What is an ultrabook laptop?

Have you heard of ultrabooks yet? These are the new breed of efficient and highly portable laptops powered by Intel processors. As most of these computers run Microsoft's operating system, you can think of them as the Windows versions of Apple's wafer-thin MacBook Air.

What makes an ultrabook?
Because Intel coined the term back in 2011, it's only natural for all ultrabooks (made by various brands and manufacturers) to have innards from the company. Aside from using an Intel processor, a laptop is an ultrabook if it:

• is super thin and is less than 0.8" in depth 
• has an ultra-fast start-up speed
• offers at least five hours of battery life on a single charge 
• uses an energy-efficient solid state drive (SSD) for its internal storage 
• is encased in a metal unibody chassis

These criteria aren't set in stone, and features can differ. Also, as the ultrabook category is new, we're bound to see its definition change and expand over time.

A new contender
If you need a portable computer but find regular laptops too chunky and heavy to carry around, ultrabooks could be the more suitable choice for you. The first batch of ultrabooks released in 2011 all weigh 3 lb. or less and have displays measuring 13"at most, while maintaining the storage capacities of usual computers. Those of you who prefer larger screens don't need to feel left out, either — some larger models are slated for release in 2012, such as the 15" Samsung Series 9, which still tips the scale at a very light 2.88 lb. Unlike standard laptops, though, ultrabooks have to sacrifice disk drives in order to achieve their level of thinness.

You may also want to check out an ultrabook if you're currently on the fence about getting a tablet. Sure, an ultrabook is a bit thicker than a pita-bread-thin slate like the iPad, but it comes with a keyboard and runs a full-fledged computer operating system. Many programs for regular Windows laptop or desktop computers will work on an ultrabook, too. And if you type a lot, the keyboard on an ultrabook is obviously a huge plus.

Is battery life your biggest concern? Current ultrabooks can last anywhere from five to nine hours, although units to be released in 2013 promise to last up to 24 hours on a single charge. A downside to ultrabooks is that they rely on wifi and don't have 3G or 4G mobile internet connections like tablets do. You can always use a mobile hotspot device, though, and some models have ethernet ports that you can use to connect to a wired network. And let's not forget that several ultrabooks have other ports (like USB ports) that tablets don't usually have. 

The future of ultrabooks

• Touchscreen capability Future ultrabook iterations will run Windows 8 with touch integration. This means we'll get tablet / laptop hybrids, such as the Asus Transformer and Transformer Prime. In fact, Lenovo already demonstrated its own convertible device at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Called IdeaPad Yoga, its touchscreen display flips on top of the keyboard so you can use it as a slate.
• Near Field Communication (NFC) integration Some manufacturers will equip their ultrabooks with NFC chips that will give users the capacity to pay for goods and services using their devices. A good example is the upcoming 14" HP Spectre, which has a mirror-like black Gorilla Glass lid that lends it an extra layer of protection.
• Voice command In the future, ultrabooks will feature voice command recognition that you can use to tweet and check your calendar, among other functions. It won't be a basic voice recognition feature, either — ultrabooks will be given a natural voice they can use to interact with users, similar to Apple's Siri.
• Kinect-like capacity Like the Microsoft Kinect, ultrabooks will be able to interpret gestures through their cameras, which is something that can be used for games.

Pricing and availability
If you're not totally sure you want an ultrabook, you may be better holding off until you have more options — especially since some of them don't come cheap. While several units like the Acer Aspire 3951 have relatively affordable sub-$1,000 price tags, fancier ones can cost as much as the 13" MacBook Air.

A slew of these waifish computers will hit the market this year, and that may lead to cheaper ultrabooks coming out. Older devices could also drop in price as more advanced models become available. Of course, you have no choice but to wait if you want any of the ultrabooks' upcoming features. Set periodic reminders for yourself so you can check up on the growth of this new type of personal computer.

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