Samsung has released their Q310-34P ultra-portable laptop. The folks over at Laptop Magazine reviewed it and it was found to be "handsome," the performance "smooth" and the endurance adequate.

The laptop has a 13.3-inch screen and it’s glossy display received special attention from Laptop Magazine. The only thing bad that can be said about it is the price, which clocks in at about $1,200.

Let me say that, even though I’m a sucker for ultraportable notebooks, and I think the Sony Vaio TZ18GN is a nifty machine with some nice specs:

• 11.1-inch LCD
• 32GB SSD
• Core 2 Duo
• 1GB RAM
• 2.5lbs

I still feel that $4,300 is a lot to pay for a notebook that’s not some sort of crazy beefed-up 21-inch monster desktop gaming replacement rig. And the striking thing to me is that the SSD option adds "only" $700, which means that the standard HDD version of this puppy is $3,600 if my math doesn’t fail me. And that’s a lot, as well. And, yes, of course, Sony’s not really asking for $billions.

If Toshiba does nothing else right, it makes a mean ultraportable. Take the R500, for instance, an under-2 lb. system with Core 2 Duo, up to 64GB SSD, all current Wi-Fi flavors, Bluetooth, and a lovely form factor in general. As if that wasn’t enough, Toshiba’s throwing in an HSDPA module (well, "throwing in" might be a stretch, I’m sure there’ll be a cost). Pricing is currently at $1,999, so not the world’s cheapest, but certainly reasonable for what must be one of the premier ultraportables currently being sold.

"Trusted Sources" are at it again….and again they say that an ultraportable 12-inch laptop is entering the MacBook Pro line (it has been since March 2006). The supposed specs include a thickness of 0.6 or 0.7 inches, weight of less than 3 lbs, and is supposed to appear the end of the year. If it ever does show up, no one will care.

Sony is known for making notebooks that are almost–but not quite–perfect. The VAIO TZ, which should make it to the States sometime soon at around $3,000, is a perfect example. Consider these specs: SSD, LED-backlit screen, nifty battery life, and all tucked away in a luscious form factor. But, a chicklet-style keyboard? Hate ‘em! I do dig the green light at the edge, which would be soothing for those late night writing struggles on the *(&@#$ chicklet-style keyboard!