If you’re like me and looking for a stylish new laptop at minute, then you too might be having a difficult time too.

Multi touch technology seems to be getting to the point where it’s finally useful, as software makers build in features that utilise it. Also manufacture processes have meant that good looking, well designed laptops are just about affordable.

I’d like a nice laptop, by nice I mean sexy (should I use that word about a laptop?), with as much tech crammed in as possible!
Budget, I can keep saving if I need to, so I’m just looking for something that’s well built and hasn’t got a stupid mark-up on it.

So, let’s look at the options:

The first multi touch laptop to make it onto the scene was the hp touchsmart tx2. On paper, amazing! (Especially the latest 13xx series with Windows 7, 2.3GHz, and up to 8Gb memory.)
- A specification that would probably stay current and speedy for some time.
So I go to my local electronics store to give it a try, and it seems very, unimpressive…

 

Yes it has a nice design on the plastic, but there’s problem one, it’s very plastic! I know, it IS plastic, but for around £800 it’d be nice to add a bit of quality and sleekness rather than the generic-cool-concentric-circle tattoos that it has plastered on it.

Still, £800 for a laptop with the features of the hp tx2 isn’t bad, but not quite right for that amount of money.

Next, I considered the Asus T91MT.

 

It’s a multi touch netbook, nice and small, nice and cheap(ish) at an approx. £550.
I’ve not had chance to get my hands on one yet, but based on some videos on youtube it looks fairly well built and portable.

The problem with this is the power. It comes with Windows 7, and by the sounds of things, it only just copes. This might not be a massive concern as more and more applications move into the cloud and the computer as we know it becomes more of a terminal; but if I want to boot up fireworks, illustrator and an IDE to do a bit of work on the go, I can see the laptop running slow, me getting gradually angrier, and a T91MT being thrown from a train window.

Just thrown into the mix – the Acer 1820PTZ

 

Around the same price as the Asus, and more power! Great you might think, but – look at it.
I spend a lot of time online, and I really don’t find this laptop good looking enough to stare at it as long as I’d need to.
I know that Acer are great at the budget market, but I guess I’ve got to the stage where the details and quality of a product are a deal-breaker for me, and this laptop doesn’t seem to have much quality about it.

The search continues…

So I look to the future, there are several slate or tablet devices coming early next year that might fit the bill.

The Apple Tablet (Slate) is due for general release in the second quarter of 2010, and if it can be set up to boot into Windows (or Chrome OS) then we could have a winner!

The price is yet to be announced however, and knowing Apple and the Apple tax that gets attached to all of their devices, it’ll be around the £900+ mark.

Next up, the Microsoft Courier, an interesting idea and nice concept – more like a book, good for doing a bit of browsing or reading on the go, but not really great for much else.

 

And, the joojoo, great name, but it’s obviously not impressed me enough to make me want to research.

The problem with all of these: can I live without a keyboard? My phone took some getting used to and that’s just using my thumbs, and losing half of a 10 inch screen due to it changing into an on-screen keyboard seems a bit mad!

In conclusion, slates seem like a nice idea as a book or perhaps browser if the need to type is reduced, but as a day-to-day laptop, not yet.

This got me thinking, tablets are cool and all, but if I got a nice machine with a good multi touch track pad, would that do the job?

I’d be able to get a smaller machine and zoom easily to read, and I’d probably end up with a more robust machine if the screen had 2 hinges!

So, the non-tablet, nicely designed, multi touch track pad, not too overpriced laptop search begins:

The Asus UL30

The UL stands for unlimited, apparently – I give it about 4-5 years before the limits start to show. The UX30 is a similar but ever so slightly different machine, not sure which I prefer.

This is an interesting one, nice brushed aluminium lid, nice and slim, alright specification.
I’ve not had chance to view one in the “flesh” yet, my only concern is that it might look nice at a glance but end up being a brushed aluminium coat on a cheap plastic laptop. I’ll hunt one down soon!

At about £450 it could be a sensible option that still looks quite good though. Cnet have good things to say too, although do admit it’s a bit “plasticy” below the lid.

To guarantee a nice laptop I could go for the hp envy 13.

 

This is the rather good looking laptop from hp that seems extremely well built, with a good spec, and a set of good looking accessories to match…

…if you’re loaded!

I get that you have to pay for quality, but at £1500 base price, it seems a bit excessive. One day maybe, until then:

A good friend of mine recently pointed me to the Dell Vostro V13

This is another rather good looking laptop, with gesture inputs on the track pad, and looking at the Dell site here it says its only £350! Sold.

Lets just check the options, ok, I’d rather have it with a processor that can handle windows so I’ll have the dual core one.
Plus I’ll want about 3Gb of RAM, only option is 4. OK.
I don’t want Microsoft Works, no option.
I definitely don’t want 15 months of Norton, no option.
Plus VAT and delivery, ok the price doubled, more like £650.

Still, not a bad option, I’ll need to find some figures on the built-in battery, I’ve heard it’s not great.

We get to the final option, and I still haven’t decided if it’s an option, the Macbook pro 13.

I’ve never owned a mac, and I’ve always considered them to be locked down, full of drm, un-upgradable and expensive.
However, looking at what the apple website says, it looks more promising that my initial thoughts, boot camp to boot windows with an option to add a right click to the multi touch track pad, nicely designed, good specification.

I still need some clarification about upgrading bits and pieces like hard drive and RAM, then it could be one of the main contenders.

So, in conclusion: I have no idea!

I need swaying, and the internet is meant to be good at crowd sourcing, so: testimonials, reviews, thoughts, hit me…

UPDATE:

I went with the Asus!

The UL30, and it’s great, compact, about A4 sized and as thick as a couple of magazines, plus it actually is getting 10 to 12 hours of battery life (lets hope it lasts).

I went with this option because tablets just aren’t ready yet, the software needs a few more years to develop (if it does), and *if* the tablets are still about then, then they should be on everyone’s coffee table.

I’m still tempted by a device for reading, but even with the release of the apple ipad, the device that Steve wants to revolutionise the tablet market, it doesn’t seem to be suited enough to reading; something that I see as a primary reason for getting a tablet. 

What do I need in a tablet?

• A good battery life, at least 40 hours so that it’d last a couple of weeks worth of reading on the road
•  A great screen that’s easy on the eyes
• Thin, something that could slot into a bag next to a laptop, about the size of a magazine
• Colour and Video, to give magazines and graphical books the same appeal, plus the ability to embed videos in books to demonstrate methods if needed

Is that too much to ask? I’ll be watching the rumours…