As we talked about in our introduction to ultraportable laptops, ultraportables come in many different sizes, shapes, and configurations.
We looked briefly at the difference between ultraportable laptops, netbooks, and tablets: netbooks are outdated compact laptops which were built with all the features of a laptop but in a smaller form and with processing power limiting functions to 1-2 tasks at a time. Tablets, on the other hand, were built with the same hardware and components as ultraportable laptops but are designed to be a balance between a laptop and a smartphone with appearance and design as defining factors.
Today we look at the different types of ultraportable laptops and what sets each apart from one another. Everyone is a player in this emerging market with PC makers, Apple, and even Google all laying a stake with ultraportables. As we’ll see the characteristics of weight, battery life, and hardware configuration set ultraportables apart but function and form also play a big role. Additionally, each type is defined by their small contributions and enhancements to the laptop, such as wireless syncing and cloud based offerings.
Read on to learn about the different types of PC, Apple, and Google ultraportable laptops and how the MacBook Air from Apple and Google’s Chromebook add unique twists that set themselves apart from the others. Continue reading