Asus U31JG A1 Review

The good: The 13-inch Asus U31JG-A1 has a good combination of performance and portability, along with strong graphics performance and a solid battery life.

The bad: The design of the U31JG isn't anything to write home about; the plastic keyboard isn't very comfortable; and the laptop uses a last-gen Intel Core i3 processor, so it's already out-of-date.

The bottom line: For $829, the 13-inch Asus U31JG-A1 is a rock-solid compact laptop with a good combination of CPU, graphics, and battery life. However, at this point, we'd hold off on buying one until it gets upgraded with a second-gen Intel Core i-series CPU.

Asus U35JC-A1 Review

The good: Great size, thin chassis, fast performance; Nvidia Optimus graphics; good battery life.

The bad: Lacks an optical drive; graphics performance is OK but not great; poor viewing angles.

The bottom line: The Asus U35Jc-A1 is a thin, but solid, 13-inch laptop with no processor compromises and Nvidia Optimus graphics, covering all the basics--except an optical drive.

Asus UL80JT Review

The good: Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics; slim design.

The bad: Weak battery life; low-voltage Core i3 processor is slower than other Core i3 laptops; too much keyboard flex.

The bottom line: A thin design and Nvidia Optimus automatic-switching graphics make the Asus UL80JT-A1 an initially appealing laptop, but looks can be misleading: the underwhelming CPU and battery life are both serious negatives.