What we like best

The Folio 13’s lid comes in a pleasant brushed aluminium finish, while the hinges are matte black plastic. The overall look isn’t remarkable, but is a good combination of sober, functional parts and more shiny elements.

Most importantly, it feels reliably solid in all the important areas – there is next to no flex on the lid and the keyboard bezel, and the plastic underside seems strong enough, too. The keyboard, similarly, has a distinct feel to it that sets it apart from the very touchy-feely style of most ultrabooks. It’s also backlit, which is a neat touch.

In terms of ports, the HP Folio 13 gets one over the main ultrabooks (Acer Aspire S3, ASUS UX31) by including HDMI and Ethernet options. There’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity too, as well as a USB 3.0 port and the usual headphone/microphone options.

Thanks to the dual-core, quadruple-thread Intel Core i5-2467, paired with 4Gb of RAM and 128Gb SSD hard drive storage, the HP Folio 13 zips along very nicely indeed – multi-tab browsing, social media, YouTube streaming and text editing all function without glitches.

This laptop’s 6-cell battery is responsible for the extra weight, but at least it helps to ensure that you’ll be able to use it for up to seven and a half hours without having it plugged in.

What we like least

At 1.5Kg, it weighs slightly more than the ultrabook rules allow (1.4Kg). This might be seen as a minor issue (since the weight limit was applied pretty arbitrarily), but, when compared to most ultrabooks already on the market, there is no denying that the Folio 13 does feel a tiny bit chunkier.

The screen has the standard resolution of 1366 x 768, which is par for the course but below the high standards set by the MacBook Air. The brightness leaves something to be desired, but the viewing angles are perfectly adequate.

The lack of Beats Audio technology is a bit surprising – surely HP would have wanted to equip their flagship ultrabook with their flagship audio set-up? – and as a result, sound lacks the punch we’ve come to expect from HP laptops.

Steve Jobs, despite promoting shoe carton-sized Apple boomboxes, was an audiophile who, when he was at home, dug out his vinyl records and spun these instead of firing up iTunes.

This is according to legendary singer Neil Young, who has become so exasperated with the quality of currently recorded music that he gets ‘angry’ listening to it. Speaking at the D: Dive Into Medie Conference in California, he said: “Steve Jobs [was] a pioneer of digital music, and his legacy is tremendous. But when he went home, he listened to vinyl. And you’ve got to believe that if he’d lived long enough, he would have done what I’m trying to do.”

The Canadian, who has recently been jamming with his old band Crazy Horse, said that the late Apple CEO would have been right there with him in the trenches, fighting the good fight against the ‘degrading’ influence of mp3 downloads.

In his speech, he told the audience about how he actually talked to Jobs about creating a new music format that would have more than 20 times the fidelity of most current digital audio file formats.

This would result in a single song occupying as much hard drive space as a whole album currently does, which, one assumes, would have been anathema to someone like Jobs, who valued convenience and litheness over most things.

But apparently Jobs was indeed taken aback at the eagerness with which people embraced the mp3 and other digital audio formats, which contain a fraction of the data recorded by the artist.

Neil Young’s new album, meanwhile, was finished recently and should be released later this year.

What we like best

The design has to be one of the most accomplished we’ve seen in the last half year or so.

All futuristic metal (duralumin for those who are interested – it’s said to be twice as strong as normal aluminium) and minimalistic grey tones, the Samsung Series 9 has taken cues from the MacBook Air while adding a glossy, more ambitious edge.

The inside of the laptop is dominated by the lush chiclet keyboard, whose large keys are flat and a pleasure to move across. There’s a blue LED indicator and chrome start button to switch things up a bit.

There is the smallest amount of flex on the lid, which is reassuring, and the integrated touchpad has a distinct texture that nevertheless isn’t distracting.

The Samsung Series 9 boasts a screen much brighter and sharper than the MacBook Air of equal size – despite having a lower resolution (1366 x 768 vs 1440 x 900). This is due to the former’s matte screen with 400 nits of brightness. Horizontal and vertical viewing angles are great, and watching full HD video content is a thoroughly satisfying experience, despite the lack of a dedicated graphics card such as a nVIDIA.

What we like least

This first incarnation of the Samsung Series 9 comes with a second-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 4Gb RAM and 128 Gb of SSD hard drive storage. This leads to a performance that is about on a par with the MacBook Air, but less impressive than that of Lenovo’s ThinkPad series.

For an ultrabook, a long battery life is an essential attribute, but the Samsung Series 9 falls just short in this department. At medium-intense use, it lasts for about 5 hours, which is an hour less than the ultrabook standard.

Price-wise, this laptop is still in the upper echelons of the market – it will set you back at least £980. While this might change in the long run, right now that seems like a lot of money to spend on any laptop.

The Apple iPad has ruled supreme in the tablet market ever since it was launched, but that could change in 2012 according to new figures.

The battle between Apple and Google is set to continue (shocker), not only in terms of who’s the biggest brand in the world, but also in regards to the increasingly sizable global tablet market. According to figures released by Strategy Analytics this week, Apple’s share of the global tablet market dropped from 68% to 58% last year, while the overall market grew from 10.7m in the last quarter of 2010 to 26.8m twelve months later.

It seems that Apple’s loss has been entirely Android’s gain: the latter’s tablet sales grew from 29% to 39.1% from Q4 2010 to Q4 2011.

Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt was quoted at this year’s CES in Las Vegas as saying that Android tablets would sell a billion units before too long. With tablet prices generally going down slowly but surely, this might not be as far off the mark as it may sound right now.

It appears that this year will also be the year where smaller competitors might be squeezed out of the picture if they don’t shape up: BlackBerry PlayBook and Windows 7 tablets put together sold less than a million units.

The 13.3 inch U300S has the dimensions of an ultrabook, but if you’re after something with a bit more kick, then the rest of the Lenovo IdeaPad U Series may be worth considering. Admittedly they’re not as portable but have larger screens and desktop degree processors.

What we like best

This is by no means the lesser of the Lenovo IdeaPad U series, it just adheres to the strictures of the ultrabook format, the 14 and 15 inch models are not necessarily better they just provide a bit more screen space is all. You still get a stoic Intel i5 processor which will conserve your power for 4 to 5 hours, which is more than enough time to get some work done. The purpose of an ultrabook is to look good on the go, and this machine is certainly lightweight and serviceable. It is not a desktop replacement but will be an invaluable commuter tool or to have on your lap in the lounge for some idle browsing.

Some people are grumbling about the appearance of the Lenovo Idea Pad U300S, but we think it’s unassuming enough to be sophisticated (that is if you don’t buy the bright orange one). You get 128 Gb SSD storage which is now pretty much expected with an ultrabook, but we found it worked well with the low voltage Intel I5 processor giving you a respectable performance.

What we like least

The screen is very reflective – for a machine that’s going to move around it’s quite disappointing that the slightest glare will turn this machine into a mirror. This isn’t much of an entertainment machine either, although it can be hooked up via the full sized HDMI port. The small screen and about average graphics chipset keeps the Lenovo IdeaPad U300S a rather tame system. It’s built to be compact and certainly offers a lot more than any netbook ever did.

What we like best

The design of the Satellite R850 is similar to the R830 in its sober professionalism. The matte black lid does not give anything away and is fingerprint-resistant.

The overall feel is reassuringly solid and compact, with the hinges and lid giving the impression they’d be able to handle long and intense wear and tear. The robustness of the Satellite R850 does not mean, however, that it is a heavy laptop: in fact, it weighs in at 1.5Kg, which means you won’t break into a sweat carrying it around.

It runs on an Intel Core i5 processor, which can be combined with either 4, 6 or 8Gb of RAM to turn it into a muscular work laptop. The R850 is designed to be a stationary desktop replacement, but, like we said, you can carry it with you without major difficulties because the battery life is good enough to let you work without external power for up to 3.5 hours (light browsing and word processing). The 500Gb SSD hard drive also helps to make things chug along at a pleasant pace.

In its role as a desktop replacement, the Toshiba Satellite R850 needed to come with above-average connectivity options, and, thankfully, it delivers. There’s three USB 2.0 ports (one of which doubles up as an eSATA port that can charge external devices even when the laptop is switched off), a DVD writer, one USB 3.0 port, a card reader, one HDMI and VGA input respectively and a Gigabit Ethernet port.

The matte 1366 x 768 screen won’t do much for film or gaming fans, but for work purposes, it’s perfectly adequate – colours do not lose too much brightness, and thanks to the non-reflective nature of the screen, the Toshiba Satellite R850 can even be used in outdoor conditions without too much sunlight-induced trouble.

What we like least

With the internals being as satisfactory as they are, it’s disappointing to see how badly the keyboard and touchpad compare.

The chiclet keyboard’s spaces are too generous – you’re almost as likely to hit the gaps as the actual keys. And when you do hit the desired key, the feedback is so springy that you get the impression it’s been trampled on by a hundred tiny feet for months before you got to use it.

The touchpad supports multitouch gestures, but the silver keys have such a budget look and feel to them that you’ll be tempted to opt for an external mouse instead.

It’s a new year, it’s a new beginning, it’s a new PC Site giveaway. To kick off 2012, we’re giving away four copies of the latest Norton Antivirus software for Mac.

To take part, all you need to do is complete the following tagline:

Norton Antivirus 2012 – Fast. Powerful. …

The competition is taking place over on our Facebook page, so head there, follow the easy-as-pie instructions and you could be in with a chance to win this bodyguard for your Mac!

Terms and conditions apply, and the competition ends on 9th February.

Competition powered by Win Free Stuff, OfferOasis.co.uk – Competitions and Freebies in the UK, Competitions Today and ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

What we like best

The interface is modern, minimal and intuitive – a lot of antivirus software looks like a manual on how to manoeuvre a submarine, complete with blinking red and green lights, but AVG Anti-Virus 2012 blends in very well with most current versions of Windows.

This software package comes with the AVG Accelerator (not available to users of the free version), which optimises a user’s internet connection to make for smoother streaming and quicker downloads.

The ‘smart scanning’ function has been retained, which essentially means that files are scanned once and only re-scanned if AVG detects any changes. Unique to the paid-for version of AVG Anti-Virus 2012 is the chat link shield, as well as 24-hour phone support.

Scan times are mercifully short, and the malware removal and detection rate is higher than that of most competitors. AVG Anti-Virus 2012 is especially useful when used in conjunction with AVG Internet Security 2012.

What we like least

We can’t remember consciously opting into the AVG Secure Search feature, but after installation, there it was – along with a Security Toolbar we didn’t actively choose to install, either.

Both turn out to be reasonably helpful features, but by automatically installing them AVG will annoy quite a few users who like to have control over which new applications land on their computer.

The software runs slightly faster than the 2011 version, but there is a distinct impact on boot-up time of around 15 seconds.

What we like best

The Acer Aspire S3-951 is adheres to ultrabook format. You get the 13.3 inch screen, it’s light enough for you to carry to work and then carry home and unless you have particularly weak arms you could probably continue to carry this ultrabook anywhere else you damn well please.

Be warned: purchase of this laptop will lighten your wallet considerably, and you can push the boat out further by opting for increased hard drive storage. Not that you would need to: Whereas the majority of ultrabooks we have seen thus far only stretch to 128GB Solid State drives, with this ultrabook you can get a 244GB SSD. This may not sound like much to those of you with a 1 Tb hard drive on your desktop, but when you consider that this machine is a mere one and a half centimetres across the chest and weighs just 1.38 Kg that’s pretty gosh darn impressive, n’est-ce pas?

The Acer Aspire S3-951 is also a very sturdy machine. We’ve come across a few svelte laptops targeted towards the business man on the go, but those tend to have a flimsy feel, a screen with a little too much be d and a wrist rest liable to snap if picked up at the corner. We’re pleased to see that not only does the Acer Aspire S3-951 have a strong chassis, but it’s also lightning quick. You can purchase this ultrabook with the latest second generation Intel core processor, and the boot-up function is so dynamic that this laptop can be turned on from resume mode in 1.5 seconds.

What we like least

This is a computer to fall in love with, and it looks good enough to make your old one jealous as well.

The only issues we had with the Acer Aspire S3-951 were a lack of USB 3.0 which you really need with an ultrabook. Rapid data transfer is to be a requisite for the future – we want USB 3.0s and we want them now!

You may also despair at the HDMI port being output only, this issue can be remedied but you’ll have to buy yourself an output converter peripheral to get around this one.

What we like best

The ASUS UX21E ZenBook range is a line of ultrabooks designed for the modern multimedia worker that comes in a variety of form factors. As many other ultrabooks, it tries to emulate the MacBook Air in more areas than just thinness. How close does it get?

What we like best
The UX21E ZenBook is the smaller version of the UX31, the latter being a 13 inch laptop and, at 1.8mm at the rear, ever so slightly than its 11 inch brother (which measures 1.7mm at its tickest point). SSD is in use in all of them, however, and the most high-end model of the UX21E options sports 256Gb as well as an Intel Core i7-2677 processor.

The polished aluminium finish on the lid makes the ZenBook look incredibly cool and smart, and thankfully there is no lack of grip so you’re unlikely to let it slip out of your hand. Despite being on the shiny side (some might even call it flashy), the pattern is well-equipped to resist fingerprints and minor scratches.

The base starts out relatively solid at the back, but gets gradually slimmer towards the front (creating a wedge-like shape for maximum ‘weight loss’).

There are two USB ports included with the ASUS UX21E ZenBook: a USB 2.0 on the left and a USB 3.0 (not available with the MacBook Air) port on the right. Apart from that, there’s a mini VGA and a micro HDMI port (everything has to be tiny with the ZenBook, it seems), and an audio jack. When playing music on this laptop, the sound emanating from the in-built speakers was powerful and well-rounded.

A core feature of any ultrabook should be that it boots up almost instantly from sleep mode, and the ASUS UX21E does that admirably well.

What we like least

The keyboard looks lovely, but offered unsatisfying feedback and feeling clunky beneath our fingers. There is also no backlight, which is increasingly becoming par for the course.

The screen (1366 x 768) is a tad too reflective and doesn’t display colours sharply enough to be totally convincing – its brightness, however, is impeccable. There is also a fair amount of hissing once you get into heavier multitasking involving different software applications and browser tabs.