Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (14-inch) review: Premium laptop at a midrange price

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (14-inch) review: Premium laptop at a midrange price

Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro gets better the more you use it. Frankly, when I first unboxed it I found the laptop to be pretty unremarkable. It's Lenovo's first laptop to ship with Windows 11 but otherwise, it doesn't really have any big attention-grabbing features. The 14-inch laptop is thin, light and has a full metal chassis -- premium but it doesn't stand out. There's no big performance story: It's respectable but not extraordinary (though battery life is long at nearly 12 hours). Of course, there's nothing wrong with just being all-around good. 

But after using the Slim 7i Pro for a little while and putting a few of its somewhat hidden features to work, the little laptop's value is clearer. With this laptop, you're getting the experience of a higher-end model -- the look, feel and upscale features -- but at a more affordable price (even if that price isn't exactly low). 

Like

• Higher-end design, features at a more affordable price
• Multiple voice assistant options

Don't Like

• Cluttered with pitches for optional services, software
• No physical webcam shutter

Starting at around $1,000 , the Slim 7i Pro is not cheap but it does offer components and features you'd normally pay a few hundred dollars more to get. The configuration I tested sells for $1,200 at Costco and is maxed out with an 11th-gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. It also has a bright, beautiful 2.8K-resolution touchscreen with a 90Hz refresh rate. A similar configuration of the Slim 7i Pro in the UK sells for £999 and AU$1,599 in Australia.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (14-inch)

Price as reviewed	$1,200
Display size/resolution	14-inch 2880 x 1800 touch display
CPU	3.3GHz Intel Core i7-11370H
Memory	16GB 4267MHz LPDDR4X (soldered)
Graphics	128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Ports	USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C (x2), USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, combo headphone jack
Storage	1TB PCIe SSD
Networking	802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5.1
Operating system	Windows 11 Home (21H1)

What's so Pro about it   

Putting Pro in the name of a laptop model means different things to different people. In this case, it seems that it means moving a notch up from the regular IdeaPad Slim 7 in almost every way. The Slim 7i Pro (the letter i is for the Intel processor) has better components, a higher-quality display and some future-proofing tech, as well as some features to improve your work experience. Plus, the laptop is pretty sharp and won't look out of place in a business meeting. 

Both of the Slim 7i Pro's USB-C ports are on the left side. 

Josh Goldman/CNET

The 14-inch display, for instance, covers 100% sRGB, 80% P3, 78% Adobe RGB and 74% NTSC color gamuts. It hits a brightness of 400 nits. All good things for work, entertainment and basic content creation. The taller 16:10 ratio gives you more vertical room for work, too. And the 90Hz refresh rate smooths out the look of video and games. 

With two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports on the left side, you're covered for everything from charging and high-speed data transfers to connecting multiple external monitors. It would be nice if they were split between the left and right sides for greater flexibility, though. Wireless is ready for the future as well with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. 

Above the display, there's a serviceable 720p webcam paired with an IR camera and dual far-field microphones. The IR camera is for signing in with facial recognition. But what's even more interesting is the laptop has presence detection, a feature found on ThinkPad business laptops. 

The Slim 7i Pro's cameras can automatically lock and unlock the laptop.

Josh Goldman/CNET

If you walk away from the laptop, it will automatically lock itself down. When you return, the Slim 7i Pro senses your presence and starts looking for your face to unlock it instantly. The feature can even be used to pause video playing on your display when you leave and resume when you return when using certain players like VLC. 

What Lenovo did remove is the sliding physical shutter for the webcam to help with privacy. That's a step back, but you can use Lenovo's Vantage software toolbar to quickly kill the webcam and mic, as well as change fan and system control modes, adjust battery and charging performance and even turn on and off the keyboard backlight. You can also do some of these things and much more with your voice. 

The keyboard and touchpad are both excellent.

Josh Goldman/CNET

The laptop is preinstalled with Lenovo Voice, which lets you control the laptop and change settings with voice commands. There's a long list of options from controlling screen brightness and volume to opening the calculator app to disabling the webcam. It also has translation and voice-to-text features. And if you want to use your voice for more, the laptop is preinstalled with Amazon Alexa services and Microsoft Cortana. This is why those dual far-field mics are nice to have, along with better conference calls. 

Aside from the Lenovo Vantage and Lenovo Voice apps, there's surprisingly little preinstalled bloatware on the laptop, but be prepared to get partner software pitches anyway. Yes, Vantage is where you'll find all the controls for turning on and off the extra features on the Slim 7i Pro, but it's also the company's avenue for pitching you on various partner services. Things like SurfEasy VPN, McAfee Live Safe, DashLane password manager and Lenovo's own Smart Performance service for $30 a year, which scans your PC and fixes any issues it finds. This is also where you'll get offers for extended warranties for the laptop and battery. It's annoying but I suppose it's better than having all of it preinstalled. 

A headphone jack, USB-A port and power button are on the right side.

Josh Goldman/CNET

At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro's charm is that it's a really good clamshell laptop for people who need just that. it looks good, if a little bland. It has an excellent display and the components are top-notch for its class. Plus the Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6 mean there's some future proofing for connections. Add in the fun extras like presence detection and voice commands, especially nice if you're a heavy Alexa user already and you've got a premium laptop experience at a more midrange price. 

Geekbench 5 (multicore)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)

Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Cinebench R23 CPU (multicore)

HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro

Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

PCMark 10 Pro Edition

HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro

Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Streaming video playback battery drain test (minutes)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)

Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

System Configurations

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro	Microsoft Windows 11 Home (64-bit); 3.3GHz Intel Core i7-11370H; 16GB 4.27GHz LPDDR4X; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 1TB SSD
HP Pavilion Aero 13 (13-be0097nr)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.9GHz AMD Ryzen 7 5800U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3.2GHz; 512MB AMD Radeon; 512GB SSD
Framework Laptop	Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit); 3GHz Intel Core i7-1185G7; 32GB DDR4 SDRAM 3.2GHz; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 512GB SSD
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2GHz AMD Ryzen 7 4980U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 4.27GHz; 512MB AMD Radeon Vega 8; 512GB SSD
Razer Book 13	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-1155G7; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 4.27GHz; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 256GB SSD
Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310)	Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit); 3GHz Intel Core i7-1185G7; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 4.27GHz; 128MB Intel Iris Xe; 512GB SSD

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Tags:

• Ideapad Slim 7i Pro 14
• Lenovo Ideapad Slim 7i Pro 14ihu5 Review
• Lenovo Ideapad Slim 7i Pro Manual
• Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3
• Lenovo Ideapad Slim 7 Pro
• Lenovo Ideapad 1
• Lenovo Ideapad 5

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro review: A better-than-HD hybrid for less

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro review: A better-than-HD hybrid for less

The all-around best-in-class example of a first-generation Windows 8 hybrid was the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, a clever fold-back laptop-turned-tablet that was almost universally liked in both its 13-inch and 11-inch versions (let's just not mention the 11-inch Windows RT variant). It's a tough act to follow, but the flagship for the Windows 8.1 era may well be the IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro.

If you're not familiar with how the Yoga line works, it masquerades as an ordinary thin clamshell laptop, but the lid and display fold back a full 360 degrees to form either a thick tablet, or a stand/kiosk device when only folded partway back. That basic hook applies to both the original and updated models.

How exactly does the Yoga 2 top the original? The star of the show is an ultrahigh-res 13.3-inch display, with a native resolution of 3,200x1,800 pixels. That puts the Yoga 2 in similar territory to the Toshiba Kirabook, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, the Chromebook Pixel, the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus, and a handful of others. That's an especially notable improvement, as the original Yoga had a 1,600x900-pixel display, which was not what one would expect from a modern $1,000 laptop.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The price can be a bit difficult to pin down, as Lenovo is infamous of late for offering a confusing array of preconfigured systems, many with poorly explained "coupon codes," discounting some models to what feels like what the original price should have been.

As of this writing, our Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) review unit is available for $999 both from Best Buy and from Lenovo's Web site, although the latter is technically a discount from the $1,099 list price. In any event, the specs listed above are just right for $999, if you consider the higher-than-HD resolution, slim design, and flexible tablet modes.

IdeaPad is Lenovo's line of forward-thinking consumer products, in contrast to its ThinkPad line of business laptops and tablets, so adding the superfluous "Pro" to its name is an odd choice. But despite the naming confusion, this is still a strong consumer hybrid. And like the original Yoga, the Yoga 2 scores by remembering that it's a laptop first, and doing nothing to interfere with the traditional laptop form. Adding that higher-res screen for $999 is also a price breakthrough, and makes the Yoga 2 a hard-to-ignore value.

	Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro	Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus	Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (October 2013)
Price	$999	$1,399.99	$1,499
Display size/resolution	13.3-inch, 3,200x1,800 touch screen	13.3-inch, 3,200x1,800 touch screen	13.3-inch, 2,560x1,600 screen
PC CPU	1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U	1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U	2.4GHz Intel Core i7-4850HQ
PC memory	4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz	4,096MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz	8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz
Graphics	1,792MB (shared) Intel HD Graphics 4400	1,749MB (shared) Intel HD Graphics 4400	1GB Intel Iris Graphics
Storage	128GB SSD	128GB SSD	256GB SSD
Optical drive	None	None	None
Networking	802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
Operating system	Windows 8.1 (64-bit)	Windows 8 (64-bit)	OS X Mavericks 10.9

Design and features
If I had to go out and find a thin, light, sharp-looking ultrabook-style laptop for around $1,000, the Yoga 2 would be on my short list, along with the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the Samsung Book 9, the Sony Vaio Pro 13, and a few others. The Yoga 2 feels like it can stand toe-to-toe with any of those as a laptop, ignoring its shape-shifting abilities. The overall look is close to the original, but the new version is a bit thinner and lighter, with a slight taper to its previously squared-off lip.

The most apt comparison is with other better-than-HD systems, such as the MacBook Pro and Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus. The Yoga 2 is not quite as slick or solidly built as those, but it also costs less for a similar Core i5, 128GB configuration, making it the least expensive way to get into higher-resolution mobile computing.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Hybrids and convertibles fall into two categories. Some are primarily tablets that can spend part of their time as laptoplike devices, while others are primarily laptops that can double as part-time tablets. For example, the recent Sony Vaio Tap 11 is maybe 75 percent tablet and 25 percent laptop. The Microsoft Surface Pro 2 is perhaps a 60-40 tablet/laptop. On the other hand, the Lenovo Yoga 2 is 75 percent laptop, and you'll use the other modes less frequently. Frankly, if you need something that's a full-time tablet, look elsewhere.

That's primarily because when the Yoga 2 is folded back as a slate, the keyboard is exposed, pointing out from the back of the system. Although the keyboard and touch pad are deactivated in this mode, it's still not ideal, and one of the few things people criticized about the original Yoga.

There's also the problem that spans all Windows 8 tablets, which is that Windows 8/8.1 is still not a 100 percent tablet-friendly OS, and rarely knows how to organize information efficiently in portrait mode, which is how the iPad has trained a generation of consumers to hold a tablet.

In laptop mode, however, the Yoga 2 is a joy to use. Lenovo is known for putting serious resources into keyboard R&D and usage testing, and the current design is found (with a few variations) across most of Lenovo's consumer and business laptops. It takes the standard flat-topped island-style keyboard and adds a slight curve to the bottom, which helps catch nearly missed keystrokes. The finish on the keys feels softer and the keys themselves less clacky than on the original Yoga. My only real complaint is that a shortened right Shift key has carried over from the first Yoga, and I still find it hard to get acclimated to. This new keyboard is also backlit, which is a big upgrade for people who use their laptops in dim coffee shops and commuter train cars.

The large clickpad-style touch pad is similar to the previous version, and works well with two-finger gestures, such as Web site scrolling. It's tuned a little too sensitively for my tastes, but you can tweak the settings a bit to find the right level for you.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Besides the laptop and tablet modes, you can fold the screen back about 180 degrees and put the system into what I call a kiosk mode, with the display pointing out at the audience, without a keyboard or touch pad in the way. That's helpful for presentations or playing photo slideshows and videos. You can also fold it a bit farther back and position the Yoga 2 so that it's standing up in a table-tent shape. It's technically one of the four shapes Lenovo promotes for the Yoga 2, but I can't see how that's preferable to the kiosk mode.

The real forward leap here is the move to a better-than-HD screen, with a native 3,200x1,800-pixel resolution. That's higher even than the MacBook Pro's, and equal to the resolution on the $1,500-and-up Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus. More importantly, offering that screen at $999 (or even $929 currently for a Core i3 configuration) is amazing.

The benefits come from crisper text and more screen real estate for editing images. In the Windows 8 tile interface, you're unlikely to notice the difference unless you look closely. Like OS X, Windows 8 autoscales its icons and layout to fit any resolution. In the traditional desktop view still accessible in Windows 8, however, the very high resolution looks and feels odd on such a small screen. Icons and links will be hard to hit, and loading up Photoshop, you had better be familiar with the menu layout, or else be prepared for some hunting and pecking amid the tiny pull-down menus. As very little online video is available at resolutions higher than 1080p, it's not a huge help for that, either, even if the 4K video era is coming quickly.

Think of the higher-res IPS display as a bit of future-proofing, especially as it's turning up in more and more systems with each passing month.

Connections, performance, and battery
A few corners had to be cut somewhere for Lenovo to get this sharp design and great display in at under $1,000. There's only one USB 3.0 port (and a second USB 2.0 one), and the Wi-Fi is not of the newer 802.11ac variety. Your only built-in video output is via Micro-HDMI, and an Ethernet connection will require a sold-separately dongle.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The $999 Yoga 2 (available for this price from Best Buy, and through an artificial-feeling "coupon code" direct from Lenovo), is a decent all-around config with an Intel Core i5-4200U CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. Paying $1,399 will double the RAM to 8GB and the SSD to 256GB, and $1,499 takes it to a Core i7 CPU. Go all the way up to $1,599 and you add the final upgrade, a big 512GB SSD. Going the other way, you can trade down to a Core i3 CPU for $929, but that seems like less power than you'd want to drive the high-res display, for only a small savings.

	Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro
Video	Micro-HDMI
Audio	Stereo speakers, combo headphone/microphone jack
Data	1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Networking	802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive	None

Our basic Core i5 configuration performed as expected, and was closely matched with other laptops sharing this similar set of components. The real test is how it compared with other, more expensive, laptops that have similarly expansive screen resolutions. In that case, the Yoga 2 was about even to slightly slower, especially compared with the current 13-inch MacBook Pro. In our Photoshop test, the higher screen resolution may have affected performance, as the lower-res 1,600x900 original Yoga did better in that single-app test.

But a current fourth-generation Intel Core i5 CPU is more than powerful enough for everyday computing, even multitasking, and we experienced no slowdown or stuttering when using the system anecdotally. For just the base set of components, we'd expect to pay $800 or so, but keep in mind that with the Yoga 2, you also get an excellent design and build, the flexible hybrid features, and the 3,200x1,800-pixel-resolution display.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Battery life surpasses the original Yoga, partially because this system has a current-gen Intel Haswell processor, which makes great strides in battery life over the previous generation. Our other higher-res laptops have similar CPUs, so they also can be counted on to run for a long time. The 13-inch MacBook is still the undisputed champion among this group, and the excellent Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus also ran longer, but the 7 hours and 10 minutes the Yoga 2 ran in our video playback battery drain test is still a very impressive time.

Conclusion
Interestingly, the Yoga line is undergoing a split of sorts, with some features being added to the consumer IdeaPad version, and completely different features showing up in the new business-oriented ThinkPad Yoga. In this case, the IdeaPad Yoga 2 gets the ultrahigh-res screen, but the ThinkPad Yoga gets a clever new keyboard mechanism that hides the keyboard when the system is folded flat in tablet mode.

The presence of the keyboard and touch pad under your fingers, even though they are deactivated, when holding the Yoga 2 as a tablet remains a design oddity, and the one thing many people disliked about the original Yoga. Perhaps if we all ask very nicely, we can get a future Yoga that combines the 3,200x1,800-pixel display and sleek design of the Yoga 2 with the brilliant hidden keyboard of the ThinkPad Yoga.

But if you think of the Yoga 2 as primarily a laptop that can be called on to flip and fold into new shapes to serve specific purposes, it's one of the best all-around ultrabook-style systems available, and one that adds new high-end features at a price that makes it almost irresistible.

Find more shopping tips in our laptop buying guide.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro
Windows 8.1 (64.bit); 1.6GHZ Intel Core i5-4200U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 1,792MB (shared) Intel HD 4400 Graphics; 128GB Samsung SSD

Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 1,749MB (shared) Intel HD Graphics 4400: 128GB SSD

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (October 2013)
OSX 10.9 Mavericks; 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-4258U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 1GB Intel Iris Graphics; 256GB Apple SSD

Toshiba Kirabook
Windows 8 (64-bit); 2GHz Intel Core i7-3667U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 256GB Toshiba SSD

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (shared) Intel HD 4000 Graphics; 128GB Samsung SSD

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• Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro Review A Better Than Hd Hybrid Ford
• Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro Review A Better Than Anything Christmas
• Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro Review And Herald
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• Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro Review Appraiser
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Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 Review: An Excellent Ultrabook Value

Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 review: An excellent ultrabook value

Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 review: An excellent ultrabook value

Editors' note: According to Toshiba's specification information for the Portege Z935-P300, the RAM is not user upgradeable. However, one of our readers, "fozzyfozborne," confirms that while 2GB of the Z935-P300 memory is fixed to the motherboard, there is a slot with a 2GB stick of removable memory. You will need a Phillips-head screwdriver as well as a T7 security bit to remove the entire bottom cover of the system. This review has been changed to reflect this.

The Toshiba Portege Z930 series is a textbook example of a mainstream ultrabook. It's thin, it's light, its battery life is very good, and the entry-point model I tested, the Z935-P300, has enough processing performance for normal everyday computing.

It also isn't any different on the outside than its predecessor, the Z835. We had a few quibbles about that model, which are amplified for higher-priced versions in the series, but at the Z935-P300's $862.50 MSRP they're not deal-breakers, and on the whole the Z935-P300 is an excellent value.

Design
The Z935 is an inoffensive-looking laptop featuring a magnesium alloy chassis with a brushed finish. People likely won't be craning their necks to see what laptop you're using at the coffee shop; it's one that blends in. On the other hand, the large chrome "Toshiba" on the lid will definitely let people know what brand it is. And if you like stickers, this system's got plenty: six on the palm rests and three on the bottom. (You can always remove them with a little effort, but it's one of those things that is less than thrilling to see when you open up a new laptop.)

Sarah Tew/CNET

Other things that cheapen its appearance are the plastic chrome accents by the screen hinges and the chrome power and touch-pad buttons. Putting chrome on things you'll be touching isn't a good idea unless you like looking at fingerprints all the time, and while I understand the desire to add interest to the design, it's unnecessary. More importantly, there is a lot of flex to the lid, which, if you're not careful about handling it, could damage the screen. That said, if you care more about performance, size, and weight, then none of these things matter and certainly don't affect performance.

What might slow you down, however, is the keyboard. If you like big comfortable keys with a lot of travel, this probably isn't the laptop for you. The keys are shrunken; they're a normal width, but shortened. Basically, it can take some adjustment if you're a sloppy typist or are simply used to larger keys. The travel is quite shallow, too, but with a laptop this size that's understandable. On the upside, the keys are backlit and the keyboard itself is spill-resistant.

Other than the chrome buttons, the touch pad is fine: responsive and with the Synaptics' usual assortment of multitouch tools for two-finger scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and rotate, among other options. I also didn't experience any cursor jumps from my palms brushing the touch pad while typing.

Features
Compared with the components used in the Z835-P370 we tested earlier this year, the Z935-P300 has a new third-generation ultralow-voltage dual-core Core i5 processor and less, but faster RAM. It comes in at a lower price, too, all without sacrificing its 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) for storage or extras like Bluetooth and Intel Wireless Display support.

Price as reviewed	$862.50
Processor	1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U
Memory	4GB, 1,600MHz DDR3
Hard drive	128GB SSD
Chipset	Intel HM76 Express
Graphics	Intel HD
Operating system	Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Dimensions (WD)	12.4x8.9 inches
Height	0.63 inch
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	2.5 pounds / 3.1 pounds
Category	13-inch

The display on the Z935 has the same 1,366x768-pixel native resolution as the vast majority of 11- to 15-inch laptops. That's fine for a sub-$1,000 laptop, but some of the other thin 13-inch models offer more; the Asus Zenbook, for example, has a 1,920x1,080-pixel screen, and the MacBook Air is 1,440x900 pixels. Generally speaking, the screen gets the job done -- no more, no less. Horizontal off-axis viewing is OK, though you'll have to adjust the screen angle so it doesn't completely invert colors.

The front-firing stereo speakers are fine for impromptu music and movies, but you'll want to connect some headphones or desktop speakers for a more enjoyable experience.

	Toshiba Portege Z935	Average for category [13-inch]
Video	VGA plus HDMI; Intel WiDi-ready	VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, SD card reader	2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, SD card reader
Networking	Ethernet, Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive	None	DVD burner

The Z935-P300 has a well-rounded selection of ports and connections, including USB 3.0 and an Ethernet jack, the latter of which some of the other ultrabooks don't have. One of the USB 2.0 ports has Toshiba's Sleep and Charge feature that makes it possible to charge a device even while the computer is sleeping.

Sarah Tew/CNET

As for software, along with the stuff that's included with Windows 7, Toshiba installs a long list of utilities for everything from improving battery life to controlling the built-in Webcam to Toshiba's ReelTime, which gives you a visual timeline of recently opened documents, photos, and videos. And as part of the Intel Ultrabook package, you get Intel Anti-Theft Technology, which can disable the laptop if it is lost or stolen as soon as it's connected to the Internet or after a certain number of days.

Battery life
The Portege Z935-P300 lasted for just more than 5 hours of running our video playback battery drain test. Both the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A and Samsung Series 9 were able to keep going past the 6-hour mark, but they're more expensive and the Toshiba essentially matches them or beats them in performance.

Running video really taxes the battery, too, so if you're just doing more basic tasks you can expect to get more than 5 hours of uptime with some power management. Also, if you like having the ability to swap batteries, the Z935-P300 does not have an easily replaceable battery pack.

Performance
Despite having an ultralow-voltage processor and 2GB less memory than the Z835 we reviewed, the Z935-P300 outperformed it. It's also able to beat or keep pace with similarly configured ultrabooks from other manufacturers, but at a lower price.

As long as your needs don't stretch too far beyond the basics (such as Web browsing, streaming video and music, casual gaming, office tasks, and light photo and video editing), this ultrabook should be able to handle them relatively well.

That said, if you have more demanding tasks in mind for this laptop, Toshiba does sell other configurations with more memory and a faster Core i7 processor. Also, only 2GB of this system's RAM is fixed to the its motherboard; the other 2GB is a user-replaceable stick that can be swapped out for more memory.

Warranty and support
Toshiba includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the system. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line, and a customized support search page can direct you to online documents and driver downloads for this specific model.

Conclusion
With the same design as its predecessor and improved components, Toshiba's Portege Z935-P300 is an excellent value for an ultrabook. Its physical flaws are harder to overlook in pricier versions of this model. But since the starting-point Z935-P300 model is currently available for less $850, I'm more concerned with performance and battery life, and it does just fine in those areas.

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

System configurations:

Toshiba Portege Z935-P300
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Toshiba SSD

Lenovo IdeaPad U310
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Samsung 5,400rpm

HP Envy Spectre XT 13-2050nr
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Samsung SSD

Samsung Series 9 NP900X3C (13-inch, 2012)
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB SanDisk SSD

Dell Inspiron 13z - 5323
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Western Digital 5,400rpm

Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Adata XM11 SSD

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Dell XPS 13 (winter 2013) review: Still can't touch this sleek ultrabook

Dell XPS 13 (winter 2013) review: Still can't touch this sleek ultrabook

A little over a year ago, Dell debuted a then-quite-impressive little 13-inch laptop called the XPS 13. Aimed at the part of the business market that's become increasingly enamored of the MacBook Air and Windows ultrabooks, the XPS 13 was technically geared toward business customers, but with lots of stylistic flourishes and compact appeal. It was like a Windows MacBook Air, but with less impressive battery life. We called it the "Dellbook Air."

The XPS 13 is back for a second go in 2013, but it doesn't seem to have gotten the "Windows 8 touch" memo. Yes, it now has third-gen Intel Core i5/i7 processors, two USB 3.0 ports, and a higher-resolution 1080p screen. But a touch display? No.

Last year, we said this about the XPS 13's main drawbacks: "A limited port selection doesn't include HDMI or an SD card slot; the display should be better; and battery life falls behind other slim laptops." The new XPS 13 adds a fancy 1080p screen and gains a little more battery life, but that screen option will cost you: the 1080p version costs $1,299.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Can you live without touch on a laptop? Do you like the idea of a tweaked version of last year's XPS 13 in the current laptop world? There's really nothing wrong with what this new Dell XPS 13 brings to the table, but it's expensive, a bit heavy compared with other ultrabooks, and it lacks touch, which should be a major consideration when moving to Windows 8. Call it an old-fashioned ultrabook.

Price as reviewed / starting price	$1,599 / $999
Processor	1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U
Memory	8GB, 1,600MHz DDR3
Hard drive	256GB SSD
Chipset	Intel QS67
Graphics	Intel HD4000
Operating system	Windows 8
Dimensions (WD)	12.4x8.1 inches
Height	0.24-0.71 inch
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	3.0 pounds / 3.6 pounds
Category	13-inch

The Dell XPS 13 might have been one of the best-designed Dells since the Adamo. Soft-touch finishes, an elegant keyboard, sleek metal, and solid construction give instantly strong first impressions. The new XPS 13 isn't much different, and it still presents itself well.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Its footprint is smaller than a 13-inch MacBook Air, giving it something of the feel of a 12-inch laptop. The narrower footprint feels right, and the keyboard hasn't been compromised. A magnetic hinge opens smoothly, and the lid has just enough bezel to provide finger room to open and close, while maxing out screen real estate.

Did I say the XPS 13 seemed heavy and thick? Maybe that's unfair. It actually weighs an even 3 pounds, which is lighter than the 13-inch Air. It's 0.71 inch thick at its thickest point, tapering down to the other end. That's certainly slim and light enough for a 13-inch ultrabook, but the XPS 13 may be a psychological victim of its own small (for a 13-inch) footprint. It feels almost like an 11-inch Air in terms of dimensions, but the 11-inch Air is indeed lighter.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Lining up the new XPS 13 with last year's, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. So, our opinion stays the same, cosmetically: the backlit keyboard is comfortable and spacious, and the multitouch clickable touch pad has ample finger room.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Ah, but now the spectre of Windows 8 casts its shadow. Windows 8 is a touch-oriented OS. It's arguably not necessary, but you'll miss it on many of Microsoft's native apps. That touch pad is your lone tool to interface via touch at all, and in this case, it's just not as responsive as better versions out there. In particular, off-edge swipe gestures, which can be used to bring up Windows 8 functions, are hard to pull off.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The best -- and worst -- new feature of this XPS 13 is its 13-inch 1080p Gorilla Glass-covered display: it's crisp, bright, vivid, and looks great at all angles. It's a big step up compared to the average laptop, and better than the display on the MacBook Air. But not all XPS 13 models have it: step-down versions have 1,366x768-pixel displays, which I didn't test. That 1080p on a 13-inch screen used to look crammed, but the nice thing about Windows 8 is that its new tile interface and full-screen apps generally take advantage of higher-res smaller screens in ways that don't shrink and cram text and buttons down like Windows 7 did. It's a better experience.

But, I'll say it once again: there's no touch screen. I harp on that because this is a $1,600 computer, and there are touch ultrabooks out there for half that price. That may not matter to some people, but in the Windows 8 world, ultrabooks are routinely getting touch-screen makeovers without great cost. Top-end laptops are starting to have touch by default. The Dell XPS 13's lack of touch just feels like an oversight. At this price, it should at least have a touch-screen option. In a Windows 8 world, touch is just too potentially useful to completely ignore.

The 0.9-megapixel Webcam takes grainy pictures, and isn't as good as others I've seen.

	Dell XPS 13 (2013)	Average for category [13-inch]
Video	Mini DisplayPort	HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo speakers, combo headphone/microphone jack	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 3.0	2 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Networking	802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive	None	DVD burner

Ports, configurations, performance
The ports are sparse indeed on the XPS 13: two USB 3.0 ports and a Mini DisplayPort. No HDMI, no Ethernet, not even an SD card slot. I can forgive the first two, but not the third. There's plenty of room.

Sarah Tew/CNET

This XPS 13 review unit is the highest-end model, the surf-and-turf of Dell's fleet: Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, 1080p display, for $1,599. The lowest-end XPS 13 starts at $999, and has more-standard specs: Core i5, 4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD, but only a 1,366x768-pixel display. You can mix and match specs to some degree, but for 1080p you have to step up to a $1,299 model with 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. Sure, that sort of matches a MacBook Air, but it's hard to swallow for a PC -- especially one that lacks a touch screen.

The Core i7-3537 CPU is a little faster than the Core i7-3517 in the step-down 720p models, and handled as well as you'd expect a top-end, third-gen Intel ultrabook processor to perform. It's one of the fastest we've tested in our benchmarks, but not by a huge degree. You're still stuck with Intel HD 4000 graphics, which are fine for most purposes but, at this price, fall short of serious PC graphics power.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Battery life, warranty
The killer differentiator in a lot of superportable ultrabooks often comes down to battery life. The original XPS 13 in 2012 was a disappointment, getting a little under 5 hours. The new XPS 13 does a little better, scoring 5 hours and 31 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. An extra 40 minutes is nice, but it doesn't quite match up to the 6-plus hours a lot of top-end ultrabooks can achieve.

Dell offers a one-year warranty with at-home service (after remote diagnosis) with the XPS 13, plus a year of 24-7 "premium" phone support (1-877-717-3355). This can be upgraded in various ways on Dell's Web site: $199 to extend to three years, or up to $349 for additional accidental damage protection and LoJack.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Conclusion: A great laptop...for 2012
The Dell XPS 13 is a slightly fancier version of last year's Dellbook Air: compact, functional, and upgraded with an excellent display. But its price -- and its lack of touch-screen options -- leave it as a product I'd have some reservations recommending for everyone. It feels like last year's product in a 2013 Windows 8 world that's moved on from basic ultrabooks -- or, at this price, one that at least includes touch. You might not need a touch screen, but believe me, at this price Dell should be including one. When it does, the XPS 13 might once again be a serious contender for best Windows 8 ultrabook.

Find out more about how we test laptops.

System configurations

Dell XPS 13
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.9GHz Intel Core i7; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Sharedl) Intel HD 4000; 256GB Samsung SSD

Asus Taichi 21
Windows 8 Pro (64-bit); 1.9GHz IntelCore i7; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Sharedl) Intel HD 4000; 256GB SanDisk SSD

Acer Aspire S7-391-9886
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 128MB (Shared) Intel HD 4000; 256GB Intel SSD

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Samsung SSD

HP Envy x2
Windows 8 (32-bit); 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z2760; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM 1,066MHz; 747MB (Total) Intel GMA; 64GB SSD

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