Shopping for a laptop in Kenya and anywhere these days is a pretty daunting task. The first thing you need to consider is what you need in the laptop. Are you looking for something to compete on the gaming grid? Then a discrete graphics card and big screen are necessary components in the laptop you choose. Are you on a limited budget? Then be on the lookout for anything under KSh20 000 that offers at least a Core i3 CPU and 4GB of memory. Here is the list that can help you out.
HP Folio 13-1020us
• Pros
Great keyboard and battery life. Full set of ports.
• Cons Half a pound overweight. Screen a little underbright.
• Bottom Line
The HP Folio 13-1020us is one of the most handsomely designed and well-engineered ultrabooks.
Alienware M17x R4
• Pros
Large, bright screen. HDMI-in is rare on a laptop. Blu-ray drive. Lots of video outputs. Four USB 3.0 ports. Ivy Bridge processor. 3D performance that rivals dual-card systems. Full-size keyboard with numeric keypad. Solid build quality. Attention-grabbing lighting effects. 1080p screen.
• Cons Shiny screen. Heavy. Less than three hours of battery life.
• Bottom Line
The Alienware M17x R4 adds the latest Intel Core processor and Nvidia Graphics to one of the best gaming laptop chassis in the business. It’s ostentatious, audacious, over the top, and strangely enough, more affordable than rivals.
• Pros
Brilliant Retina display. Thin profile. Good port selection. Discrete graphics. Speedy storage. Has 8GB of memory. Ready for Mac OS X Mountain Lion.
• Cons Ethernet use requires adapter. Not all apps currently work well with Retina display.
• Bottom Line
With a higher-resolution display, thin chassis, and up-to-date components, the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display is the new king of high-end desktop replacement laptops.
Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71
• Pros
Brilliant 1080p screen in a 13.3 inch ultrabook. Discrete 3D graphics. Strong multimedia performance. Full sized HDMI port. Three USB 3.0 ports in an ultrabook. Dual band 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi
• Cons Text can be tiny unless scaled up. Middling battery life. Only 30-day trial to McAfee Internet Security.
• Bottom Line
The Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71 adds a speedy 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce graphics to the ultrabook formula. What Asus has wrought is the thinnest and lightest 1080p HD power system on the market. It’s the ultrabook to buy if you want to get real work done.
• Pros
Blazing performance. Loaded with high-end components. Beautiful screen. Nice lighting.
• Cons Heavy. Huge power brick. Smallish touch pad.
• Bottom Line
Fueled by an AMD CrossfireX graphics solution and an Intel Extreme Edition processor, the Eurocom Leopard 2.0 puts up some of the highest laptop performance scores we’ve seen.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y480
• Pros
Fast performance. Exemplary screen and keyboard. WiDi.
• Cons Slightly overweight. Battery life merely so-so.
• Bottom Line
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 combines quad-core “Ivy Bridge” adrenaline with speedy Nvidia graphics to stir up the 14-inch mainstream laptop segment.
• Pros
Excellent battery life. Under 3 pounds. Dual pointing devices. Speedy SSD and day to day performance. Backlit keyboard. Good volume on speakers. Matte display.
• Cons Uses new AC adapter format. Only 54GB free space left on SSD. Only one USB 3.0 port, No HDMI.
• Bottom Line
The Lenovo X1 Carbon is an ultrabook designed for business. It has IT-friendly vPro built in, the ThinkPad TrackPoint, weighs under three pounds, and has over seven hours of battery life. It’s the ultrabook you want if you’re thinking business.
Lenovo ThinkPad X230
• Pros
Beefed-up processor. Excellent keyboard, dual pointing devices. Backlit keyboard and overhead light. Durable magnesium construction.
• Cons Small screen. Shorter battery life than competitors.
• Bottom Line
The Lenovo ThinkPad X230 picks up right where the previous model left off, with category-leading performance and portability.
Sony VAIO E15 (SVE15116FXS)
• Pros
Intel third generation processor boosts power and productivity. Includes several premium media tools. Webcam uses Sony’s Exmor sensor and adds hand-wavey gesture commands.
• Cons Short battery life. Keyboard backlight is distracting as much as it is helpful. Webcam gesture controls don’t seem useful.
• Bottom Line
With the Sony VAIO E15 (SVE15116FXS), Sony brings Intel Ivy Bridge processing to entry-level desktop replacement laptops to great effect, and throws in enough extras to keep people buying when other manufacturers catch up.
Toshiba Portege R835-P88
• Pros
Only 3.2 pounds including optical drive. Speedy performance. Nice screen and keyboard. Good battery life. WiDi.
• Cons No backlit keyboard. No Bluetooth. Noisy fan.
• Bottom Line
The Toshiba Portege R835-P88 shows that an ultraportable can still kick ultrabook butt.
