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Love Your Macbook, Lust For Windows 10: Choose Your Next Gorgeous Ultrabook

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Following on from discussions about the best new 'pro' laptops here on Forbes, it's time to look at another impressive category of laptop machines, the ultrabooks. What works, what doesn't, and which machine has everything you need.

One of the curious things I find about ultrabooks is that any purchasing decision needs you to consider what exactly you want from your computer. Brand loyalty is all well and good when getting more versatile 'pro' machines but the best fit for you may not always be with your favored brand.

The ultrabook format is less about grunt and more about grace. It's about prizing portability over power. It's about choosing the compromise that you want. Lets be clear here going for an ultrabook means thinking carefully about what you want from your laptop, and what you can afford to personally sacrifice.

Portability and access to information is an where Windows 10 performs well against macOS. Thanks to the use of the start menu widget boxes to display relevant information, you can switch on and see an immediate overview of your life before going into the apps and environment you need. Given the information that is available at a glance I would argue that Windows 10 provides a better snapshot of your digital life than macOS.

With that, lets look over some of the ultrabooks that are vying for a (very small) space in your bag.

Next Page: The Apple MacBook...

Apple MacBook

2007 and 2008 saw many of the PC manufacturers target the new netbook paradigm (small, portable, low-powered laptops) and a few commentators wondered if Apple would follow suit. Instead the first MacBook Air was announced in 2008 with a price almost an order of magnitude higher than the netbooks. The netbooks movement quietly died a death as the ultrabook movement arrived.

Ultrabooks suit Apple's style of computer design. Ultrabook's compromises are about leaving out elements that are not mission critical, about focusing on form, and leaving as much functionality as possible. Which pretty much describes the bullet points at every Apple launch in recent memory.

Apple's update to the MacBook hands its smallest current laptop an improved Skylake chipset and performance boost over the debut model. It's very much welcome given the 2015 MacBook struggled in certain areas.

The MacBook has cut back significantly on I/O features to achieve the thin design. The biggest consideration will be the single USB-C port. Not only does that limit the peripherals you can hook in to the machine (or saddle your bag with yet another dongle), the single port is also used to charge and power the machine. Any sort of peripheral use, even USB memory sticks, is going to require some juggling. The MacBook is not the only machine to be USB-C only, but it is the one where the port is easily blocked by power requirements.

The other big compromise is in the keyboard. For a generation used to typing on a glass screen the limited travel and feedback from the thin profile keyboard introduced in the MacBook will be seen as a huge improvement. For those coming from more substantive keyboards such as myself it feels like a backwards step. Most ultrabooks do not have perfect keyboards, but the MacBook does feel like a step too far in comparisons to its brethren

MacOS is less of a compromise than it once was, although where Windows 10 users may have four or five third-party apps to choose from, macOS rarely has more than two effective choices in any areas for native apps. I've rarely been stuck for functionality so in terms of apps switching between the two major OS's is relatively simple, it's the increased reliance on cloud-based services in both macOS and Windows 10, that makes transitioning to the other side a tricky task. The MacBook's biggest advantage may be one of incumbency from MacBook Pro and MacBook Air owners looking for something more ultra.

Next Page: The Microsoft Surface Pro 4...

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 is a wonderful workhorse of the machine. Redmond has left it with as much power possible in its thin frame, reducing the size of the bezels as much as possible to create an expansive and sharp screen. With various models available up to a 1TB machine with a Skylake i7 processor, the Pro 4 has an excess of power if you can pay for it.

It's fair to say that the Surface Pro 4's ultimate compromise is not having a built-in keyboard. The vanilla models rely totally on the touch screen for input. It's a workaround that tablet owners will be familiar with, and the Pro 4 makes for an exception tablet. But if you are looking for an ultrabook, you really need to buy the type cover.

It's pretty much an essential purchase for the Surface Pro 4, so remember to budget for it. It's also a great illustration of how the Surface Pro machines have evolved over time. Unlike some of the earlier versions, the Type Cover for the Pro 4 is not only the best Pro keyboard, but it rivals many standard ultrabook keyboards for notable key travel and for tactile feedback... but only when you lay it flat. While it is a rigid cover, when the spine is tilted to give the distinctive rake on the keyboard there is a tiny amount of flex if you type heavily. It's not enough to be a deal breaker, but it is enough to occasionally to feel slightly awkward.

The other area of improvement is the Surface Pen. Microsoft's stylus magnetically attaches to the outside of the Pro 4 (although I tend to put it in my bag's pen holder when travelling as that is more secure. Unlike the Type Cover, you don't need the Pen to use the Pro 4 effectively, the touch screen is more than workable with finger touch for basic input, but the Pen is a huge advantage for anyone working in the creative space.

Strictly speaking the Pro 4 is not an ultrabook, it's a convertible 2 in 1, but I'll blur the lines for it because the mix of touchscreen, high specifications and impeccable design overpower the small issues I have with the Type Cover. It's both usable and a statement of intent that PC design can be exciting.

Next page: The HP Spectre...

HP Spectre

Sometimes an ultrabook's compromise is the defining feature of the hardware. That's the case with HP's Spectre, which was designed to be 'the world's thinnest laptop'. At 0.41 inches it has a very good claim for that banner and it has managed to do that without sacrificing its potential.

It also moves away from a black or silver approach with a warm dark-grey colour accented by a gold trim that makes it look more like an exclusive make-up bag than an HP laptop. It's certainly different, and I'm not sure yet if I like it or love it.

Going thin dictates a number of design decisions for the Spectre. The thirteen-inch screen does not come with a touchscreen (but it has an impressive vibrancy and brightness, this is a great machine for consuming media). The lack of touchscreen means the smaller trackpad is noticeable in use. It also means the keyboard travel is limited compared to other HP laptops, but the pressure required on the keys is slightly increased to compensate. I prefer a heavier key press so this choice sits well with me but your mileage may vary. Just like the MacBook, the Spectre relies on USB-C for both connectivity and power, but it ups the count to three ports arranged on the rear gold edge of the machine so you can power the ultrabook and still use peripherals.

Rather than look for a more conservative Core M chipset, the Spectre team decided to choose power and the laptop is available with Intel's i5 or i7 architecture. That allows the Spectre to run many Windows 10 applications with abandon and makes the Spectre genuinely useable in most situations, but it does come with its own counterbalance.

Thanks to the small internal volume and the mighty processor, the battery life on the Spectre feels more like that of a Pro machine, with around five to six hours of regular use, mixing web browsing, media playback and light office work.

The Spectre also gets hot. While it's never uncomfortable on my lap, you will notice a certain warmth on the underside of the machine and in the area just above the function keys. It's clear in use where the heat is being generated. There is a wave of heat coming out the back of the machine. HP has a dual fan system which draws in cold air specifically over the processor as well as pushing it out through the rear and keeps it comfortable to use, but you;re going to hear those fans.

The Spectre is a strong statement from HP that it can operate at the cutting edge of style. It's an impressive machine, both from its looks and design to its practical choice to go for power rather than battery life.

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