Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8700, 2.53GHz, 160GB HDD)

The smallest, most lightweight laptops are called ultraportables. Their compact form factor is crucial for people who need to have their PC with them all the time, especially frequent business travelers. What you gain in portability, however, you usually give up in terms of weaker performance, smaller keyboards and displays, and fewer features. And what's more, ultraportable laptops almost always carry a premium price tag. Still, a compact, lightweight profile can make all the difference if you spend a lot of time on the road.

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See more Ultraportable laptop computer products

If you spend a lot of time on the road, size and weight are the two most critical factors in choosing a new notebook computer--even if it means sacrificing a little on performance and features. The smallest and lightest notebooks, ultraportables, weigh less than four pounds and are no thicker than a spiral-bound notebook.

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Ready for Windows 7?

If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:

• -1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• -1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• -16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• -DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:

• -Internet access (fees may apply)
• -Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware
• -For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required
• -Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
• -HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7
• -DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive
• -BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
• -BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive
• -Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on
• -Music and sound require audio output

from windows.microsoft.com

Home users are increasingly turning to notebook computers as their primary PCs, as they like that laptops can offer similar performance and features to those of a desktop PC, and can be easily moved from room to room. Though of course almost any notebook computer will do for typical home use, there are two types of laptops most suitable for home users: mid-size notebooks, which tend to be budget-friendly, and desktop replacements, which are usually packed with features.

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Students and others on a tight budget should look for a cheap laptop computer that delivers the most bang for the buck. In particular, students need a notebook that is small and light enough to lug back and forth across campus but rugged enough to withstand bouncing around in a backpack.

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