The backlit keyboard has made a lot of ground in the past few years, although, much to our chagrin, it still isn’t ubiquitous.
It used to be that only the high-end laptops had one, but these days, you can get a AU$1000 Sony that packs in the handy feature as well.
If a backlit keyboard is at the top of your features wish list, below are the best laptops we’ve reviewed that just happen to have one.
Samsung Series 9 (13-inch, 2012)
There are some small concerns, but the new Samsung Series 9 is an absolute pleasure to use.
The Good
- Gorgeous 1600×900 PLS screen, Very slim and light, Good keyboard and touchpad
The Bad
- Only one USB 3.0 port, AC Adapters not included for micro video ports, Backlit keyboard needs to be brighter, Battery life could be improved, Touchpad driver takes ages to load on first boot, meaning some functions aren’t available for at least 30 seconds
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
It’s not cheap, and it’ll take some time for the software world to catch up, but great battery life, good sound, impeccable build and a screen that’ll blow you away means that the MacBook Pro with Retina Display has set a new standard for the rest to follow.
The Good
- The sensational screen, Comparatively thin form factor enables portability despite high level specs, Fast SSD. Large SSD options if you happen to own a bank, HDMI and twin Thunderbolt ports gives plenty of display options, Great HP pavilion dv4 battery life
The Bad
- Only two USB ports, Top left near the monitor gets quite hot during gaming, BootCamp needs work, The wait for everything to be Retina compatible
The ZenBook Prime UX31A is everything the ZenBook UX31E should have been, and more. We have no hesitation in recommending this laptop if you truly want no-compromise performance in an ultrabook.
The Good
- Lovely Full HD, IPS screen, Backlit keyboard, Great performance,
The Bad
- Some light bleed from the bottom of the screen, Included USB to Ethernet adapter is USB 2.0 only, Battery life could be improved
Sony Vaio E Series (SVE14A15FGB)
Sony’s managed to produce a laptop under AU$1000 that not only doesn’t sacrifice on quality, but manages to trickle down some premium features, like a backlit keyboard. Within its means, this is one of the best budget laptops you can get.
The Good
- Higher resolution screen than usual, Good battery life, Backlit keyboard, Good specs for the price
The Bad
- GPU underperforming in Skyrim and Witcher 2, Screen isn’t as vibrant as it could be
Apple MacBook Air 13 (mid-2012)
The new 13-inch MacBook Air might not be the huge revision we were hoping for, but it’s still an excellent laptop, borne out of years of refinement.
The Good
- Great build quality, USB 3.0 makes for a good boost, Industry leading touchpad, Backlit keyboard, Dual-band Wi-Fi
The Bad
- Base model storage a bit small for the current day
Apple MacBook Air 11 (mid-2012)
The MacBook Air 11 continues to be a wonderfully portable laptop, suiting travel or those who are constantly on the move. While an IPS screen would be nice and the default storage sizes need to be raised, this is a lovely piece of engineering that has well and truly carved its niche.
The Good
- Incredibly light, yet well built, Class leading keyboard and touchpad
The Bad
- The TN-based screen is getting a bit long in the tooth, Default storage size is too small
HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition
HP’s Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition manages to bring good performance and battery life into the sub-AU$1000 range. The main sacrifice is the vibrancy of the screen, but at this price, it’s a small nitpick and nothing more.
The Good
- Good performance and Hp laptop batteries life, Decent sound for the size and price range, Backlit keyboard
The Bad
- Discrete graphics almost aren’t worth it, Screen could be more vibrant
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Lenovo’s succeeded in delivering a sexy ultrabook that still retains the traditional ThinkPad design cues. The battery life isn’t as good as it could be though, and the SSD upgrade prices are simply ludicrous.
The Good
- 1600×900 screen has better than usual viewing angles for TN, Screen can flip flat, Incredibly well built, light and tough, Inbuilt 3G, Great backlit keyboard
The Bad
- Ludicrous SSD upgrade prices, Only one USB 3.0 port, Faint vertical lines visible on display