Value

Dan: We thought last year's $800 to $900 Portege R705 was a great overall value for a full-featured 13-inch laptop, and looked like a more expensive machine. The R835 is faster, with much better battery life, and keeps the price around $900. The Air and Series 9 are priced based on design, not specs or performance, but they sure are fun.

Scott: Clearly, the under-$1,000 Portege is the winner here--but you'll be going with a porkier laptop. The Air and the Series 9 make you pay for their ultrathin designs. At $1,649, the Series 9 makes the Air look cheap by comparison.