So What's The Lightest Notebook Computer Anyway

By Richard Keir
Tags:notebook computers,notebook computersThe Lightest Notebook Computer,The Lightest Notebook Computernotebook computers notebook computers
I went looking for the lightest notebook computer the other day and after a couple hours of searching I was getting pretty frustrated. "Ultalight notebook computer", "light weight notebook computer" - I kept trying different approaches.

What I found was a lot of old machines - 1, 2, even 3 years old. And a ton of spam websites that took my search keys and created a dynamic page. That left going to the manufacturers and looking at actual product specs to see who actually has the lightest notebook computer. Fortunately I finally found a list to start from so here they are - the light weights.


The Fujitsu LifeBook Q2010 weighs in at 2.2 pounds with a 12.1 inch screen. Unfortunately it has a 1.2Ghz processor and a 30 GB hard drive though it comes with XP Pro and a DVD writer.

The Dell Latitude D420 also has a 12.1 inch screen and is significantly less expensive but again 1.2 GHz and a slow (4200rpm) 30 GB HD and it weighs around 3 pounds. It also comes with 512MB of DDR2-533 SDRAM on an integrated DIMM. The upgrade to 1GB or to 1.5GB is reasonable, but the 2GB configuration costs an extra $1000 (probably because it requires a 1.5GB DIMM).

The Sony VAIO VGNTX750PB weighs 2.76 pounds. it has a smaller screen (11.1 inches) than some of the others, a 1.2 GHz processor, but it includes an 80GB hard drive and a DVD+-RW dual layer combo Drive. The memory is upgradeable to 1.5 GB.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X60 at 3.3 pounds has a 1.66GHz Core Duo, a 12.1 inch screen and a 60 GB hard drive. The memory is theoretically upgradeable to 4GB, but it has no optical drive. You need to get a ThinkPad X6 Ultrabase to add a CD or DVD drive. That kind of hampers its mobile uses.

The Averatec AV2260, weighing in at 4 pounds, comes with a 1.8 GHz AMD Turion 64 Mobile, a 12.1 inch screen, 1GB installed DDR-SDRAM, an 80GB hard drive and a DVD+-RW Dual Layer Combination Drive. So it's a little like an overweight Sony on steroids. It's also the least expensive of the six lightweights. The others run from around $1200 to over $2300 depending on the seller and configuration.

Though slightly heavier at 4.4 pounds, the HP Compaq nc6400 is unusual in having a 14.1 inch Wide XGA screen. It comes with a 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor, 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM, a 60GB hard drive and a DVD/CDRW Drive. The lowest price I saw in a quick search, was $1259.99. Most of the models I saw were being advertised with 80GB drives and DVD+-RW/DVD-RAM optical drives, rather than the 60GB and DVD/CDRW drives.

Obviously the lightest notebook computer in this list is the Fujitsu. If you really want an ultralight notebook computer then you will have to accept some sacrifices. Personally, I think I'd rather have a more capable machine. I also don't like the small screen sizes on the very light notebooks.

As with any computer purchase it's critical that you carefully analyze just what you're going to do with a machine. Lightweight notebooks are nice simply because they're less hassle to lug around, but there compromises involved that may make extra weight a less significant issues. Aside from tending to be more expensive, a light weight notebook computer will almost always have a smaller screen and a more compact keyboard than heavier notebooks. The real question you need to ask yourself isn't "What's the lightest notebook computer?" it's "What's the lightest notebook computer that meets my requirements?"