Ultrabook Definition and Features You Need to Know

We all know that basically there are two types of computers for individuals. One is a Desktop or a Personal Computer(PC) and the other, a portable one, is a laptop. With the evolution of technology and the latest innovations in computing devices, there are now sub-categories of these basic personal computers. The Laptops are further categorized as Palmtops, Netbooks, Notebooks, and Ultrabooks. All have the same basic specification that includes a screen, keyboard, mouse/tracking device, storage device, and a battery. The difference between them is the overall size, speed, battery life, weight, and most importantly cost.

What is an Ultrabook (Definition)

Ultrabooks are ultra-portable when it comes to size and weight. They are sleek and compact weighing less than 3 pounds. The ultrabook was designed and invented by various laptop vendors as a competition to sleek MacBooks from Apple. They are available in sizes that range from 11 inches to 14 inches. Ultrabooks are equipped with ultra-fast solid state drives (SSD) for quick booting of the operating system and a battery backup of at least five hours.

Features of Ultrabook

Keyboard

An ultrabook normally comes with a flat keyboard without the numeric keypad. To give it a slim profile there are no tactile or raised keys. The keyboard usually is of high quality and designed to last long for any kind of rough usage.

Display screens

The screen of an ultra-book is slim and normally have a thickness less than 0.85 inches. The diagonal sizes range from 11” to 14”. You also get the option of touchscreen from various Ultrabook manufacturers.

Battery Backup

The conventional laptops come with a standard battery backup of 3 to 4 hours. The ultrabook, on the other hand, provides a battery backup from 5 to 12 hours. Ultrabook manufacturers use Lithium Polymer batteries which are more compact instead of traditional lithium-ion batteries that are still used in laptops.

Design and construction

The Ultrabooks are designed while keeping in view that the weight must be as low as possible. The body is usually made of lightweight material like aluminum and consist of a ‘unibody’ frame. The Ultrabook designs are sleek and eye-catching but at the same time, you need to handle them with care. The thinner screen is sensitive and hinges are also delicate.

Speed

The Ultrabooks are faster when compared to laptops. They are equipped with SSD rather than mechanical hard drives. The SSDs consist of flash memory chips and do not have any motors or platters of the traditional hard disk drive. The SSD consumes less power, faster data access and compact in size. The Ultrabooks are either having a single SSD or a hybrid of SSD and mechanical HDD.

Cost

The cost of an Ultrabook is higher than a conventional laptop since the components used in the Ultrabook are of better and high-end technology. The CPU, SSD or screens used in the Ultrabooks consume lesser power, offering the high performance at the same time.

Internal Hardware

The hardware has all the basic components that include speakers, USB ports, HDMI port, Ethernet port, RAM slots, Wi-Fi chip, graphics chip, battery, card reader, screen cables, CPU, heat sink and CPU fan. The major difference laptop hardware and Ultrabook hardware is the absence of DVD writer in Ultrabooks. As already explained, there is SSD in place of HDD and a Li-Polymer battery instead of Li-Ion battery.

Best Selling Ultrabooks

Final Verdict

So, if you are a frequent traveler or a student, you must seriously consider buying an Ultrabook instead of a laptop. These are easy to carry, good performance and stunning looks to impress others around you. Apart from great designs, the Ultrabooks are far more quick in booting and offer longer battery backups than laptops.