Laptops Reviewer

The HP Mini 2140 shares the same basic silhouette as the earlier Mini 1000 and Mini-Note 2133 systems from HP. Because it has an aluminum case, like the 2133, it's a half-pound heavier than the plastic Mini 1000; it's a trade-off that may be worth it, however, as the metallic Mini 2140 feels as if it'll stand up to the rigors of the road better than a plastic Netbook.

HP Mini 2140 Technical Specifications

* Processor 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
* Memory 1GB, 800MHz DDR2
* Hard drive 160GB 5,400rpm
* Chipset Mobile Intel 945GSE
* Graphics Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
* Operating system Windows XP Home Edition SP2
* Dimensions 10.3 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep
* Height 1.1 inches
* Screen size (diagonal) 10.1 inches
* System weight / Weight with AC adapter 3.0/3.8 pounds

Product summary

The good: Solid metal construction; full ExpressCard/54 slot; big keyboard.

The bad: Odd resolution loses a few pixels; no mobile-broadband options (yet); awkward mouse button placement.

The bottom line: HP offers a premium version of its plastic Mini 1000 while keeping the price down, making the Mini 2140 the Netbook to beat.

Meet the M305 from Toshiba. It features the new Fusion Finish - a gloss and appeal that makes this laptop seem to fit in a rather more expensive looking niche. The LCD lid is an amazing gloss with chrome letters, and the that treatment is carried straight onto the display as well - with it's 1280x800 display, it seems crisp and vibrant gathering this is only a 14.1 inch display. The keyboard also gets the glossy finish.

Satellite M305 Technical Specifications

* Processor 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100
* Memory 3GB DDR2 RAM
* Harddrive 250gb SATA 5400rpm
* OS Windows Vista Home Premium
* Weight 5.2 pounds
* Screen 14.1 inches
* Screen resolution 1280x800
* Graphic Card Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
* Battery Life 170 minutes

Product summary

The good: Stylish new design; charges USB devices, even when off.

The bad: Glossy finish attracts fingerprints; way too much bloatware; Sleep-and-Charge feature is turned off by default.

The bottom line: Toshiba's new Satellites, including the 14-inch M305, offer a reasonable mix of performance and price, but are weighed down by excessive out-of-the-box advertising links.

All in all, the Lenovo S10 is a nice-looking netbook that performs predictably. It can definitely be recommended, but I would opt for an upgrade to at least 1GB of RAM. Unlike some other netbooks, the S10 is also thankfully very easy to upgrade.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Technical Specifications

* Processor 1.6GHz Atom N270
* Memory 512MB
* Harddrive 80GB
* OS Windows XP Home
* Weight 2.4lbs
* Screen 10.2 inches
* Screen resolution 1024x600
* Graphic Card Intel GMA950
* Battery Life 3.5 Hours

Product summary

The good: Includes ExpressCard slot; decent keyboard.

The bad: No SSD hard drive options; unimpressive battery life.

The bottom line: Lenovo's "me, too!" entry in the Netbook sweepstakes, the IdeaPad S10, gets the price and features right, but falls behind on battery life.

It has a Blu-ray winning HD format war. Toshiba attempted to release an HD solution in the Qosmio G45 laptop. The laptop comes with a HD-DVD burner as well as a plethora of features to support a theater-like experience starting from the powerful speakers to the razor sharp 17-inch widescreen display Large and in charge, the Qosmio G45 comes with a black-piano finish lid that contrasts the white keyboard. Although the aesthetic design is quite impressive, picking up the laptop isn�t quite impressive. The laptop weighs in at a massive 10 pounds, which will either break your back or enlarge your biceps.

Toshiba Qosmio G45 Technical Specifications

* Processor Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz
* Memory 3GB DDR2 RAM
* Harddrive 320GB
* OS Windows Vista Ultimate
* Weight 10.6 pounds
* Screen 17-inch
* Screen resolution 1920x1200
* Graphic Card Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT 512MB
* Battery Life 2 hours

Product summary

The good: Penryn update puts latest Intel CPU in flagship laptop; 17-inch display does 1080p; large volume jogwheel and other media controls are easier and more enjoyable to use; includes external TV tuner and remote

The bad: Saddled with HD DVD drive; not configurable

The bottom line: Toshiba's high-end Qosmio G45-AV690 is great for movies and multimedia, and its onboard controls are fun to use--but the recordable HD DVD drive means you're paying extra for a dead technology.

Like most Lenovo keyboards, the one on the Y530 is a pleasure to type on, and above it is a row of touch sensitive, orange-glowing buttons for media control; both are quite nice-looking and useful. The touchpad is slightly larger than average, and is very accurate and comfortable to the touch.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 Technical Specifications

* Processor 2GHz P7350 Core 2 Duo
* Memory 2GB DDR2
* Harddrive 250GB
* OS Windows Vista Home Premium
* Weight 6.6 lbs
* Screen 15.4"
* Screen resolution 1280x800
* Graphic Card Nvidia 9300M GS
* Battery Life 2:45

Product summary

The good: Simple, subdued design with solid construction; reasonably priced; light-touch media controls; Dolby Home Theater sound with four speakers plus subwoofer; face recognition software; decent battery life.

The bad: Overly reflective screen; heavier than similar-size systems.

The bottom line: Though its subdued design may strike some as square, but the midsize Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 delivers a decent media experience for less than $1,000.

Enclosed in a silvery design that attempts to mimic a space ship from out of this world, the Alienware m15x doesnt look anything completely striking. In fact, it seems Alienware wanted to maintain a more conservative look with the m15x than their typical offshoot Alien-looking design found in the past. In terms of build-quality, the m15x faces creaks and groans. If one moved the lid, even before the lid angle is adjusted, it emits a creaky staircase noise. Even worse, it doesn't make much difference where you grip the lid.

Alienware m15x Gaming Laptop Technical Specifications

* Processor Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 2.8 GHz
* Memory 4 GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM
* Harddrive 200GB 7200 RPM
* OS Windows Vista Ultimate
* Weight 7.8 lb
* Screen 15.4-inch Widescreen
* Screen resolution 1920x1200
* Graphic Card 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX

Product summary

The good: Top-of-the-line components; backlit keyboard is a cool touch; highest resolution we've seen in a 15-inch display; one of the fastest laptops on the planet right now.

The bad: Still not as slick looking as it should be; thick, clunky chassis; touch pad hard to use.

The bottom line: Alienware's amazingly powerful flagship Area-51 m15x has the insides down, but our finicky aesthetic sense isn't sold on the look of this otherwise awesome 15-inch powerhouse of a gaming laptop.

This stylish laptop with a brushed metal look should be quite durable, as it meets the U.S. military standard for high temperatures, vibration, dust, humidity and altitude. HP is also pushing for its scratch-resistant DuraFinish treatment, which protects the palm rest, touchpad and display cover areas.

Inside the EliteBook 6930p is some solid and customizable hardware including Intel Centrino 2 processors and shock-mounted hard drives. Graphics power is provided by an (optional) ATI Mobility Radeon 3450 with 128 or 256MB of dedicated memory.

HP EliteBook 6930p Technical Specifications

* Processor 2-2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* Memory Up to 8GB DDR2
* Harddrive 120-250 GB
* OS Microsoft Windows XP Pro
* Weight 4.7 lbs (2.1 kg)
* Screen 14
* Screen resolution 1440x900
* Graphic Card ATI Mobility Radeon HD3450

Acer sponsorship of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team brings the compact Acer Ferrari 1000 Laptop. Featuring Carbon Fiber lid, fierce candy red trim, and the speed-invoking Ferrari logo. The similarities do not stop at the exterior, as the Ferrari 1000 is filled with power, thanks to its AMD Turion Dual Core chip and 768 MB RAM. Light weight, it weighs four pounds (3.85 lb.) and with a thickness of only 1.36 inches means its designed for portability.

Acer Ferrari 1000 Technical Specifications

* Processor AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-56 1.8 GHz
* Memory 768 MB DDR2
* Harddrive 160GB
* OS Windows XP Pro
* Weight 4 pounds
* Screen 12.1
* Screen resolution 1280 x 800
* Graphic Card ATI Radeon Xpress 1150
* Battery Life 3.5 hours

Product summary

Pros: Has only a 3.7-pound weight, which is lighter than some similarly priced notebooks.Also, this notebook comes with Microsoft Windows Vista ultimate and Microsoft Windows Vista OS, which is somewhat more favorable than some similarly priced notebooks.This notebook comes with a memory stick slot, making it easy to swap digital photos, wav clips, and other files with your Palm Pilot.

Cons: Only has a turion 64 X2 mobile technology processor, which is somewhat less efficient than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Sony VAIO SZ491N/X, a 3.7-pound notebook at around $1, 600, has a Core 2 Duo processor.The Acer Ferrari 1000-5123 comes with no-frills word processing software  if you often need to create presentations you will likely need to upgrade to a more powerful office suite.

Suitability: Suitable for those who consider weight the most important feature.Preserve favorite home movies for future generations by saving them onto DVD with this computer's DVD writer.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Internet from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.

Value: In view of its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.For example, when it comes to screen size, the average price of ultra compact products with a similar screen size is considerably more.

Asus’ G50Vt rolls an impressive array of hardware into a bulky-but-inexpensive package, with a heavy-handed dose of flair smeared on top. While the style might not be for everyone, and battery life makes its wall adapter an essential umbilical cord for use, it offers a very reasonably priced and playable system for those who want to game on the go without dropping thousands on pricy boutique systems.

Promoted by Toshiba as a desktop alternative for the business class, the L350 is indeed powerful enough to do your everday tasks, but that power comes in a large and clunky package that leaves mobility something to be desired.

Meet Toshiba's L350 laptop computer from their Satellite Pro lineup. It is a budget computer for today's business professional promoting all the features you need, without the fuss and flair of much more.

Toshiba L350 Technical Specifications

* Processor Intel Core2 Duo Processor T8100
* Memory 2GB 667Mhz DDR2
* Harddrive 160GB 5,400rpm SATA
* OS Windows XP Pro
* Weight 7.1 - 9.3 lbs
* Screen 17 inches
* Screen resolution 1440x900
* Graphic Card Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
* Battery Life 3.75 hours

Product summary

Pros: Has 1440 x 900 native screen resolution, which is somewhat higher than some similarly priced notebooks.In fact, the typical cost of a product with this high a native screen resolution is $1,630.Also, this notebook has a 17-inch screen size, which is larger than some similarly priced notebooks.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with this large a screen size is $1,540.

Cons: Has a 7.1-pound weight, which is somewhat heavier than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the HP Business nc4200, at around $970, has only a 4-pound weight.This notebook's Intel GMA X3100 graphics chip uses system memory, which sometimes results in slower performance.

Suitability: A general-purpose notebook, suited for general mobile computing.Archive your digital videos using this notebook's DVD writer.Comes with advanced word processing software -- capable of producing all the complex documents you may need to publish.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.

Value: In view of its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.For example, when it comes to screen size, the average price of mainstream products with a similar screen size is considerably more -- in fact around $1,558.Generally, not targeted at the gaming crowd, this computer will likely fulfill more modest notebook needs.

Gathering the 17" widescreen in true high definition, the Asus M70sa has a plethora of connection inputs, and some serious storage space under the hood. With 1tb of hard drive space, a speedy Intel Core2Duo T9300 and a whopping 1gb of video memory, it truly fits into the mobile entertainment category.

Asus M70sa Technical Specifications

* Processor Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.5GHz, 6MB L2, 800MHz FSB
* Memory 4GB
* Harddrive 1TB (Terabyte)
* OS Windows Vista Home Premium
* Weight 8.3 lbs
* Screen 17 inches
* Screen resolution 1920x1200
* Graphic Card ATI Radeon HD3650
* Battery Life 2 hours

Product summary

The good: Upscale, CE-like design; full HD-resolution screen with handy automatic display settings; Blu-ray drive and 1TB of storage; multimode touch pad; full complement of ports and connections; decent battery life.

The bad: Large and heavy; 32-bit OS leaves 1GB of RAM sitting dormant; midrange GPU does not offer top-notch gaming performance; doesn't ship with a Media Center remote.

The bottom line: You can find Blu-ray-equipped desktop replacements for less, but no other media laptop currently offers as many features for the price as the Asus M70.

Its sleek, it's small, and available in Red or Black colors to match your designer taste. What is this? Would you believe it's an ultraportable from Lenovo? The IdeaPad U110 is Lenovo's attempt to grab consumer's attention with an ultraportable designed to turn heads. It's everything a business professional would want in an ultra light machine, without the suit and tie conservative look found in its bigger ThinkPad brothers.

IdeaPad U110 Technical Specifications

* Processor Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 1.6 GHz
* Memory 2GB DDR2 RAM
* Harddrive 120GB
* OS Microsoft Windows Vista
* Weight 3 pounds
* Screen 1366 by 768
* Screen resolution 1366x768
* Graphic Card Intel GMA X3100
* Battery Life 3 hours

Product summary

The good: Gorgeous design; lightweight, yet solid construction; sharp screen resolution; comfortable keyboard; ships with two batteries.

The bad: Lacks a built-in optical drive; glossy screen finish sometimes produces annoying reflections; piano finish on keyboard is prone to smudges; fixed configuration can't be customized; no WWAN option.

The bottom line: The 11.1-inch Lenovo IdeaPad U110 is the most beautiful laptop we've seen in years, and behind those good looks is a well-appointed, fairly priced ultraportable. Despite a few minor nitpicks, we recommend the IdeaPad U110 to those who want a lightweight, eye-catching laptop for frequent travel.

It's obvious that the Vaio TZ from Sony has been designed from the ground up with 100% mobility in mind. It looks stunning in its carbon fiber casing and remarkably thin design, and with up to eight hours of battery life, there is very little that discerning road warriors won't appreciate about the TZ.

Sony Vaio TZ Technical Specifications

* Processor 1.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7700 (Low Voltage)
* Memory 2 GB DDR2
* Harddrive 64 GB SSD (Solid State Drive)
* OS Windows Vista Business
* Weight 2.65 lbs. (1.2 kg)
* Screen 11.1 inches
* Screen resolution 1366x768
* Graphic Card Intel GMA 900
* Battery Life 8 hours

Pros: Has only a 2.6-pound weight, which is considerably lighter than some similarly priced notebooks.Also, this notebook has a 320GB hard drive, which is considerably larger than some similarly priced notebooks.

Cons: Integrated graphics controllers that rely on shared video memory are sometimes an acceptable trade-off for budget-minded users.

Suitability: Suitable for those who consider weight the most important feature.Preserve favorite home movies for future generations by saving them onto DVD with this computer's DVD writer.Includes advanced word processing software -- fine for most serious business or academic document authors.Make your home movies sing by using the bundled video software to edit material uploaded from a digital camcorder.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Internet from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.

Value: In general, this notebook's features are as expected for this price.However, the average price of ultra compact products with a similar screen size is quite a bit less.

A highly diverse series of business-oriented laptops ranging from tiny 8.9" ultraportables up to more traditional models like the one we're looking at today. The Fujitsu Lifebook 8410 is quite large and heavy for a business laptop with its 15.4-inch frame and 6 pounds (2.7 kg), so those who travel a lot might want to opt for one of the smaller models in the Lifebook lineup. That being said, the 8410 is quite pleasing to the eye with a nice-looking aluminum LCD cover and an overall build that looks solid.

Fujitsu Lifebook 8410 Technical Specifications

* Processor 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 3 MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz
* Memory 2 GB 667 MHz DDR 2
* Harddrive 120 GB 5,400 rpm SATA
* OS Windows Vista Business
* Weight 6 lbs (2.7 kg)
* Screen 15.4 inches
* Screen resolution 1280x800

Product summary

The good: Interesting design, particularly for a mainstream business laptop; comfortable keyboard; plenty of ports

The bad: Overpriced; so-so battery life.

The bottom line: Although it's a solidly constructed business laptop with an appealing design and decent performance, it's hard to make a case for the Fujitsu LifeBook E8410 because it costs much more than competing 15-inch models.

Although it looks completely different (apart from its measures,) the Lenovo X300 is a direct competitor to the MacBook Air; it's a 13.3" super-slim, business oriented laptop that fits into a standard size interoffice envelope.

Lenovo X300 Technical Specifications

* Processor 1.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo L7100 (Low Voltage)
* Memory 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2
* Harddrive 64 GB Solid State Drive
* OS Windows Vista Business/Windows XP
* Weight 2.93-3.51 lbs (1.33-1.59 kg)
* Screen 13.3 inches
* Screen resolution 1440x900

Product summary

The good: Extremely thin and light; sleekest ThinkPad yet; built-in DVD burner, plus WWAN, GPS, and wireless USB.

The bad: Solid-state drive comes at a high premium; touch pad's location makes it easy to accidentally graze while typing.

The bottom line: The ThinkPad X300 breaks new ground by packing a broad display, full-size keyboard, and nearly every feature a mobile user needs into a sleek, lightweight case.

I have covered ultra portable laptops before, and like those heftier ones before it, the Portege makes you wonder how many moving parts can be fit in such a lithe frame.

Portege R500 Series: A Wafer-Thin Wonder Technical Specifications

* Processor 1.2-1.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV
* Memory 1 or 2 GB, 667MHz DDR2
* Harddrive 120GB SATA 5400rpm (Optional 64GB SSD)
* OS Windows Vista Business
* Weight 1.72-2.40 pounds (0.8-1 kg)
* Screen 12.1 inches
* Screen resolution 1280x800
* Graphic Card Intel GMA950
* Battery Life 7.5 hours

Product summary

The good: Extremely thin and light laptop; includes solid-state hard drive.

The bad: Fixed configuration; no mobile broadband; expensive external optical drive option; ULV CPU limits performance without seeming to do all that much to extend battery life.

The bottom line: Toshiba's SSD version of the Portege R500 may be the best ultraportable laptop available right now, and it packs in much of what the MacBook Air lacks while weighing nearly half as much.

Value and performance are two factors that appeal to almost every buyer looking for a new notebook, and that's what the 1525 Inspiron offers in abundance.

Dell inspiron 1525 Technical Specifications

* Processor 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 800MHz FSB
* Memory 2GB DDR2, 667MHz
* Harddrive 120GB 5,400rpm SATA
* OS Windows Vista Home Premium
* Weight 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg)
* Screen 15.4 inches
* Screen resolution 1280x800
* Graphic Card Intel GMA X3100 IGP
* Battery Life 3-3.5 hours

Product summary

The good: Slimmed-down design; low starting price; high-end extras are available, including HDMI and touch-sensitive media control buttons.

The bad: Not as many configuration options as some of Dell's other laptops; plastic construction feels somewhat flimsy; base $499 configuration about as powerful as an abacus.

The bottom line: Taking consumer complaints to heart, Dell updates its mainstream 15-inch laptop with the Inspiron 1525. It's thinner, lighter, and less expensive than its predecessor.