[xjtian]

MBA's really are the best ultrabooks money can buy right now. I'd say the X1 Carbon from Lenovo comes close, except if you want comparable specs you'll have to shell out a lot more cash, and that's pretty much the same story with all other ultrabooks out there right now - if you want comparable form factor and hardware to the MBA, it's going to cost a lot more.

[seanmcdirmid]

If you want a trackpad that doesn't suck balls, don't get the X1 Carbon (well, it does get me using the Touch feature more). Otherwise it is a great laptop.

Why is Apple the only company capable of creating a decent touchpad + driver (even under Windows)?

[tammer]

I've been thinking about this for a while - you think they would have figured it out by now, right?

Then I took a look at how my clients use their Windows (Dell) laptops.

When they got the first laptop ever, their trackpad was a hilarious joke. Take a look at what we considered normal back around 2000-2005 - you were lucky if you got something larger than a postage stamp.

Fast forward to today (though only through one or at most three upgrades), and the average non-technical Windows user believes the trackpad is an accessory, an emergency device only to be used when your Logitech's batteries are dead. I've seen people outright refuse to use a trackpad, most likely out of a lack of experience.

If I was a PC maker, I'd know this, and wouldn't bother spending a dime on making things any better. Hell, I'd sell matching mice right next to 'em in the store.

[seanmcdirmid]

Does the dog wag the tail or the tail wag the dog. That PC trackpads are notoriously horrible makes it reasonable that PC users would avoid them. This isn't true on the Macs, where they actually work...even in bootcamp! So a reverse switcher like myself (note I work for Microsoft) has much higher expectations for trackpads on a Lenovo that aren't being satisfied.

[joonix]

I bought my first Mac today after following MSFT from Windows 3.11 to 7. Laptop died today and after much hurried research, really wanting to avoid having to make the switch right now, I kept finding that almost every PC laptop had quality control issues. You have to look into the user reviews, not editorial reviews. Almost every ultrabook had trackpad complaints, especially the Samsung Series 9, which is a shame, because it's a beautiful machine otherwise. PC manufacturers can't seem to get their act together (or maybe they don't want to bother because no matter what they do Apple will always be considered superior quality by the consumer?)

Anyways, I'm happy with the switch so far but I think I'll always feel at "home" with Windows, given that I've been using it every day since I was 8 years old.

[lostlogin]

Running OSX it Windows - maybe you can have the best of both worlds?

[UnoriginalGuy]

While I find this option very attractive from what I've read the drivers aren't very well optimised for Windows and battery life in particular takes a rapid nose dive on Windows Vs. OSX.

I mean a Macbook Pro has better battery life than a Thinkpad Txx with a 6 cell battery (worse than 9 cell) but if you put Windows on the Macbook Pro instead of OS X then the reverse is true (@ 6 cell).

[seanmcdirmid]

Your battery life will suck, but IMHO, Macbooks are still the best Windows laptops you can buy (but avoid the rMBP, since high res is troublesome under Windows).

[malbs]

Yeah, the X1 looks slick! Does get pricey when you try and get it up to the same (albeit low) specs of the baseline Air. It's definitely second on the list