The MSI S30 is a forthcoming Ultrabook alternative (falling into the more general ‘ultrathin’ category). Though we’ve been eyeing up the 11.6-inch S20 Ultrabook convertible for some time, it looks like the S-series from MSI will consist of both Ultrabook and non-Ultrabook devices. The S30 is a 13.3-inch ultrathin that uses hardware similar to what you’ll find in an Ultrabook, but doesn’t quite fit Intel’s Ultrabook definition — the trade-off being that the S30 will likely be less expensive.
AMD based ultrathins haven’t exactly been raining down on us over the last twelve months but HP have definitely been a strong supporter. HP is continuing with it’s Sleekbooks and will add an AMD-based Pavilion Touchsmart Sleekbook 15 to the range.
A new AMD-based ultralight has surfaced with Ultrabook looks, the ASUS Vivotab brand and a very interesting CPU and GPU combination. The ASUS Vivobook U38DT is available for pre-order in Germany.
AMDs Ultrathin laptops have been a long time coming. I remember a promise of an Ultrathin at CES in Jan that didn’t materialise. I’ve heard big talk from AMD at their investor conference back in Feb. The Samsung and HP Ultrathins were launched around June but it’s mid August now and if you’re looking for an ultrathin based on AMD’s A6 at under 2KG, only the Samsung Series 5 NP535U3C fits the bill. But how does it perform? It’s coming in at about €100 / $100 less than the equivalent Ultrabook so there’s room to maneuver for the AMD-based Ultrathin.
Use the European comparison engine Skinflint.co.uk today and do a search for Core i5 Ivy Bridge laptops with a screen size up to 13.9” and a weight of under 1.5KG [link] and you’ll find about 32 solutions. 5 of them are Apple MacBook Air solutions, 11 of them are Ultrabook alternatives over 1000 Euros and the rest are Ultrabooks…apart from one which sits nearly 30% cheaper than any other offering. Take the screen size limit down to 11.6” and the Acer V5-171-53314G50 is about half the price of any 11.6 Ultrabook out there; and it’s very difficult to see where the differences are.
We’ve just finished watching the AMD press event from Computex which was 100% about AMD APUs. Trinity extends down to Ultrathins and we even saw a dockable hybrid demonstrated.
Update: Video of Compal Hybrid below.
In a well executed press event by AMD in Tapei today, AMD pushed ultrathins and hybrids as two of the form factors made possible by AMD APUs, Trinity and Brazos 2.
It feels like the Lenovo U300S is an Ultrabook that many many people had been waiting for. The first reviews were out in November last year but availability has been limited in the consumer channels, which is surprising because this isn’t a B2B product. In Europe today, just weeks before the 2nd-Generation Ultrabooks launch, there’s still a limited number of places where you can buy it, and still at original prices. Surprising, because this is a good Ultrabook. It’s not without a few issues but you’ll find out about them in our full review below.