It’s truly amazing how a modern laptop is constructed. It’s a feat of engineering that computer makers from just 20 years ago couldn’t conceptualize. The first laptops were slow, heavy, had terrible batteries and ran at temperatures you could fry an egg on. It was almost easier to unplug your desktop computer and bring it along!
These days, batteries can power smaller tablet computers for days at a time, the screen resolutions are the highest of definition, and you don’t pinch nerves in your arms carrying them around. Just for kicks, we wondered what the world’s lightest full-size laptop computer is. According to our calculations, it is the Samsung Series 9. It’s been sitting light as a feather at the top of the heap since this summer at a dainty 2.8 pounds. While it’s not out-of-reach expensive, it ain’t cheap either – a new one will run you about $1300.
So, back to the affordable, kick-butt models. You can click the pic to start a search of your own, but below we have some smart performers picked out for the long-haul set. Have a look!
Big screen, little price. The Asus A53U laptop ($379.00) has a big 15.5 inch screen, a big block of SD Ram and only weighs about 5 lbs. It’s got a tough exterior that resists scratches during transportation and high-performance graphic and sound cards that let you watch DVDs or streaming video in stutter-free high def. Lots more in the box, have a look!
Starting at $349, Samsung’s tiny wifi-ready wonder, the Series 5 Chromebook is a truck driver’s dream come true. Samsung and Google teamed up to make this laptop a big performer in a small format. With less than 10-second booting and an amazing 6.5 hours of battery life, the light but tough Chromebook Series 5 can play high-def video from its solid state hard drive all day without creating extra heat and noise. It’s a small 12 inch notebook, but it has a full-size keyboard, so larger truckers don’t need to worry about mis-typing words or cramped hands. Check out the mountain of features in this little guy!
One of the best bargains on the shelf right now, Toshiba has been selling millions of models from their Satellite line of laptops. The screens are big and crisp with color, the surfaces are finished in tough resin fiber that resist damage and shock, and they last years. Their L755 model ($452.oo) features Windows 7 Home Premium, 500 Gigabyte hard drives so you can store tons of movies and pictures, and 4 GB of RAM to make every application run smooth as silk. There’s lots more inside you can read about.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge ($572.00) is a high-performer that can take some knocks. It might not be as pretty as the Toshiba, but it’s built to withstand hazards of being truly portable. This model comes with Norton Internet Security pre-installed, Windows 7 Pro, and a zippy 7200 rpm hard drive with plenty of punch. The toughness comes with a compromise though – the ThinkPad Edge weighs about 8.5 lbs, so get a carrying bag with a soft shoulder strap when transporting it. Have a closer look.