Ultrabooks are an effective and convenient tool, but since their release a couple years ago, they’ve had trouble gaining mainstream popularity. A lot of this was likely because the price point was just too high for many consumers, and they passed over it for either a more specialized computer or one that was further along the affordability scale.
One of the biggest contributors to the higher price was its solid state drive. The sleek, slim form factor of an ultrabook usually requires an SSD to meet the demands for performance levels and battery life. But since these storage devices are usually the most costly component of the computer, it can significantly drive the final price up.
Hybrid Storage Solution
One of the workarounds we’re seeing these days are for manufacturers to take a hybrid approach to computer storage. Rather than restrict themselves to a single SSD, these computers mix the new with the old. They might use a small SSD (around 16 to 32GB on average) along with a much larger HDD.
Ideally, this allows the ultrabook to start fast from sleep or even from a cold start, and most of the more common applications can reside here for quick access. Then, all the extra media videos, sounds, images, etc. can be saved in the traditional hard drive where it won’t hinder performance but remain fully accessible.
While this workaround does address the cost issue, it doesn’t necessarily make the ultrabook perform quite as well as a model that only employs an SSD. Still, if you are working with large files that eat up a lot of your hard drive space in other words, if space is more important to you than a faster boot up a hybrid strategy may not be a bad choice.
Hybrid Performance
Convertible ultrabooks are adding a new dimension to these computers, making them more effective as a mobile device than they have been in the past. These new designs let you flip, twist, or switch the monitor around so you can use it just like you would a regular tablet. The benefit here, though, is that you still have complete functionality of a full computer.
Tablets have shown themselves to be a really effective tool for businesses and simple communications. However, they are not exactly the first choice for handling major design work. You might want to review some code or read about some of the latest developments while you head into work, but as far as productivity goes, you’re going to need something a little more robust. That’s where these convertibles come in.
You will get the fast, responsive computing and light weight mobility of a tablet but the power and functionality of a traditional laptop. And you can switch between a tablet-style interface and a regular keyboard/mouse with a simple action. In other words, an ultrabook is crossing over from the traditional PC realm into the mobile arena while still providing a lot of options for real productivity. It’s an effective tool that allows you to take your work with you. It’s a hybrid approach that takes advantage of the best of multiple devices.
Do you use an ultrabook? What are your thoughts?
About the Author: Paul Mansour
Paul Mansour is enthusiastic about start-ups along with consumer and small business technology. Working for Dell helps him keep up-to-date on the latest technology solutions. You can read reviews on Dell ultrabooks here. In his spare time he can’t resist taking apart his latest gadget and forgetting how to put it back together.