Forget Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutins. There's just something about a beautiful laptop that heats up our CPUs. What makes a notebook truly sexy? It could be stunning color options, remarkably sleek lines, premium materials, unique textures, customizable lighting or all of the above. From the original iBook (remember that?) to the most striking systems Dell, HP and Lenovo have debuted, here are our picks for 20 of the sexist notebooks of all time. These laptops look so good, we had to do a double take...twice. Did we get it right or did we forget your favorite stunner? Let us know in the comments.
If laptops were models, the Acer Aspire S7 would rule the runway. The notebook's waifish profile is a mere 0.51 inches thick, making it one of the thinnest ultraportables on the market. But don’t confuse slim with frail, as the Aspire S7's lid is made of scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 2. The remainder of the chassis is pristine aluminum. Just like any supermodel, the S7 is also surprisingly flexible. The 1080p touch screen can fold back 180 degrees so two people can gaze upon its beauty.
More: Acer Aspire S7-392-6411: Full Review
Behold the notebook that revolutionized laptop design. When the MacBook Air made its debut, we were wowed by its barely there silver anondized aluminum chassis. By shrinking most of the major components, the notebook weighed 3 pounds and measured a wafer-thin 0.8 inches at its thickest point. A laughably short battery life and having only one USB port marred what was otherwise a beautiful machine, but those problems would be resolved in later models with the same look and feel.
More: MacBook Air (2008) Review
Do you believe in love at first sight? Named after the Latin root for “to fall in love,” this beautiful notebook was once the thinnest in the world at 0.7 inches. We can’t lie, our hearts did flutter at the sight of the aluminum wrapped magnesium chassis that not only looked good, but resisted fingerprints as well. Thanks to the unique placement of the notebook hinges, the Adamo slightly resembled a ballerina en pointe. However, the Adamo’s sexiest feature was the way it opened when you placed a finger in the indentation at the top of the lid and it detected your body heat, which was already turned up to maximum just from looking at this luscious laptop.
More: Dell Adamo XPS Review
Enough with the skinny minis! We like a notebook with a little junk in its trunk. Alienware has always been known for its high-end specs and eye-catching design. However, the 2009 model of the M17x was a vision of power and elegance. The bright red aluminum lid was striking, as was the notebook’s front grille, which resembled a high-powered muscle car. Best of all, opening the notebook treated users to their own personal light show via the massive keyboard and its customizable lighting.
More: Alienware M17x (2009) Review
When netbooks were popular, the Toshiba mini NB205 was the fairest of them all. The Sable Brown lid (also available in white, black, red and electric blue) and its bronze hinges gave the notebook a rather regal appearance. The lid also sported a raised horizontal pattern that invited users to touch. The mini’s 6-cell battery juts out from the back like an elegant chignon bun, accentuating the sleek, silver deck.
More: Toshiba mini NB205 Review
The mobile version of the iMac G3, the iBook sported a funky clamshell design and an integrated handle, perfect for travel. Apple added a splash of color to the white chassis by offering a choice of five colorful, fruit-flavored accents. While we were suckers for Blueberry, consumers could also choose Tangerine, Graphite, Indigo and Key Lime. Despite being nicknamed “Barbie’s toilet seat” by critics, the colorful notebook went on to be a commercial success.
Someone brought boxy back…or attempted to. Marketed as an ultralux competitor to the MacBook Air, the Voodoo Envy’s boxy design could have been featured in a Robert Palmer video. The high gloss lid with its futuristic fleur de lis logo in the center was opulent yet refined. The 0.7-inch thick notebook was available in 14 colors, including Black Weave. The high gloss treatment continued on the notebook’s interior and featured a unique dimpled touchpad. Unfortunately, HP discontinued this sleek line in 2009.
More: Voodoo Envy 133 Review
The ASUS NX90 would have been right at home in the world of "Minority Report." When closed, the NX90 looked like a futuristic stealth bomber. The clean lines and rounded edges lend a subtle grace to the design. Opening the notebook revealed a clean silver palm rest offset by a black keyboard deck. The 18.4-inch display was flanked by a pair of speakers powered by Bang and Olufsen’s SonicMaster technology, a first for the series. The NX90 was the notebook equivalent of an all-in-one entertainment center.
Call this our fantasy notebook. It appears that Lenovo borrowed the iBook’s clamshell shape and updated the look with a millenial design. First spotted at CES 2010, the Skylight was supposed to come in a tantalizing ruby red and sapphire blue. The deck was delicately lined with chrome, adding a nice contrast to the black interior. Alas, the Skylight never went into production, because the SmartBook concept seemed outdated when tablets hit the scene.
Ready to join the Mile High Club? Constructed mostly from Duralumin, a metal used to build airplanes, Samsung Series 9 took sexy to all new levels. The material is twice as strong as aluminum, creating a tantalizing mix of beauty and durability. Drawing inspiration from its aircraft roots, the Series 9 boasted a sensual curve along the top and the sides that lent it an air of sophistication. Top it off with a brushed metal interior and you had a machine that out-sexyed the Air.
More: Samsung Series 9 (13-inch) Review
When you think of cyclists, you think of tight muscular bodies with sleek definition. It was the same thing with the Sony VAIO X505. This 1.9-pound beauty was constructed from a nickel-carbon composite most notably found in bikes, where it's used for lightweight durability. Bucking typical design trends, Sony placed the power button in one of the notebook’s circular hinges. Although the keyboard deck could have been placed higher up along the graphite-finished interior, the X505 was still a thing a beauty.
The love child of high fashion and high technology, the HP Vivian Tam Mini turned heads wherever it went. A special edition of the HP Mini 1000, this nice-looking netbook was designed by fashionista Vivienne Tam. The first edition of this “digital clutch” was a vision in red, with a bold floral print cascading along its lid and a golden back hinge that completed the motif. Opening the notebook revealed more of that tantalizing red, including a crimson keyboard, a must-have for any fashion maven.
When it first debuted, the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 was oh so cherry. No, seriously, it was decked out with a cherry red lid we couldn’t take our eyes off of. But the U110 went beyond our little red corvette fantasies, captivating us with a subtle tendril pattern on top and a Greek key pattern on the underside. The interior had a high-gloss look that made typing a little difficult, but we could forgive a few slip ups for such a good-looking machine.
More: Lenovo IdeaPad U110 Review
The second-generation Razer Blade conjures images of a young James Dean -- beautiful and dangerous. Reminiscent of a muscle car’s hood, the matte black aluminum lid has a seductive green three-headed snake insignia in the middle. The interior features more black aluminum, a large island-style keyboard and a rebellious 3.5 x 2.3-inch LCD that acts as the touchpad with 10 LCD macro buttons. However, instead of sitting meekly centered below the G and H keys, the Blade’s touchpad sits to the right of the keyboard, buck all trends with a devil may care attitude.
More: Razer Blade Review
Let’s face it. There are few things sexier than a hot car. If you didn’t have $375K laying around for a Lambo back in 2008, you could get the next best thing in the $3,300 ASUS Lamborghini VX3-A1Y. Available in black or yellow, the VX3-A1Y was decked out with the same paint job used on the iconic ride, complete with the logo. ASUS constructed this 12-inch luxury portable's frame from titanium alloy, and the interior revealed a long speaker bar along with a sapphire crystal webcam. We especially loved the genuine leather palm rest. Best of all, this notebook made a "vroom vroom" sound when you booted it.
More: ASUS Lamborghini VX3-A1Y Review
Vanity, thy name is Envy 14 Spectre. One of HP’s first Ultrabooks, the Spectre stood out from the crowd with its obsidian scratch-resistant glass lid. Polished within an inch of its life, this 14-incher was gorgeous and came in handy as a mirror for our “I feel pretty" moments. A gorgeous edge-to-edge display greeted us upon opening the lid while a silver notebook deck with a glass palm rest finished the look. A few bright red Beats Audio accents pulled it all together.
More: HP Envy 14 Spectre Review
The IBM ThinkPad 701C is the sexy librarian on our list. This precursor to the present-day Lenovo business notebook was rather unassuming on the outside. However, opening the 701C revealed its true beauty. A pair of sliding pieces gracefully unfurled to form a fully functional "butterfly" keyboard. The 701C went on to become the best selling laptop of 1995 and has a permanent place in the Museum of Modern Art. How’s that for sexy?
The ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz-DH71 is the very picture of elegance and sophistication. The dark silver lid has a spun metal design, creating the illusion of water ripples emanating from the ASUS insignia. The interior deck is awash in light gray aluminum. The rear hinge slopes forward in a graceful arc, showing off the speaker. Throw in a gorgeous 1080p display and you've got a notebook that's hard to take your eyes off it.
More: ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz-DH71: Full Review
Just call the HP Pavilion dv2000 a trendsetter. Although the glossy piano black lid had crazy sex appeal, it was the HP Imprint underneath the coating that stole the show. The seductively undulating HP Imprint design led to HP's Radiance and Dragon patterns. It also launched a sea of copycats from the likes of Dell, Gateway and others that wanted to ramp up their sexy factor.
Lenovo has turned heads and put yogis to shame with the super flexible IdeaPad Yoga laptop. Swathed in aluxurious, gray soft-touch finish, the notebook feels as good as it looks. Thanks to the pair of sturdy aluminum hinges, the Yoga can contort into four multi-modes (Tablet, Laptop, Stand and Tent), allowing users to bend the display back a full 360.Downward dog has never looked so good.
