thin+light

Apple's Retina Displays are drop-dead gorgeous. But be careful what you wish for.

Like many, I got the third-generation iPad because of the 2,048-by-1,536-pixel-density Retina Display. And, like many, I didn't see a huge difference at first.

That was then. Now it's painful to pick up my Dell laptop with its 1,366x768-pixel 13.3-inch display and Windows 7 fonts (note: font-smoothing utilities go just so far).

And while my 11.6-inch MacBook Air fares better than the Dell (it packs the same number of pixels but into a smaller area giving it a higher PPI … Read more

Even if your tablet appreciation never deviates from pragmatic, functionality concerns, you'll at least have to admit that a thin tablet has its advantages. Thin tablets are usually sleeker, sexier, and easier to handle. And lately, they've begun to include more features like microSD, Micro-HDMI, and even ridiculously crazy high-resolution screens.

By their nature of being so thin, all tablets on this list are the lightest 10-inch tablets you've even seen. However, today we'll be focusing only on the girth of the tablets.

Since it's no longer Apple's flagship tablet, I decided not to include the iPad 2 in the official list, but it's included in this handy chart for comparison's sake.… Read more

What's an Ultrabook? According to Intel, it's a superthin MacBook Air-like laptop with great battery life and a solid-state drive, which is less than .8 inch thick. Most people couldn't tell you that, though. It's not surprising then, perhaps, that Intel Capital has created a $300 million Ultrabook Fund to drive continuing growth in the category. It is, however, significant news.

According to the press release sent today, Intel's Ultrabook Fund will "invest in companies building hardware and software technologies focused on enhancing how people interact with Ultrabooks such as through sensors and touch, … Read more

PARIS--CNET got a "world first" teaser at a Dell keynote here in Paris, when Dell execs Michael Tatelman (pictured right) and Phil Bryant surreptitiously showed off two new laptops coming to the company's Inspiron lineup--both described as belonging to the "thin and light" category (as opposed to fat and clunky, one trusts).

Similar to the stunt the PC maker pulled at CES in January with the Adamo, nothing was revealed about specs. We were able to talk with Tatelman after his keynote, where he confirmed both models would launch in "late summer" this … Read more

Owning a portable powerhouse of a lap-dwelling machine may be a bit economically out-of-reach for some, but there's never been a better time to get a decently-performing laptop for a great value. Just follow these tips:

Try a Netbook. If your computing needs are low, or even basic (web browsing, office doc work, and not too much need for heavy-duty graphics or HD video), Netbooks offer a great package for very little money. Mainly equipped with Intel Atom processors and running Windows XP, they're not so great a multitasking, but they'll do the work that most computers handled five years ago with ease. Low-end Netbooks are where the best value's at, with some coming in at under $300, like Dell's Mini 10v. Some are on sale online for even less, or are subsidized by cell carriers (the HP Mini 1151nr costs $199). You will, however, need to sign up for a wireless 3G data plan for a subsidized Netbook, which will cost more in the long run than simply looking for free Wi-Fi hotspots.

Thin-and-light laptops are getting cheaper. It was just a year and a half ago when the MacBook Air cost an arm and a leg for super-light computing power. While the Air is more affordable now, there are a variety of similarly-powered machines running lower-cost CULV processors just hitting the market that cost even less. MSI's X340 is practically a Windows version of the MacBook Air, with an equally good form factor (but made of plastic instead of aluminum), but costs $800.

Leave off the extras. Go for the bare-bones configuration unless you really need more RAM or a larger hard drive -- those can sometimes be added later, usually for less money.… Read more

If 12 is too small and 14 too big, HP now has a laptop to sell you. With the Pavilion dv3500t, the company has slotted a 13-inch model into its already crowded laptop lineup. The dv3500t features a choice of four Intel Core 2 Duo processors (up to the T9400), up to 8GB of RAM, a 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS graphics card, and up to a 400GB hard drive. The 13.3-inch display features a 1280x800 resolution, and an LED-backlit display is offered for an added $100, which HP indicates will shave nearly a half pound off the system'… Read more

Even though we rail against tiny products that defy common sense, we still like small laptops (we're an enigma). So we naturally clicked on Pocket-lint's headline trumpeting a "smallest and lightest" notebook from U.K.-based Evesham.

The dimensions are certainly small enough for a laptop with 12.1-inch screen: It measures about 11 by 9.4 inches and 1.4 inches thick. But the "Light Book" tips the scales at more than 2.6 pounds--not tubby, but certainly nowhere near as light as Sony's recently announced laptop under 2 pounds.

The reason … Read more