At CES Samsung unveiled the second generation Series 9 models to much fanfare and drooling. The original ultra thin and light laptops in this line were made from a metal formerly only used in aircraft construction and very gorgeous to boot. The new Series 9 models — one 13-inch and one 15-inch — are just as stunning and should arrive this month, if Samsung is on schedule.

The 13-inch model has been on Amazon for a few weeks with no firm shipping date attached. And the folks at PCMag spotted the 15-inch one on J&R’s website today.

You can drop $1,499 for a 15-inch Series 9 right this second, but I’d hold off, if I were you.

J&R may have the first listing, but they don’t have a release date. You may be able to buy it from another store earlier when the time comes. Plus, it looks like J&R put this up in a hurry since there’s some wrong information on the page.

Hold on to your credit card for a bit and wait to see which other stores also list the laptop.

I know it’s hard because the Series 9 is super sweet. We gave it our Best Notebook of CES award just last month because we’re impressed with the design, engineering, and the promise of good performance. The fact that the 15-inch model is a sliver thinner and only about half a pound heavier than last year’s 13-inch model, which was plenty light and thin, makes this mobile worker’s heart sing.

You can see the beauty for yourself in this hands-on video.

Samsung has yet to announce a firm release date, but as soon as they do we’ll let you know.

Samsung’s 15-inch Series 9 Available For Pre-Order (You Should Hold Off, Though) is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

Last year Samsung proved that it was possible to make an ultraportable laptop that could match or exceed the MacBook Air on every front: design, performance, and coolness. The Series 9 became the template for the ultrabook wave we’re experiencing now with the exception of the price.

Samsung’s Series 5 Ultra laptops bear the ultrabook moniker, but there’s still room in the market for premium ultraportables that push the limits of how thin, light, and and impressive a notebook can be. Thus Samsung also announced the second generation Series 9 today, a machine so sweet you may be tempted to save up your pennies to afford the $1,399 asking price.

The new Series 9 has a smaller footprint than the first generation even though it has the same display. And I mean the exact same display — 400 nit SuperBright, 1600 x 900 resolution, matte — just with a smaller bezel.

The first generation Series 9 (left) and the new model (right)

Overall this model is 37% thinner and 0.4 pounds lighter resulting in a 2.5 pound weight and half an inch thickness. When I held it for the first time I was filled with envy. Even my netbook isn’t as light as this, and it’s certainly not as powerful.

Just as before the notebook will come with Intel’s Core i5 processor inside and a 128GB SSD. Samsung is leaving open the possibility of bringing out a more powerful Core i7 version, but right now there are no plans.

Despite being far thinner, the second gen Series 9 is better with port arrangement, ditching the pull-down drawers and just placing the two USB 3.0 ports and DisplayPort at the back edges where the notebook is a bit thicker. There’s also a full SD card slot instead of a microSD — much more useful.

This model isn’t made from Duralumin like the previous generation, though it does have an aluminum unibody design. It’s also a little less swoopy than before, but still keeps to the wave idea in design.

Full SD card slot

The 13.3-inch version will cost $1,399 and will be available in February.

Now id you’re looking at all this fancy thin and lightness and thinking it would be super awesome if you could have the same design but with a bigger display you’re in luck. Samsung is bringing out a 15-inch version of the Series 9 as well. It will also hit shelves in February and cost $1,499. This larger Ultrabook has a bigger screen, but it is wedged into a 14 inch frame to keep things nice and compact.

As a fan of the original Series 9 I will admit that I’m very excited about this new version. It balances weight and size well yet delivers plenty of power for any mainstream task and even some of the workhorse stuff I need. And I’ll reiterate: the 13-inch one is lighter than my netbook. That’s enough to make me consider saving all my pennies for this one.

Samsung’s Second Generation Series 9 Proves There’s Still Room For Premium Ultraportables is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

Today at CES Samsung unveiled their new ultrabook line, the Series 5 Ultra 13 inch and 14 inch laptops. Based on the design of the original Series 9 (itself a proto-ultrabook), these super slim and light machines strike more of a balance between portability, performance, and price, starting at $899.

Ultrabooks are fast becoming the new mainstream laptop and the design and overall impression of the Series 5 reflects that. Compared to the Series 9 these laptops aren’t quite as high grade fancy (no duraluminum this time around, just aluminum), though there’s plenty of visual flair.

As you can see from the pictures there are several aesthetic similarities including the swoop/wave design. The Series 5 Ultra is a simpler, more minimalist approach, though no less elegant.

Other notable differences include the touchpad — no longer a clickpad — and the display, which is a less bright 300 nits. That’s still plenty bright (Samsung calls the technology SuperBright appropriately) and in combination with matte coating instead of glossy the Series 5 should be just as visible outdoors as inside. The 1600 x 900 resolution is another nice perk.

The Series 5 next to the 2011 Series 9 (on the left)

Size-wise the 13.3-inch version is the same height and similar dimensions as last year’s Series 9. Despite being very thin you still get a full-size Ethernet port and HDMI plus a DisplayPort for VGA connectivity, USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0 and an SD card slot.

The 14-inch version is just a hair thicker and lighter but manages to include an optical drive plus a full VGA port.

I was surprised at how light and carryable the 14-inch version feels. And the optical drive doesn’t make it bulky at all. Do people still need DVD drives? Apparently so. But even if you don’t the larger screen and expanded port selection will make this version appealing.

Optical Drive

Right now both only come with Intel Core i5 processors, though perhaps the company will bring out more powerful versions with Core i7 if they sell well (it happened with the Series 9). Integrated graphics only, I’m afraid. Thankfully Intel’s integrated solutions are much better than in previous years so you can watch full HD movies without a hitch, you just can’t go to town on World of Warcraft on the highest settings.

Here at CES we’ve been having a debate about whether a laptop can be dubbed an ultrabook if it has a traditional hard drive inside. All except one of the first wave of ultrabooks had SSDs, but the second wave is shaping up to look more like what Samsung is doing with the Series 5. Consumers can either get the version with a 128GB SSD or a 500GB hard drive and a 16GB SSD ExpressCache memory where the operating system lives so you still get fast booting and resuming from sleep.

The hard drive version keeps the price down under $1,000 — the 13-inch starts at $899 — while the SSD version bumps it up to $1099, again for the smaller notebook. Both notebooks will be available later this month.

Hands-On: Samsung Series 5 Ultra 13 and 14-inch Ultrabooks is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

At Acer’s global press conference today they unveiled their three newest ultrabooks, but only one of the models can actually claim the moniker as set by Intel’s specs.

Acer is touting the Aspire S5 as the world’s thinnest ultrabook. It is super sleek and small for a 13 incher, but so are most other systems in this category.

What gives the S5 an edge is the innovative way Acer managed to incorporate the ports. It’s reminiscent of the way ports fit on the first MacBook Air and Samsung’s Series 9 — flip-down drawers — but instead of putting them on the left or right sides, it’s on the back of the device. They’ve dubbed this MagicFlip, and the drawer is controlled by a button on the deck, opening and closing smoothly.

When open, the port drawer tilts the back of the system up a bit and it will stay that way until you press the button again.

Acer Aspire S5 MagicFlip Demo

It’s not clear if keeping the port drawer open while you type on and use the notebook is good for the mechanism, but they have to expect people will do since most of the ports are back there. The S5 has two USB 3.0, a full-size HDMI, and a Thunderbolt port in the MagicFlip drawer plus an SD card slot on one side.

The notebook itself has a sturdy magnesium alloy chassis and a tapering design, but it manages not to just look like a MacBook Air clone. It’s also not too flashy, just a dark brushed finish, which we’ve come to expect from Acer laptops in general. At the thickest point the S5 measures just 0.59 inches and the notebook weighs just 2.97 pounds. Though not the lightest ultrabook on the block, it feels lighter than it is and has a nice holdability factor.

Acer Aspire S5 Hands On

Specs-wise the Aspire S5 will come in several SKUs with a range of Intel Core i processors. The one we saw today had either a Core i5 or i7. Either way it opened applications nice and fast due to the SSD inside and the 8GB of RAM. It’ll resume from sleep in 1.5 seconds; sweet. I’m also a fan of the power adapter which has a MagSafe-esque connector.

Acer is also touting their new Always Connect technology with this ultrabook. It promises to get users online faster than “conventional connections” giving information from Facebook, Twitter and Outlook presented right away upon resume. It will also allow users to wake the S5 from sleep using their smartphones, so you can grab data even if you turned the machine off before you left home or the office.

No pricing has been announced yet but Acer reps pegged it to be “around $1,000.” It ships in the second quarter of this year, so not until April at least.

Acer Aspire S5 Ultrabook Hands-On Video is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

Of the many laptops Lenovo is announcing at this year’s CES, I’m most intrigued by the S Series. Perhaps because I’m still a netbook fangirl who’s not a little disappointed by how many companies are abandoning the form factor.

The IdeaPad S200 and S206 aren’t exactly traditional netbooks thanks to the 11.6-inch displays and Win7 Home Premium operating systems. Maybe that’s why they’re calling them mini notebooks.

Both the S200 and S206 measure 11.8 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches and weigh just 2.8 pounds, which is light for an 11-inch system. This puts them more firmly in the netbook realm. However, there’s a fly in this ointment. The reason it’s so light is likely to small 2 cell battery that comes with. It’s good for 4 hours of life, according to Lenovo.

Other shared specs include 2GB of RAM, USB 2.0 and 3.0 (one of each), HDMI, 2-in-1 card reader, Bluetooth (optional), and WiMAX (optional). The display offers a 1366 x 768 resolution.

What makes these two models different is the processor. The IdeaPad S200 sports an Intel Atom N2800 while the S206 comes with a dual-core AMD C60 APU. The former is very netbooky, further solidified by a 32GB internal storage option. You can get a traditional 320GB or 500GB hard drive in either model.

Both offer a metallic finish and the Lenovo Accutype keyboard we’ve come to love (though it’s not as great as those found on the ThinkPad line). Aside from basic black, consumers can buy it in cotton-candy pink, crimson red, electric blue, graphite gray and pearl white.

One advantage of mini-notebooks over netbooks is that you get Windows 7 Home Premium and the 2GB of RAM I mentioned. Other software goodies include Lenovo’s instant-on environment and OneKey Recovery.

Want one? Unfortunately you’ll have to wait a while, as the new S Series notebooks aren’t due out until June. The price is nice, though, as prices begin at $349. Specific pricing for the models and configurations isn’t available yet.

Check back for  hands-on pictures and more.

Don’t Call It A Netbook – Lenovo Announces New IdeaPad S Series 11.6-inch Mini Notebooks is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

The Scoop

Lenovo’s ultrabook embodies many of the best aspects of this new notebook category, including a seriously thin design coupled with impressive performance. The design is singular instead of following the Air-clone crowd, with a Clementine Orange option that stands out. Still, the IdeaPad U300s excludes several features to keep the size and cost down, including some needed ports and a backlit keyboard. Even at that, it never reaches the sub-$1000 goal.

Pros

A combination of eye-catching design with robust performance and decent battery life. Plus this ultrabook includes useful software and very little crapware.

Cons

Due to the design, users can’t replace the battery or upgrade RAM. Though the clickpad is large and does the basics well, it’s finicky when it comes to multitouch. The keyboard lacks backlighting. Several important ports aren’t included.

Quick Specs

Our Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review unit has a 1.8-GHz Intel Core i7-2677M processor backed by 4GB of RAM, Intel’s GMA HD 3000 integrated graphics and a 256GB solid state drive (SSD). The 13.3-inch glossy display has a resolution of 1366 x 768. Connectivity includes an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi card and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Who is the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s For?

Ultrabooks are aimed at consumers looking for a notebook that is both very light and reasonably powerful. The U300s is particularly suited to the latter task thanks to the inclusion of the Core i7 processor. Since this is the ultra low voltage version of the chip, it’s not the notebook to get if you’re looking to do heavy-duty gaming or video editing. It is a good choice if you’re a major multitasker with programs that hog the processor a bit, like Firefox.

Design and Build

With the U300s, Lenovo proves that an ultrabook can look good even if it doesn’t copy the MacBook Air design. Instead of a slim chassis that tapers, this IdeaPad looks similar to other notebooks in the line. This bit of aesthetic loyalty is pleasing, especially since it makes the U300s stand out in the crowd.

This 13.3-inch ultrabook looks like a thinner version of the 12.5-inch IdeaPad U260 right down to the orange color on the lid and bottom. (It’s available in silver as well.) Instead of tapered edges, you get square ones with rounded corners. Lenovo makes it work, somehow. The aluminum body has a nice tactile feel to it and doesn’t pick up fingerprints on the outside.

The unibody design has aesthetic value, but also means that users can’t replace the battery themselves or add extra RAM.

Measuring just 12.8 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches and weighing 3 pounds, the U300s definitely fits the ultrabook ideal of ultra thin and light. Picking it up by a corner – something I did often – I could feel how sturdy it is. Don’t pick it up by the lid, though, as you’ll see some alarming flex due to it being so thin.

A sacrifice many ultra thin notebooks must make is in number and size of ports. The U300s has two USB ports – one 2.0 and one 3.0 – a full-size HDMI port, and a combo headphone/mic. That’s it.

No Ethernet, no card reader, no VGA. This is pretty disappointing given that other ultrabooks such as the Toshiba Portege Z835, the ASUS Zenbook, and the Acer Aspire S3 include most or all of the missing ports.

The only real mark against the 13.3-inch display is the 1366 x 768 resolution. Yes, it’s standard, but I wish there was at least an option for greater resolution, especially for a notebook that is capable of being a primary system for many.

The glossy screen doesn’t do well in the sunlight or under annoying fluorescents. Indoors the viewing angles are wide enough for two people to comfortably share the screen to watch a movie. Vertical angles aren’t wide enough for comfortable use on an airplane tray table in coach, though you don’t have to push it much past the 90 degree mark to see the best of the rich colors and deep blacks.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The island-style keyboard on the U300s is standard for recent IdeaPad models and looks like the one found on many new ThinkPad laptops. However, IdeaPad keyboards usually lack the strong tactile feedback and springy travel of their business cousins, and the U300s is not the exception.

Keys are spaced well and at least have a gentle dip to improve accuracy for touch typists and messier hunt and peckers. However, the travel is pretty shallow and there’s little tactile feedback.

Lenovo chose to put the Home, End, Page Up and Page Down buttons along the right edge as well as leaving the arrow keys full-size. This results in smaller than normal Backspace and Shift keys. Too often I hit the Home key when reaching for Backspace and missed Shift when in a hurry.

As this is a consumer notebook the media keys are one press away with the Fn key needed to get at the Function keys along the top.

No backlighting on the keys, alas.

One MacBook Air-esque feature did sneak in: a large Clickpad instead of a more traditional touchpad and mouse buttons. The wide surface means not having to lift your finger much to move around the screen. The bottom of the pad has clicky integrated left and right mouse buttons but tap to click was very responsive.

Multitouch gestures are available, though not as easy to execute as I’d like. I stopped trying to two-finger scroll because it was just faster and easier to tap the PgUp and PgDn buttons. Flicking three fingers left or right bring up some extra screens, such as a sticky note app, but don’t do really useful tricks like OS X.

I had to fiddle with the sensitivity on the touchpad to keep my cursor from jumping as I typed, which didn’t help the multitouch.

Features

One Key Recovery — a small key on the left side activates this useful backup and restore utility. The software utility is simple to understand and use, even for novices.

Intel WiDi — Intel’s wireless display technology allows users to project the IdeaPad’s screen onto an HDTV via a separately sold adapter.

Software — Thankfully, there isn’t much crapware on board this notebook. The programs that are included are actually useful: Microsoft Security Essentials, SRS Premium Sound, Google Chrome. Trialware includes 30 days of Computrace LoJack for Laptops and Absolute Data Security.

Performance

Ultrabooks were never meant to be powerhouses, though they aren’t supposed to be as basic as netbooks. The U300s will deliver just fine for most users with this configuration — 1.8-GHz Intel Core i7-2677M (Sandy Bridge) processor, 4GB of RAM, 256GB SSD. Apps open in seconds thanks to the fast SSD, and the system handled multitasking well. I was able to run Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome with upwards of 10 tabs in each at the same time without noticeable lag or struggling.

When editing large images the notebook didn’t hesitate when cropping, applying filters, etc. Editing HD video taxed the system visibly, though it finalized my 10 minute project in under a half an hour. Depending on how many programs you have open, the U300s can resume from sleep in as little as 3 seconds, though sometimes is took as long as 20.

Due to the integrated graphics meaningful gaming is right out. Even Flash-based Facebook games like Zuma Blitz and Bejeweled Blitz didn’t run as smoothly or speedily as I like.

Lenovo included several power profiles to help users squeeze more hours from the battery or bump performance when needed. While using the notebook to write, post to blogs and social networks, and stream music, it lasted a little under 5 hours with the screen brightness at 40%. However, on the Laptop Magazine Battery Test (constant web surfing over Wi-Fi at 40% brightness) the ultrabook lasted 6 hours and 18 minutes. With the ultra power saving feature on I was able to use the notebook for 4 hours and only got down to 35% battery.

The Competition

The U300S comes in two configurations. Our review unit retails for around $1,499. A model with a 1.6-GHz Intel Core i5-2457M processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD retails for $1,050. However, if you buy through Lenovo.com you’ll pay a lot more.

The less expensive config will suit most mainstream users who aren’t heavy multitaskers and who don’t edit heavy duty projects.

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s vs. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch

Apple’s MacBook Air line is obviously the template for the ultrabook concept and the summit to which many PC makers aspire. Lenovo avoided making their entry into an obvious Air clone on the outside, though both have similar internal specs. An Air with a Core i7 CPU and the same amount of RAM and internal storage costs $1,699, $200 more than the U300s.

What do you get for that extra cash? A 1400 x 900 pixel display, backlit keyboard, an SD card slot, a Thunderbolt port in addition to two USB 2.0 ports, and Bluetooth 4.0.

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s vs. Toshiba Portege Z835

The Toshiba Portege Z835 costs just $849 at Best Buy and includes an Ethernet port, a memory card slot, an extra USB port plus backlit keys. It also weighs less than most netbooks (2.47 pounds). However, it’s powered by a Core i3 processor and has no Bluetooth.

Consumers looking for a notebook that performs basic tasks with aplomb won’t mind the less powerful processor. However, for multitaskers, the Portege at that price isn’t as good a choice.

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Review – This Stylin’ Ultrabook Is No MacBook Air Clone is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

Though HP’s ProBooks and EliteBooks dominate the company’s business line, they also sometimes recast consumer notebooks for the enterprise set. The latest release is the HP 3115m, which is essentially the HP Pavilion dm1. The only major difference is that the 3115m has fewer configuration options. It’ll start at $429 and is available on November 11.

The HP 3115m’s only processor option is the AMD Fusion E450 APU, which is the more powerful of the two offered for the dm1. Businesses will get a choice between a 320GB or 500GB hard drive or 128GB or 160GB solid state drive. 4GB of RAM comes standard, but the notebook can handle up to 8GB. In addition to Windows 7 Professional, the FreeDOS OS is available.

Otherwise, it has the same size, design, screen and port spread as the dm1. That’s a good thing, since the refreshed dm1 is a pretty sweet machine. HP also claims it’ll last 11.5 hours on a charge, which will get most people through the day and then some. Sounds like it would be a sweet laptop to give your mobile workers and road warriors.

HP 3115m Notebook is the Pavilion dm1 in Business Clothes is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

Last week when ASUS unveiled the Zenbook line of ultrabooks the company made direct comparisons to a certain best-selling competitor. Given that the Zenbooks are super thin and light, made of aluminum in a design dubbed the “monoshell,” and promise full-size computing power in a compact package, it’s not hard to connect the dots to Apple’s MacBook Air line.

At the presentation, ASUS Chairman Jonny Shih touted how much better the 11-inch $999 Zenbook is when compared, spec to spec, with this unnamed competition. Is it as cut and dried as he presented things? And does it hold up for all of the Zenbook models? Let’s compare.

Note that there is a $999 MacBook Air 11-inch, but the specs aren’t as robust. Same CPU but only 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. Also note that instead of USB 3.0 the Air has a Thunderbolt port. Both offer speedy transfers, but there are more USB 3.0 peripherals on the market at this time.

The Zenbook 11-inch comes in a second configuration (UX21E-DH71) with a 1.8-GHz Core i7 CPU for $1199. Adding this same CPU to the MacBook Air brings the price up to $1349.

Of the two, only the MacBook Air offers a 256GB SSD option, which adds $300 to the price.

The Zenbook also comes in a 13-inch version, just like the Air. Here’s the comparison:

The Zenbook has three total 13-inch configurations. The UX31E-DH53 has the same specs as above but adds a 256GB SSD for $1349. The Core i5 MacBook Air with this same size SSD costs $1599.

The Zenbook UX31E-DH72 sports an Intel Core i7-2677M CPU and a 256GB SSD for $1449. The same configuration on a MacBook Air costs $1699.

Based on specs alone, the ASUS Zenbook UX21 and UX31 look like a better deal than the MacBook Air models. Price-wise, at any rate. And the speedy wake from sleep, long battery life, and excellent displays are all in ASUS’ favor. Once we get the Zenbooks in for review we’ll see if they can match the performance of the MacBook Air as well.

ASUS Zenbook vs. MacBook Air is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

We’ve seen ASUS’ ultrabooks before, but today the company officially announced the notebooks and revealed their product name: Zenbook. The two models — the 11.6-inch UX21 and 13-inch UX31 — are essentially the same computer in two ultraportable sizes. An embodiment of “the Ultrabook vision” set forth by Intel, these skinny notebooks are coming for the MacBook Air hardcore.

The 11-inch version with a Core i5 processor and a 128GB SSD (UX21E-DH52) will cost $999. “Under $1000″ as Intel had hoped, but only just. Still, compared to a similarly specced 11-inch Air, the Zenbook is $200 less. It’s set to hit store shelves tomorrow, October 12th.

According to ASUS chairman Jonney Shih, the Zenbook embodies the same ideals as Zen philosophy and is the “perfect fusion of beauty and strength and harmony.” It’s a beautiful machine, no doubt. I especially like the spun metal look on the cover. Plus both models are really light and have gorgeous displays.

Inside the Zenbooks will come with second generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors (ultra low voltage models), SSDs, and USB 3.0 ports. The solid state drives are part of what makes the Zenbooks so fast and able to resume from sleep in 2 seconds. Coupled with the company’s Super Hybrid Engine II technology.

ASUS claims that the 2 second resume won’t balloon to 6 seconds after several hours. No, the Zenbook will always have a 2 second resume and still maintain a 2 week standby time. If the system senses that the battery is down to 5%, it will backup the data in case of total power loss. I suspect what they mean is that it will do the Hybrid sleep thing, which flashes an image of the data, programs, etc. running when you last closed the lid.

Not only should you expect long battery life from the Zenbook, but battery longevity. The Super Hybrid Engine is designed to extend the battery’s life by 25%.

Chairman Shih compared the Zenbooks to some unnamed competitors — pretty obviously the MacBook Air and the Acer Aspire S3. The claimed SSD speeds are the most interesting, as that has a major impact on performance.

Similarly Specced MacBook Air

The company touts the sound quality on the Zenbooks, but one potential drawback I noticed is that when you set music to 100% volume you hear some decent audio, but the entire chassis vibrates. This could be distracting while you type if you enjoy listening to music while you work. I will say that music out of the headphone jack does have a nice round quality to it.

The 11-inch Zenbook with a 1.6-GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD will cost $999 and comes with all necessary dongles — for connecting to Ethernet or external monitors — and a sleeve for free. A comparable MacBook Air 11-inch, which doesn’t have the USB 3.0 port, is $1199.

The Zenbook will come in two 11-inch configurations and three 13-inch configurations. The 11-inch Zenbook UX21E-DH71 will have a Core i7 processor and cost $1199.

On the 13-inch side, the $1099 Zenbook UX31E-DH52 will come with a Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, a 1600 x 900 resolution display, and an SD card reader on top of the USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports and the micro HDMI and mini VGA ports found across the Zenbook line. Add 256GB SSD to this and the price goes up to $1349 for the UX31E-DH53 model. Add a Core i7 CPU on top of that for $1449 (UX31E-DH72).

Availability for the other Zenbooks hasn’t been announced, though it shouldn’t be too far away.

As soon as we get a unit in for review we’ll let you know what we think.

ASUS $999 Zenbook UX21 11.6-inch Ultrabook Available October 12 is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

The Acer Ultrabook we saw a few weeks ago now has an official price: $899. That goes right along with Intel’s desire that ultrabooks come in under $1000 and it’s $100 less than the 11-inch MacBook Air. Pretty sweet. Acer’s 13-inch Aspire S3 has some stand out features beyond the price. It’s the only ultrabook so far with a traditional hard drive option.

The Aspire S3 (full model number: S3-951) comes with two drives, one 20GB solid state drive (SSD) where the operating system lives and a 320GB hard drive (spinning) for saving programs and files. The idea is to still offer speed where it counts plus a fast boot up time but also keep costs down. SSDs are expensive.

Granted, traditional hard drives aren’t as fast as SSDs. Even though the operating system will reap the SSD benefits, apps and files will still live on the slower hard drive. The tradeoff here is for space. An ultrabook with a 320GB hard drive is not likely to cost under $1000. If this is going to be your main computer, the space might be necessary.

Even with a hard drive inside the notebook itself is still very thin and light — 0.51 inches thick and 2.98 pounds — and worthy of the ultrabook moniker. It will resume from sleep in 2 seconds, according to Acer, and even when it goes into a deeper sleep (not quite Hibernation) it should only take 6 seconds to resume.

Other specs include an Intel Core i5 processor, intelgrated graphics, 4GB of RAM, a 1366 x 768 13.3-inch display, HDMI out, memory card slot, and Bluetooth 4.0+ HSR. Check out our hands-on for more.

The Acer Aspire S3-951 is available starting this week.

Acer Announces $899 Price For Aspire S3 Ultrabook is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.