How Do the Latest Ultrabooks From CES 2012 Measure Up? ~ Pare News

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If there was a star product from CES 2012, it was the Ultrabook.

Not excited? It’s hard to blame you — the whole move toward slim, lightweight laptops that actually perform well is essentially an outgrowth of Apple’s MacBook Air line of laptops, introduced four years ago this week.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a healthy amount of innovation going on in Ultrabooks, and some manufacturers really wowed us with great designs.

On the other hand, some fell flat. Part of the reason is that Intel — who created and owns the Ultrabook trademark — has been pretty loose with its definition of what an Ultrabook is. Although the chip maker outlined the key qualities that all Ultrabooks should share, some manufacturers are skirting the edges of those specifications, and arguably stretching them.

To qualify as an Ultrabook, Intel says the laptop in question should:

Have a thin and light design that measures less than 21 mm (0.83 inch) at its thickest point.
Include ultra-fast start-up, which can include Intel Rapid Start Tech or third-party solutions.
Go from hibernate to keyboard interaction in 7 seconds or less, waking up from sleep “much, much faster.”
Offer between 5 and 8 hours of battery life, even in the sleekest form factor.
Include features that help protect itself and its user, including Intel Anti-Theft Tech.
Be powered by Intel Core processors.

In addition, it’s become the norm for Ultrabooks to incorporate an solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a traditional hard disk. A few recent designs have skipped the SSD, though, to achieve a key feature or reach a low price point. And in a market that was expected to get crowded very quickly, some manufacturers have turned to novel or proprietary technologies to differentiate themselves.

There’s also some variation in form factor, though consumers have yet to indicate whether they’re ready for a laptop that “transforms” into a tablet.

More than a half-dozen Ultrabooks were unveiled at CES this year, with even more concept designs were present. We’re giving each one a closer look, sizing up what it brings to the table so you can better decide if it’s worth your attention, or if you should simply wait for something better. After all, Intel’s next-generation Ivy Bridge processors on the horizon, and you can bet we’ll be seeing even more innovative designs in the months and years to come.

Browse the gallery below for how the latest Ultrabooks break down, and let us know your thoughts on them in the comments.

Acer Aspire S5

The skinny:
Claiming to be the "world's thinnest" Ultrabook, the Acer Aspire S5 measures just 0.68 inches at its thickest point and weighs just 3 pounds. It has a 13.3-inch screen.

Interesting feature:
Besides its überthinness, the S5 also boasts next-generation connectivity with a Thunderbolt port, with provides a high-speed connection to peripherals. Acer's Always Connect tech keeps the machine logged into services when it goes to sleep, and you can wake it up via smartphone.

Potential roadblock:
The price, which is currently unknown.

Bottom line:
The Aspire S5's thickness certainly comes in well under Intel's guidelines. If it can perform the same trick with the price, Acer will have scored a home run.

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: Acer, CES, CES 2012, dell, HP, intel, lenovo, LG, samsung, Top Stories, Ultrabooks