Light Weight Ultrabook?

recDNA

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Off topic but lots of well informed people here so here goes.... I have to carry a computer everywhere I go. Must be very light and windows 8.1 i have no use for tablets or convertibles. I'd like a very light 11 inch ultrabook that weighs around 2 pounds. The only one I found is a vaio pro 11 which has terrible reviews but is only 1.9 pounds. It is also very expensive. Are there any other brands that can compete? I really have searched but if you have any suggestions? Thanks.
 

ElectronGuru

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You might be confusing Ultrabook with Netbook?:

Netbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive computers.

Ultrabook is a specification and trademarked[1] brand by Intel for a class of high-end subnotebooks which are designed to feature reduced bulk without compromising performance and battery life.


Ultrabooks came after MacBook Airs and have similar style, features, and price to MBAs. If you do want an Ultrabook, I would go with Sony, Lenovo or Apple.

Netbooks are cheaper but got crushed by tablets and may be harder to find these days. Asus was generally considered the leader here.
 

mcnair55

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I suggest you evaluate using a Chromebook, it works on Chrome OS and not W8. I bought one and currently have two. As long as you can do your work without W8 they are well worth a look.I never use my laptop any more.
 

StarHalo

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I'm particularly fond of the 11.6" format; the perfect not-too-big not-too-small size that fits in just right with a stack of textbooks, and you can get it with a proper PC powerplant - there are some recent 11.6" touchscreen models that have the Intel i-series processors, not "budget laptop" hardware. Not cheap, but if you just want one small yet serious portable computer, highly recommend.
 

recDNA

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i do mean ultrabook. must be w 8.1. must have lit keys. no interest in any type. of tablet or convertible. i gave an example that would be perfect but the vaio pro 11 has wifi problems and battery problems and, costs well over a grand. i want to try to get under a thousand but would go over for the right computer, not the sony with high price and bad reviews. key is for it to be around 2 pounds like the sony but wifi should work, battery shouldn't go bad after 5 months, and keyboard shouldn't flex. fit and finish on the sony sucks too. amazing for a 1600 dollar computer.

does anyone know of such a computer? thanks!
 

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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You don't really describe what you need in terms of performance, drive space, what application you will be using, etc. For us IT folk information like that is required to really make a recommendation on things like that.

As long as you don't need to load tons of movies, pictures and song which will fill up the drive space you can get a smaller HDD/SSD.

I work with laptops, desktops, servers, VMWare, NAS/SAN arrays all day long for the past 15+ years so I believe that gives me the right to have a solid opinion of a quality machine. All of these machines I work with are generally Windows based, but for my home life I have converted over to Apple products and would never go back at all. Quality and design beyond compare.

For what you say you need I would recommend an Apple MacBook Air 11". For $1350 you can get a machine with max i7 CPU (that means more L3 cache than the i5 CPUs), 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. If you need more disk you can go up to 512GB SSD for another $300.

You say you need Windows 8.1 and that is fine. Use Boot Camp to load Windows and you should be good to go.
 

recDNA

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The mac air is heavier. Isn't it almost 3 pounds? Anyway apple rep at home depot recommended a mac pro for boot camp. Yes, at 2 pounds I want ssd. Doesn't have to be big, 128 gb is fine. No interest in mac. Just wasting limited disk space to force another operating system down its throat. i5 would be fine. Haswell for more battery time. Need mini hdmi output and 2 usb.

Im willing to make compromises for weight but I don't like convertibles or tablets.

Touch screen is nice but not essential. I want it to come with 8.1 installed. User upgrade often causes driver problems I don't want to deal with.

The Sony Pro 11 is a perfect example of what I want but reading reviews and forums convinces me it is not a well made or supported device. I'm looking for a similar device made by a better manufacturer.

As an expert searching for drivers and using command prompt to access WiFi settings no longer easily accessible in windows 8.x is no big deal for you. It is to me. I just want the computer to work out of the box. My asus ux31a is great but Id like to shave a pound off its weight in my bag. Wish Dell made something I like. They seem to have the best service but theyre pushing convertibles and I have no interest in top heavy tablets with loosely attached keyboards. I like to just open the top and have it stay open. I have an ipad for playing around but its no good for work.
 
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ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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MacBookAir 11" is 2.38lbs. You don't need a Mac Pro for Boot Camp. I have the first 11" MacBookAir and I run the Mac OS and two Windows VMs all at once and have no issues at all with enough performance. Also, in regards to Boot Camp, it pre-installs all of the applicable Windows drivers to get you up and running right away.

Now, if a Mac is not for you and you don't want to deal with installing a second OS, etc. I am totally cool with that.

Have a look at this article as it may be helpful. http://www.ultrabookreview.com/2375-best-11-6-inch-ultrabooks/
 

recDNA

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MacBookAir 11" is 2.38lbs. You don't need a Mac Pro for Boot Camp. I have the first 11" MacBookAir and I run the Mac OS and two Windows VMs all at once and have no issues at all with enough performance. Also, in regards to Boot Camp, it pre-installs all of the applicable Windows drivers to get you up and running right away.

Now, if a Mac is not for you and you don't want to deal with installing a second OS, etc. I am totally cool with that.

Have a look at this article as it may be helpful. http://www.ultrabookreview.com/2375-best-11-6-inch-ultrabooks/

Yes, I don't want to install a second operating system. (and the apple guy claimed it would slow down to a crawl using big excel spreadsheets running macros) Since my current ultrabook weighs 3 pounds not worth my while to buy a smaller one unless I save a pound.
 
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ElectronGuru

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The Sony is under 2lbs because they made compromises, compromises that lead to the keyboard flex you find unacceptable. A more rigid design adds more weight. A quick search shows fewer than 10 companies making licensed Ultrabooks. If none of them tick your boxes, an Air ticks most of them and does them better than other options.

Ive been running and fixing laptops for 20 years, there has never been a laptop chassis as good as the unibody approach Apple uses. And that Apple guy doesn't know what he's talking about or is deliberately misleading you. A Bootcamp install gives all of the hardware to the 'guest' OS.

Start with the 9 brands here. If none check more boxes, apple is the choice:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Ultrabooks/ci/18649/N/4110474289
 

recDNA

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The Sony is under 2lbs because they made compromises, compromises that lead to the keyboard flex you find unacceptable. A more rigid design adds more weight. A quick search shows fewer than 10 companies making licensed Ultrabooks. If none of them tick your boxes, an Air ticks most of them and does them better than other options.

Ive been running and fixing laptops for 20 years, there has never been a laptop chassis as good as the unibody approach Apple uses. And that Apple guy doesn't know what he's talking about or is deliberately misleading you. A Bootcamp install gives all of the hardware to the 'guest' OS.

Start with the 9 brands here. If none check more boxes, apple is the choice:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Ultrabooks/ci/18649/N/4110474289

I appreciate that you took the time to respond and do a search (as I did). I found no alternatives. If I didn't make myself clear let me do it now. I would never buy an apple computer. It's expensive to begin with, then I have to add expensive software too boot. (like windows itself) Apple doesn't even come with a touch screen. I know nothing about Apple and don't have the time nor inclination to learn. Apple is o.u.t.

Seems like my only choice, unless someone else is aware of a computer we haven't considered, is to wait for a w8.x very light ultrabook that meets my needs.

I would settle for a good light netbook before I would consider Apple.
The thing you must remember I'm trying to beat the ultrabook I already have that weighs 3.2 pounds but works fine.
 

StarHalo

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Behold my Google skills; 11.6", Win 8.1, Intel i-series processor, SSD hard drive, 2.5 lbs.

ioMRdY8ynBUgR.gif
 

StarHalo

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Horsepower makes up for a lot of sins; that's a 4-core + hyperthreading processor with an SSD, you're talking HD movie editing capability without flinching. Only a little lighter than what you have now, but way waaay faster..

Just don't let your weight requirement leave you with some dinky "entry level" processor that has trouble with multitasking, better to spend a little extra for a bit more power than you'd need than to have to tiptoe around your computer's abilities so nothing crashes.
 

mvyrmnd

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Remember that there is no requirement to even have Mac OS on a MBA at all - you can wipe it and load windows from scratch.

it looks as though you're going to have to make a compromise somewhere. Brand, Weight, Build Quality. Which one are you willing to give up?
 

recDNA

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I'm willing to give up processing power. I just need to run excel and powerpoint. No interest in video editing. I would use a desktop with a good video card for that. I will not give up lit keyboard, w8.1 pre installed, 2 pounds or under, real netbook or ultrabook NOT convertible nor tablet, i5 is fine. No need for i7. I'd even suffer an atom processor. I have a computer that meets every need except weight so certainly weight is not negotiable. Oh, also need flashplayer and macromedia.
 
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ElectronGuru

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The UB market is tiny, with few players. The reason you need to hit 2lb is because your current machine is still going and you need that much improvement to justify the purchase. But the only company able to hit 2lb does so by removing the structure needed for solid construction, a compromise you're not willing to accept.

I suggest waiting. Either the current book will wear out and 2.3lb will become enough or someone will find a way to make less weight, more sturdy.
 

recDNA

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The UB market is tiny, with few players. The reason you need to hit 2lb is because your current machine is still going and you need that much improvement to justify the purchase. But the only company able to hit 2lb does so by removing the structure needed for solid construction, a compromise you're not willing to accept.

I suggest waiting. Either the current book will wear out and 2.3lb will become enough or someone will find a way to make less weight, more sturdy.

The worst part is spending all that $ only to have the battery wear out with no easy way to change it.

If Sony had better customer service or if the pro 11 were sold at a store that provides it like Best Buy or Microsoft Store I'd give it a try. With all the Sony stores closing down it doesn't bode well for Sony products in the future.
 
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ElectronGuru

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The worst part is spending all that $ only to have the battery wear out with no easy way to change it.

If Sony had better customer service or if the pro 11 were sold at a store that provides it like Best Buy or Microsoft Store I'd give it a try. With all the Sony stores closing down it doesn't bode well for Sony products in the future.

You needn't feel guilty for not choosing Sony if Sony is missing the mark, they are missing the mark.

I was in the audience when Steve introduced MBA to the world. It was limited, underpowered, and expensive. There was plenty of talk over whether consumers would make the switch. Not only did they, but those same features (unibody, slab battery, ssd) are now standard on thick notebooks as well.

Things have gotten a lot better, but getting that thin still requires a bunch of things be added and bunch of things be removed. Among them is packaged batteries. There are just to many size and weight advantages to sealed/slabbed batteries not to use them.

Choose a company with good battery swap program, including shipment and national location options.
 

recDNA

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But the battery isn't even user accessible is it?

Btw, after the Atari my first real computer (had to write my own software and save it on audio cassettes) was an Apple 2e, then gs, than some kind of Mac (I think it was Le) that could use Appleworks files from gs. I used to like Apples but some of the online stuff I work with is not Mac friendly. Not Android friendly either. Back in the day I used to write my own programs in Applesoft Basic. Actually FORTRAN was the first language I used. Believe it or not I used punch cards. One card out of order and hours of work down the drain.
 
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