Smartphones already act like mini computers—they send e-mail, play YouTube, let you shop on eBay. Now laptop makers are getting wise. Instead of trying to create ever-sleeker machines by shrinking ordinary PC parts, they’re tacking bigger screens and keyboards onto high-end cellphone brains. Witness the three-quarter-inch-thick, letter-paper-size Lenovo Skylight, which surfs the Web for 10 hours on a single charging cycle.
It’s one of several new “smartbooks” built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, a low-power phone chipset that has a 3G data link and stays cool without bulky fans. Most smartbooks, like the Skylight, run a version of Linux or a mobile operating system, not Windows, because Microsoft Office productivity isn’t the point. The goal is always-on Internet, reflected in the business model: Expect the list price to plunge if you sign up for a cell data plan, as your laptop becomes as tied to the airwaves as your phone.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email
Really great! Now fix it so it can shift into a slate and make it less ugly. You have a lot of wasted screen space with those round edges, and give it a stylus with Dragon speech to text capability through bluetooth, and keep that price.
Ya would be nice if they could bring that kind of battary life to a laptop.
@Azorus
Its called a mac...
Try not to troll me.... But macs are for fags.... (non homosexual remark)
and if you want it to work for business you have to buy the $499 logic studio or what ever over priced software apple sells.
Wow,so small size with powerful function, i want to own it.
Finally to Europe on one charge.
That's going to great for my plane travels
I like this one. Cool and sexy in his color. Great for my research papers and writings.
This slim lenovo laptop got the attention of students because of their light weight.
http://www.laptopshunt.com/