Top 10 Trendsetting Ultrabooks of 2012

This year witnessed a surge in ultrabooks, both in quantity and design, thanks to the participation of almost all computer brands and the introduction of the new Windows 8 operating system.

1. Top 10 Highlighted Ultrabooks of 2012

After a tentative start, coupled with the influx of Windows 8, 2012 saw a true explosion of ultrabooks with dozens of new models, diverse in design and featuring touchscreens. Notably, ultrabooks also began to appear in various price segments, ranging from around 13 million VND to over 30 million VND, catering to a wide range of consumers.

Here are the top 10 standout ultrabooks of the year, selected by So Hoa:

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Continuing the X1 series catering to business professionals, Lenovo introduces the upgraded X1 Carbon with a weight of 1.36 kg and a slim profile of 1.7 cm, compared to the previous version weighing 1.67 kg and measuring 2.13 cm. The product features a high-resolution display of 1,600 x 900 pixels and notably offers an 80% charge in just 30 minutes, providing continuous operation for 6.3 hours on a full charge.

In addition, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is equipped with various security features for business users, such as fingerprint recognition and data security chip.

The reference price in the U.S. market is $2,000. While the product is not officially available in the domestic market, the expected price is around 35 million VND.

Acer Aspire S7

Acer has its reasons to expect that the S7 will boost the company's ultrabook sales. It boasts one of the most impressive designs in years, with a thickness of 11.9 mm, weighing 1.3 kg, and an attractive white case covered with a layer of toughened glass that feels incredibly sleek.

Another notable feature is the S7's Full HD touchscreen display. With seamless integration with the Windows 8 operating system, providing excellent touch support, the S7 truly stands out as one of the must-have ultrabooks this year.

The machine is priced at around 35 million VND.

Toshiba Portégé Z930

Not making much noise in the media, the Portégé Z930 still stands out as the world's lightest 13-inch ultrabook, weighing just 1.12 kg. The product features a robust magnesium alloy shell, a thickness of 15.9 mm (thinnest at 8.3 mm), ensuring the machine maintains standard-sized ports such as LAN, VGA, HDMI that many other ultrabook models lack.

The machine is priced at around 30 million VND in Vietnam, depending on the configuration.

Asus Zenbook Prime

Asus is one of the few successful names with ultrabooks in 2011. This year, the company introduces an upgraded version of the Zenbook with many improvements, mostly addressing the shortcomings of the 2011 series. Notable enhancements include a more powerful 3rd generation Intel Core i processor, backlit keyboard, Bang & Olufsen speakers, and most importantly, an IPS Full HD resolution screen for brighter, sharper, and much smoother images compared to the MacBook Air. The new product maintains the sleek design, with a slim profile and a weight of only 1.3 kg.

Priced at a starting point of 27 million VND.

Sony Vaio Z 2012

Long renowned, Sony transforms the Vaio Z into an ultrabook this year, enhancing both design and hardware specifications, fulfilling the desires of many users. The Vaio Z targets business users with its sturdy, classy design, weighing only 1.2 kg with an average thickness of 17 mm. The company has incorporated AMD discrete graphics and 3rd generation Intel chip into its lineup, boosting the machine's power, a feature rare among current ultrabook models.

The Vaio Z is priced at over 60 million VND in Vietnam.