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Sony VAIO VGN-NW270F/S

EDITORS RATING
8.1
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.0 lbs, 15.5 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Low price; Blu-ray drive; roomy display but still relatively lightweight; great keyboard.

THE BAD

Seems to be room for a bigger battery; no media control buttons.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW270F/S is a low-cost, Blu-ray-equipped laptop that makes a great choice for home use and, should you be willing to tote around a 15-inch machine, a decent choice as your everyday, take-it-with-you laptop.

REVIEWED: 24-Nov-2009 11:40 AM PST
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Sony Vaio FW560F/T (brown)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.13 GHz), 6 GB DDR II SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.9 lbs, 16.4 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Affordable; slim for a 16-inch laptop; Blu-ray playback; decent gaming performance.

THE BAD

Screen isn't 1080p; media buttons hard to see in dim light; mediocre battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With Blu-ray playback, a large screen and decent discrete graphics, the Sony Vaio FW560F/T is a very compelling sub-$1,000 multimedia notebook.

REVIEWED: 25-Nov-2009 09:04 AM PST
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Alienware M15x (Intel Core i7 720QM, 250GB HDD, 3GB)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core i7 (1.6 GHz), 3 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 250 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English, 15.6

THE GOOD

Amazingly powerful for a 15-inch laptop; highly configurable; adds 16:9 display.

THE BAD

Configuration options can get expensive; far from portable.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Alienware's big and bulky 15-inch M15x pulls out most of the stops, thanks to a superpowered CPU.

REVIEWED: 13-Nov-2009 02:16 PM PST
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Sony Vaio X (VPC-X115KX/N Signature Collection, gold)

EDITORS RATING
7.9
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Atom (2 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 1.6 lbs, 11.1 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, RoHS

THE GOOD

Amazingly thin and light; great battery life with extended battery; faster than other Netbooks; big 128GB solid-state hard drive.

THE BAD

Underpowered for such an expensive system; default battery is short-lived.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Sony's bold experiment--a high-end luxury system with essentially Netbook components--makes an enviable coffee shop conversation piece, but one that includes some serious sticker shock.

REVIEWED: 02-Nov-2009 01:08 PM PST
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Toshiba Satellite E105-S1802

EDITORS RATING
7.8
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.13 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 14.1 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Sharp design and good build quality; comfortable keyboard and touch pad; backlit keys; lengthy battery life without bulky battery; two-year warranty.

THE BAD

Awful speakers, even for a midsize laptop.

THE BOTTOM LINE

As a general purpose productivity machine, the Toshiba Satellite E105-S1802 strikes a number of right notes. Its dreadful speakers, however, limit its entertainment value

REVIEWED: 16-Nov-2009 03:17 PM PST
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Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980

EDITORS RATING
7.7
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 7.2 lbs, 16 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Large screen, great speakers; excellent battery life.

THE BAD

Heavy; massive battery; no Bluetooth.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Good design and some really nice-sounding speakers round out the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980, a very affordable mainstream laptop with excellent battery life for its size.

REVIEWED: 04-Nov-2009 11:57 AM PST
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Nokia Booklet 3G (black)

EDITORS RATING
7.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Atom (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR II SDRAM, 120 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Starter, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 2.8 lbs, 10.1 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Excellent design; great battery life; seamless 3G connection.

THE BAD

Slower CPU leads to frustratingly sluggish performance.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Nokia's entry in the crowded Netbook field shows that the company's hardware know-how translates to computer design, but a poor choice of CPU should give you pause.

REVIEWED: 10-Nov-2009 03:48 PM PST
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Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309

EDITORS RATING
7.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Pentium (1.3 GHz), 3 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 13.3 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Affordable thin-and-light; strong battery life.

THE BAD

Tinny speakers; no Bluetooth.

THE BOTTOM LINE

For a budget Windows 7 thin-and-light that won't need to recharge often, you could do a lot worse than the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309.

REVIEWED: 06-Nov-2009 11:26 AM PST
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (brown)

EDITORS RATING
7.5
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.0 lbs, 15.5 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Great keyboard, touch pad; nice-looking design; very good performance.

THE BAD

No Bluetooth, media control keys; below average battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.

REVIEWED: 19-Nov-2009 09:54 AM PST
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (white)

EDITORS RATING
7.5
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.0 lbs, 15.5 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Great keyboard, touch pad; nice-looking design; very good performance.

THE BAD

No Bluetooth, media control keys; below average battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.

REVIEWED: 19-Nov-2009 09:54 AM PST
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (silver)

EDITORS RATING
7.5
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.0 lbs, 15.5 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Great keyboard, touch pad; nice-looking design; very good performance.

THE BAD

No Bluetooth, media control keys; below average battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.

REVIEWED: 19-Nov-2009 09:54 AM PST
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (black)

EDITORS RATING
7.5
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.0 lbs, 15.5 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Great keyboard, touch pad; nice-looking design; very good performance.

THE BAD

No Bluetooth, media control keys; below average battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.

REVIEWED: 19-Nov-2009 09:54 AM PST
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (pink)

EDITORS RATING
7.5
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.0 lbs, 15.5 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Great keyboard, touch pad; nice-looking design; very good performance.

THE BAD

No Bluetooth, media control keys; below average battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.

REVIEWED: 19-Nov-2009 09:54 AM PST
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HP Envy 15-1050nr

EDITORS RATING
7.5
SPECS

Intel Core i7 (1.6 GHz), 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 5.1 lbs, 15.6 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star

THE GOOD

Slim for a powerhouse 15-inch laptop; 1080p screen; solid construction.

THE BAD

No internal optical drive; some Blu-ray playback issues; very expensive.

THE BOTTOM LINE

HP's new Envy 15 packs high-powered components into a svelte 15-inch body. The result is an upscale status symbol that still shows a few first-generation rough edges.

REVIEWED: 19-Nov-2009 09:39 AM PST
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Gateway NV7802u

EDITORS RATING
7.3
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 7.3 lbs, 17.3 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Inexpensive for what you get; very good performance, battery life; subtle good-looking design.

THE BAD

No Bluetooth, ExpressCard slot; poor viewing angles.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A large-screen laptop with very good performance, the Gateway NV7802u is an attractive choice for home or office.

REVIEWED: 13-Nov-2009 10:40 AM PST
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HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx

EDITORS RATING
7.2
SPECS

Intel Turion II mobile processor (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 5.3 lbs, 14.1 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Nice design with good port assortment; excellent performance for the money.

THE BAD

Below average battery life; no Bluetooth.

THE BOTTOM LINE

As long as you're not looking for extremely long battery life, the HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx is a well-rounded mainstream budget laptop with above average looks and performance.

REVIEWED: 24-Nov-2009 01:27 PM PST
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Dell Inspiron i1470-3282CRD

EDITORS RATING
7.2
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (1.3 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 4.6 lbs, 14 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star

THE GOOD

Thin and trim for a 14-inch laptop; attractive design; roomy and comfortable keyboard; surprisingly impressive audio output; touchpad supports gestures, such as two-finger scrolling.

THE BAD

Application performance lags far behind similarly priced laptops; only 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With an ultra-low-voltage CPU, the Dell Inspiron 1470-3282 runs longer but slower than competing laptops. We're not thrilled with the performance hit, but we still found lots to like about this well-designed, 14-inch laptop.

REVIEWED: 20-Nov-2009 04:07 PM PST
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HP Pavilion dv7-3065dx

EDITORS RATING
7.1
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

AMD Turion X2 Ultra (2.4 GHz), 4 GB, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 7.7 lbs, 17.3 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Blu-ray player and dedicated graphics not normally included at this price; competitive application performance; nice-looking design; touch-sensitive media control keys.

THE BAD

Disappointing audio output; below-average battery life, despite use of extended-cell battery; glossy touch pad doesn't provide the best feel.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The HP Pavilion dv7-3065dx is a low-cost, big-screen laptop that will win you over with its Blu-ray player and pleasing design. It may lose you, however, when you hear its speakers.

REVIEWED: 25-Nov-2009 01:35 PM PST
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Asus UL50AG-RBBBK05

EDITORS RATING
7.1
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (1.3 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 5.1 lbs, 15.6 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star

THE GOOD

Very thin; solid design; good battery life.

THE BAD

Slower than a typical Core 2 Duo laptop; no Bluetooth.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The design and portability of the Asus UL50AG make it one of the slickest 15.6-inch DVD-drive-equipped laptops we've seen, but an ultralow-voltage processor compromises its computing power.

REVIEWED: 11-Nov-2009 09:56 AM PST
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Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU

EDITORS RATING
7.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Pentium (2.16 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 5.7 lbs, 15.6 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star

THE GOOD

Good configuration and performance for the money; simple, straightforward design.

THE BAD

Minimal port assortment; glossy plastic build.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU is a good, if basic, laptop with a strong price-to-performance ratio.

REVIEWED: 06-Nov-2009 04:20 PM PST
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Toshiba Satellite U505-S2970

EDITORS RATING
6.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.13 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 13.3 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Rugged and well built; textured plastic a pleasing departure from glossy surfaces found on majority of laptops; slot-loading DVD drive.

THE BAD

A bit portly for a thin-and-light; keyboard feels flimsy; touch pad is overly sensitive.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Toshiba Satellite U505-S2870 is rather tank-like for a 13.3-inch thin-and-light. We'd be more willing to tote it around if its heavy-armor feel extended to the flimsy keyboard.

REVIEWED: 24-Nov-2009 10:52 AM PST
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HP Pavilion dv4-1555dx

EDITORS RATING
6.4
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 5.1 lbs, 14.1 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Surprisingly robust audio output; mobile broadband antenna is included.

THE BAD

Below-average battery life; on the heavy and bulky side for its size; clacky keyboard; glossy touch pad doesn't provide best feel.

THE BOTTOM LINE

As a midsize entertainment laptop, the 14-inch HP Pavilion dv4-1555dx hits some right notes, but its poor battery life sours the deal.

REVIEWED: 20-Nov-2009 11:50 AM PST
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Asus K60IJ-RBLX05

EDITORS RATING
6.3
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Pentium Dual Core (2.1 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 5.7 lbs, 16 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Large screen; compact width for a 16-inch laptop.

THE BAD

Underpowered processor; mediocre battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Although the Asus K60IJ-RBLX05 is an affordable 16-inch budget laptop, it's missing the processing punch and features that can be had for just a little more money.

REVIEWED: 19-Nov-2009 02:12 PM PST
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Gateway NV5207u

EDITORS RATING
6.3
SPECS

AMD Athlon 64 X2 (2.1 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 6.8 lbs, 15.6 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Nice display; very good feature set, design.

THE BAD

A couple strange design choices; weak processor.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Gateway NV5207u is certainly above average for the money, but its processor is a dog.

REVIEWED: 05-Nov-2009 09:04 AM PST
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HP Pavilion dv6-1375dx

EDITORS RATING
5.7
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.13 MHz), 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.4 lbs, 15.6 in TFT active matrix

THE GOOD

Wide-screen display is great for movies and productivity; integrated speakers offer above-average sound.

THE BAD

Overpriced; clacky, cramped keyboard and glossy touch pad aren't the best input devices; no Blu-ray drive.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You can find a better-designed, longer-running, Blu-ray equipped 15.6-inch for less than the HP Pavilion dv6-1375dx.

REVIEWED: 24-Nov-2009 10:28 AM PST
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