Laptop Buyer's Guide: 14-inch and Smaller
by Vivek Gowri on July 19, 2010 12:01 AM ESTPortable Notebook Wrap-Up
Based on our picks, there are some clear trends and patterns that we can see. First, in this space, ASUS is a major player. They have a history of making great performing portable computers, and they’re getting better at it over time, especially with respect to battery life. That they consistently manage to pull 10-12 hours of battery life out of systems with dedicated graphics cards (switched off, but still, the GPU is there if you need it) is definitely worthy of commendation. They simply are more well-rounded than many of the other notebooks in this class.
Another thing to notice: all of the notebooks on this list are Intel based. Each and every single one. This isn’t to say that AMD is bad, but the performance and power consumption figures for AMD’s mobile processors simply aren’t competitive with Intel. The K10.5 derived Congo platform performs somewhere in between dual core Atom and the Core 2 Duo CULV platform, while power consumption is about 60% more than the average CULV machine. The new Nile platform, based on the Phenom II architecture, is faster, about on par with the original CULV platform, but even with improved power consumption, battery life still falls short of Intel’s high standard. AMD has a good thing going in the larger notebook space, offering tri- and quad-core processors on the cheap with very good multithreaded performance. Since battery life doesn’t matter as much in desktop replacement systems, the higher power consumption isn’t a significant issue. But in the portable space, when some laptops are hitting 12 and 13 hours of battery life (see the ASUS UL80Vt), seeing an AMD-based notebook struggle to hit 5 or 6 hours of battery life is definitely a problem that we hope AMD can fix.
Not a lot of big names on this list; HP only had a couple of systems, neither of which were from their mainstream consumer line. Of Dell’s two systems, one is an Alienware, and the other made it on the list mostly because Dell has really slashed the price on a soon-to-be-EOL notebook. Toshiba’s R700 is the first truly compelling notebook to come out of the laptop giant in the span of years, probably since the R400 tablet in early 2007. Sony has its niche with beautiful (and expensive) hardware, but not any exceptional portable systems. Acer’s budget systems are decent, but only if you’re on a budget. The build quality just isn’t at a level to compete with more expensive systems. And Lenovo’s consumer level systems aren’t particularly great. Thankfully, the ThinkPad line is still as awesome and solid as ever.
Evaluated as a product segment though, the portable and ultraportable notebook segment is extremely diverse and has a ton of competition for market share. This is great for the consumer, since it leads to well designed and engineered products in all sectors, meaning that anyone can find a system that fits their needs well. This guide is meant to help people in that search, and our picks are notebooks that we feel are the best in their various categories. To an extent, you could also say that we took the notebooks we thought stood out from their peers and then fit the categories around them. If you disagree, feel we missed something, or have any additional thoughts, your comments are most welcome.
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neothe0ne - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
I feel like you did the Envy 14 an injustice by not even mentioning switchable graphics. And I don't believe the opening page with "NVIDIA dominates the portable market" - all Dells, most Sonys, all HPs, and then some are using ATI cards now.ExodusC - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
Also, I'd like to note that from the users that have gotten their Envy 14s already, they have stated that it does not get uncomfortably hot (like the Envy 15 was known to). It apparently stays relatively cool, even while gaming (not sure about something super intensive like 3DMark or Furmark).KZ0 - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
In very many of the reviews I've read here, it has been commented on how the screen sucks, as usual. When there finally is an affordable notebook with a great 1600x900 14" screen, it's not even commented on? Why? I know some models (non US-factory, the Amazon model, etc) have a 1366x768 display, but the HD+ screen is even included in the base 1099 USD factory price!When there's no review model available, at least use what info there is (user reviews) instead of speculation! And the i7 quad option isn't even a reasonable upgrade for most people, killing battery life (not having an integrated GPU to use the switchable graphics, and higher power consumption), making more heat / noise, and not providing much of a performance increase for most people.
A review or analysis on Anandtech is generally very good, and I've been following the site for quite some time now (though not posting), but this disappoints me.
JPForums - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
Don't be disappointed. This is Anandtech. They don't claim to be perfect, but they do accept feedback. If you bring up legitimate concerns, they are pretty good about fixing it for future articles. You may even get an update to a current article.That said I'd like to voice my opinion that 1600x900 or better resolution screens in a 14" or smaller notebook is a very compelling feature. Such a screen may be worth the trade off in battery life and/or cost as there are cases where the increased desktop real estate results in a significant increase in productivity. This productivity boost is not easy to measure, but at least warrants a word.
TareX - Friday, March 4, 2011 - link
My Envy 14 has a Radiance 900p screen that simply blows away every other 14" Laptop screen in the market.It is NOT plagued by the older generation Envy laptops' issues with heat.
I am quite perplexed by this Anadtech article. If they didn't review it, they could have at least read the impressions of other sites whose editors actually used the new Envy 14.
VivekGowri - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
By "the portable market" I was meaning laptops smaller than 14" (which this buyer's guide was focusing on) as distinct from the more mainstream and desktop replacement markets.How many 12" and 13" non-AMD laptops can you name with ATI graphics? Off the top of my head, the Sony S series has an optional ATI HD 5470 card, and the Lenovo U450p that had an HD 4330 switched to Nvidia when it got bumped to Arrandale. Other than that, a lot of the really portable notebooks tend to use Nvidia GPUs. Cases in point: the entire Asus portable lineup, the M11x, the VAIO Z, the Lenovo U460, etc etc etc. So I think it was a fair term.
Once you start getting to 14" and larger notebooks, you start seeing a lot of ATI GPUs, yes, but not in notebooks smaller than that.
ExodusC - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
I should have stated I don't necessarily agree with neothe0ne. I replied to his comment as it was related to the Envy 14. I have to agree with you, actually, that NVIDIA has dominance with their mobile parts. From what I understand, AMD is gaining ground, in that market segment though, are they not?I mainly wanted to question the Envy 14 getting hot-- from everything I've read, it really doesn't get that hot (maybe in a lap, if the vents are covered? I figure anyone using the dGPU will be gaming, and therefore plugged into an outlet and on a desk).
Most importantly, Vivek, is AnandTech planning a review? Last I heard it was hard to get a review unit, but I'm really curious if AT has heard anything from HP about it. The Envy 14 seems to be gaining a lot of popularity as a MBP-alternative, as many people have an anti-Apple stigma.
ExodusC - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
Oh, and one last thing, the Envy 14's battery may be sealed in, but it's easily removable by flipping a simple switch. I know it's a minor thing, but when I read the article, it seemed to suggest the battery was non-removable, like the MBP.:)
ExodusC - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
Well, after a second look some users report it getting hot, others say it doesn't get hot. I guess it depends what kind of load it's under.Visual - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
The HP tm2 uses ATI 4550, and it being a tablet convertible has better portability than any of the ones included in this "guide", while not being far in performance too. I'm actually surprised it was not mentioned.