In a previous posting, I explained that Intel sent me a Haswell Ultrabook to review.
I’ve had it now for a couple months, and I have to say it is a superstar.
The computer weighs just 3.5 pounds, and the "brick" is delightfully small and light. This makes taking the laptop with me a pleasure.
I’ve had no problems using the computer with a projector, and it has been rock-solid reliable. The one exception has been connecting to my networks at home; it seems to resort to a "limited" connection without internet access. I wonder about drivers and other mysterious objects.
<Disclaimer>I received the Intel Ultrabook (pre-release) for free in the hope that I would write about it in this blog. I only recommend things I personally endorse and would otherwise recommend without further consideration. I’m disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Just in case, I also cleared it with my employer and I made sure the agreement said that my review would be my honest opinion. This review reflects my opinion alone, and doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of my employer or anyone else.</Disclaimer>
The computer runs Windows 8 beautifully and is incredibly fast. Rebooting takes seconds. Visual Studio loads instantly. Windows System rates it at 5.4 but the disk rates at a stunning 8.1 and the processor at 7.0.
After about 6 weeks use, I can say that this is a solid machine, one I can work on for hours at a time without a problem and without battery issues. I used it for email, Skype, for creating presentations and for coding.
The touch screen is very beautiful, with high contrast and very clear and precise images all the way to the corners.
The twin USB 3 ports work very well and all the ports are easily accessible despite the small size of the machine.
The SSD is wonderfully fast, but a bit small. A 256GB SSD would be welcome, more than that would be spectacular.
Given the battery life of the new processor, this is definitely a contender.
