Lenovo IdeaPad S300 and S400

Lenovo has released two new slim notebooks, the Lenovo IdeaPad S300 and the S400. Both models are impressively thin a 0.8 inches at the thickest point and weighs in a just 4 pounds. This makes it lighter than a MacBook Pro, and almost as light as premium laptops like the Sony Vaio S.

Both the S300 and S400 come with the all the connectivity options which you would expect in a current laptop like USB 3.0, HDMI out, Bluetooth, WiFi and a card reader. Both laptops come with 500 GB hard drives.

The S300 is the lower end model priced at just Php21,995 (without an OS). It comes with a 13.3-inch HD (1366 x 766) display with 1.6 GHz with an Intel Pentium 997 processor, Intel HD 2000 graphcis, and 2 GB of RAM.

More interesting is the S400, which costs a bit more at Php24,995. The S400 has a larger 14-inch HD (1366 x 766) display and slightly larger as the S300. The S400 also comes with a faster 1.4 GHz with an Intel Core i3 2365-M processor, faster Intel HD 3000 graphics, and double the RAM at 4 GB of RAM.

Both laptops come in silver grey, with the S400 also being available in crimson red, and the S300 also coming in pink.

Lenovo IdeaPad S206 - A Bit Underpowered

I am very fond of Lenovo laptops. IBM Thinkpads were know for their keyboards, and after acquiring IBM, Lenovo continued this tradition. So I look at each new Lenovo offering with a bit of interest. The latest new offering is the Lenovo IdeaPad S206, which is a 11.6-inch laptop. An 11.6-inch laptop is the smallest size which I find comfortable, as the 11.6-inch form factor allows for full sized keyboards. The best netbooks, with their 10.1-inch displays have keyboard which are 89% to 94% of the size of a full sized keyboard. 

The display of the Lenovo IdeaPad S206 is priced at Php17,990. It has a HD display, the typical 1366 x 768 you find in most of todays laptops. A 0.3 MP webcam is fixed on the top of the lid. For storage you have a 320 GB hard drive and a 2-in-1 card reader. For ports you had a HDMI port, a USB 2.0 port, and a USB 3.0 port. Nothing missing here. As an operating system, you get Windows 7 Home Basic, which is a pleasant surprise. A lot of laptops at this price come with Windows 7 Starter. Unfortunately, I have no word on the battery used.

But there is an area of concern. This laptop is powered by an AMD C-60 APU with a dual core 1.3 GHz processor. Performance is pretty meager. CPU Mark benchmarks give it a score of 557 points, which is at the same level as the higher end Atom netbook processors.

This is substantially slower than the performance of AMD E-450 based systems, which we have been recommending for the past year for those looking for a low cost portable.

Making the AMD C-60 seem even more anemic, is the fact that the AMD E-450 has been phased out by the newer AMD E2-1800 which is a tad bit faster.

When you look at the Lenovo S206 as against the Asus X401U, with its faster APU E2-1800 and larger 500 GB hard drive, for Php18,990 the Asus looks like a better deal. But the Asus X401U does have a larger 14-inch display so it is not really a direct competitor.

While a little hard to find, the 11.6-inch Acer TravelMate B133 is a much better deal with its Intel Celeron B877 processor which is priced at Php16,999 with Linux installed. The Intel Celeron B877 is the best processor in the budget class.

HP DM1-4209AU E-1200

The HP Pavillion DM1-4209AU, the successor to the HP Pavillion DM1-4000AU, is now available in the Philippines. The HP DM1 is a small light 11.6-inch laptop which was launched last year with AMD Fusion APU's or Intel Core i3 processors.

The latest version sports a AMD’s newest Fusion APU, this one coming with a lower end dual-core CPU E-1200. This has a 1.4GHz dual core processor and Radeon HD 7310 graphics processing unit. At the outset the choice of the lower end chipset is disappointing. The AMD E-1200 will not perform better that last year AMD E-450 powered HP Pavillion DM1-4000AU. Also missing from HP DM1-4209AU is a USB 3.0 port.  

Notably, the HP DM1-4209AU competitor is  the new 11.6-inch Sony Vaio E with a faster AMD E2-1800 APU which has a dual core 1.7 GHz processor, more powerful AMD Radeon 7340 graphics and has a USB 3.0 port.

The HP DM1-4209AU at Php20,950 is cheaper than  the 11.6-inch Sony Vaio E which costs Php23,990. The HP DM1-4209AU also comes with a larger 500 GB hard drive, as compared to the 320 GB unit found in the 11.6-inch Sony Vaio E. On the other hand the 11.6-inch Sony Vaio E comes with Windows 7 Home Premium, while the  HP DM1-4209AU comes with Windows 7 Starter.

The new HP DM1-4209AU is not a bad deal for its asking price. But for a little more money, 11.6-inch Sony Vaio E is the more capable device. The HP DM1-4209AU is also not better than last years HP DM1-4000AU.

All in all, I am a bit disappointed about this release.

Quick Specs:

• Windows 7 Starter
• 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 display)
• 2GB of RAM
• 500GB hard drive
• 802.11b/g/n wireless
• Bluetooth 2.1
• USB 2.0
• HDMI out
• 3.5 pounds
• 5 hours battery

Lenovo Ideapad U310 Ultrabook

Lenovo refreshed IdeaPad Ultrabook is now in the market. The Lenovo Ideapad U310 Ultrabook is a replacement for the Lenovo U300e. The new offering sports a new Ivy Bridge processor and a Php10,000 price cut. The new Lenovo U310 priced at Php39,990. Priced to challenge the 13-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabooks.

Quick specifications:

• 13.3” HD LED anti-glare display
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
• 3rd generation Intel Core i3-3217UM Processor (dual core 1.8 GHz)
• Intel HD 4000
• 4GB DDR3 memory
• 320GB SATA HDD 5400rpm with 32 GB Express Cache
• 2-in-1 card reader
• and 2 x 3.0 USB and 1 x 2.0 USB 
• HDMI, 
• 1MP HD webcam
• 3 cell Li-ion battery (rated for 7 hours, tested at over 5 hours ) 

Off hand, I can tell you that it is not going to be our favorite at this price range. The 320 GB hard drive is smaller than the 500 GB hard drives found in similarly prized laptops. More worrisome is the weight.  The Lenovo U310 weighs in at 3.7 pounds, even heavier than the U300e it replaces. Compared to other 13.3-inch laptops 3.7 pounds is not bad. The 13.3-inch MacBook Pro weighs in at 4.5 pounds, while the Sony Vaio S comes in at 3.8 pounds.

Compared to other 13-inch Ultrabooks which comes in at the 2.9 to 3.2 pounds, the 3.7 pound Lenovo is heavy by comparison. At this price, and if nearly four pounds in weight is okay with you, HP's new slim Envy's look a lot more interesting. 

Still, Lenovo's have good keyboards, so you should at least give this one a look.

Quarter 2012 3 Ultimate Ultraportable Buyers Guide (Php50,000+)

Do you have deep pockets? These days buying the ultimate ultraportable (4 pounds or less) laptop costs a lot less than you think. A few years ago, getting one of these ultra thin and ultra light laptops would set you back over Php100,000. Today, nothing we recommend even comes close to that price. In our previous entry level and mid-priced guides we focused on price. In this one we will focus on features. 

11-inch business ultraportable: Apple MacBook Air - Php52,990 (128 GB)

Where do we start. The 11.6-inch ultraportable is a good place. This form factor is something focused more for the frequent flyer. The 11.6-inch size  fits nicely on the tray of an airplane seat.

If you want the ultimate 11-inch ultraportable, you do not have to go too far. Right now, there really is little reason to consider anything other than Apple's MacBook Air. The 11-inch MacBook Air really only has one competitor, the 11-inch Asus UX21. I have not seen the upgraded Ivy Bridge version in the local market yet. So if you want an 11-incher, my advice is get the MacBook Air, or wait for a newer Asus UX21.

Quick specifications

• OS: Mac OSX
• Display: 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-3317U (dual core 1.7 GHz)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 128 GB SSD

• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: No
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: Backlit keyboard
• Battery: 5 hour battery

So back to the Air. It is just 2.5-pounds in weight, making it easy to carry. The Ivy Bridge Core i5 1.7 GHz processor and 4GB of RAM is sufficiently powerful for anything you would normally do with a 11-inch laptop. The 128 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) storage is not large, but should be big enough to hold what you need on a daily basis. SSD's are wickedly fast, and at this price point, I really want an SSD. The rest of your files will have to go to a external drive.

It has a good backlit keyboard and a nice display. The only thing I miss is the absence of a HDMI port.

The main weakness of this package is the, so so, five hour battery life.

Excellent business ultraportable: 13-inch Apple MacBook Air - Php57,990 (128 GB)

Two years ago my dream laptop was a 13-inch laptop weighing in at 3 pounds of less with an SSD drive. I was dreaming of a Sony Vaio Z, but it is was the MacBook Air which came out in late 2010 with a steep cut in its price making it a viable option. Today, the 13-inch MacBook Air is 10-15% cheaper than it was late in 2010, making it a better deal than ever.

Quick specifications

• OS: Mac OSX
• Display: 13.3-inch (1440 x 900 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-3427U (dual core 1.8 GHz)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 128 GB SSD

• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: No
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: Backlit keyboard
• Battery: 7 hour battery

The 13.3-inch MacBook is larger and heavier than the 11.6-inch model, but at three pounds, it is an easy carry. It has a marginally faster processor than the 11.6-inch MacBook Air. But what will make the 13.3-inch more desirable to some buyers is the larger screen making it a more viable for use while on the road or while at home or in the office.

The larger size also allows for a large battery which gives you two hours more battery life than its smaller sibling, and you get an SD Card reader too. In almost two years, I have never used the SD Card reader on my MacBook Air.

The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at Php57,990, or Php5,000 more than the 11.6-inch version. The larger screen and longer battery life are worth the additional 5K, in my opinion. Upgrading to the 256 GB model is more iffy. That is another 15K for double the storage. I use a 256 GB MacBook Air now, but I realized I could live with a 128 GB model easily enough. Either way, you probably will store most of your archived files in a external drive anyway.

Excellent business Ultrabooks for those who need more power - three good choices

#1 Asus Zenbook UX32VD-R3001V - Php59,990.


Want large storage or more power, Asus is happy to obliged. Asus Zenbook UX32VD-R3001V is similar to the 13-inch MacBook Air but weighs a tab more at 3.2 pounds. It also cost a bit more at Php59,990. It is a good alternative choice if you want more storage or more graphics punch.

Quick specifications

• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 13.3-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-3317U (dual core 1.7 GHz)
• Discrete Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT620M with 1 GB of dedicated RAM
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 500 GB SSD with a 24 GB SSD cache

• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: Backlit keyboard
• Battery: 7 hour battery

The Asus Zenbook UX32VD-R3001V comes with a 500 GB hard drive with a 24 GB SSD cache. While this combo is not as fast as a pure SSD drive, if you want more storage, it is the way to go. Getting a MacBook Air with a 512 GB SSD is possible, but that will cost you all of Php97,990!

In addition the Asus Zenbook UX32VD-R3001V also comes with a Nvidia GeForce GT 620M discrete graphics card with 1 GB of dedicated RAM, making this Ultrabook a pretty decent  gaming platform.

#2 Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook Core i7 (NP530U4C-S03PH) - Php54,990


If you are willing to go a bit larger and heavier, at just over 4 pounds you have the 14-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook Core i7 (NP530U4C-S03PH). This is like a Asus Zenbook UX32 on steriods. You get the same Nvidia GeForce GT 620M discrete graphics card with 1 GB of dedicated RAM, but with a more powerful 1.9 GHz Core i7-3157UM processor. You also get more RAM. For storage you get 1 terabyte of storage. All this for Php5,000 less.

Quick specifications

• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-3157UM (dual core 1.9 GHz)
• Discrete Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT620M with 1 GB of dedicated RAM
• RAM: 6 GB
• Storage: 1 TB hard drive with a 24 GB SSD cache

• Optical drive: Yes
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: No
• Battery: 8 cell battery

If not for the 4 pound weight, we would not even consider the Asus Zenbook UX32VD-R3001V.

#3 Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A-R4003V - Php69,990

The Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A-R4003V is a fairly expensive notebook. Instead of the 50K+ units we have need looking at this one comes in at Php69,900. But it does boast a 256 GB SSD for storage, and is a lot than its competition with the same large 256 GB SSD drive. The Samsung 9 Series Ultrabooks and the Apple MacBook Air with 256 GB SSD's are priced at Php76,900 and Php72,900, respectively.

Quick specifications

• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 13.3-inch (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-3157UM (dual core 1.9 GHz)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: No
• Battery: 7 hour battery

But it is not just the lower price that makes the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A-R4003V attractive. It comes with either a Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080) display and a fast Intel Core i7-3157UM processor.

Need even more power? Powerful ultraportables - A pair of Vaios'

While the MacBook Air's and Ultrabooks we have looked at are pretty powerful devices, they run on lower powered ultra low voltage processors and lack thing like optical drives.

#1 Sony Vaio S SVS13116FG - Php59,990

The Sony Vaio S is a "full-sized" 13.3-inch which weighs in a just 3.8 pounds. But this is not an ultrabook. I has is powered by the Ivy Bridge based Intel Core i5-3210M processor which runs at 2.5 GHz. This Core i5 processor is a tad bit faster than the Intel Core i7-3157UM you find in the Samsung Series 5 and Asus Zenbook Prime. The Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE (1406 3DMark 11 points), also is much faster than the GT620M's (1026 3D Mark 11 points) on the Samsung Series 5 and Asus UX32VD Zenbook.  So, if none of the Ultrabook's is powerful enough for you. Sony Vaio S will give you what you are looking for. It also has an optical drive.

Quick specifications

• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 13.3-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-3210M (dual core 2.5 GHz)
• Discrete Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE with 1 GB of dedicated RAM
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 640 GB hard drive
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: No
• Battery: 6 hour battery

For graphics, that Sony Vaio S has the standard Intel HD Graphics 4000 plus a Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE with 1 GB of dedicated video memory, so it does not disappoint in terms of graphics power either. Storage is provided by a  640 GB hard drive as compared.

A slice battery is also available for Php8,000, which can double this laptops battery life from six hours, to twelve hours.

#2 Sony Vaio S SVS1315GGB - Php79,990

Last on our list, you have the more powerful Sony Vaio S.

Quick specifications

• OS: Windows 7 Professional
• Display: 13.3-inch (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-3520M (dual core 2.9 GHz)
• Discrete Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE with 2 GB of dedicated RAM
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 759 GB hard drive
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: No
• Battery: 5 hour battery

A sheet battery is also available, which doubles the battery life. 

Quarter 3 2012 Mid-priced Ultraportable Laptop Buyers Guide (Php25K-50K)

Last week we wrote a brief guide for low cost ultraportable laptops priced at less than Php25,000, and recommend four models with sizes ranging from 10.1-inches to 14-inches, and weighing in at 4 pounds or less. Three of them even have the latest connectivity options in the form of USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0. 

This week we will look at what are good options with double the budget, with a range of Php25,000 to Pho50,000.

1. HP Pavillon DM1-4012TU - Php26,900

The HP Pavillon DM1-4012TU is a 11.6-inch Windows laptop. It is an older model running on a Sandy Bridge based Intel Core i3-2367M. In fairness was not my favorite in this category. I prefer the Lenovo Thinkpad e120, in if you can still find one, we would recommend instead.

Still the HP Pavillon DM1-4012TU is a good choice, and with its price having gone down to Php26,990 it is a good choice. It comes with a larger than average 640 GB hard drive and already does have HDMI out. Being an older model, it misses out on some of the new goodies like USB 3.0.

Quick specifications:

• OS: Windows Home Basic (64-bit)
• Display: 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor: Intel Core i3-2367M (dual core 1.4 GHz)
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage: 640 GB hard drive
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1
• Notable Ports: USB 2.0 and HDMI out
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Battery: 6-cell (4400 mAh)

You can find out more about the HP Pavilion DM1 here1. I place it on the list to give an 11.6-inch option. But weighing in a 3.5 pounds, it is not particularly light.  The next on on the list is much better.

2. Samsung Series 5 Slimbook NP535U3C - Php29,900

The Samsung Series 5 NP535U3C has a 13.3-inch display, 0.69-inch case and weighing in at just over 3.3 pounds.  Priced a Php29,900, it is the poor mans Ultrabook or MacBook Air.

Still you wont feel underprivileged running it. The 4 GB of RAM will run Windows 7 nicely. The AMD A6-4455M accelerated processing unit inside is decently powerful, being a tad faster than the Core i3-2367UM in the HP Pavilion DM1 above. The on chip Radeon graphics will even do some 3D gaming.

Look around the case, and you will see a USB 3.0 port and HDMI out. It comes with Bluetooth 4.0. All in all, most users will be happy with this, and not really need anything more powerful.

Quick specifications:

• OS: Windows Home Basic (64-bit)
• Display: 13.3-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor:  AMD A6-4455M (dual core 2.1 GHz) 
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 500 GB hard drive
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and HDMI out
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Battery: 6-cell (4400 mAh)

More info on the Samsung Series 5 NP535U3C at this link.

3. Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook NP530U3C - Php38,900/Php42,900

The Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook NP530U3C is basically an Ultrabook version of the NP535UC3 above. Meaning is has a Intel processor and a hybrid drive. There are two versions, one come with an older Core i3 Sandy Bridge processor, but does have a USB 3.0 port keeping it fresh. The more expensive comes with a new Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor.

Quick specifications:

• OS: Windows Home Basic (64-bit)
• Display: 13.3-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor:  Intel Core i3-2367M (dual core 1.5 GHz) or Core i5-3317U (dual core 1.7 GHz)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 500 GB hard drive plus 24 GB SSD
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and HDMI out
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Battery: 6-cell (6100 mAh)

One interesting thing with this is Samsung is promising its battery can last up to 1,500 cycles (charges and discharges), which is three time that of the typical battery (500 cycles) and double of the MacBook Air (700 cycles).

4. HP Envy Sleekbook 4-1055TX and Ultrabook 4-1054TX - Php40,990/Php44,990

My favorite in the under 50K class are the new HP Envy's, the Sleekbook 4-1055TX and Ultrabook 4-1054TX. The two are 14-inch Intel powered laptops with the only difference between the two being the hard drive. 

The 14-inch display makes them larger than your typical 11 to 13-inch ultraportable. They are relatively light for their size, at just 3.9 pounds. The 0.8-inch thickness should also make for good portability. Still, this is the largest and heaviest in the group.  

Quick specifications:

• OS: Windows Home Premium (64-bit)
• Display: 13.3-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor:  Intel Core i5-3317U (dual core 1.7 GHz)
• Discrete Graphics: AMD Radeon 7670M (2GB of dedicated RAM)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 500 GB hard drive (1055TX) or 

  
  

  500 GB hard drive 

  
  

  plus 32 GB SSD
• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0 and HDMI out
• Card Reader: Yes
• Webcam: Yes
• Battery: 4-cell LiPo

If you are willing to lug around the additional weight you do get one powerful machine which uses the Standard Intel HD graphics for lighter tasks, and has a second video card a AMD Radeon 7670M graphics card for more demanding tasks. To go with the fast video are Beats Audio with a subwoofer. 

5. 11-inch MacBook Air 64 GB - Php47,990

When I initially wrote this post, I did not include the 11-inch MacBook Air with the 64 GB drive, because i felt the 64 GB drive was too small. After sleeping over it, well that is really something for you to decide.


The 11.6-inch MacBook Air is really something nice to carry around. At 2.5 pounds in weight and 0.68-inches in thickness, it really does not weight all that much more, or substantially bulkier, than an iPad with a protective kickstand case. The 11.6-inch display has a 1366 x 768 screen resolution, which is a 16:9 not typical for a Mac, which use 16:10 displays. That really falls under trivia.


This little package packs plenty of power with a 1.7 GHz dual core Core i5 processor and 4 GB of RAM.


Quick specifications

• OS: Mac OSX
• Display: 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution)
• Processor:  Intel Core i5-3317U (dual core 1.7 GHz)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 64 GB SSD

• Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Notable Ports: USB 3.0
• Card Reader: No
• Webcam: Yes
• Others: Backlit keyboard
• Battery: 5 hour battery

In the end, whether this is a good choice or not depends on whether you can live with a 64 GB hard drive. The absence of an SD Card reader makes the small hard drive even more of a issue. I would really recommend getting the model with the 128 GB SSD, but at Php52,990, well that is over our arbitrary 50K limit for this guide.

Is the AMD Trinity mobile chip a game changer?

Tablets are the first serious challenge to the laptops as the top mobile computing platform. In 2011, Intel launched the Ultrabook, a new term coined by Intel for Thin lightweight laptops. The Ultrabook itself is nothing new. Manufacturers have been building ultra thin and light laptops for years, but at a premium price. With the Ultrabook, Intel was pushing for devices similar to these premium offerings with a price point of not higher than US$999.  But Apple's iPad's start at US$399, and Android tablets can cost even less, so laptop manufacturers have targeted an even lower price point for Ultrabook like devices. 

While Ultrabook have been out in the Philippines now for eight months, priced at Php45,000 or higher, the price is too high for the average Philippine consumer. A few months ago, Acer priced one of their Ultrabooks at just below 40K. Still, the go to device for a person looking for a portable computer has been the netbook, the low cost 11.6-inch laptops and tablets. 

Now we have the AMD powered "Ultrabook". An AMD powered laptop cannot properly be considered an Ultrabook, since that is an Intel trademarked term. But placing a AMD chipset in a chassis designed for an Intel Ultrabook gives you a "Ultrabook" like laptop but at a much lower cost.

The chassis of Samsung series 5 looks sleek and modern.

Samsung sells their Series 5 NP530UC Ultrabook at Php42,900, a 13-inch laptop which is just 0.69-inches thick and weighs in at just 3.2 pounds. This slim and light package is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, has 500 GB of storage and over six hours of battery life. At its 43K price, the best value for money option insofar 13-inch ultraportable laptops available in the Philippine market are concerned. Still, the market for 43K laptops in the Philippines is not all too big.

Just 0.69-inches thick at Php29,900. Will it make every other budget laptop look obsolete?

So Samsung yanked out the SSD cache drive and pulled out the Intel Core i5 processor and Intel board.  In placed it put in one of AMD Trinity A6-4455M Accelerated Processing Unit, combines a 2.1 GHz dual core processor (Turbo boost up to 2.6 GHz) and a AMD Radeon 7500 HD graphics. While this combination is not as powerful as the Intel Core i5 variant, it is fast enough to do your work related stuff, like typing documents and preparing spreadsheets and presentations. It also has enough power to run your photo editor, play HD content and do some 3D gaming. 

11.6-inch laptops means some degree of compromise on the keyboard. 13.3-inches has more than enough room for a full sized keyboard.

But the main reason for putting in AMD parts (together with an operating system and a smaller battery) is price. Samsung was able to bring down the price of the AMD powered Series 5 NP535UC to just Php29,900. This will make it more accessible to a larger customer base. 

The question is, is this a game changer. While Intel is leveraging its Ultrabook to re-ignite the laptop market, will these now lower cost Ultra slim AMD laptops make every Php20,000 to Php30,000 laptop obsolete? For less money than the Series 5 NP535UC you can get a more powerful 13-inch or 14-inch Intel powered laptop. But these laptops are thicker and weight at about 5 pounds.

AMD's Fusion E-350 and E-450 have basically taken over the local 11.6-inch Ultraportable market. There are not all that many Intel powered 11.6-inch in the market offered. AMD's A6-4455M is more powerful than E-450 and now competes in price with the lower cost 11.6-inch Intel power Ultraportables. A Samsung Series 5 NP535UC weighs just about as much as a Intel powered Lenovo Thinkpad e120, while providing a larger display and keyboard.

While AMD processors are loosing ground on almost all fronts, it looks like Trinity may take over the low cost Ultraportable market in developing countries.

13-inch Ultrabook Showdown - Samsung NP530U3C A02 versus Sony Vaio T13 (SVT13115FGS)

A few days ago we compared the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (128 GB) versus the Samsung NP530U3C A02. There really is no real winner or looser in this comparison. The MacBook Air runs Mac OSX and the Samsung Ultrabook runs Windows. 

Samsung NP530U3C

The Samsung Ultrabook is a lot cheaper, priced Php15,000 less, but comes with a hybrid drive which combines a 500 GB conventional rotating disk hard drive with a 24 GB solid state drive used for cache. The MacBook Air cost more but comes with a more expensive 128 GB solid state drive. So basically it comes down to less but faster storage versus more but slower storage. 

The MacBook Air can be upgraded to 256 or 512 GB of flash storage but this would add up to the price a lot. A 13-inch Macbook Air with 256 GB of storage would cost Php72,990, and bringing it up  to 512 GB bring the price all the way up to Php97,990. 

So in the end, those looking for a slim and like 13-inch laptop have the Samsung NP530U3C at Php42,990 and the 13-inch MacBook Air (128 GB) at Php57,990... and out best advice comes down to is pick your own poison. 

Sony Vaio T13

Sony has thrown in its own 13-inch Ultrabook into the field, the Sony Vaio T13 (SVT13115FGS) and this one is a direct competitor to the Samsung NP530U3C.

The Samsung is cheaper. Samsung wings this category. The Samsung NP530U3C is priced at Php42,990 while the Sony Vaio T13 is priced at Php49,999. Both prices allow for 12-months deferred payment, and if you buy it for cash you get get around a 10% discount for either Ultrabook. 

Both laptop have the same innards. Both the Samsung NP530U3C and the Sony Vaio T13 have the same processor, pre-installed RAM, storage and features.

Commons specifications:

• 13.3 inch HD (1366 x 768) display
• Intel Core i5-3317U processor (Ivy Bridge)
• Intel HD 4000 graphics
• 4 GB of RAM
• 500 GB hard drive (5400 rpm) with a solid state drive cache
• SD card reader
• USB 3.0 and USB 2.0
• HDMI out
• Bluetooth 
• Webcam
• WiFi

Does the Sony Vaio T13 have additional hardware to justify the higher cost? The Sony Vaio T13 costs all of 7K more. The Sony Vaio T13, has a Memory Stick Duo slot in addition to the card reader. It also comes with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) instead of the Windows 7 Home Basic on the Samsung NP530U3C. 

The SSD drive use for cache on the Sony Vaio T13 is also a larger 32 GB than the 24 GB SSD drive on the Samsung NP530U3C. Whether this makes any real world difference, I cannot answer right now. Suffice it to say that Sony does have some add-ons to justify a higher price tag. 

Thinness and lightness. Buyers looking at this two options are concerned about portability. The Samsung is the lighter of the two at 3.2 pounds, while the Sony weighs in at 3.5 pounds. Both are about the same thickness, with the Sony being less than 1 mm thicker, but visually the Sony looks thicket because its frame is of equal thickness throughout the entire length of the chassis while the Samsung get thinner at the front. After picking up these two laptops, I really do not feel that one is more portable than the other, but if it comes down to numbers, the Samsung NP530U3C.

Where the Sony falls short - battery life. Unfortunately not all the hardware of the higher priced Sony Vaio T13 is better than that on the Samsung NP530U3C. Sony rates its Vaio T13 to have a 4.5 hour battery life. Samsung rates it own unit to have 6.5 hours of battery life. The reason for the difference is that the Samsung has a 4-cell 6100 mAh Li-Po battery, as compared to the 4050 mAh Lithium Ion battery on the Sony. 

Winner: Samsung NP530U3C AO2. Personally, I really do like the Sony more, but mainly that is based on the fact that I like the way it looks. But what is hard to ignore is the larger battery on the Samsung NP530U3C. Both laptop looks equally good for the money, until you factor in the battery life which I think is enough reason to give declare the Samsung NP530U3C the winner.

Samsung NP900X4D A01PH - A Truly Amazing Ultrabook

Many people consider laptops with 15-inch displays as desktop replacements. Sure some people carry them around, but weighing in at about 6-pounds they heavier than we would recommend for the mobile user. Intel push for the development of Ultrabook has reignited the creative juices of its OEM partners, and some of the results are pretty amazing.

The Samsung NP900X4D A01PH is a laptop with a 15-inch display, but designed around Ultrabook parameters it weighs an amazingly light 3.63 pounds. While we think going thinner and thinner is getting a bit irrelevant, it is also one of the thinnest laptops in the market at 0.58 inches, thinner than the MacBook Air and Asus Zenbook. All this goodness cost a lot, all of Php76,900 but when you consider what it has under the hood it is actually priced rather low. To take things into perspective, this is about the same price as the 13.3-inch MacBook Air with a Intel Core i5 processor and  256 GB solid state drive. 

The Samsung NP900X4D A01PH makes no compromise on its Ultrabook nature also coming with a 256 GB solid state drive and up the ante with its Intel Core i7-3157U processor. With 8 GB of RAM it also comes with twice the RAM of the similarly priced MacBook Air. So while the Samsung NP900X4D A01PH is not cheap, it does provide very good value for your money.

No compromises are made. The 15-inch display is a bright (400-nit) high resolution HD+ (1600 x 900) display. Rather than the easily scratch aluminum you find in many Ultrabooks, the Samsung NP900X4D A01PH is built from good old magnesium. The battery is an eight cell battery which can provide as much as ten hours of battery life. It also has all the bells and whistles with a backlit keyboard, USB 3.0, HDMI out, card reader, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. For an operating system you get Windows 7 Professional (64-bit). 

If you are looking for a portable 15-inch laptop, this is the best deal in the Philippine market.

11.6-inch Sony Vaio E (E11115EG) - Solid budget ultraportable

Together with the 11.6-inch Sony Vaio T11 Ultrabook, Sony launched a low cost 11.6-inch ultraportable in the Sony Vaio E11115EG. At 1.25-inches at the thickest point and weighing at 3.32 poinds, the Sony Vaio E11115EG is a reasonably portable package which retails at just Php23,990. 

This looks like a replacement for the Sony Vaio YB. Instead of the AMD E-450 Accelerated Processing Unit you find in similarly priced 11.6-inch budget ultraportables, you have the AMD E2-1800 Accelerated Processor. The AMD E2-1800 Accelerated Processor which has a dual core 1.7 GHz processor and AMD Radeon HD 7340 graphics is just a bit faster than the older AMD E-450. Good enough for basic office work, like typing documents and preparing spreadsheets and presentations, and web browsing. It will play full HD video, and even a bit of 3D gaming. 

What makes the Sony Vaio E11115EG interesting is it adds a USB 3.0 port, which is now becoming standard on new laptops, but is not all that common with laptops available on the shelves. It also has all the typical connectivity options you expect, including WiFi, Bluetooth and an HDMI port.

Other than that, the Sony Vaio E11115EG comes has the typical 1366 x 768 screen resolution, 2 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, a 4000 mAh battery and Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit) which is just par for the course. Upgrading the RAM to 4GB would be a worthwhile additional expense.

Designed to appeal to a younger crowd, the Sony Vaio E11115EG also comes in white and pink.

Premium 11.6-inch Ultraportables: Sony Vaio T11 (SVT11113) versus 11.6-inch MacBook Air

While there have been plenty of 13.3-inch and large Ultrabooks designed to compete with Apple's popular MacBook Air laptops (Apple does not like its MacBook Air series being referred to as Ultrabooks), the 11.6-inch battlefield has been pretty barren. You had two 11.6-inch MacBook Air offerings and the 11.6-inch Asus UX21 Zenbook. With the 11.6-inch MacBook Air notebooks having migrated to Ivy Bridge, and the new Zenbook's still incoming, Apple had that field alone for a few days. Now enters Sony's own offering in this arena, the 11.6-inch Sony Vaio T11.

Price. Neither of these two offerings is cheap. The price of the entry level 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 64 GB of flash storage has gone down to Php47,990. This makes it the cheapest MacBook ever. Still 64 GB of storage, will leave you with just over 30 GB of storage after you install some basic software, like an office suite. For 5K more, at Php52,990 you can get the same 11.6-inch MacBook Air with 128 GB of flash storage. This model seems like the better choice to me. The 128 GB model is really worth the additional money.

Sony Vaio T11

The Sony T11 comes in at the same Php47,990 price of the cheaper of the two 11.6-inch MacBook Airs. But at this price you can actually get it at 12-months zero interest. Pay cash or make a straight payment trough a credit card and you can get about 10% off on the retail price. This would make the Sony Vaio T11 Php4K to Php9K cheaper than either MacBook.

Operating systems. The Apple, or course runs Max OSX, the Sony run on Windows 7 Home Premium. If you are not open to both operating systems, well that should decide which of this two is for you. You can install Windows on a MacBook, but I really think dual booting with boot camp is a waste of money. If you use Windows apps, but a Windows laptop.  

Storage. Ultimately, if you are looking for a premium 11.6-inch slim ultraportable, right now there are really just these two. The deciding factor for most buyers I think will be home much storage they want. The 11.6-inch Apple MacBook Air has two storage options, 64 GB and 128 GB of flash storage. The Sony Vaio T comes with a 500 GB conventional hard drive with a 32 GB SSD for cache (hybrid drive). Flash storage makes it more battery efficient, is lighter and loads apps and files store on the flash storage faster. The 320 GB hard drive on the Sony Vaio T11 offers much more space, and has a 32 GB SSD cache for quick resume from sleep and quick launching of frequently used apps.

If I was picking between a 128 GB SSD and a 320 GB hybrid hard drive, I would pick the 128 GB SSD. But I am only using 70GB on my current hard drive so 128 GB gives me sufficient headroom for a few more years. I think this will be a subjective choice.

11.6-inch Apple MacBook Air

Portability. The Apple MacBook Air is impressively thing at just 0.68-inches at its thickest point. There are thinner laptops now, but really at this point, who cares. The Sony Vaio T is a bit flabbier at 0.71-inches. Visually, the MacBook Air looks a lot thinner because of its wedge shape casing.

The MacBook Air  though is much lighter at 2.38 pounds, while the Sony Vaio T11 comes in at 3.04 pounds. The conventional hard drive and larger case make up the weight difference.

Battery life. The 11.6-inch MacBook Air has a 5 hour battery life. The Sony Vaio T11 comes in at 4.5 hours. Not much difference, but 30 minutes is 30 minutes.

Other specifications a very similar. Both laptops come with 1.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-3317U processors and 4 GB of RAM. Both have 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 displays). Both comes with USB 3.0 ports, WiFi, Bluetooth and the other trimmings you expect to find in a laptop these days. Both do not have optical drives.

What does the MacBook Air have over the Sony Vaio T11? A fair bit, actually. The 11.6-inch MacBook Air has a back-lit keyboard and a Thunderbolt port. Back-lit keyboard is a big plus. Thunderbolt storage, theres is little use of that for now.  We also like the 11.6-inch MacBooks keyboard a bit better, and the right shift key is full sized, unlike the reduced size one found on the Sony Vaio T.  

What does the Sony Vaio T11 have over the MacBook Air? A lot actually. The Sony Vaio T11 has a HDMI port. With the MacBook you get a Mini Display Port which needs an adapter to plug into your LCD TV. The Sony Vaio T only needs a HDMI cable. You also get an SD Card reader, something you do not get in the 11.6-inch MacBook Air. 

It also has a full sized LAN port. WOW. Seriously, does anyone still use these things?  

The thing we like most about the Sony Vaio T11 is that there is a standard laptop with a access panel at the bottom which makes it easy to remove and replace the battery when it gets older, and upgrade the memory. The Sony Vaio T11 comes with 1 4GB dimm soldered on with one empty RAM slot. Upgrading this to 8 GB is easy. You cannot upgrade the MacBook Air's RAM after purchase. I am not sure if it is possible to replace the hard drive from in there though.

Verdict. No winners or lossers here. Both fine choices. The MacBook Air costs more and gives you faster flash storage. The Sony Vaio T11 cost less and gives you 4 to 8 times the storage, but using a hybrid drive. 

Samsung NP535U3C A01PH - The "Ultrabook" breaks the 30k barrier...

Samsung's new NP535U3C-A01PH is priced at Php29,900. At that price it undercuts the cheapest Ultrabook by 10K.

The Samsung NP535U3C-A01PH laptop has a 13.3-inch HD (1366 x 768) display fitted into a Ultrabook like case which is just 0.69-inches thick at the thickest point (yup, just like a MacBook Air) and weighs in at a light 3.35 pounds. But it is technically not an Ultrabook. Inside it does not have an Intel processor or a SSD or hybrid drive. Instead it is powered by a AMD dual-core A6-4455M Accelerated Processor. This cool running chips (17W TDP) runs at 2.1 GHz and can boost its speed to up to 2.6 GHz on demand. Graphics is provided by a on chip AMD Radeon HD7500G graphics processor.

While the AMD dual-core A6-4455M Accelerated Processor cannot compete with the latest Intel ultra mobile processors found in Ultrabooks, it is fast enough for the typical task an ultraportable computer is used for like running Office, web browsing, playing full HD video and even some 3D gaming. The Samsung NP535U3C-A01PH also comes with a sufficient amount of RAM and storage. The supplied RAM is 4GB, with storage being supplied via a 500 GB hard drive. Connectivity options are what you expect with WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI out, and despite its slim case, Samsung even managed to include a full sized LAN port.  It has one USB 3.0 port and 2 USB 2.0 ports. 

Keeping the Samsung NP535U3C-A01PH running is a 4400 mAh battery which can provide up to 5 hours of battery life based on MobileMark tests scores. What else? Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit) comes pre-installed and it comes in brown and pink.*

Except for the absence of a USB 3.0 port, it is one nicely package laptop.  For the asking price of Php29,900, and at that price you can get it on 12-months deferred payment at that price, it looks like a really good deal. Buy it for cash and you can get 6-10% of the retail price.     

*Article updated on July 4, 2012 (Revision on battery an operating system installed).
*Article updated on July 5, 2012 (Revision on USB 3.0 port).

Ivy Bridge Portables: Sony Vaio S SVS13116FG

Yesterday, we took a look at Apple's new entry level MacBook Pro and the new Samsung  NP540U4C S03 "Ultrabook". The Samsung NP530U4C S03 was lighter, sports a more desirable Core i7 processor, is lighter, cheaper and overall looks like a better choice.  The is another worthy Ivy Bridge contender in this category, our longtime favorite, the Sony Vaio S series. 

Sony Vaio S SVS13116FG. The Sony Vaio S has been upgraded with a new Ivy Bridge processor, the 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-3210M processor. This is the same processor found on the entry Apple MacBook Pro. Like the MacBook Pro, it has an a 13.3-inch display (but with a higher 1366 x 768 resolution). It also has an optical drive.

The question is, does it offer anything more which will allow it to beat the Samsung NP530U4C S03?

The Sony Vaio S is the lightest of the three, being at 3.8 pounds. For graphics, that Sony Vaio S has the standard Intel HD Graphics 4000 plus a nVidia GeForce GT 640M LE with 1 GB of dedicated video memory. So it does a better job than the entry level MacBook Pro in matching the Samsung NP530U4C S03 in term of processing and graphics power.

Still, the Sony Vaio S falls short in other categories, offering less RAM, at 4 GB, and coming with a smaller 640 GB hard drive as compared with the Samsung NP530U4C S03

The Sony Vaio S also cost more, Php59,900 with Windows 7 Premium (64-bit) pre-installed. You can get 10% off the price for cash and straight credit card purchases, making it 4K more expensive than the Samsung NP530U4C S03. 

So our recommendation is pretty much the same as with the Apple MacBook Pro. If you need an optical drive, the Sony Vaio S SVS13116FG is a better choice than the Samsung NP530U4C S03, and a much better choice than the entry level Apple MacBook Pro. If not, the The Samsung NP530U4C S03 is lighter, sports a more desirable Core i7 processor, is lighter, cheaper and overall a better choice.

One caveat. If you are willing to spend Php7,999 more, you can get a slice battery for the Sony Vaio S, which doubles its battery life to 12-hours. This 4-6 hours longer than its Apple and Samsung rivals. Considering this, at 50K the Samsung NP530U4C S03 is a better value for money option. But if you are will to spend about 62K, the Sony Vaio S SVS13116FG becomes a very compelling option.