CES 2012: The Year of the Ultrabook

As expected, Intel pushed their Ultrabooks pretty hard this year at CES. The lightweight notebooks are most easily comparable to the Apple MacBook Air, except these are subject to stringent requirements set by Intel to ensure proper performance, efficient energy consumption and, most importantly, run Windows.

Take a look at some of the sleek Ultrabooks that made an appearance and this year's show.

HP Envy14 Spectre

This 14-inch notebook is decked out with Beats by Dr. Dre audio, and features an incredibly attractive Gorilla Glass display and lid. Style is accentuated with the use of LED lights that make HP's logo instantly identifiable on the Ultrabook.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga

Part Ultrabook, part tablet, this Windows 8 equipped notebook was an instant eye catcher. You can use the device as you would a normal notebook, or you can flip the screen completely over to transform the IdeaPad Yoga into a touch-enabled tablet using Microsoft's upcoming operating.

Samsung Series 9

One of the more attractive Ultrabooks on display, Samsung's Series 9 utilizes sleek black aluminum to help differentiate it from the pack. Starting at 2.5 pounds for the 13.3-inch model, this is for the productive folks on the go who want to look good doing what they do.

Vizio Thin and Light

Vizio's first foray into the PC market includes a pair of Thin and Light notebooks. While not Ultrabook branded, the Thin and Lights are still capable machines, encompassed within a completely aluminum body.

Acer Aspire S5

Ultrabooks are naturally slim, and Acer is boasting that their Aspire S5 is the thinnest of the thin. Measuring a 15mm at its thickest point, the S5 comes equipped with all the usual Ultrabook fixings, plus a handy Thunderbolt port.

And this isn't it, the number of Ultrabooks present at CES goes on and on, but these select few are ones that you should definitely keep an eye on.

For more CES coverage, be sure to check out IGN.com/CES.