Ultrabooks have essentially supplanted the laptops that we used to call "thin and light" back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the business world, they potentially constitute a large portion of the laptop market, since they have the wherewithal to last the five years it takes to depreciate a PC. These business ultrabooks have the latest two generations of Intel Core processors, SSDs or HDD+SSD, and other advanced features wrapped up in commuter-friendly chassis.

Business ultrabooks range from small- to medium-business-oriented models that are only a few business features away from mainstream consumer laptops, up to enterprise-class ultrabooks that have Intel vPro certification and specialized features that make them more attractive to IT personnel. IT-friendly features include docking stations, disk image/driver stability, multi-year platform stability, and other features that make these systems easier to work on for IT professionals. At the high end, we're starting to see the first ultrabook-class mobile workstations. They resemble bulkier workstations in that they contain high-end Intel Core and Xeon processors along with ISV-certified graphics, but they meet ultrabook specs like speedy SSDs, power-sipping processors, and thin chassis sizes.

Look for at least 4GB of RAM for these business ultrabooks, which should be standard base configurations for just about all business systems. A solid-state drive (SSD) will speed your users' work experience, but make sure you don't skimp on storage space; a full 64GB SSD is of no use to anyone. You should consider 128GB at a minimum, even if you're a business user who stores most of your data on servers.

Windows 8/8.1 is a concern for IT pros. This OS has yet to be adopted by the majority of businesses using Windows PCs. Sure, Windows 8 makes touch screens more useful, but rest assured if you purchase a business ultrabook with a Windows 8 Pro license, you'll be able to use Windows 7 Professional on the same ultrabook for free without having to worry about Microsoft licensing. This is good business sense if your company hasn't qualified Windows 8 with its IT policies yet. That's the IT manager's call, since introducing an untested operating system into an IT environment can cause networking glitches, login problems, or issues with your company's in-house programs or websites. All that the IT-support person or SMB user has to do is choose Windows 7 as an option when setting up the system, download Windows 7 from Microsoft, or restore the system from a recovery partition or DVDs.

Battery life is another consideration. A big battery can be your best friend on a lengthy flight or a long commute. Business ultrabooks sometimes come with multiple battery options. Some enterprise-class laptops have two to three different kinds of batteries (4-, 6-, and a 9-cell). The more "cells" you buy, the longer the battery life. A big battery adds some heft, but being able to run the system unplugged from dawn 'til dusk is worth the weight gain. Many ultrabooks come with sealed batteries, which is fine for most users since they last up to a full nine-hour day. If you fly often or work untethered a lot, then consider buying an ultrabook with a removable battery, so you can swap in a freshly charged one when the battery indicator drops below five percent.

For more tips on what to look for when purchasing an ultrabook, check out our buying guide. And be sure to check out our top picks for the best ultrabooks.

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