The PC world has officially gotten Ultrabook fever – machines with ultra low voltage processors, solid state storage and super sleek bodies, all made in a similiar style to Apple’s Macbook Air. The first ones were not especially great, but recent offerings are indeed looking better and better. But HP‘s latest Ultrabook now ships with Intel’s latest Ivy Bridge line of processors, and a more feature rich set of ports than Apple’s offering.

Measuring in at 14.5 mm, the machine is indeed very thin – but HP also gave it a USB 3.0 port, an Ethernet port, HDMI port and a Kensington lock – all things the Macbook Air lacks. The new more efficient processor also enables the Envy Spectre XT to reach 8 hours of battery life, which still needs to be proved in reviews.

The display is a 13.3 inch size, with a 1366 x 768 resolution. The US price is $999, so HP is firmly going after Apple’s new favourite notebook with this one. Like all ultrabooks the memory cannot be upgraded, so professionals who need massive amounts of RAM will still stay away.

Here is HP’s official specs for the Envy Spectre XT:

• Operating system: Windows 7 Premium (64-bit)
• Display: 13.3-inches (1366 x 768 resolution)
• CPU: Available with third-generation Intel Core processors
• Memory: 4GB 1600MHz DDR3
• Storage: 128GB (up to 256GB) SSD
• Input devices: Backlit Keyboard and HP Imagepad
• Connectivity: 802.11a/g/n, 2×2 WLAN, Bluetooth, Intel Wireless Display
• Ports include: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 (1), HDMI
• Dimensions: 327 x 221 x 14.5 mm
• Weight: 3.07 lbs.
• Battery life: up to eight hours
• Included software: two-year subscription to Norton Internet Security, full versions of Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 10
• Beats Audio with quad speakers
• HP CoolSense technology
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam

So if you had to choose – would you go for Apple’s Macbook Air, or is the new HP Envy Spectre XT more your kind of machine?