage test the ZBook lasted for seven hours and four minutes about on par with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, but well behind the MacBook Pro. You'll have to be careful with battery management if you want a full day of use from the ZBook and, as ever, Apple's hardware remains best for long-lasting laptop batteries.

Screen

The ZBook 14 has a 1080p touchscreen. The matte finish is a boon in offices with overhead lighting that would otherwise easily reflect off a glossy screen and cause distracting glare.

The ZBook's 157ppi density means text doesn't look as sharp as it does on the MacBook Pro Retina 13, for example, but it's hardly deficient. The 1080p resolution means, depending on your eyesight, you probably won't need to use Windows' iffy-but-getting-better scaling options to make icons and text more legible and there's still ample space for multi-tasking.

Brightness and contrast are a mixed bag though. The brightness level of 245cd/m2 is a little low and contrast sits at a mediocre 700:1. The former figure means the ZBook may struggle if it's used outdoors, and the latter means dark and light shades can be tricky to distinguish.

The average Delta E of 2.15 and the 88.6% sRGB coverage level means colour accuracy is decent, although the colour temperature of 7,388K means images look a little cold.

The HP's panel isn't bad by any means, but photography professionals will find the colour accuracy and temperature wanting. But when it comes to resolution and overall quality, it's outpaced by rival laptop screens.

Ergonomics

Although the keys on the ZBook's keyboard only have a reasonable amount of travel, they are generally large and still have a consistent and pleasing level of feedback with a satisfying snap.

The layout has a couple of niggling problems though. We don't like the single-height return key and the function keys are small.

The trackpad has a smooth, responsive surface, and both its buttons and those for the touchstick are fine but, again, there are niggling issues. They're all a little wobbly, which doesn't inspire confidence for long-term use.

Alternative Specifications

It's possible to add even more hardware to the ZBook or cut back to save some cash as several alternate configurations are available.

The base model costs 1,305 and has the same processor and GPU but makes do with a 1TB hard disk, 8GB of memory and doesn't have a touch screen. Adding the touch panel costs 125, but dropping down to a 1600x900 non-touch screen saves 54.

Dropping down to 8GB or even 4GB of memory can save a few pounds, and the storage options are versatile; a PCI-based 256GB SSD costs a mighty 254, but dropping to a 240GB SATA SSD saves 172 and opting for normal hard disks saves even more, with a 500GB drive slicing 350 off the total price.

The ZBook comes with a three-year warranty as standard, which is generous, and it can be upgraded with further levels of protection.

Conclusions

The HP ZBook 14 excels with a powerful graphics chip and it's more versatile than many other ultra-portable laptops with a wide selection of ports and easy interior access.

The high price of the ZBook will make it untenable for some businesses, especially when rival machines have comparable performance and for far less. Even so, it's still a good laptop that's worth considering, especially if you need its discrete GPU, easy upgradeability and its business-specific features.

Verdict

Fast, light and easily upgradeable too, but expensive and with merely okay battery life

Display: 14in 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen

OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit

Processor: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-5600U (3.2GHz Turbo Boost)

GPU: AMD FirePro M4150

Memory: 16GB DDR3

Storage: 512GB SanDisk SSD

Connectivity: Bluetooth 4 LE, WLAN Intel AC-7265 (2x2 802.11 b/g/n/ac)

Ports: 4 x USB 3, DisplayPort, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x combined audio, Smart Card

Other: Fingerprint scanner, Trackpoint, Kensington lock socket

Dimensions: 21x237x339 mm (HxWxD)

Weight: 1.7kg

In a surprise move, the soon-to-be spun-off HP Inc has launched a new ultra portable laptop powered by an AMD processor instead of an Intel chip.

The HP EliteBook 705 G3 comes with a 3.4GHz quad core AMD Pro A12 processor. According to Alex Cho, HP's Vice President and General Manager for Commercial PCs, the decision was made to use the A12 as Intel's new mobile Skylake chips 'aren't available yet'. The presence of AMD representatives at HP Inc's Mexico City launch event and the proliferation of Radeon graphics chips amongst all the computers on show suggests a deeper relationship, but Cho nonetheless hinted that Skylake-based EliteBook business laptops are in the works.

Although the EliteBook 705 G3 will come in 14in and 15.6in variants, HP Inc was clearly pushing the 12.5in version which weighs just 1.3kg and has a matte silver lid made out of magnesium. The rest of the laptop is made out of both aluminium and magnesium. The base of the pre-production unit we saw was impressively rigid, but the lid was far more flexy.

Built-in 4G will be available on some variants and HP claims mobile broadband reception hasn't been compromised. The material covering the antennae is apparently a polymer composite that blends in seamlessly with the rest of the magnesium chassis. Bang and Olufsen-branded speakers are apparently tuned just as much for clear audio during online conference calls as for music quality.

It's a micro SIM card slot, not the older full-sized variety

The large keyboard felt very comfortable to type on in our briefs hands-on. If you're a stick-in-the-mud who can't get on with touchpads, the 705 G3 has a touchstick too. The matte screen is stuck at 1366x768 pixels though.

While thin and light, the 705 G3 isn't short of ports with full-size DisplayPort, a pair of USB3 connectors, a smartcard slot, a VGA socket, Ethernet, a Kensington security slot and, most notably of all, a USB-C port. This isn't used for charging the battery though, but for connecting the growing number of USB-C equipped mobile devices without the use of adapters.

Tellingly, no mention was made of battery life. Short battery life, along with excess heat, has been the reason most laptop manufacturers have favoured Intel over AMD processors especially in thin and light ultraportables such as this one. How the A12-equipped 705 G3 fares in these crucial areas remains to be seen.

The 705 G3 should arrive in October. UK pricing hasn't been set yet, but Euro pricing will start from 599.

Toshiba was one of the first laptop manufacturers to come out with a 4K laptop last year, but that was a chunky desktop replacement. It hasn't been possible until now for Toshiba to create a 4K ultraportable as the Japanese giant had to wait for Intel's sixth generation Core processors, code-named Skylake, which have integrated graphics powerful enough to drive a 4K screen without consuming huge amounts of power.

The Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 isn't just a Windows 10 4K laptop, it's a hybrid too so it can transform into a tablet. Simply flip the screen all the way back so that it lies flat against the underside of the keyboard base. While 1.3kg is light for a laptop, it's heavy for a tablet so you're more likely to use it in a half-way orientation for watching videos and flipping through photos or perhaps only occasionally as a full-on tablet.

The 12.5in screen has a 3840x2160 pixel Ultra HD screen (a 1080p variant will apparently also be available). In our brief hands-on it looked very bright and sharp. The Radius 12 runs Windows 10 so text and image scaling should be far better than it was on similarly high resolution laptops with Windows 8.1, but you'll still need software updated for such high resolutions to avoid unreadably small or coarse looking text.

The Radius 12 looks like a smaller version of the existing Radius 15. It's thin with a metal-effect chassis. Notably, it has a USB 3.1 Type-C port although this isn't used for charging (a standard chunky power port is used for that). It is instead used only for connecting USB Type-C peripherals which are currently thin on the ground. There's also a pair of USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and a SD card reader.

Based on a brief hands-on, we have our concerns about the touchpad but the keyboard feels large, comfortable and responsive. This isn't always the case with Toshiba laptops, but it appears the company has stuck with one of its better keyboards for this laptop - and so it should for a computer at this price.

The Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 looks like a promising 4K ultra portable laptop, costing around 999 for a model with a Core i7-6500U processor, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. Whether Intel's new sixth generation integrated graphics really can give you 4K and long battery life, the best of both worlds, remains to be seen. The Radius 12 should arrive in the UK later this year and we'll bring you a full review as soon as we can.

Toshiba also announced a successor to the Satellite Click Mini the Satellite Click Mini 10. This new budget hybrid is very similar to its predecessor except it now has one of Intel's latest Atom processors the x5-Z8300 along with 2GB of memory and a 32GB SSD.

While we hope the Click Mini 10's Atom x5-Z8300 will improve upon the dire performance and responsiveness of its predecessor used in the original Click Mini, the limited 2GB of memory is a serious concern (this is apparently a bizarre limitation imposed by Microsoft, tying certain Atom configurations to particular Windows OEM licence prices).

The 1.1kg 1080p Click Mini 10 should arrive in the UK later this year for around 499.

Back in 2009 one of the first Windows 8 hybrids was the Acer R7-571 which had an unusual and very distinctive easel-like hinge with the screen mounted inside a frame in such a way that it could swivelled 360 degrees. Apart from showing up in a few competing Dell hybrids, that unusual easel-like hinge had disappeared. Until now.

The easel hinge makes a return in the Acer Aspire R13 under the brand name of Ezel Aero Hinge. As with older hybrids with such a hinge, it's certainly eye-catching although we're not sure it's any more convenient than a hybrid with a more conventional convertible or detachable mechanism as we can't see many practical advantages to this unusual mechanism.

This Windows 10 convertible hybrid weighs 1.6 kg despite having a glossy back glass finish to the lid. The rest of the casing is made from a mixture of plastic and metal, but the pre-production R13s we saw at Acer's IFA stand were nonetheless reasonably sturdy.

The Aspire R13 will come with Intels' new Skylake processors, the option of two internal SSDs in a RAID 0 configuration as well as the new Thunderbolt 3 port which has a USB Type-C connector instead of the older Mini DisplayPort connector used by previous versions of Thunderbolt.

The large keyboard felt well-made and comfortable to type on, while the touchpad is apparently an improvement over previous touchpads on Acer laptops as it's a Precision Touchpad'. This is a joint effort by Microsoft and laptop manufacturers to improve the quality of Windows laptop touchpads which had been, at best, merely middling in the recent past.

All of these features come at a relatively high price - 899. The Acer Aspire R13 will go on sale in Britain from the middle of October.

Numerous laptop and tablet manufacturers have been trying to make the perfect hybrid of both for years, with countless detachable and convertible portable computers flooding the market since the arrival of Windows 8. None have gotten the balance quite right, struggling with the competing and often contradictory design choices needed to make both a good laptop and a good tablet.

Toshiba gets tantalisingly close with the Portege Z20T, a Windows 8.1 hybrid aimed at businesses, but it's let down by a few niggling flaws.

The Z20T is available in a variety of configurations - versions with faster processors and more RAM and SSD space unsurprisingly cost more. All of the configurations use Intel Core M processors - the Z20T-B-107 reviewed here has a 1.1GHz Core M 5Y51, 4GB of memory and a 128GB SSD.

Toshiba Portege Z20T-B-107: tablet

As a tablet, the Z20T weighs 730g which is about average for a tablet with a 12.5in screen. It's around a third thicker than the slender 10in iPad Air 2 at 9mm. It looks and feels chunky, but Toshiba has used this extra space to squeeze in some useful connections - a micro SD slot, a micro HDMI port and a micro USB2 connector. You can connect all your peripherals with full-sized USB plugs using cheap and widely available USB-On-The-Go adapters.

Oddly, the proprietary power socket is on the keyboard dock and not on the tablet, so you'll need to drag the keyboard dock along to charge the battery - even if you only want to use it as a tablet while out and about.

Although the 730g weight is hefty compared to much lighter 10in tablets, it's not too much of a strain unless you want to hold and use it single-handed for long periods of time. An even more noticeable problem is the 12.5in screen's resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. This pixel density of 176ppi is relatively low compared to both iPads and many Android tablets and the resulting coarseness in text is noticeable when reading.

This pixel density is still relatively high compared to most Windows tablets and laptops though. Windows 8.1 still struggles with it on occasion, especially when running older software, resulting in incredibly small text that's hard to read. This is far less common a problem with newer programs and almost non-existent with apps downloaded from Microsoft's app store.

A stylus is included for note taking and drawing. Toshiba claims it's pressure sensitive, although we found this to be crude at best. We were also disappointed to find that there's no built-in way of attaching the stylus to the tablet to ensure you don't lose it. It's still handy to have though, especially with neat touches such as the ability to assign a different brush stroke or other function to the eraser end of the stylus.

Core M processors are not only fast enough to run any of the tablets apps currently available in Microsoft's app store, they're also power-efficient enough that they don't need cooling fans or vents, unlike Intel's other Core chips. They instead rely on passive cooling which can lead to the Z20T's metal back becoming uncomfortably warm to the touch. Although this can be mitigated by fiddling with Windows' power settings, this is hardly in the spirit of the hassle-free post-PC ethos that tablets are supposed to represent.

At least the power efficiency of the 1.1GHz Core M 5Y51 pays dividends when it comes to battery life. The big battery lasted 12 hours and 5 minutes in our light usage test and eight and a half hours when playing H.264 video.

We also had no complaints about the thick bezels surrounding the 12.5in screen. Although these will look antiquated to some, this is a superficial complaint as they also make it far easier to hold and use the tablet without inadvertently touching an onscreen control. This is a common mishap on most tablets with far narrower bezels. It's a shame the tablet's casing isn't more sturdy - despite the metal backing most of it is actually plastic with so-so rigidity, but it's not too flimsy.

Toshiba Portege Z20T-B-107: laptop

Connect the tablet portion of the Z20T to its included keyboard dock and it becomes a reasonably stylish-looking laptop. You can flip the tablet around and connect it backwards so that the keyboard dock becomes nothing more than a glorified tablet stand. It's not really designed to be used that way though, if only because the latch for releasing the docking mechanism is located on the hinge facing towards the keyboard and the keyboard itself is still active so you will have to take care to avoid inadvertently tapping the keys.

We did have some initial problems getting the docked tablet to recognise the keyboard dock - keyboard and touchpad input would frequently stop working inexplicably. This was very frustrating, but was almost completely resolved by installing a BIOS update via Toshiba's own software update utility. Although eventually fixed, we'd expect a higher degree of polish at this price.

Although the hinge only tilts back approximately 120 degrees, we didn't have any trouble getting a comfortable viewing angle, when used either on a desk or on our laps, apart from in the most cramped of conditions. This was due, in large part, to the relatively tall height of the 12.5in screen.

Although contrast and colour accuracy aren't quite as good as the very best laptop and tablet screens, it's good enough for all but colour-critical tasks. Plus, it's very bright and has a matte finish too which reduces glare caused by overhead lights reflecting off the screen. This occurs particularly frequently in offices with fluorescent lighting strips, so the matte finish is a very welcome feature. It's a shame matte finishes aren't more common, in hybrids as well as standalone laptops and tablets.

Squeezing 1920x1080 pixels into a 12.5in screen sometimes makes text a little too small to read comfortably though, especially as Windows continues to struggle with text scaling on such relatively high DPI screens.

We're used to seeing shonky, poorly designed keyboards accompanying tablets, but that's not the case here. The large keys have plenty of travel and feedback so typing was fast and comfortable. The hinge props the keyboard up at a slight angle, which makes typing more comfortable for some. The keyboard here is far superior to its counterparts on many of Toshiba's other laptops and hybrids.

Sadly, the touchpad wasn't as good. The touchpad's jerky motion meant it wasn't very smooth or accurate, while the buttons built into the bottom of the pad often require a firm, precise press. Gestures were often quite juddery too, especially swiping two fingers to scroll up and down. This is hardly surprising though; iffy touchpads are distressingly common on Windows laptops.

There is an alternative, aside from using the touchscreen, in the form of the touchstick. It'll be familiar to long-time Portege and ThinkPad users, but it won't suit everyone - like Marmite, you'll either love it or hate it. Even if you love touchsticks, its spongy buttons need improvement.

The keyboard dock adds more than just a selection of input devices. Its second battery almost doubled the Z20T's battery life in our light usage test, adding another 11 hours and 35 minutes and added almost nine extra hours of H.264 playback. Cleverly, Windows uses power from the keyboard's battery first so you can still use the Z20T as a tablet once the keyboard battery is depleted.

The big battery also adds some welcome heft to the keyboard dock so that the docked computer doesn't feel too top-heavy, a problem which afflicts many other detachable hybrids. The keyboard dock also adds a pair of USB3 ports, a full-size HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet and even a VGA socket. The latter might seem antiquated, but is useful for connecting to the legion of old projectors that you're likely to encounter in conference centres and meeting rooms, while Gigabit Ethernet is a useful and faster fallback alternative to the built-in 802.11ac.

Toshiba Portege Z20T-B-107: business features

Although the Z20T is aimed at businesses, it oddly doesn't support vPro so you don't get the benefit of the Intel AMT-based way of managing your deployed Z20Ts even if they're turned off. Windows 8.1 Pro is pre-installed and, unsurprisingly for a touchscreen hybrid, there aren't any Windows 7 downgrade options.

Toshiba offers its own cloud-based MDM service, Toshiba Cloud Client Manager, for the asset and patch management of all your Windows-based devices. It requires a one year minimum contract and pricing is bespoke depending on your needs. If you already use a MDM product, then Toshiba Cloud Client Manager is unlikely to tempt you. If you don't already use MDM, then Toshiba's three month free trial is worth trying.

For physical security, there's a standard Kensington security slot on the keyboard dock. If you flip the separate lock switch to prevent the tablet from being disconnected, then attaching a Kensington security lock will not only secure the keyboard dock but also prevent would-be thieves from simply flipping the lock switch and removing the tablet portion.

Toshiba Portege Z20T-B-107: conclusions

The Toshiba Portege Z20T-B-107 comes close to getting right as a hybrid that's both a good tablet and a good laptop. But as tablet it's let down by its relatively heavy weight, heat issues and its inevitable reliance on Windows which has both benefits and disadvantages, such as extensive peripheral compatibility but a continuing paucity of touchscreen apps. Meanwhile, as a laptop, it's let down by its poor touchpad.

We might have been able to stomach these niggles if it wasn't for its steep price of 1000 ex VAT. At such a high price, we'd expect a great deal more finesse.

Verdict

Close, but no cigar.

CPU: 1.1GHz Intel Core M 5Y51

RAM: 4GB

Display: 1920x1200 12.5in IPS panel

Storage: 128GB

Dimensions: 9x309x200mm (HxWxD, 21x309x215mm with dock)

Weight: 730g (1.5kg with dock)

Part Number: PT15AE-00D006EN

Ultrabooks are thin, lightweight machines aiming to offer high-end performance, but they come at a premium.

We take a look at the 5 best Ultrabooks you can buy in 2015.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in

Apple's latest MacBook slims down and ditches more than a few ports, relying on a sole USB-C port for everything barring a headphone jack.

With ports out of the way the ultra-portable has become a lot lighter and thinner. While the 12-ince screen may not be big enough for some, the resolution is a stunning 2304x1440. The extra pixels render text very sharply.

Its sturdiness, battery life, screen quality and touchpad are rivalled only by Apple's other laptops.

Price: 874 ex VAT

Dell XPS 13

Thelatest XPS 13 has managed to beat Apple in a few areas to make this one of the most impressive high-end laptops we've seen in months.

It's powerful, too, meaning you'll never be short on processing performance when you need it.

If you're looking for a fast, light and powerful laptop for business and pleasure, there are very few laptops more suitable than the Dell XPS 13.

Price: From 1099

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2014)

ThinkPads have long been a favourite among business users because they have the best keyboards and pointing sticks of any laptop.

The 2014 X1 Carbon retains all the features you'd expect from a top business machine, including excellent build quality, an anti-reflective screen and plenty of security options.

Lenovo has made adjustments to the keyboard. The Home, End and Delete buttons have been moved from the main keyboard space to make way for a context-sensitive OLED strip. The Caps Lock button has been usurped by the Home/End combo, and the delete button now shares its spot with backspace. Users making the step-up from older ThinkPads will need time to adjust.

Price: From 1,133 inc VAT (1,906 top spec)

Dell Latitude E7440

The Latitude may not be the thinnest or lightest Ultrabook, but it offers excellent all-round performance.

Highlights include the bright, high-contrast screen, power processor and superb build quality.

The battery life is decent for a Windows machine with a Core i7 processor. We measured 6 hours and 43 minutes of video playback with the screen set to 75 per cent.

Price: From 865 inc VAT (1,350 top spec)

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro

The oldest device here, but the Yoga 2 Pro is a rare breed in that it's just as good if not better than its successor.

The Pro 2 packs a superb 13.1in display (3,200 x 1,800) and has a flexible design allowing it to twist into different positions.

Battery life is decent, with the device clocking over 7 hours in our video tests. The only issue is the limited number of connections, which is a common problem across Ultrabooks.

Price: From 600 inc VAT (1,300 top-spec)

Microsoft Surface 3

Technically a tablet hybrid, but for most people, the keyboard will almost certainly be used constantly wiht this device.

This makes the Surface 3 a lightweight ultraportable machine that's good enough for day-to-day usage. Differing from the Surface and Surface 2, Surface 3 has ditched ARM in favour of Intel so it can run any Windows application.

With a starting price of 419, this can be looked upon as a budget ultraportable that gives good value for money. Although you you will need to buy the option-yet-essential keyboard base to get the maximum out of the machine.

Price: From 419.00

Google Chromebook Pixel

While not technically an Ultrabook, the Google Chromebook Pixel offers similar performance in terms of slimness and battery life.

This power-sipping processor helped the Pixel achieve a lengthy battery life of 11 hours and 26 minutes when connected to an 802.11n WiFi network.

The Core i5 5200U processor and 8GB of memory are more than quick enough for running webapps - the Core i7 5500U and 16GB of RAM in the more expensive version is just overkill.

Price: 666

There are plenty of Chromebooks available, but almost all of them are cheap and cheerful modern day equivalents of netbooks. The exception to this trend is the Chromebook Pixel, Google's flagship cloud-dependent laptop.

The Pixel could easily be mistaken for a MacBook Pro with its incredibly stylish and sturdy metal case as well as its high resolution, high pixel density screen. The original Pixel was flawed though, costing more than 1,000 yet hindered by a four and a half hour battery life. All of that has now changed.

Chromebook Pixel 2015: battery life and performance

The biggest difference between the 2015 Pixel and its predecessor is battery life. Whereas the original Pixel had an Ivy Bridge processor, this year's model has a far more power efficient Broadwell processor. The 666 model reviewed here has a dual core Intel Core i5 5200U, while the 832 variant has a Core i7 5500U instead.

This power-sipping processor helped the Pixel achieve a lengthy battery life of 11 hours and 26 minutes when connected to an 802.11n WiFi network and running undemanding webapps such as WordPress and Google Apps with the occasional foray into YouTube and Pixlr. A stylish extra is the battery indicator light built into the laptop's lid - double tap it and it lights up in stages and in either green, yellow or red to give you a rough idea of how much battery life you have left.

It's worth remembering that this time isn't directly comparable to the battery life results for the Windows and Mac OS X laptops we've reviewed, but the Chromebook Pixel should easily be able to last a full working day without needing a recharge. The Pixel won't be a pain to lug around all day either - it weighs just 1.5kg rising to 1.7kg with its charger.

The Core i5 5200U processor and 8GB of memory are more than quick enough for running webapps - the Core i7 5500U and 16GB of RAM in the more expensive version is just overkill. Other than Polarr, a RAW image processing app, we struggle to think of any webapps that need such processing grunt, but this does at least mean the Pixel is future-proof. Plus, its speedy performance could be useful if you're developing an especially demanding app in-house.

Chromebook Pixel 2015: storage and ports

The more expensive Core i7 variant does also have the benefit of a 64GB SSD instead of the 32GB you get with the standard Core i5 model. Included is 1TB of Google Drive storage free for three years (worth $360 at Google's current consumer pricing). Although aimed at consumers rather than enterprise users, and therefore isn't supported by Google's enterprise tech support, anyone can redeem this offer. This includes Google Apps for Work users, as long as your administrator hasn't inexplicably disabled Google Drive support.

You can use SD cards and USB drives for more local storage. The 2015 Pixel is only the second laptop (after the Apple 12in Retina MacBook) to support USB 3.1 Gen 1 with Type-C connectors. Like Apple's crazy-thin laptop, the Pixel uses USB-C for charging. Unlike Apple's lightest ultraportable, the Pixel has two USB-C ports, one on each side, as well as a pair of standard USB 3.0 ports and a SD card slot. This flexibility is welcome, especially as the only way to output video to a projector, TV or second monitor is to use a USB-C to HDMI or DisplayPort adapter.

On the Pixel's left-hand side is a USB-C port alongside a pair of more traditional USB 3.0 ports.

802.11ac is of course built-in. As with other Chromebooks there's no built-in Ethernet port as a fall-back option, although Ethernet is increasingly rare on all ultra portable laptops no matter the operating system. There's no option for built-in 4G which is a far more unusual omission for a cloud-dependent laptop. Another odd omission is the lack of a Kensington security slot.

Chromebook Pixel 2015: screen

It's likely that any secondary display you connect won't be as glorious as the Pixel's 12.85in screen. It's dazzlingly bright with good colour accuracy and contrast. Viewing angles are wide, although the glossy finish means glare caused by overhead lighting reflecting off the screen (such as the fluorescent lumieres used in many offices) can be annoyingly distracting.

Text looks very sharp, almost print-like, thanks to the high resolution of 2560x1700 pixels. The 3:2 aspect ratio is odd if you're used to widescreen monitors, but the additional horizontal working space is useful for reading and working on documents. Plus, it more closely matches the default aspect ratio of most cameras too.

Oddly, the screen is also touch-sensitive. We don't see the point of a touchscreen on a non-detachable, non-convertible, non-hybrid laptop though. Using an upright touchscreen for any substantial amount of time is a recipe for arm ache, especially as Chrome OS is designed for use with a touchpad and keyboard.

Chromebook Pixel 2015: keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard on the original Pixel was a bit stiff, but that's not a problem with the keyboard here. The large keys have plenty of feedback and travel, so typing was fast, accurate and very comfortable. The keys are backlit, but the use of a motion sensor means the backlighting only comes on when your hands are resting on the keys or when you're actively typing. It's a small but thoughtful touch.

We're big fans of the touchpad too. It's large, smooth and very precise and responsive. It puts the touchpads on most Windows laptops to shame. Our only quibble is that Chrome OS still doesn't support pinch-to-zoom, either on the touchpad or touchscreen, although it does support other basic gestures such as swiping two fingers up or down on the touchpad to scroll.

Chromebook Pixel 2015: Chrome OS

If you're familiar with the Chrome browser, then you'll be instantly familiar with Chrome OS as the entire operating system is little more than the web browser itself and a few other basic local apps such as file browser, calculator and bare bones video player. There are plenty of webapps available and an increasing number of the ones available on Google's Web Store can work offline.

Google Now is accessible from the Chrome OS equivalent of the Windows Start menu.

Chrome OS can run a few select Android apps such as Evernote, but you can't just install them yourself - the developers have to specifically enable this and make them available through Google's Web Store. Another Android-related feature is the option to unlock the laptop whenever you're in Bluetooth range with your Android Wear smartwatch. It's a shame you can't use an Android Wear watch as the second factor in two-factor authenticated log-in though.

Chromebook Pixel 2015: conclusion

It's hard to shake the feeling that Google's Chromebook Pixel has been sexed up for C-level executives that don't want to be seen with a functionally equivalent, but far more pedestrian-looking plastic Chromebook such as the good value Asus C200 and Dell's latest model. Especially as most people won't need the extra power the Pixel has over other Chromebooks.

There's still plenty to like about the Pixel though, from its great display to its well-crafted keyboard and touchpad. Given that one of the few weaknesses suffered by most cheaper Chromebooks is dim, poor quality screens, we're disappointed that Google decided to refresh the Pixel instead of the now-discontinued HP Chromebook 11 which had a gloriously bright and high quality screen despite its low price. We can only hope that other laptop manufacturers are taking note of Google's superb work here - we'd happily pay for a mid-range Chromebook cheaper the Pixel but with some of its top-notch design choices such as its screen.

Regardless, this year's Google Chromebook Pixel is one of the best ultra portable laptop you can buy.

Verdict

A superb Chromebook, even if it the overpowered hardware does feel like overkill for running webapps

Processor: 2.2GHz Intel Core i5 5200U

Graphics processor: Intel HD 5500 integrated

Memory: 8GB

Storage: 32GB SSD

Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0

Ports: 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, SD, 3.5mm headset jack

Screen size: 12.85in

Screen resolution: 2560x1700 pixels

Operating system: Google Chrome OS

Dimensions: 15x298x225mm (HxWxD)

Weight (with charger): 1.5g (1.7kg)

Warranty: One year

Intel has given an insight into how it's used mobile, analytics, collaboration and cloud technology to drive productivity and record revenue.

In its annual IT Business Review, Intel CIO Kim Stevenson highlighted how upgrading internal systems and processes made a significant contribution to the firm's record revenue of $55.9 billion during 2014.

Despite cutting IT spending per employee from $13,600 in 2012 to $12,700 last year, Intel appears to have made significant improvements to its infrastructure and workflow. Below are the five key takeaways from the report.

1) Boosting revenue through analytics

The deployment of business intelligence and analytics tools added $351 million to Intel's revenue during 2014.

Intel used predictive analytics and real-time data analysis to help its sales teams identify opportunities for high-volume sales, and to increase cross-sell and up-sell.

Analytics were also used to make critical business decisions, such as when to adjust product pricing, use rebates and how much inventory it should produce.

2) Mobilising the workforce

Like many enterprises, Intel has realised that providing the latest technology is crucial when it comes to attracting/retaining high-calibre staff.

Intel has over 106,000 employees - with almost everyone using laptops via corporate deployment and BYOD schemes.

The firm supports all major smartphone platforms and a big chunk of the workforce is using an Ultrabook or a 2-in-1 (45,000 touch enabled devices have been deployed).

Although tablet use at Intel is relatively low (5,000) at present compared to the size of the workforce, workers have reported benefits in proof of concept trials.

Productivity of technicians using tablets was up 17 per cent and printing needs were reduced as they avoided printing 300 pages per tool repair.

3) Connecting employees with leadership via social media

Intel promotes the use of collaboration tools so employees can work together in real-time and increase efficiency. Internal results indicate that teams using such tools save 19 hours of time per month.

However, one of the more interesting ways Intel uses social media is to allow employees to interact with executive leadership. This helps bridge the gap between the 100,000-strong workforce, which is spread across 170 sites in 66 countries.

The chipmaker introduced a virtual "Take it to the Top" forum in June 2014. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and Intel President Rene James took part, together with 14,000 employees. In total 700 questions were submitted, with the most popular voted for by employees and put to the execs.

After positive feedback, Intel said it will expand this system to local teams - to help solve problems and generate ideas. It also plans to add web chat capabilities.

4) Saving money via private cloud

Intel deploys a private cloud, through which it deploys services - and claims this saves it $7.5 million per year. The firm is also experimenting with making the move to a hybrid cloud, which will help it optimise its internal processes.

"Hybrid cloud hosting also increases flexibility, allowing us to dynamically adjust capacity when needed to support business initiatives efficiently," Intel noted in the report.

5) Creating smart factories and office buildings

Intel is deploying IoT-enabled sensors and analysing data to improve its factories.

The chipmaker is estimating an increase of $30 million in output and yield when such systems are deployed across its assembly and test facilities. This will involve analysing pressure variation and monitoring the status of complex equipment to detect any potential failures.

Intel has also been working on creating a scalable "smart building" reference design.

So far the focus has been on saving employees the time it takes to find a conference room. On average it takes employees three minutes to locate a meeting room - resulting in a loss of 11,400 hours per year. The firm is aiming to help employees see available rooms in real-time.

By kitting out offices with motion, temperature, light and door sensors, Intel is also working on ways to increase efficiency by enabling automation.

HP has unveiled a super-slim business Ultrabook range as the firm aims to win over enterprise customers.

The EliteBook Folio 1020 Special Edition will offer up a 12.5in Quad HD (QHD) display wrapped in a 15.7mm chassis crafted from carbon-fibre and magnesium lithium alloy. HP is yet to confirm the final weight but estimates the SE model will be 1kg. If true, it will make the Folio lighter than the smaller 11.6in MacBook Air (1.08kg).

A standard edition Folio 1020 without the carbon fibre has been confirmed to weigh 1.2kg.

HP has revealed the Folio Ultrabooks will ship with fan-less Intel Core M processors and SSDs but has yet to release details about CPU speeds or storage capacities.

Battery life is estimated to be up to 9 hours and the devices will also be rated to military standard - making them resistant to drops, shocks and capable of working in extreme temperatures.

HP will also debut a Premium Keyboard' design which has been developed after user feedback.

The PC maker will also load up its devices with a raft of security options including Trusted Platform Modules, fingerprint readers, pre-boot authentication as well as management options via LanDesk and vPro.

The HP EliteBook Folio 1020 Standard Edition will arrive in February, followed by the Special Edition in March. Pricing will be announced closer to availability, but they are expected to be priced as premium devices.

Most Ultrabooks have small screens and limited native connectivity so they're not ideal for business use.

Toshiba's Satellite U50T aims to be the exception - featuring a 15in display, 21mm chassis and a comprehensive set of connections. Starting at 583.00 ex VAT (699.95 inc. VAT), Toshiba is also attempting to gain traction with a reasonable price point.

The build of the U50T is solid - there's a sturdy upper panel supporting the screen. The keyboard includes a numerical trackpad for data entry and is supported by a responsive trackpad.

At 2.4kg, the U50T isn't the lightest Ultrabook, but the weight is well balanced so that you can pick it up in one hand without difficulty.

Display And Connectivity

The 15.6in touchscreen provides plenty of room to work with in theory, but whilst the display produces an attractive, colourful image, the 1366 x 768 resolution looks dated and doesn't allow you to make the most of the available screen space. To compound this problem, viewing angles are limited.

Connectivity is where the Ultrabook beats its competitors. The U50T has a built in Gigabit Ethernet port saving the need to faff around with USB adaptors. It's also got a 2 x USB 3.0 ports for high-speed data transfer, 1 x USB 2 connection and a memory card slot.

A HDMI port allows the Ultrabook to be connected to a larger screen, and there's support for wireless streaming via WiDi and Miracast technology.

Toshiba also sells a number of accessories, including a desktop dock (80.00 ex VAT) and memory upgrades. The base of the unit can be removed to provide access to the memory, battery and hard drive, but you will need a screwdriver handy to removed the 12 screws.

Price & Performance

Toshiba offers two configurations for the U50T. Prices start at 524 ex.VAT (629.00 inc. VAT) for a model with a Haswell i3 processor, 4GB memory and 500GB hard disk.

We reviewed the U50T-A-10F model, which costs 583.00 ex.VAT (699.95 inc. VAT). This featured a dual-core Haswell i5 processor running at 1.6GHz, 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard disk. There's no option to upgrade to a higher resolution display, or to downgrade' to a conventional screen without touch-controls.

The i5 processor has a Turboboost option allowing it to step up to a maximum of 2.6GHz. This produced a respectable mid-range performance with a score of 63/100 in our realworld benchmark tests simulating activities including switching between app as well as audio and video encoding. This represents good value for money, as it's fractionally behind the more expensive HP Elitebook 820 (899 ex VAT).

The main hard drive was rated at 5400rpm, but is backed up by a 32GB solid-state cache which is reserved for system use and provides a noticeable performance boost. The U50T started up in 12 seconds, and woke from sleep in two seconds.

Battery Life

The larger the screen on a device, the bigger the drain on battery resources. Toshiba doesn't list spare battery packs amongst the accessories and the need to unscrew the base panel would make it difficult to swap in a spare battery on the move.

Toshiba quotes a maximum battery life of seven hours for the U50T. In our Iron Man video playback test with Wi-Fi turned off and brightness set to 75 per cent it managed 6 hours and 30 minutes. Less intensive use should allow you to add another hour and come close to a full eight-hour working day between charges.

Conclusion

The Satellite U50T provides good mid-range performance at a competitive price. It got good connectivity, but there is a major trade-off when it comes to screen quality.

Verdict

A mid-range Ultrabook, with a wealth of connections and 6 hours plus of battery life.

Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U

OS: Windows 8.1

Memory: 6GB DDR3L SDRAM

Storage: 750GB hard disk + 32GB solid-state cache

Connectivity: Single-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet, WiDi, Miracast

Ports: 2 x USB 3, 1 x USB 2, HDMI, headphone jack, SD card slot

Dimensions: 377.5x249.5x21.3mm

Weight: 2.4Kg

HP has refreshed its mobile workstation range by introducing a 14in Ultrabook with heavy duty components, as the firm looks to serve the portability needs of power users.

Key features of the ZBook 14 include the ability to choose between Intel's latest Haswell (4th Generation) dual-core i5 and i7 processors, pack in up to 16GB of RAM and store up to 1.1TB data.

The Ultrabook has AMD's FirePro discrete graphics capabilities built-in and ships with ISV certifications so users are guaranteed support for enterprise-level apps. HP is also touting the robust design, with the Ultrabook passing the MIL-STD 810G testing.

The 14in display will be available starting at 1366 x 768 resolution, going up full HD (1920 x 1080). This makes it suitable for those who plan to use it for design, video editing or photography. Touch screen and built-in HSPA+ connectivity will be optional extras.

In terms of ports, the Zbook 14 will feature 3 x USB 3.0 connections, 1 x Displayport, 1 x RJ45 jack, 1 x VGA and a side-docking port.

Business will be able to choose between Linux Enterprise Desktop 11, Windows 7 Professional (32/64 bit) and Window 8 or Windows 8 Pro (64-bit). HP will pre-load its Performance Advisor software to ensure the machine is running at its optimum and its Remote Graphics Software will also allow users to virtually tap into desktop workstations if they need more horsepower on the move.

HP has confirmed it will start shipping the ZBook 14 in October, and although official pricing is TBC, IT Pro has been told pricing for a base-configuration can be expected to start at $1300.

"The new thinner and lighter ZBook 14 is the world's first Workstation Ultrabook in a very sleek design. This product comes in at 3.6lbs (1.6kg) and will be extremely light, very easy to carry around for users that don't necessarily need the top end performance, but still need a workstation calibre system in an Ultrabook [form factor]," noted Jimmy Holbert, Worldwide mobile workstation category manager, during the unveiling in New York.

HP will also be offering 15 and 17in ZBooks. These heavy duty laptops will support up to 32GB of RAM, multiple hard drives, Nvidia's high-end Quadro graphics card range and high-speed Thunderbolt 2.0 connectivity.

Although bulkier than the ZBook 14, the 15 and 17in laptops will still be portable enough for use by field workers.

The ZBook 15 is expected to start at $1700 and the ZBook 17 at $2000.

When it arrives in October, the HP ZBook 14 Ultrabook could legitimately lay claim to being the most powerful Ultrabook on the market.

Aimed at power users who need to use resource hungry apps on the move, HP has tried to give it a specifcation as close to a workstation standard as possible, without sacrificing portability and battery life.

The 14in device will be available with a choice of resolutions, ranging from the bog standard 1366 x 768 through to a FHD 1920 x 1080 screen. However, it's under the hood where the real attraction of the ZBook lies.

HP offers up a choice between high-end Core i5 or i7 Haswell processors (with optional vPro technology), support for up to 16GB of RAM and 1.1TB of storage. Added to this is the AMD FirePro discrete graphics capability, meaning users should be able to run CAD, photo and video editing applications without any problems.

Not only does ZBook include high-end specifications, but the Ultrabook retains easy serviceability, which has become closely associated with HP's Z-branded workstation range.

The rear cover slides off, allowing users to swap out components such as RAM and even clip in a mini SSD storage without the need for tools. The only component that needs a screwdriver is the main hard drive because the small form factor means HP wasn't able to include a quick-release handle. The ability to service the machine means the ZBook could easily be nutured to last beyond the standard three-year lifecycle.

With all these heavy duty components, HP is still touting an eight hour battery life. The back cover also has a slot built-in to allow users to add a slice battery on top to boost uptime. This is one of the first Ultrabooks to include such functionality and will no doubt attract users who want longevity on the move.

From a design perspective, HP has chosen to go with a finished Aluminium as opposed to Carbon Fibre which competitors such as Dell and Lenovo are favouring in premium products. Nonetheless, the ZBook felt comfortable at 1.62kg and sturdy, with no hint of give in the chassis.

Perhaps the only area that could pose a problem is the keyboard. The Chiclet-style spacing is OK, but the keys do appear shallow when compared to full blown laptops. We'll reserve judgment until we can carry out thorough testing during the full review, though.

HP is yet to officially confirm the price of the ZBook 14, but IT Pro has been told that the starting configuration will be around the $1300 mark. Not cheap, but if the performance and battery life can match the serviceability, it could be the ultimate producitivity tool.

Dell has refreshed its Latitude range, but it's the 7000 Series Ultrabooks that are the most tantalising business class machines on offer.

The Latitude 7000 range aims to take all the best bits from a regular laptop and condense them into an Ultrabook form factor. Early hands-on suggests Dell might have finally nailed the balance between making a powerful, portable Ultrabook without having to strip out all the connectivity business users rely on. We took the Latitude 7240 for a quick test run to see what it has to offer.

Connectivity and build quality

Connectivity and build quality are the two standout features of the 7000 range. You'll struggle to find any other Ultrabooks that are as portable as the Dell 7240 and retain the myriad of connectivity options.

Along the back edge of the Ultrabook are 2 x USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI output and a desirable RJ-45 jack. Another USB port is placed on the side together with an SD card reader and mini Displayport. Although the inclusion of these makes the Dell 7000 slightly thicker than its competitors, it's still 20mm at its thinnest point and most users will be thankful for the extra ports. Anyone who's ever used an Ultrabook such as the Lenovo X1 Carbon, which has sacrificed connectivity in favour of a thin chassis, will appreciate the lengths Dell has gone to in this area.

Build quality is uniquely correlated to the inclusion of the touch screen. Perhaps in an attempt to encourage users to opt for the touch screen panel, users will be rewarded with not only a sturdy and attractive Carbon fibre chassis but also Gorilla Glass protection.

For an extra 80, this appears good value. Not only does this give the 7000 series look beautiful but helps to reduce the overall weight of the device. The 12in model registers 1.36kg on the scale and the larger 14in version is 1.63kg.

Display

There are a number of configuration options when it comes to the display users can choose between screen sizes and also the resolution depending on the budget. The device we looked at featured a 12.5in (1920 x 1080) full HD touch screen display. The screen is a couple of inches bigger than other Windows-based devices such as the Microsoft Surface Pro but it's still good for word processing and web browsing once you've adjusted the display to increase the font size.

Dell does offer a 14in model if you need extra real estate space on the move. Most users should find this comfortable enough to use when out and about, but you may still struggle if you need to carry out photo or video editing-type activities.

In an office environment, the small screen is mitigated by the inclusion of the docking port on the base of the device. This is compatible with Dell's existing E-Series range of monitors and is a massive boost for users who want to use this as their primary machine when at the office.

Performance

As with all Dell machines the components are configurable depending on user requirements. Dell offers the choice between Intel's latest Core i (Haswell) processors, varying amounts of RAM, a choice between Windows 7/8 or Linux Ubuntu and either a 256 GB SSD or Hybrid drive. These specifications should be more than enough for the majority of users.

Dell has taken a step away from the Chiclet-style keyboard opting instead for the more traditional style. In our brief play on the keyboard, the letters appeared reasonably springy, but more testing is needed to see if it's as comfortable a typing experience as Lenovo provides, especially given the cut-down chassis.

The 7000 series supports vPro chipsets out-of-the-box allowing IT admins to manage devices - an attractive feature for those considering a widescale deployment.

Dell also touts its 3-factor security on the device, which it claims makes it the "most secure Ultrabook" on the market. The 7000 series is preloaded with Dell Data Protection (DDP) software aimed specifically at countering malware. The Ultrabook is also certified to the highest level of disk encryption Level 3 on the FIPS 140 -2 standard. This protects the device from physical tampering. Finally, Dell also provides options when it comes to authentication - giving users the choice to use smartcard and fingerprint readers.

Battery life, price and release date

Dell is quoting a battery life of 8.6 hours based on normal usage and if the 7000 series can get anywhere near this figure it will satisfy the needs of the majority of users. It's always possible to opt for a larger 4-cell battery pack, should you want more juice on the move.

The 7000 Series starts at 789 for a non-touch model. The touch functionality pushes the price up to 869. Overall price will vary depending on the configuration of the other parts.

Dell will make the touch version of the 7000 series available on the 12 September.

Many OEMs have tried to differentiate their Ultrabooks by gambling on wacky form factors. It's reassuring to see Sony shun awkward gimmicks to concentrate on the basics.

And the result is the superb Vaio Pro 13 - a lightweight, powerhouse of a laptop with a crisp display.

Light on its feet

There's nothing loud about Sony's design, but it quickly becomes clear that the Vaio means business. Its clean lines and angles look sharp, and the brushed metal that coats the exterior makes the Vaio Pro look more elegant than any of its rivals with the possible exception of the all-aluminum MacBook Air.

The Vaio Pro is one of the best-looking laptops on the market, but it's the weight, or lack of it which will grab people's attention. The Vaio Pro tips the scales at 1,050g, and that makes it one of the lightest laptops ever the latest MacBook Air is a practically portly 1.33kg.

The Sony feels disarmingly light, and, when combined with the 18mm-thin frame, it's easy enough to pick the Vaio up and fling it around. It feels like an empty display sample rather than a proper laptop.

The feather-light design and carbon fibre construction comes with their own compromises. The Vaio's frame is bendier than any of its rivals, with lots of flex in the wrist-rest and screen we'd invest in a case if we were going to carry the Vaio on a daily basis. The aluminium-hewn MacBook Air is much sturdier.

Like most other Ultrabooks, the Vaio Pro's slimline dimensions mean that it's not overloaded with ports and sockets. The right-hand side has two USB 3 ports, an HDMI socket and an SD card reader, and there's nothing on the left-hand edge.

The slimline nature of the Vaio may raise build quality concerns but, when it comes down to business, there's nothing to worry about. The now-standard Scrabble-tile keyboard is excellent, especially when the Vaio's size is considered. The keys are responsive, and there's a surprising amount of travel available on each button. The action is comfortable and consistent, and there are no surprises when it comes to layout. The touchpad is good, too, thanks to its size and accuracy.

Screen test

Sony should be commended for cramming a 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen inside a panel that's so slim. The screen isn't just notable for being thin it's a high-quality too. The measured maximum brightness of 345cd/m2 is good the MacBook Air measured 325cd/m2 and it's partnered by a stunning contrast ratio of 932:1, again better than the MacBook. That makes for a screen that's punchy with a wide colour gamut, with good distinction between bright white shades and the darkest blacks.

The Sony's colour temperature and gamma levels are positive too. The display's average Delta E or 3.1 is one of the best we've seen from a laptop the MacBook scored 4. Viewing angles are also good. The touchscreen layer adds a tiny bit of grain to the screen, but it's barely noticeable this is one of the best screens we've seen on a lightweight laptop.

Power plays

Sony could be forgiven by skimping on the components given the size of the Vaio, but it's managed to cram a Core i7-4500U processor inside. The chip used here is one of Intel's factory-fresh Haswell parts, and it's the beefiest dual-core, low-power part: it runs at 1.8GHz and, thanks to Turbo Boost, it'll dynamically overclock both of those cores to 2.7GHz or shoot one of them all the way to 3GHz. It's aided by 4GB of low-voltage DDR3 RAM and a 128GB SSD.

The Sony's application benchmark score of 0.62 is no different from the pace we've seen from Ivy Bridge-based systems enough grunt to handle work software, but not enough power for much beyond that. It's worth engaging Sony's Performance Cooling option if you need a little more juice: while the high-pitched fan is irritating, it improved the Vaio's benchmark score to 0.68.

The low-power Core i7 hasn't got room for Haswell's most powerful graphics core. Instead the Vaio makes do with HD Graphics 4400, which has a slightly lower base clock than the full-fat Haswell GPU. It scored 39fps in our Low-quality, 1,366 x 768 Crysis benchmark that's enough power to handle low-end and casual games, but that's it.

There's one area where Haswell makes a dramatic improvement and that's battery life. The Vaio Pro has a 4,470mAh power pack inside that can't be removed, but that's not a big issue when this laptop lasted for 10hrs 34mins away from the mains. That's not the only trick the Sony has up its metallic sleeve, though the secondary battery pack costs 80 and attaches to the underside of the device. Sadly, Sony hasn't provided a unit for testing, but it claims that the pack doubles the Vaio Pro's lifespan.

Connectivity includes dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, an NFC chip and Bluetooth 4. There's no room for Gigabit Ethernet, but Sony has come up with a clever solution a 60 adapter. This small device plugs into a USB port on the Vaio's power adapter, and it can use an Ethernet connection to create a single-band wireless network used by the laptop.

Options and Upgrades

It's possible to customise the Vaio's specification if you buy direct from Sony. The cheapest model costs 859 inc VAT and comes without a touchscreen, but it's not exactly underpowered: it's got a low-power Haswell Core i5 processor, the 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM. That's more storage than the cheapest MacBook Air for 90 less.

Adding touch functionality costs 80, doubling the storage space costs 100, and upgrading to a huge 512GB drive adds 400 to the cost. A leap up to 8GB of RAM adds 40 to the cost. The standard warranty lasts for two years, but this can also be upgraded: a three-year deal costs 75, and a four-year package is 140.

Overall

The Sony is one of the most affordable high-end Ultrabooks we've seen, but that doesn't mean it's lacking in quality: the screen is stunning, there's enough power to keep up with rivals, and battery life is excellent. The attractive-but-flimsy exterior means we'd invest in a case before we carried the Vaio Pro on our daily commute, but this is excellent in virtually every department.

Verdict

Sony has crammed one of the best touchscreens we’ve seen inside its lightweight, slimline Vaio Pro Ultrabook. The 1kg device also has a sleek design, lengthy battery life and decent performance. It’s not the strongest of laptops, but it’s ideal if you want a versatile machine for working on the road.

OS: Windows 8 64-bit PROCESSOR: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-4500U RAM: 4GB DDR3L low-voltage STORAGE: 128GB SSD SCREEN: 13in 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen CONNECTIVITY: dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4 PORTS: 2 x USB 3, HDMI, SD card reader, headphone jack DIMENSIONS: 322 x 216 x 18mm (WxDxH) WEIGHT: 1.05kg (1.5kg) WARRANTY: 2yr RTB

Toshiba has launched a promotion to try and encourage business users to invest in Ultrabooks by offering a 12-month subscription to McAfee's Anti-Theft security service.

McAfee Anti-Theft 2.0 offers more features than the anti-virus suites that are typically packaged with Ultrabooks. The software aims to keep information secure as it allows files to be encrypted and devices to be tracked/locked if they are lost or stolen.

Toshiba devices have a reasonably strong foothold in the enterprise and the firm is one of the few to still include features such as an Ethernet jack on its uber-thin devices. The promotion is valid until 31 March 2012 and the models included are:

Satellite U840

Satellite U940

Satellite U840W

Satellite Z930/Z830

Portg Z930/Z830

Satellite U920t

It remains to be seen whether promotions like this will boost sales of Ultrabooks, which have been tepid since they were first introduced at the end of 2011. There are also no concrete figures stating exactly how many have been shipped.

Despite all the major OEMs releasing devices, the availability of cut-priced tablets such as the iPad have proved extremely popular within the enterprise.

The growing trend of BYOD has also been cited as one of the reasons why Ultrabooks have failed to take off, but Intel thinks there will be "significant demand" for the devices in 2013.

The cost of Ultrabooks is also expected to become more competitive to try and mitigate the cannibalisation from smartphones and tablets.

Intel claims that employees who are being offered the choice of bringing their own devices to work have not been investing in laptops.

Rob Sheppard, business client product manager at Intel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) has acknowledged that it needs to work harder to make Ultrabooks a success in the enterprise environment and prevent legacy devices from being cannibalised by tablets and smartphones.

"BYOD is happening with phones and tablets [not] with PCs. The idea that business would give [money] to users to buy a PC that's not happening," he told journalists at an Intel event in London.

"There are too many complications around it especially when you start to look at things like tax [and] purchase costs."

Sheppard claimed that Intel's strategy was to initially focus on the consumer market, but he acknowledged that the chip maker needed to work harder in the business market as there are only a dozen enterprise-friendly devices.

"The business designs are behind consumer, that's not surprising because you need to put more effort and energy into designing and building for [the enterprise]," he continued.

"Ultrabook [sales] are actually growing in terms of the overall market. We expect to see a significant growth this year."

In terms of features in business Ultrabooks, Intel has setting a base level spec, but has been leaving specification choices such as ports down to individual OEMs.

It doesn't appear that Intel is going to force the Thunderbolt connectivity, which it co-developed with Apple, onto OEMs anytime soon either as Sheppard recognised that demand is low at this stage.

Although Intel has not released any sales figures analysts cut sales estimates at the end of last year. IHS iSuppli had initially predicted that 22 million Ultrabooks would ship by the end of 2012, but in October this forecast was slashed to 10.3 million units.

It remains to be seen whether the inclusion of touch screen panels, all-day battery life and lower pricing will attract businesses throughout 2013.

Intel outlined a number of interesting points for its next-gen Ultrabooks during its press conference at CES 2013.

The firm gave a taste of the specifications we can expect later this year providing details on compulsory features, battery life and pricing.

Compulsory features

The chipmaker announced that touchscreen functionality and the inclusion of Wireless Display (WiDi) technology will become standard within Ultrabooks.

Mandatory touchscreens are unsurprising as the Live Tile interface of Windows 8 is designed to be used via touch input. Firms such as Acer have already started shipping Ultrabooks (S7) with touch screens.

The inclusion of Intel's WiDi technology as standard will also help to boost the usefulness of Ultrabooks and circumvent the need for display ports and cables.

Using WiDi, users will be able to duplicate films onto HDTVs, or simply connect to an additional display without wires.

A business edition dubbed WiDi Pro will facilitate screen-to-screen collaboration by allowing users to connect over a local network. This will be particularly useful for those having meetings or travelling with colleagues.

Battery life

Ultrabooks have been promising "all-day battery life", but Intel and its partners have not quite delivered yet. So will 2013 be the year when you can finally leave your Ultrabook charger at home without worrying about running out of juice midway through the day?

Intel's next-generation chips codenamed Haswell will go a long way towards making this happen. Indeed the firm has been telling anyone who will listen that Haswell will deliver the biggest jump in battery life users have seen in these platforms for a decade.

Haswell will come in dual-core and quad-core varieties and power consumption is expected to hit the 10W TDP mark, thanks to the 22nm architecture used to manufacture the chip.

Kirk Skaugen, Intel's vice president of PC client group claimed that Haswell processors are the first Intel chips that have been built specifically for Ultrabooks.

So what about the numbers? Skaugen claimed that Ultrabooks should have up to nine hours of battery life.

However, on stage he did debut an Intel reference design Ultrabook codenamed North Cape. The 13.3in device offers 13 hours of battery life.

Pricing

Despite packing touch screen technology and better processors, the cost of devices are likely to be driven down during 2013. Upon launch the next-gen Ultrabooks are set to retail at $799, with pricing expected to drop to the $599 mark by the end of the year.

Perceptual computing

In plain English this means facial recognition, speech and gesture control will be included in Ultrabooks - although not all this year.

Like Microsoft, Intel is keen to get rid of the traditional password and replace this with something the user doesn't have to remember - their face. Of course the firm is working on ways to make this secure and the end product is expected to analyse tens of dozens of unique points on any individual's face.

Nuance is the go-to company for speech recognition and we can expect a Siri-like assistant to be pre-loaded onto Ultrabooks to help users navigate the OS and execute commands.

Finally, gesture recognition is also going to be pushed and Ultrabooks will soon allow users to manipulate objects without having to touch the screen or use any peripherals.

Intel launched its Perceptual Computing SDK in December, so getting apps to use this system is likely to take time.

Essentially, gesture recognition will work with cameras that use an RBG lens (720p) and IR technology to translate gestures onto the display.

Although these cameras will first be made available as an optional extra, they are expected to be integrated into Ultrabooks in the future perhaps a couple of generations ahead.

Samsung has added two high-performance devices to its Ultrabook range offering users the choice between portability and a large display.

The Series 7 Ultra combines a small form factor with high performance. The chassis houses a 13.3in full HD 1920 x 1080 touch screen display with 10-point multi-touch.

Under the hood, Samsung will offer the choice of an Intel Core i5 or i7 ULV processor, although clock speed has yet to be disclosed.

Interestingly the device will also pack discrete graphics in the form of an AMD HD8570M graphics card, which could attract multimedia users.

There will be up to 256GB of SSD storage on offer and it will support up to 16GB of RAM so it should give longevity in terms of performance.

Connectivity will come in the form of 1 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2 ports, HDMI and mini VGA connections, as well as an Ethernet port.

Samsung claims a reasonable eight hours of battery life for the 7 Ultra.

Meanwhile, for users needing a bigger display, Samsung will be offering up the 7 Chronos. This 15.6in display is larger, but will have the same 1920 x 1080 resolution and 10-point multi-touch capabilities as the 7 Ultra.

The Chronos will be powered by an Intel Core i7 3635QM processor clocked at 2.4GHz and this can be paired with up to 16GB of RAM. An AMD Radeon HD 8870 graphics card with 2GB of GDDR5 memory should be able to cater to the needs of power users requiring video editing or designing capabilities.

In terms of storage, the device will support up to 1TB of memory via a traditional HDD. Samsung has also squeezed in 2 x USB 3 and 2 x USB 2 ports as well as HDMI, VGA and Ethernet ports. Samsung claims this model will have up to 11 hours of battery life.

Both devices will be running the Windows 8 operating system hence the multi-touch displays. Samsung has yet to release pricing, but considering the high-performance parts on offer they are unlikely to be cheap.

Dell has started shipping Latitude 6430u, the firm's first Ultrabook specifically built for use by enterprise customers.

The Windows 8 device features a 14in (1366 x 768) WLED-backlit display, and a host of enterprise-friendly features including built-in Ethernet and docking ports, as well as a removable battery with a touted battery life of 10 hours.

The 6430u is designed to satisfy the needs of rugged usage, as it features a tough magnesium exterior and spill resistant keyboard.

In terms of configurations, the Latitude 6430u will be available with a choice of Intel 3rd generation Core i3, i5 or i7 processors and vPro technology. The chipset can also be paired with either 2GB, 4GB or 8GB of RAM.

Users will be able to choose between a number of memory configurations including solid state mSATA (64GB, 128GB, 256GB) or 256GB SED SSDs.

Other enterprise-friendly features will include Dell Data Protection, encryption, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and an optional smartcard and fingerprint reader.

Dell also plans to launch a wireless dock with 802.11ad Tri-band WiGig technology. The firm claims this dock will be able to transmit data, audio, and video content at multi-gigabit speeds .

Pricing for the 6430u starts at 699 ex VAT.

Intel remains confident that there is space for the Ultrabook platform in the enterprise, despite intense competition from hybrid devices and tablets.

Speaking with IT Pro, Rick Echevarria, vice president of Intel's Architecture Group accepted that Ultrabook uptake has been sluggish in the enterprise. However, he maintained the form factor is still a priority for Intel.

"When we first launched Ultrabooks, we focused on the consumer market and this impacted business uptake. There was a lot of confusion with CIOs as to what Ultrabooks were, so that delayed the ramp up a little bit. Although you still saw execs buying them," he said.

"Now that we have UltraBooks with vPro, we are seeing an accelerated uptake."

The firm is planning a big push in 2013, when it releases devices with the 4th Generation Core (Haswell) processor technology. Not only are Haswell chips expected to deliver a huge boost in performance and efficiency, but they will also enable enhanced collaboration, management and security features.

A core software feature - Intel's Small Business Advantage (SBA) suite, which is designed for firms with up to 99 employees - is set to be improved and will start to ship with Ultrabooks such as the Lenovo Twist.

"We will integrate our Smart Connect technology with SBA and ship it within Ultrabooks. This means devices will be able to wake up, refresh and update applications such as email and social media, then go back to sleep," he continued.

Business users will also be pleased to hear that Intel will introduce WiDi Pro technology next year. This wireless technology will pack encryption and could do away with the need for businesses to install projectors.

"Let's say for example, there is a meeting between colleagues in a room with no projector. We would still be able to share content, collaborate screen-to-screen, machine-to-machine, by creating our own network using WiDi Pro.

"Another example would be if colleagues were on a plane in different rows. Using WiDi Pro, they would still be able to collaborate."

With the launch of the touch-optimised Windows 8 operating system, Intel also expects touch panels to become a standard part on Ultrabooks, although the timing of this remains to be seen.

"We are really putting the pedal to the metal to drive touch. We believe it should be standard. Through the launch of Windows 8 and through our data, we are seeing that it is a highly desired capability," Echevarria added.

"We'll be bringing a lot more capabilities on the platform too. At IDF we talked a lot about perceptual computing - voice and gestures are some of the features which will become baseline."

Samsung has unveiled its new range of Windows devices, including a touch screen-enabled ultrabook.

The Korean firm launched its new 13-inch Series 5 Ultra Touch Windows 8 ultrabook, which sports Core i3 chips as well as a 1366x768 touch screen display, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB hard drive with 24GB of ExpressCache SSD storage (high-speed solid state storage directly on the logic board).

The i3 laptop will go on sale for around 500 ($809.99).

Its higher-end sister device, the Core i5 is available for an extra $50 (30) at $859.99. Both will run Windows 8. Despite the Ultrabook tag, the laptops weigh in at 1.73kg.

In addition to the Series 5 Ultrabooks, the tech giant announced a couple of new Windows 8 tablets, which will hit the shops just after the 26 October launch of Windows 8.

Both the hybrid tablets - which combined with the laptops - form part of Samsung's Smart PC strategy, have 11.6in displays. The tablets, dubbed Ativ Smart PC, run Windows 8. The 500T boasts an Intel Atom Z2760 processor, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

The 500T can be bought with a keyboard for 476 ($749.99) or without (405 or $649.99).

The second tablet, called the Ativ Smart 700T, comes with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This will come in at 745 ($1199.99).

At the launch event in New York, Samsung also unveiled two all-in-one touch-enabled desktops. The Series 5 and Series 7 are 21in and 27in display models respectively, both supporting 10-finger touch and hand gesture recognition so users can operate the PC by moving hands in front of the display. The Series 5 will retail at 497 ($800) while the Series 7 will cost 1050 ($1700).

Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has blasted EPEAT's decision to add Ultrabooks to its approved list of green technologies.

The directory is used by resellers, consumers and companies that want to source environmentally friendly electronic products.

At the end of last week, EPEAT confirmed that "ultra-thin" notebooks from Apple, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba had met its admission criteria.

If companies can't make easy to repair products, they shouldn't be sold.

"Specific areas of concern addressed included whether products could be upgraded, if tools were commonly available to accomplish upgrades and whether materials of concern, including batteries could be easily removed," said EPEAT in a statement.

"All products investigated met the requirements of the criteria reviewed."

Debate about whether or not Ultrabooks should be included on EPEAT's registry has raged since July, when Apple reneged on its decision to remove its products from the directory.

The move was blasted by green campaigners who said Apple's MacBook Pro product should not be included because the batteries are difficult to remove and repair.

This time around EPEAT's actions have been criticised by Casey Harrell, IT analyst at Greenpeace, who claims the move will result in the creation of more e-waste.

"EPEAT has confused consumers and businesses who want to buy green electronics that can be repaired and will last a long time, and sets a dangerous trend for the burgeoning market of Ultrabooks," said Harrell in a statement to IT Pro.

"Consumers will not risk violating their product warranty to change a battery...and are sure to conclude that the entire process is too complicated and [will] instead buy a new product."

Harrell also used the statement to hit out at vendors that make their products difficult to upgrade and repair, because of the impact it has on their lifespan.

"If companies can't make products that can be easily fixed, they shouldn't be sold," Harrell added.

The popularity of Ultrabooks is on the rise, with analyst house Context predicting that sales of the devices could overtake notebook PCs for the first time by the middle of next year.

According to Context's latest PC figures, which tracked the number of Ultrabook units sold through distribution and corporate reseller channels in August, sales of the 13.3in devices were 490 per cent higher last month than in January.

Two-thirds of the Ultrabooks sold in August were reportedly bought by enterprise customers.

The market watcher said Ultrabook sales had benefited from a sharp fall in the average selling price of the devices of around 21 per cent.

Ultrabooks will become the sole notebook used in corporate environments.

Speaking to IT Pro, Senthuran Premakumar, enterprise analyst at Context, said, if current sales trends continue, the popularity of Ultrabooks should overtake notebooks by mid-2013.

"Based on our figures and vendor feedback, over the next three to four years, Ultrabooks will become the sole notebook used in corporate environments, such is the demand," he said.

Premakumar shied away from providing IT Pro with a breakdown of which Ultrabook vendors are faring best in the industry, but hinted that Samsung and HP, in particular, had benefited from cutting prices.

Aside from price, the lightness and portability of the devices were also a factor in the Ultrabook's success in the enterprise market.

"People can use it while they're commuting and it does everything you would want a notebook to do, but it is just a lot more convenient for business users," he said.

"When [Ultrabooks] first came out, they were priced too high, and maybe vendors did not see the demand they expected to, but the demand has increased now."

Enterprise heavyweight Dell has thrown its weight behind Windows 8, launching a range of devices including a 10.1in tablet and touch screen All-in-One.

Key specifications of the Latitude 10 tablet include a 10.1in IPS (1366 x 768) LED Corning Gorilla Glass display. The device will support the full version of Windows 8 and legacy apps, thanks to the Intel Atom Clover Trail dual-core processor, and will feature 2GB of RAM.

The tablet will be available with 16, 32 or 64GB of storage, with 3G also an option for those who want internet access on the move. An important design feature will be the ability to replace the battery.

Dell will offer 2-cell and 4-cell power packs. The device has a claimed battery life of up to 18 hours, Adam Griffin, product manager at Dell told IT Pro.

Dell is confident that customers will deploy Windows 8 tablets, despite many businesses still yet to upgrade from Windows XP.

PJ Dwyer, executive director of end user computing at Dell, told IT Pro that enterprises came to Dell asking for tablets running on Windows 8.

"Customers have been asking us to make a Latitude tablet and we have worked closely with them to research their needs," he said.

"The Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablet will be differentiated from competing devices as Dell will include management, security and configurability options associated with other business class products."

Dwyer added that the latest 14in Latitude Ultrabook will cater to the needs of power users who want to create content on the move.

Although they will ship with the latest Intel Core Ivy Bridge processor, vPro technology and Windows 8, they will lack the touch screen interface. So it will be interesting to see how popular those devices are.

The 23in OptiPlex 9010, meanwhile, will boast a 23in touch screen, support up to 1TB of storage, up to 16GB of RAM and be powered by a choice of Intel's 3rd Generation Core i3 and i7 processors. The device will be best suited for use at kiosks, POS terminals, but can be used as a desktop.

Pricing and availability of all device are to be confirmed. Stay tuned for hands-on and video demos.

Intel is aiming to usher in an era of wireless computing and is looking to push biometric authentication in place of passwords.

Justin Rattner, senior fellow and corporate vice president and director of Intel Lab, told attendees how the firm plans to use WiGig, a wireless standard to connect PCs, tablets and Ultrabooks without the need for wires.

The technology will use the 60GHz part of the spectrum and is expected to deliver bandwidths well over 5Gbps, Rattner claimed.

Ali Sadri, president of WiGig Alliance joined Rattner on stage to explain the benefits of the standard.

"Legacy Wi-Fi devices operate in the 2.4/5GHz spectrum, [but] the interference is high. For high demanding applications such as video, synchronisation and multi-user apps we need to move into a frequency that has a lot less interference," he said.

Sadri noted that the WiGig certification program will start mid-next year and products are expected to ship soon after.

Meanwhile, Intel is looking to offer users an alternative to traditional passwords, much like Microsoft will do with its Windows 8 picture passwords.

Intel Labs is working on Client Based Authentication Technology, which uses biometrics to scan vein patterns in the palm a user's hand.

This will allow users to access devices such as a tablet or Ultrabooks by simply waving their hand in front of the sensor.

Intel is also looking to take this one step further. Not only will the biometric sensor provide access to a device, the plan is to enable users to authenticate to cloud services. In theory this will enable access to online bank account details without needing to enter a separate password.

To prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information, the system will work in conjunction with the accelerometer built into the device. When a tablet is put down, for example, the system will recognise this and will automatically lock the screen.

There is no word on the release date, but the biometric system could be debuted in 2013.

Intel has officially taken the wraps of its 4th Generation processor, codenamed Haswell, at IDF.

The chipset will be found in everything from from tablets to servers, and devices are expected to start shipping in mid-2013.

We take a look at what users can expect from Ultrabooks running the next-generation processor.

Processor

Although clock speeds are expected to be the same as Ivy Bridge, the improved power efficiency and enhancements made to the GPU will make Haswell faster.

Battery life

IT Pro

Efficiency and performance

Haswell has been designed so that it more efficiently switches off parts of the processor which are not being used.

Whereas Ivy Bridge chips have two states - active or sleep, engineers have added a 3rd low power state known as Active Idle to Haswell. This will help give at least 20x power consumption improvement over Ivy Bridge and provide faster resume times.

Haswell will also have double the graphical capabilities of Ivy Bridge.

Display

Intel will offer Ultrabooks with touch screen capabilities, which makes sense as Windows 8 is optimised for touch. However, Regis noted that Intel has not decided whether to make touch screen displays a requirement for OEMs. It is unlikely to be mandatory in time for the release of Haswell as the price of touch screen displays are still too high.

The Haswell chipset will also support 4K (4096 x 3072 resolution) playback, and up to three monitors, making it ideal for use in office environments.

Memory

Extras

Price point