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Asus M70SA-X2

EDITORS CHOICE
1
EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.5 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 8.4 lbs, 17 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

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.

REVIEWED: 06-Jun-2008 10:35 AM PDT
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Acer Aspire 8920-6048

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

EPA Energy Star, Intel Core 2 Duo (1.83 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 9 lbs, 18.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

First 18-inch display we've seen; true 16:9 aspect ratio; inventive media control panel mimics a remote control.

THE BAD

Higher-end model is twice as much as lower-end version, despite minimal specification differences; minor Blu-ray control issues; we expected better bass from a system with a subwoofer.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With Blu-ray and a true 1080p display, the 18-inch Acer Aspire 8920 is a movie fan's dream, but we'd go for the cheaper of Acers' two preconfigured models.

REVIEWED: 22-May-2008 03:01 PM PDT
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Acer Aspire 8920-6671

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

EPA Energy Star, Intel Core 2 Duo (2.6 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 9 lbs, 18.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate

THE GOOD

First 18-inch display we've seen; true 16:9 aspect ratio; inventive media control panel mimics a remote control.

THE BAD

Higher-end model is twice as much as lower-end version, despite minimal specification differences; minor Blu-ray control issues; we expected better bass from a system with a subwoofer.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With Blu-ray and a true 1080p display, the 18-inch Acer Aspire 8920 is a movie fan's dream, but we'd go for the cheaper of Acers' two preconfigured models.

REVIEWED: 22-May-2008 03:01 PM PDT
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Gateway P-6860FX

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (1.83 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 9.3 lbs, 17 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition

THE GOOD

Excellent performance for the money, particularly with games; offers more memory, a larger hard drive, and slightly faster CPU for same price as the model it replaces; includes HDMI and eSATA ports.

THE BAD

Not configurable; wimpy CPU for a gaming system.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Gateway P-6860FX offers GeForce 8800 gaming muscle and plenty of memory in a midprice laptop, making it a great choice for gamers who fall just short of hard-core.

REVIEWED: 19-May-2008 10:02 AM PDT
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Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (black)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

EPA Energy Star 4.0, RoHS, Intel Core 2 Duo (1.6 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 2.4 lbs, 11.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

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.

REVIEWED: 08-May-2008 02:19 PM PDT
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Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (red)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

EPA Energy Star 4.0, RoHS, Intel Core 2 Duo (1.6 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 2.4 lbs, 11.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

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.

REVIEWED: 08-May-2008 02:19 PM PDT
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HP Pavilion dv9700t

EDITORS RATING
7.9
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.40 GHz), 4 GB

THE GOOD

Attractive design; bright, crisp display; Blu-ray drive; thorough set of audiovisual controls, ports, and connections; long battery life; touch pad power button; fingerprint reader.

THE BAD

Mediocre gaming performance; HDMI port takes the place of one USB port; decent, but not great, speakers.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The HP Pavilion dv9700t doesn't have enough graphics power to satisfy gaming enthusiasts, but it is a great choice for home users who don't want to spend a fortune on a Blu-ray equipped entertainment notebook.

REVIEWED: 15-May-2008 09:13 AM PDT
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Asus Eee PC 901 (Windows XP)

EDITORS RATING
7.8
SPECS

Intel Atom, 1 GB DDR II SDRAM, 2.4 lbs, 8.9 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

THE GOOD

Much-improved battery life; new mouse and quick-launch buttons; still highly portable and reasonably priced.

THE BAD

New Atom CPU is slower than previous Celeron Eee PC, slightly bigger than the Eee 900; price is creeping up to the full-size laptop range.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The long-awaited Asus Eee PC 901 is the best version of this inexpensive Netbook yet, but it's facing increased competition from the likes of HP, Dell, and MSI.

REVIEWED: 30-Jun-2008 10:41 AM PDT
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Averatec Voya 6494

EDITORS RATING
7.7
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 6.4 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

Magnesium alloy case feels rock solid; light price and lightweight compared with the ruggedized competition; Smart Card and SIM card slots; well-rounded configuration delivers ample performance.

THE BAD

Not configurable; Draft N Wi-Fi is absent; online support is more miss than hit for this model.

THE BOTTOM LINE

As perhaps the most affordable ruggedized laptop, the Averatec Voya 6494 is a tempting choice, even if you don't work in the field under harsh conditions.

REVIEWED: 23-May-2008 12:05 PM PDT
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Asus Eee PC 900 (white, Windows XP)

EDITORS RATING
7.5
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel, 1 GB DDR II SDRAM, 2.2 lbs, 8.9 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

THE GOOD

Bigger screen in same small package; new touch pad gesture controls; long battery life.

THE BAD

Not as much storage space as the Linux version; same old Celeron CPU as original Eee PC; keyboard just as cramped.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The 9-inch Asus Eee PC 900 adds a bigger screen and a larger capacity solid-state hard drive than its 7-inch precursor, but the new price has passed the point of an impulse purchase.

REVIEWED: 12-May-2008 11:50 AM PDT
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HP Pavilion dv2700t Special Edition

EDITORS RATING
7.4
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (1.67 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 5.3 lbs, 14.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

Attractive new "special edition" bronze theme; includes a media remote control and an HDMI port; available dedicated graphics.

THE BAD

Heavier than it should be; tinny speakers, unimpressive battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The 14-inch HP Pavilion dv2700t Special Edition packs plenty of extra features and a cool new paint job into a slightly too-heavy package with an uninspiring battery.

REVIEWED: 02-May-2008 09:11 AM PDT
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Toshiba Satellite U405-S2830

EDITORS RATING
7.4
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

RoHS, Intel Core 2 Duo (2.1 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 4.9 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

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 thin-and-light Satellite U405 is a sleek alternative to the 13-inch MacBook, but is weighed down by excessive out-of-the-box bloatware.

REVIEWED: 25-Apr-2008 12:59 PM PDT
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Dell Studio 15

EDITORS RATING
7.3
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.1 GHz), 2.0 GB DDR II SDRAM, 6 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Premium Edition

THE GOOD

Borrows some of the best design features of the more expensive XPS line; built-in media remote control.

THE BAD

Bulkier than the 15-inch XPS model; just under the wire for new Centrino 2 chips.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Dell's first release from its new Studio line, the Studio 15, sits between the Inspiron and XPS lines and offers a good mix of features for the price, but we'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.

REVIEWED: 26-Jun-2008 08:54 AM PDT
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Asus Lamborghini VX3-A1 (yellow)

EDITORS RATING
7.1
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.5 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 3.7 lbs, 12.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition

THE GOOD

Solid construction; leather detailing; cool branded extras.

THE BAD

Kind of slow for a laptop named after a race car; expensive; poor battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Asus Lamborghini VX3 is the laptop recast as status symbol. It looks and feels like a luxury item; we just wish it had a bit more power under the hood.

REVIEWED: 22-Apr-2008 04:16 PM PDT
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Asus Lamborghini VX3-A1 (black)

EDITORS RATING
7.1
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.5 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 3.7 lbs, 12.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition

THE GOOD

Solid construction; leather detailing; cool branded extras.

THE BAD

Kind of slow for a laptop named after a race car; expensive; poor battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Asus Lamborghini VX3 is the laptop recast as status symbol. It looks and feels like a luxury item; we just wish it had a bit more power under the hood.

REVIEWED: 22-Apr-2008 04:16 PM PDT
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Averatec 2575

EDITORS RATING
7.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile technology (2.2 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 4 lbs, 12.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

Attractive, sleek design; reasonable price; sharp screen resolution; comfortable keyboard and recessed touch pad.

THE BAD

AMD processor can't match the performance of Core 2 Duo-based competition; disappointing battery life; heavy for its size; glossy screen finish results in reflections.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Though its performance is merely adequate, the ultraportable Averatec 2575 offers an attractive design and a decent feature set at a reasonable price.

REVIEWED: 05-May-2008 11:07 AM PDT
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Gateway T-6828

EDITORS RATING
6.9
SPECS

Intel Core 2 Duo (1.83 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 5.5 lbs, 14.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

Inexpensive; attractive, sturdily constructed case; beautiful display that's great for video without being too reflective; performance mostly matches that of more expensive models; respectable battery life; lengthy warranty.

THE BAD

Red color isn't for everyone; case finish easily picks up fingerprints and smudges; stiff keyboard; lousy speakers.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The 14.1-inch Gateway T-6828 offers the same performance and features as similar models from Dell and Toshiba, at a lower price. However, we recommend you try the T-6828's keyboard before making a buying decision.

REVIEWED: 06-Jun-2008 10:10 AM PDT
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Toshiba Satellite P305-S8825

EDITORS RATING
6.9
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

RoHS, Intel Core 2 Duo (1.83 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 7.7 lbs, 17.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

Stylish new design; charges USB devices, even when off; inexpensive desktop replacement.

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 17-inch Satellite P305 is a well-made, inexpensive desktop replacement, but much more powerful laptops are available for just a little more money.

REVIEWED: 02-Jun-2008 10:35 AM PDT
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Toshiba Satellite M305-S4826

EDITORS RATING
6.9
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

RoHS, Intel Core 2 Duo (2.1 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 5.3 lbs, 14.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

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.

REVIEWED: 12-May-2008 01:05 PM PDT
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Gateway M-1626

EDITORS RATING
6.7
SPECS

AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile technology (2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 6.4 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition

THE GOOD

Inexpensive; slim profile; comfortable keyboard; Webcam; HDMI output; generous RAM allotment helps offset the pokey AMD processor.

THE BAD

Highly reflective screen finish; uneven benchmark performance; pathetic battery life; lousy speakers.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you can look past the terrible battery life, the low-cost Gateway M-1626 is a decent midsize pick for a student laptop or for use as a secondary computer.

REVIEWED: 30-May-2008 09:39 AM PDT
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Dell 1525-122B

EDITORS RATING
6.5
SPECS
THE GOOD

Slimmer than Dell's 14-inch Inspiron; includes HDMI and touch-sensitive media control buttons; Core 2 Duo chip and 3GB of RAM lead to decent performance.

THE BAD

Shorter battery life than the competition.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Adding some features missing form its 14-inch cousin, the Dell Inspiron 1525 is the textbook example of a midsize, mainstream laptop--a basic workhorse with few surprises. It may be a bit large for daily campus travel, but it should last you the full four years.

REVIEWED: 03-Jul-2008 01:05 PM PDT
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HP Pavilion dv6915nr

EDITORS RATING
6.3
SPECS

AMD Turion X2 Dual Core (2.0 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 6.1 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP 1

THE GOOD

Attractive design; decent battery life; comfortable keyboard; touchpad on/off button; touch-sensitive media controls; dual headphone jacks.

THE BAD

Mediocre performance on benchmarks; speakers produce treble sound.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The well-designed HP Pavilion dv6915nr incorporates most of the features you'll need for school, but other 15.4-inch laptops offer better performance for the same price.

REVIEWED: 03-Jul-2008 03:07 PM PDT
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Dell 1420-123B

EDITORS RATING
6.3
SPECS
THE GOOD

Fourteen-inch size offers best mix of usability and portability; decent performance among its midsize competition; excellent battery life.

THE BAD

Dell has updated its 15-inch Inspiron models recently, making this model look a little dated.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The basic 14-inch Inspiron 1420 is a reasonable choice for budget buyers who want something a little smaller than the standard 15-inch chassis, but this laptop has missed out on recent updates other Inspiron models have received.

REVIEWED: 03-Jul-2008 12:31 PM PDT
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Toshiba Satellite A305D-S6835

EDITORS RATING
5.8
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

RoHS, AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile technology (2.2 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 6 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

Stylish new design; charges USB devices, even when off; big hard drive.

THE BAD

Glossy finish attracts fingerprints; way too much bloatware; Sleep-and-Charge feature is turned off by default; slower AMD processor.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Toshiba rolls out its new Satellite look to the basic 15-inch AMD-powered Satellite A305D, but others offer more for the same $999.

REVIEWED: 12-May-2008 10:31 AM PDT
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Toshiba Satellite L355D

EDITORS RATING
5.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

RoHS, AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile technology (2 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 7.3 lbs, 17.1 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

THE GOOD

Low price; lightweight for a 17-inch laptop; attractive display; broad, comfortable keyboard.

THE BAD

Pokey performance compared with Intel-based systems; loaded with bloatware; lousy speakers; brief battery life.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The 17.1-inch Toshiba Satellite L355D is average in every way, except for its below-average price.

REVIEWED: 30-Apr-2008 11:00 AM PDT
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