Matthew Elliott,
Section Editor
March 28, 2007
Fluorescent lamps likely power your laptop's LCD display. The next laptop you buy may offer a brighter image with richer colors and better contrast, a thinner design, and longer battery life thanks to LED backlights. We've tested ultraportables from Fujitsu and Sony that feature LED-backlit displays and have been impressed with the image quality, the sleek designs, and--particularly with the VAIO models--the battery life they deliver.
Both Apple and HP are supposedly close to introducing LED-backlit laptops, but Sony was the first to offer such a model when it released the VAIO TXN15 last year. We've since reviewed its follow-up, the TXN17. And earlier this month, Fujitsu joined the LED-backlit party with the LifeBook P7230. (Sony has another ultraportable, the VAIO SZ series, that also features LED backlights.)
Until a better battery technology comes along that improves upon the life the ol' lithium ion affords, LED backlights look like your best bet for keeping your laptop running longer between charges. Hopefully we'll see this technology appear on more laptops, including models larger than ultraportables.
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