Published on : 18 June 20203 min reading time

A standard has been established for the designation Ultrabook. What are these conditions for manufacturers? Is there a difference between an Ultrabook and a laptop?

What is an Ultrabook?

An Ultrabook is a special feature of a laptop. This designation was introduced in 2011 but native since 2007. In order to qualify as an “Ultrabook”, a laptop must meet various criteria. For the proportions: the thickness must not exceed 21 mm (for 14 inches) and 18 mm (for less than 13.3 inches). The laptop must be light and easily transportable. As for its start-up, it must be instantaneous. At least 5 hours of battery life are allocated to it. On the security side, the machine must be protected with technology (e.g. anti-theft software). It must contain an SSD (Solid-State Drive) hard disk, and a low-power or ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) processor.

Renewal applied in 2013

The arrival of the 4th generation processor and the technology watch have reformed the designation “Ultrabook”. Thus, the standard implemented previously was renovated in the years 2013-2014. This standard stipulates that the machine must have a touch screen (or at least be a hybrid), and that the sleep mode is triggered in 3 seconds. The PC must be equipped with an i3, i5 or i7 core processor. Also, if the standby mode is used, the battery life should last 7 days. Compared to the 2nd generation, the machine equipped with a Windows 8 operating system should have an autonomy of at least 6 hours (during video playback). The installation of an antivirus is mandatory. As for the proportions, the thickness is 23 mm (instead of 21 mm) for the 14 inches and 20 mm (instead of 18) for the small screens. Facial, voice or gesture recognition was also an attribute for having the name. The Ultrabook must be equipped with a USB 3.0 port and WIFI but the presence of a Firewire or Thunderbolt port is not mandatory.

The difference between Ultrabook and laptop

It should be noted that there is a glaring difference between an ordinary laptop and an Ultrabook. Despite their similarities, the latter must be more powerful both in terms of processor and functionality. Physically, by being slim, an Ultrabook is made for travel because it is malleable and slender. Its SSD hard drive also allows a quick start of the machine and an unexpected launch of programs. An “Ultrabook” is thus an improved version of a laptop.