Toshiba KIRAbook High Resolution Ultrabook

Ultrabooks are getting so thin that computer makers are likely tempted to cut features like backlit keyboards or squeezing keyboard and trackpad real estate. Cutting corners won’t just save them money – it can save them space in systems that have little to spare. But Toshiba's KIRAbook hits the high notes, carrying the critical performance components and slipping in smaller (but still important) perks. As it turns out, the KIRAbook also quite often took top honors in our benchmark test runs as well.  This ultrabook performs like ultra-notebook should.


On the design side of things, the KIRAbook is a handsome machine. But, as we mentioned earlier, it suffers a bit from the bevy of other laptops that look very much like it. People may comment on this machine's size, but we doubt anyone will walk up to you and say “Oooh, you have a KIRAbook.” Of course that's likely not your primary reason for buying an ultrabook like this. Though form may be a tad bland here, functionality with the KIRAbook is deluxe.

As for performance, it’s a solid system and we like that this ultrabook has plenty of memory and a speedy SSD drive, instead of a slower hard drive. The lack of an Ethernet port may bother some people, but the inclusion of three USB 3.0 ports is a good move, and the sleep-and-charge port is great.

In the end, the way the ultrabook feels to you when you use it can be as important as its ability to crunch data. During our review, the KIRAbook was light and easy to carry, but solid enough (aside from the occasional lid flex) to be comfortable in our laps. The KIRAbook isn’t perfect, but it’s a true ultrabook.  And starting at $1599 to $1999 as tested, the KIRAbook definitely competes well with other high-end thin-and-lights from Apple and a few others.