Ultrathin Laptops Solid Performers

Cheap netbooks aren't profitable for PC makers, so it’s logical they're trying to lure consumers toward laptops that are just as thin, but have bigger screens, more features—and a heftier price tag. Walt Mossberg reviews three such models for the Wall Street Journal, and finds pros and cons for each but no clear winner:

• Toshiba Satellite T135, $600. This model boasts the best battery life of the three and is the cheapest, but it has a slippery, hard-to-use keyboard and touchpad.

• HP Pavilion dm3t, $840. The priciest laptop of the bunch is also the heaviest, because it’s made of metal, not plastic. This, unfortunately, also means the touch pad is metallic, which Mossberg finds unwieldy.
• Lenovo IdeaPad U350, $700. The Lenovo is the lightest of the three and boasts the fastest restart and boot times, but it has the weakest battery—unless you get a bulky, heavy optional replacement.

(More laptop stories.)