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• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: With a great design for the price and some better-than-expected graphics power, the HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15z-b000 Sleekbook may be worth overlooking its shortcomings if you're on a tight budget. Read review

Specs: 6 GB, Windows 8 64

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.2 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The budget-friendly Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch is a bulky, heavy commodity touch-screen laptop that doesn’t stand out from the pack. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-3230M / 2.6 GHz ( 3.2 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 14 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), DVD-Writer, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 5.3 lbs, 3 MB, Dark chocolate

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 13 reviews

The Bottom Line: Dell has revamped its rotating Duo laptop concept into the much-improved XPS 12, but like most convertibles, it makes a better laptop than tablet. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 3317U / 2.6 GHz, 4 GB, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 12.5 in, 1920 x 1080, Intel HD 4000, 3.35 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: Slightly less conservative-feeling than the average ThinkPad, the well-made ThinkPad Twist offers one of the better tablet modes from the first wave of Windows 8 convertibles. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5, i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 7200 rpm, Microsoft Windows 8, English / MUI, 12.5 in IPS, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, None, 3.5 lbs, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.1 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T walks the line between ultrabook-level laptop and tablet, but doesn’t truly excel at either. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 4 GB (max), 128 GB - Serial ATA-300, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 11.6 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics 4000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology, 30.2 oz, L3 cache, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.5 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The ultrabook-like HP Envy Sleekbook 6 is the sharpest-looking $599 laptop you're likely to find, although you'll pay a performance premium. Read review

Specs: AMD A series A6-4455M / 2.1 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 16 GB (max), 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), AMD Radeon HD 7500G Shared video memory (UMA), 4.6 lbs, L2 cache, 1 MB, Brushed aluminum in midnight black with a red soft-touch base

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is a great laptop alternative that's unfortunately too bulky to completely replace your tablet. Read review

Specs: ARM, Tegra 3 1.4 GHz, 2 GB / 2 GB (max), Microsoft Windows RT, 11.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Ultra-Low Power GeForce, None, 2.8 lbs, L2 cache, 1 MB, Silver gray

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: This Windows 8 tablet from Lenovo scores with great industrial design and battery life, but adding practically required accessories makes the ThinkPad Tablet 2 very expensive for what you get. Read review

Specs: Intel Atom Z2760 / 1.8 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 2 GB / 2 GB (max), Windows 8 32-bit Edition, 10.1 in, IPS, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), PowerVR SGX545, None, 20.8 oz, 1 MB, Black

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: We have yet to see a truly great gaming laptop built from the ground up with Windows 8 in mind, but the 17-inch Toshiba Qosmio X875 can be configured into a powerful, reasonably priced mainstream gaming machine. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i7 i7-3630QM / 2.4 GHz ( 3.4 GHz ) ( Quad-Core ), 16 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8, 17.3 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), BD-RE, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, 3 GB GDDR5 SDRAM, 7.5 lbs, L3 cache, 6 MB, Black widow styling in diamond-textured aluminum, black keyboard

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: If you like the idea of having a touch screen on your Windows 8 laptop, the Sony Vaio T13 Touch isn't a bad way to go. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 3317U / 1.7 GHz, ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB, / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - 5400 rpm, - Serial ATA-300, Microsoft Windows 8, 13.3 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, None, 3.8 lbs, 3 MB, Silver mist

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 is a good gateway to the Windows 8 experience with a responsive touch screen in a traditional laptop body. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5, 4 GB, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 14 in, 1366 X 768

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The business-oriented Lenovo ThinkPad X1 adds must-have features for 2013, and remains a very impressive business-oriented ultrabook with strong crossover appeal. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5, 4 GB, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 14 in, 1600 x 900, Intel HD 4000, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 8 reviews

The Bottom Line: While the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains a well-built laptop, it's fallen behind the MacBook Air and Retina Display MacBook Pro in design, lacks higher-end upgrades, and feels too expensive compared with the competition. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 2.5 GHz ( Dual-Core ), ( 3.1 GHz ), 4 GB, / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - 5400 rpm, - Serial ATA-300, Apple Mac OS X Mountain Lion, 13.3 in, 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ), Intel HD Graphics 4000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0, DVD±RW (±R DL), 4.5 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: With a Core i7 CPU, discrete graphics, and a full HD screen, the Asus Zenbook UX23VD is pretty close to being the ultrabook that has it all, but you'll pay for all those features. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i7 3517UM / 1.7 GHz, ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, / 4 GB (max), 500 GB - 7200 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 13.3 in, IPS, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), None, NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M, 1 GB, 3.2 lbs, Silver aluminum

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 reviews

The Bottom Line: This near-ultrabook packs in processing and graphics power, along with an optical drive, at a reasonable price. The only real knock against the Pavilion m6 is that some of HP's higher-end systems hardly cost more. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB - 5400 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 15.6 in, AMD Radeon HD 7670M, 1 GB, 5.3 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: Offering low-powered Intel Atom tablet/laptop hybrids for $750 or more is a dodgy proposition for budget-looking systems such as the Iconia W510, but all-day battery life is a great selling point. Read review

Specs: Intel Atom, Z2760 / 1.8 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 2 GB, 64 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 10.1 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), None, Intel GMA 3650, 1.32 lbs, L2 cache, 1 MB, Silver

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: More of a clever proof-of-concept than a practical product, the Asus Taichi still delivers on its basic promise, combining two displays for a unique take on the laptop/tablet/hybrid genre. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, 128 GB - Serial ATA-600, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 11.6 in IPS, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 2.8 lbs, Silver aluminum

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: In a sea of hard-to-distinguish Atom-powered Windows 8 tablets, the Asus VivoTab Smart ME400 stands out a bit thanks to clever accessories. Read review

Specs: Intel Atom Z2760 / 1.8 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 2 GB, Windows 8, 10.1 in IPS, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), PowerVR SGX545, None, 24 oz, Black

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.1 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: Asus makes some of the most full-featured ultrabooks available, but this stripped-down Zenbook UX32A version is missing those extras and faces tough competition in its price range. Read review

Specs: 2nd Gen Core i3, Intel i3-2367M / 1.4 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 4 GB (max), 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 13.3 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 3.2 lbs, Silver

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.5 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 8 reviews

The Bottom Line: While there are certainly things to like about the Sony Vaio Duo 11, the design gets in the way of enjoying them. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 3317U / 1.7 GHz, ( 3 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB, / 8 GB (max), 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 11.6 in, IPS, 1920 x 1080, ( Full HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, None, 2.9 lbs, 4 MB, Gun metal

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: The HP Spectre TouchSmart XT is a rare superslim 15-inch laptop with a touch screen, but for the premium price, it should include more high-end extras. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: 8 GB, 1000 GB - 5400 rpm, Windows 8, 64-bit, English, Intel HD Graphics, 8X CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Attractive and compact, the new Dell XPS 13 ultrabook isn't that much different from last year's model, aside from new processors and a higher-res non-touch screen. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i7 3rd Generation 3517U, 8 GB, 256 GB, Windows 8, 64-bit, English, 13.3, Intel HD 4000

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: If you ignore the ultrabook branding and instead think of this as a somewhat slim midsize, mainstream laptop, the 14-inch Samsung Series 5 is a fine example of the form. Read review

Specs: 2nd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-2467M / 1.6 GHz ( 2.3 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, 500 GB - Serial ATA-300, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 14 in TFT active matrix, DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology, 4 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB, Silver

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a beautifully built, extremely thin, light, and portable ultrabook, the Samsung Series 9 rises above the competition. It may lack a few top-end features, but it's a perfect ultraportable for those who can afford it. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 1.7 GHz, i5-3317U ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 13.3 in TFT active matrix, 1600 x 900 ( HD+ ), None, Intel HD Graphics 4000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology, 2.55 lbs, L3 cache, 3 GB, Titan silver