Laptop profiles: The Lightweight

Profile: The Lightweight

Less is more for the Lightweight, who can handle only a few pounds before becoming overburdened. Eschewing bloated feature sets and vast screens, the Lightweight just wants the smallest, lightest laptop possible: an ultraportable.

Not that he or she will give up a keyboard completely; rather than thumb-typing brief missives on a UMPC, Lightweights prefer a traditional laptop form factor with a 10-, 11-, or 12-inch screen. With that much emphasis on compact dimensions, users can expect to make some sacrifices--those small screens and compact keyboards might not be ideal for long stretches of work. A case that small also requires a low-voltage or ultralow-voltage processor, such as the Intel Core 2 Duo L7200 or U7600, which won't deliver the performance oomph of more full-size systems. The quest for longer battery life requires power-efficient integrated graphics, and ultraportables remain one of the last outposts for slow 4,200rpm hard drives.

But Lightweights are willing to make these trade-offs--and even pay a premium--for a laptop they can carry day in and day out for long stretches without shoulder soreness setting in. Frequent flyers also appreciate the ability of an ultraportable to fit on a coach tray-table while leaving room for a ginger ale and a minibag of pretzels.

Key specs:
Weight: 3.5 pounds or less
Screen size: 12 inches or less
Thickness: 1 inch or less

• Ultralow-voltage processors, such as the Intel Core 2 Duo U7600, or low-voltage processors, such as the Intel Core 2 Duo L7200.
• Integrated graphics
• Hard drive capacities ranging from 80GB to 120GB; some at slower, 4,200rpm speeds

• Keyboard may be small
• Small screen size makes juggling multiple windows a chore
• Power-efficient components deliver only enough performance for typical office work
• May lack an optical drive

Product picks:

Name	Starting price	Screen size	Dimensions (width by depth by height)	Weight
Lenovo ThinkPad X61s	$1,200	12.1 inches	10.5x8.3x0.3-1.1 inches	3.4 pounds
Sony VAIO TZ150N/B	$2,299	11.1 inches	10.9x7.8x0.8-1.2 inches	2.7 pounds
Toshiba Portege R500	$1,999	12.1 inches	11.1x8.5x0.8-1.0 inches	2.4 pounds
Fujitsu LifeBook P7230	$1,599	10.6 inches	10.7x7.9x1.1-1.2 inches	2.6 pounds