Mobile devices: a buyer's guide
Published: 26 Sep 2007
Notebooks, tablets and UMPCs
Notebooks come in many shapes and sizes, each with their particular advantages and disadvantages. Although the smallest notebooks are the most portable, they also have smaller keyboards and displays, fewer features and slower performance than their bulkier brethren. Conversely, higher-spec notebooks are generally harder to carry and take up more space on your desk and in your bag. So until the perfect portable computer is made, you'll have to sacrifice something: think about what's most important to you — computing power, a complete set of features, long battery life, good looks, a small form factor or a low price.
Ultraportable notebooks
The smallest, most lightweight notebooks are called 'ultraportables'. Their compact form factor is crucial for people who need to have a computer with them all the time, especially mobile professionals. What you gain in portability, however, you usually give up in terms of weaker performance, smaller keyboards and displays and fewer features. What's more, ultraportable notebooks almost always carry a premium price tag. Still, a compact, lightweight profile can make all the difference if you spend a lot of time on the road.
Weight 2kg or less
Size less than 2.5cm thick
Display smaller than 14in. (diagonal)
Processor slower, low-voltage mobile CPUs; some dual-core models
Features fewer ports and connections; 60GB-120GB hard drive
Networking LAN, modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (optional), WWAN (optional)
Miscellaneous small keyboard and touchpad; may lack an internal optical drive
Price range start at ~£600; fully loaded £1,200 and up
See the latest ultraportable notebook reviews
Thin-and-light notebooks
A thin-and-light notebook offers an optimal combination of portability, performance, features and cost. Power-tuned mobile processors deliver enough power to keep you working smoothly, and unlike ultraportables, most thin-and-lights have a bigger keyboard and display, a larger hard drive and a built-in optical drive. They're more expensive than slightly larger, heavier 'mainstream' notebooks, but if you need maximum productivity in a portable package, this is the best choice.
Weight 2-3kg
Size ~2.5cm thick
Display 12in.-14in. (diagonal), probably wide-screen
Processor mid-range to fast dual-core CPUs
Features most ports and connections; 80GB-120GB hard drive; optical drive
Networking LAN, modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (optional), WWAN (optional)
Miscellaneous small keyboard and touchpad
Price range start at ~£400; fully loaded £800 and up
See the latest thin-and-light notebook reviews
Tablet PCs and UMPCs
Usually comparable in size and weight to ultraportable or thin-and-light notebooks, Tablet PCs let you take handwritten notes and navigate menus, documents and web pages using a stylus directly on-screen. The most common type is the convertible tablet, which looks much like traditional notebook but has a display that swivels 180 degrees and folds flat over the keyboard. Slate tablets, on the other hand, lack keyboards — they're all screen. The smallest tablets, Ultra-Mobile PCs, bridge the gap between handheld and ultraportable, with 7in. touch-screen displays and enhanced media player features.
Weight usually 2kg or less, with some slates weighing as little as 1kg; UMPCs weigh less than 1kg
Size less than 2.5cm thick
Display 12in. (diagonal) or smaller touch-screen; UMPCs generally have 7in. screens
Processor moderate-speed mobile CPUs
Features fewer ports and connections; 30GB-60GB hard drive
Networking LAN, modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (optional), WWAN (optional)
Miscellaneous Windows Vista or XP Tablet Edition; handwriting recognition software
Price range start at ~£600; superior models cost closer to £1,200
See the latest Tablet PC and UMPC reviews
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