Our favourite laptops released in 2011…

With a huge amount of choice, buying a laptop, notebook, ultrabook or netbook can be a complicated process, so if you’re in the market for one for Christmas or New Year 2012, take a look at our best laptops of 2011.

We have chosen our favourites on the basis of their performance, accessibility, usability and innovation and, although there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ device, we think that there’s something for everyone in our Top Five laptops of 2011.

So, in no particular order, let’s get stuck in right away…

Apple MacBook Air Laptop

One of our favourite Apple products of the year, the 2011-updated MacBook Air is a joy to use, a pleasure to carry and induces a feeling of sheer smugness when owned. Let’s take the bigger, 13-inch model as our example (it’s also available as an 11-inch model). At just 7mm thin and encased in a one-piece metal body, the MacBook Air is a genuine thing of beauty – but there are plenty of brains on the inside, too.

You can choose an Intel Core i5 processor that zips along at 1.7GHz, 4GB of DDR3 memory and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor to take care of the graphics. There’s support for a maximum of 1440×990 pixels on the 13.3-inch display, a FaceTime webcam on the front and  plenty of up-to-date connections – including ports for USB 2.0, Thunderbolt and an SD card – for plugging in your externals.

It’s a fantastic bit of kit and great for a multitude of uses, whether you are working on documents, playing media or games, or just browsing Apple’s new Mac App Store, although there is a word of warning; if you intend to run high-intensive programs for video editing, for example, you’ll need the meatier MacBook Pro to handle your workload.  As ever with Apple products, price is also a factor – you are paying considerably for that branding – but if you can afford it, the likelihood is you will absolutely love it.

Prices:

11-inch MacBook Air – from £849

13-inch MacBook Air – from £1099

Go shopping! Apple MacBook Air


Toshiba NB250 Netbook

Netbooks such as the Toshiba NB250 look to be under a severe threat from the new guys in town – the tablet PC. However, they still offer a low-cost alternative for those that need access to a PC while on the move and are likely to drop further in price throughout 2012, so wach out for bargains coming your way soon.

The NB250 gets its place in our favourite laptops of 2011 as it offers something a little bit different from the huge amount of same-specced, identikit netbooks that make up the vast majority of the market. With a 10.1-inch screen and a dual-core Intel Atom processor in the engine room, there is a reasonable amount of power available on board, for a very reasonable price.

Its battery life is excellent – expect well over five hours of working time – and although it might be a touch heavy for some, we still class the NB250 netbook to be highly-portable. Throw in the unusual appearance of some excellent audio output from speakers made by Harmon Kardon, which put the vast majority of laptop speakers to shame, and it’s a great for entertainment, too.

The NB250 isn’t the prettiest netbook around, sporting a look more suitable for a business professional, but look beyond the visual aesthetics and there is plenty to enjoy.

Prices:

From around £280-300

Go shopping! Toshiba NB250 Netbook


Alienware M11x Gaming Laptop

Traditionally, laptops have never been considered the best option for hardcore gamers, who have always preffered the extra room for power and upgrades of the desktop PC. However, laptops are starting to catch up, as is apparent with the updated M11x from Alienware. Bringing things bang up to date by including Intel’s very powerful Sandy Bridge processor, the Alienware M11x is a brilliant platform for the very latest games, with the Nvidia GT 540M  graphics chip handling things with ease.

Graphics are superb and flow smoothly, while the M11x’s backlit keyboard looks amazing and really enhances the mood of your games. It could be said that the 11.6-inch display is a little small for the perfect gaming experience, but if you are looking for a machine that offers a bit of value, then that smaller real estate is going to shave off a nice chunk of your expenditure.

A fantastic gaming machine which enhances Alienware’s excellent reputation, the M11x is pretty much perfect if you want to play your favourite titles on the move.

Prices:

From around £599

Go shopping! Alienware M11x Gaming Laptop


ASUS Zenbook UX31 Ultrabook

2011 has seen a new category entering the fray; the ultrabook. Ultrabooks are a new kind of ultraportable laptop – very much inspired by Apple’s MacBook Air – with slimline, lightweight designs, fast boot times and good battery life. We have seen some excellent devices in this category, but just edging it is our favourite ultrabook for 2011, the Asus Zenbook UX31.

There is more than a whiff of the MacBook Air here, but if you are looking for a similar spec-sheet for less money, the Asus Zenbook UX31 is definitely worth a look. Design-wise, it’s a cracker; stylish, slim and encased in an aluminium body. There’s a 13.3-inch screen to feast your eyes on and the engine room is powered by Intel’s Sandy Bridge chipset, with 4GB of RAM ensuring it can keep up with demanding multitasking.

Key features include an instant-on mode, meaning you can be up and running within a couple of seconds, and ports for USB 3.0, which offers some future-proofing for the next couple of years. There are a couple of issues; the trackpad and keyboard will take some getting used to, but overall, there’s enough on offer here to tempt all but the most ardent Apple fans from the lures of the MacBook Air. Also watch out for the Zenbook UX21 if you fancy something smaller.

Prices:

From around £839 for Zenbook UX21, or £999 for Zenbook UX31.

Go shopping! ASUS Zenbook UX Ultrabooks


Acer Aspire Ethos 5951G Laptop

Acer’s Aspire Ethos 5951G laptop is one of the best value laptops we have seen in 2011 and offers whip-fast performance, can handle contemporary games and has plenty of cool features to get stuck into, making it a great all-rounder for work, rest or play.

Intel’s Core i5-2410M processor lies at the heart of the action, working away at 2.3GHz with a generous 8MB of RAM, and you also get a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT540M graphics chip which can handle the latest games, albeit with the settings toned down a little.  There’s ports for pretty much everything, including USB 3.0, Firewire and HDMI and there’s an innovative idea in the form of the removable trackpad, which doubles up as a remote control.

There a couple of downsides in that the 15.6-inch screen isn’t as sharp as we would have liked and it’s packed-full of unnecessary bloatware, but when you consider you can now pick one up for under £800, it’s definitely worth the couple of hours it takes to remove it all. All-in-all, a brilliant package from Asus for an eye-catching price.

Prices:

From around £790

Go shopping! Acer Aspire Ethos 5951G Laptop

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