Top Mini Laptops - Best mini notebooks ever
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch) ($819.00)
THE GOOD While minor, the small
upgrade to the stock CPU in Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air results in improved
performance. The multitouch trackpad is still the industry's best, and even
better, the 13-inch Air now starts at $999, which is $100 less than the
previous model.
THE BAD Newer features such as touchscreens and
higher-resolution displays are still missing. The ultrabook competition is
catching up, in terms of design.
THE BOTTOM LINE If you own a MacBook Air from the past couple of years there's
really no need to upgrade, but a small spec bump and minor price cut make the
most-current Air even more attractive.
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Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, 2014)
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Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2014)
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Lenovo Yoga 2 (13-inch)
|
|
|
Price as reviewed
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$899
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$999
|
$899
|
|
Display size/resolution
|
11.6-inch 1,366 x
768 screen
|
13.3-inch 1,440 x
900 screen
|
13.3-inch 1,920 x
1,080 touch screen
|
|
PC CPU
|
1.4GHz Intel Core
i5 4260U
|
1.4GHz Intel Core
i5 4260U
|
1.6GHz Intel Core
i5 4200
|
|
PC Memory
|
4GB 1,600MHZ DDR3
SDRAM
|
4GB 1,600MHZ DDR3
SDRAM
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4GB DDR3 SDRAM
1600MHz
|
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Graphics
|
1,536MB (shared)
Intel HD Graphics 5000
|
1,536MB (shared)
Intel HD Graphics 5000
|
1,792MB (shared)
Intel HD Graphics 4400
|
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Storage
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128GB SSD
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128GB SSD
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500GB+16GD SSHD
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|
Optical drive
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
Networking
|
802.11a/c wireless,
Bluetooth 4.0
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802.11a/c wireless,
Bluetooth 4.0
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802.11b/g/n
wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
|
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Operating system
|
OSX 10.9.3
Mavericks
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OSX 10.9.3
Mavericks
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Windows 8.1
(64-bit)
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Lenovo Yoga 2 13 (Price = $999.00)
THE GOOD The Lenovo Yoga 2 13
is an excellent ultrabook combined with the flexibility of fully rotating
hinges giving you the feel of a regular well-constructed laptop as well as
other positions to take advantage of Window 8.1 and the 1080p touchscreen.
THE BAD Few ports and connections and its 802.11n
Wi-Fi means you're not getting the latest and greatest. Somewhat heavy to use
as a hand-held tablet.
THE BOTTOM LINE If you can't quite afford the Yoga 2 Pro but still want a
full-time laptop and a part-time tablet, the 13-inch Lenovo Yoga 2 is an
excellent choice.
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Lenovo Yoga 2 (13-inch)
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Lenovo Yoga 2 (11-inch)
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Microsoft Surface Pro 3
|
|
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Price as reviewed
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$900 (£700)
|
$450 (£470)
|
$1300 (£1,109)
|
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Display size/resolution
|
13-inch 1,920 x
1,080 touchscreen
|
11.6-inch 1,366 x
768 touchscreen
|
12-inch, 2,160 x
1,440 touchscreen
|
|
PC CPU
|
1.6GHz Intel Core
i5 4200U
|
2.16GHz Intel
Pentium N3520
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1.9GHz Intel Core
i5 4300U
|
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PC Memory
|
4GB DDR3 SDRAM
1600MHz
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4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333
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8GB DDR3 SDRAM
1600MHz
|
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Graphics
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1792MB (shared)
Intel HD Graphics 4400
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32MB Intel HD
Graphics
|
1792MB (shared)
Intel HD Graphics 4400
|
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Storage
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500GB 5,400rpm
+16GB SSHD
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500GB 5,400rpm HD
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256GB SSD
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Optical drive
|
None
|
None
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None
|
|
Networking
|
802.11b/g/n
wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
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802.11b/g/n
wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
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802.11a/c wireless,
Bluetooth 4.0
|
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Operating system
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Windows 8.1
(64-bit)
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Windows 8.1
(64-bit)
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Windows 8.1
(64-bit)
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Toshiba Kirabook ($1889.99)
THE GOOD The slim, lightweight Toshiba Kirabook still feels very
premium, and it deserves credit for being one of the first Windows laptops to
feature a better-than-HD display. Thanks to an updated CPU, battery life is now
good enough for all-day use.
THE BAD Higher-res screens are more common now,
and available for less. The generic brushed-metal look isn't particularly
distinctive given the price.
THE BOTTOM LINE The design of Toshiba's high-end Kirabook hasn't changed since
last year, but it has aged gracefully. The components get an update and the
battery life gets a big boost, making this an all-around excellent, but
expensive, ultrabook.
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Toshiba Kirabook 13-i7s (2014)
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Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus
|
||
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Price
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$1,699
|
$1,399
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$1,499
|
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Display size/resolution
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13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 touch screen
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13.3-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 touch screen
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13.3 -inch, 2,560 x 1,600 screen
|
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PC CPU
|
1.8GHz Intel Core i7-4500U
|
1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U
|
2.4Ghz Intel Core i5 4258U
|
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PC Memory
|
8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz
|
8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz
|
8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz
|
|
Graphics
|
1792MB (shared) Intel HD Graphics 4400
|
1749MB (shared) Intel HD Graphics 4400
|
1GB Intel Iris Graphics
|
|
Storage
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256GB SSD hard drive
|
128GB SSD hard drive
|
256GB SSD
|
|
Optical drive
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
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Networking
|
802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
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802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
|
802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
|
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Operating system
|
OS X Mavericks 10.9
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Acer Chromebook 13 ($353.57)
THE GOOD The Acer Chromebook
has a slim design, a high-res 13-inch screen, and a fast Nvidia K1 processor
for a graphics and battery boost over other Chromebooks.
THE BAD Like other Chromebooks, offline
functionality is extremely limited. The large screen lacks touch input, and the
ARM processor presents some compatibility issues, even with online Chrome apps.
THE BOTTOM LINE One of the nicer-looking and better-performing Chrome OS systems,
the 13-inch Acer Chromebook adds some zip by ditching Intel for an Nvidia
processor, but also hits a few issues with popular Chrome apps.
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Acer Chromebook 13
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Lenovo Yoga 11e Chromebook
|
HP Pavilion Chromebook 14
|
|
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Price as reviewed
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$299
|
$459
|
$1,099
|
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Display size/resolution
|
13-inch, 1,920x1,080
screen
|
11-inch, 1,366x768
touchscreen
|
14-inch 1,366x768
screen
|
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PC CPU
|
Nvidia Tegra K1
(armV7)
|
1.83GHz Intel
Celeron N2930
|
1.10GHz Intel
Celeron 847
|
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PC Memory/Internal storage
|
2GB RAM/16GB SSD
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4GB RAM/16GB SSD
|
4GB RAM/16GB SSD
|
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Networking
|
802.11ac
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802.11ac
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802.11a/b/g/n
|
|
Operating system
|
Chrome OS
|
Chrome OS
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Chrome OS
|
HP Spectre 13 x2 ($1099.99)
THE GOOD The HP Spectre 13 x2 converts into a large
13-inch tablet with a full 1080p display. The system is reasonably priced, and
has a decent selection of ports on the keyboard base.
THE BAD The combined hybrid body is awkwardly
top-heavy, and the touch pad isn't sensitive enough for easy all-day use.
THE BOTTOM LINE A rare larger-screen hybrid, the HP Spectre x2 aims to be both a
portable laptop and a video-friendly slate. The price is right, but the design
feels awkward and the wonky touch pad makes it hard to use as a full-time laptop.
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HP Spectre 13 X2
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Acer Aspire S7- 392-6411
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Dell XPS 12
|
|
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Price
|
$1,189
|
$1,399
|
$1,199
|
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Display size/resolution
|
13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 touch screen
|
13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 touch screen
|
13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 touch screen
|
|
PC CPU
|
1.6GHz Intel Core i5 4202Y
|
1.6GHz Intel Core i5 4200U
|
1.6GHz Intel Core i5 4200U
|
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PC Memory
|
4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz
|
4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz
|
4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz
|
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Graphics
|
1792MB Intel HD Graphics 4200
|
128MB Intel HD Graphics 4400
|
1745MB Intel HD Graphics 4400
|
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Storage
|
128GB SSD hard drive
|
128GB SSD hard drive
|
128GB SSD hard drive
|
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Optical drive
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
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Networking
|
802.11 AC WLAN and Bluetooth
|
802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
|
802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
|
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Operating system
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Windows 8 (64-bit)
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Windows 8 (64-bit)
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