APPLE MACBOOK PRO WITH RETINA DISPLAY

    Apple's latest 15-incher uses style cues from the Air to reduce the size and weight to an almost-ultraportable, despite its 16:10 ratio screen, quad-core processor and Nvidia GT 650M graphics. Damn pricey, though.Alternatively No Retina display, but Apple's 27in IPS-screen iMac (£1000) is still a stunning desktop alternative.
Pros Retina screen; excellent performance; thin design
Cons Eye-watering price; relatively small SSD storage£1800, apple.com

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Hot laptop: Toshiba Z930 ultrabook

    The holder of the title of world's thinnest Ultrabook seems to change weekly, but who's going to topple this tablet-taunting Tosh? There is more to the Z930, of course - it matches the latest MacBook Air for power and has an optional 512GB SSD for practical space.Alternatively For a space-saving Windows desktop, try the touchscreen Lenovo A720 (£1300, lenovo co uk)
Pros Very thin; very light; reasonably priced
Cons Only 1366*768 screen resolutionfrom £900, toshiba.com

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LENOVO U410: POWER-HUNGRY POWERHOUSE

    At 21mm deep and weighing almost 2kg, the U410 won't worry the likes of the Asus or Sony in the thin stakes, but the pay-off comes in terms of performance.

    The Core i5 processor and 6GB of RAM makes for a more than capable performer and, unusually for an ultrabook, the Lenovo also boasts an Nvidia GeForce 610M GPU. That power does come at a price, however, and our battery stress test killed this 14-incher in a disappointing 181 minutes. If you're a gamer, this could well appeal... But keep a spare battery or power socket close to hand when using it.

Power and style, undermined by a lack of longevity

£750, LENOVO.COM/UK

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HP ENVY 4: BARGAIN BUCKET

    A 14-incher from the lower end of HP's range, this is only 18mm thick and weighs 1.8kg. Its black metallic finish is typical of HP's premium Envy range, as is the built-in Beats Audio tech, and its treatment of music and movies is a highlight here. However, the Core i3 processor lacks oomph, even with an above average 6GB of RAM to back it up. Battery life is mediocre — we got 214 minutes intensive use.
    With stiff and awkward touchpad buttons spoiling usability in a big way, this is ultimately disappointing compared to its test rivals, even taking into account the low price.

Poor touchpad buttons and a lack of power scupper this one

£650, HP.COM/UK

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ASUS ZENBOOK UX32A: BARGAIN ALL-ROUNDER

    Keeping the design and usability of the range-topping Zenbook Prime but downgrading the innards a tad, this 13.3-incher is a decent laptop for the price, with the Core i5 processor and 4GB RAM offering solid, if not jaw-dropping performance, and the 500GB HDD plenty of storage space.

Attractive and powerful, this is a very solid VFM option

    With a light, 1.5kg weight, impressive connectivity including three USB 3.0 ports, and a sexy, sexy casing, the only thing holding this back is mediocre battery life: Asus claims six hours; we got 208 minutes in our intensive test. It's still a sound choice at the price.£850, UK.ASUS.COM

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