Asus Zenbook UX301LA
Asus' new flagship ultrabook looks stunning with its illuminated logo, sleek profile and Gorilla Glass lid.
Its head-turning beauty is matched by impressive hardware. Its high-resolution touchscreen is powered by an Intel Iris Pro chip that boasts better graphics than the competition. You also get faster speeds with its 802.11ac wireless adaptor and solid-state drive.
Dell XPS 13 (2013)
The original XPS 13 used carbon fibre and aluminium in the chassis to craft a solid and sturdy ultrabook. Despite its 13-inch screen, the laptop has a footprint closer to that of an 11-inch model.
The latest version keeps this design. But the hardware has been upgraded to a new Intel Haswell processor and a full high-definition touchscreen. More importantly, it has almost nine hours of uptime, which should last you an entire workday.
HP Spectre 13
With the Spectre 13, HP introduces a wider touchpad, dubbed the Control Zone. With dedicated controls for Windows 8 edge-swipe gestures, this touchpad should make it easier for novices to get used to the new Windows 8 interface.
The Spectre 13 looks classy with its dark metallic finish. The hardware is very competitive for a premium ultrabook. It includes Beats Audio, a high-resolution touchscreen and a solid-state drive.
Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro
Simply rotate the flexible hinge on Lenovo's Yoga ultrabook and you can use it four ways - tablet, laptop, tent and stand.
But the attention will likely be on its 3,200 x 1,800-pixel touchscreen, which is the highest resolution display on current laptops.
In addition, the Yoga 2 Pro has an excellent backlit keyboard. It is automatically disabled when the device is in tablet mode.
Sony Vaio Pro 13
With its carbon fibre chassis, the Sony Vaio Pro 13 weighs slightly more than 1kg, making it one of the lightest ultrabooks in the market.
The full high-definition touchscreen has excellent viewing angles and vivid colours.
The Vaio Pro 13 uses a PCIe-based solid-state drive that is said to perform better than standard versions. The uptime is decent and can be increased significantly with an optional sheet battery.
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