Should You Buy an Ultrabook Now?

I have been receiving quite a few emails from readers recently asking about . To answer this question, we must reflect on how far the laptop has come.

As a serious road warrior, I have actually lobbied the PC vendors for years to start creating lighter and thinner laptops that would make lugging around a laptop more manageable. For the most part, the PC vendors have shed some of the weight and bulk of laptops as technological advances have made it possible to create more portable machines. But vendors have done this mostly at a price. For years, the thinnest and lightest laptops were considered what we call "executive jewelry," or products that were so cool only the top management got them because they came at a steep price. In most cases, they cost $700 to $1,000 more than the products these execs bought for their staff.

But Apple's really got the executives' attention when it came out, setting the bar for how a thin and lightweight laptop should look and perform. From then on, the PC vendors started getting serious about creating ultrabooks and this holiday season, there will be more than 60 new designs available, priced anywhere from $650 to $1,799, depending on size, configuration, and touch capabilities.

Of course, you can buy much cheaper laptops that are heavier, thicker, and part of what we call the "value" category of laptops. They are still a good option for many people. But if you are waffling about whether to buy an expensive ultrabook or a heavier but cheaper laptop this holiday, there are three factors you need to consider.

The first is that the lifespan of a laptop today is about three years, and in some cases, closer to four. That means you will be using whichever laptop you decide to buy for a fairly long time. While you can buy a cheaper, heavier laptop, most of the new ultrabooks have much better processors and screens and are designed for more durability since they are thinner and lighter than their cheaper counterparts.

Second, ultrabooks are the future of laptops. While laptop vendors will still create heavier and thicker laptops for a while, they all are planning to add more ultrabooks to their lines until they become their lead offerings. Then, vendors will scale back their heavier products. And since ultrabooks have better processors and updated screens, their longevity will always be better than the cheaper models.

The third thing to consider is a bit more complex. Standard ultrabooks, meaning ones without touch screens, are coming down in price—you can get one as low as $650 now, although most of the mid-priced models are in the $799 to $999 range. Those with top-of-the line processors go for much more, but you can still buy a very powerful ultrabook for less than $1,000 today.

However, most of the low-end ultrabooks do not have touch screens, which means they are not optimized for the true experience. A touch screen on average adds $150 to $200 to the price of any laptop. So, if you want the most out of Windows 8, which will be on every laptop you buy this fall, you really need to buy an ultrabook with a touch screen. The bad news is that many of the with touch screens start at around $1,100, although I have seen a few with low-level processors for as low as $899.

Remember, though, that there is always a twist. In last week's column, I mentioned that research shows a device like a can handle as much as 80 percent of a person's computing needs. In instances where people use their tablet more than their laptop, the tendency is to buy a cheaper laptop when purchasing a replacement. If they don't need a replacement, they just opt to extend the life of their current one.

With those factors in mind, here are my recommendations for buying an ultrabook this holiday season:

• If your current laptop is close to three years old and you can afford one of the ultrabooks with a touch screen, go for it. An ultrabook today is thin and light and has six to 10 hours of battery life, depending on the model you have. It can last you at least three to four years, especially if you get one with an upper-end Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor.

• If you want a full Windows 8 experience, then you must get a laptop with a touch screen, whether it is a heavier and thicker model or one of the new lighter and thinner ultrabooks. But if you are OK with running Windows 8 mainly in desktop mode and are willing to use the trackpad or mouse to navigate Windows 8 tiles, then you can get a non-touch-screen ultrabook for a pretty good price.

• If you can't afford a higher-priced ultrabook at the moment, get a with the best processor you can afford and at least a 350GB hard drive. This should cost around $599 and be a decent machine, but keep in mind that you'll use it for at least three years, so make sure you are happy with the model you buy.

Of course, the pace of innovation and lower prices on next-gen laptops will always be an issue, but from a functional standpoint, I don't foresee many changes in traditional laptop design coming in 2013. In fact, my Taiwan sources tell me there is a shortage of 13-inch and 14-inch touch screens for laptops and that will keep prices up most of next year.

The only area where we will see significant innovation will be in what we call "convertibles" or "hybrids," which are laptops that transform into tablets. Good examples of these are and . There will be a lot of exciting new designs by mid-2013 and if you don't need a new machine right now, I would wait to see what else comes out before making your purchase.

Nevertheless, the ultrabook category shows much promise and this holiday season, there will be dozens of designs to choose from. I recommend buying one if you can afford to do so.