Top 5

No matter how small or how affordable Apple can make the iPad, nothing can change the fact that it's a newcomer to the market of mini tablets.

Small, inexpensive Android tablets have been around for years and are finally hitting their stride. Through trial and error, manufacturers have figured out the sweet spot of features, design, and performance that seems to be resonating with customers.

What's more surprising is that the players in this space aren't the typical cast of characters that Apple is used to fighting. Sure, Samsung makes an appearance, but so does Amazon and … Read more

Windows users have a lot to be excited about. With Windows 8 launching on October 26 and a slew of new hardware coming off the assembly line, this is the biggest reinvention we've seen of Windows since the launch of XP.

But some people are less than excited about the change. Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols from ZDNet has no qualms calling this "the worst Windows version to date." Similarly, Ed Bott has a list of tips on how to skip Windows 8 and stay with Windows 7.

So in advance of the deafening marketing roar we're likely … Read more

For the Apple-loyal, the iPhone 5 is practically an automatic purchase. But for the rest of you, it can't hurt to know what your options are.

A few weeks ago, CNET's Brian Bennett posted a roundup of the best iPhone 5 alternatives. It turns out that there are tons of excellent smartphones out there that can match (and in some ways surpass) Apple's iPhone 5. The above video collects Brian's top picks into a rated list.

So if you're wondering about your smartphone options, be sure … Read more

The iPhone 5 has arrived, and it's pretty great. But I can't shake this nagging feeling that Apple could have done more.

A week ago, CNET's David Carnoy penned a great roundup of the most-wanted features that didn't make it into the iPhone 5. It seemed like easy pickings for a Top 5 video, so I imposed a ranking, stood in front of a camera, and created the video you see before you (click here if you don't see a video at the top of this … Read more

If you're looking for a good, affordable laptop, look no further. In this week's Top 5 video (shown above, unless you've crippled your browser with ad-blocker software), I'm rounding up the best laptops under $600.

The list is based on CNET Senior Editor Dan Ackerman's sub-$600 laptop roundup, which is very much worth your time if you'd like to learn more about these laptops.

The ranking was decided according to screen size, assuming that more screen for the money equates to a better value. … Read more

Amazon's original Kindle Fire tablet has been officially put out to pasture. In its place are four new tablets, a 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD, a version with laughably limited 4G, and an entry-level model that looks like the original, but isn't.

Whether you'll end up buying one of Amazon's new tablets, or one of its competitors', a lot of you are probably asking yourselves, "What do I do with my old Kindle Fire?"… Read more

It's easy to go over the top when it comes to outfitting your dream home theater system. One minute you're checking out HD projectors, and the next minute you're trying to figure out how to convert your entire basement into a giant subwoofer.

But it never hurts to start with the basics. In this CNET Top 5, I asked CNET Associate Editor Matthew Moskovciak for the essential ingredients in today's modern home theater system.

If you're looking to improve the quality of your music, headphones are the most important link in the chain. Today's phones, tablets, and computers are capable of spectacular audio quality that was unthinkable just 10 years ago, but you're not going to hear it with the headphones that came in the box.

Fortunately, you don't have to spend a lot of money to hear a dramatic improvement in headphone audio quality. In this Top 5, we have the best headphones for under $50, as selected by CNET … Read more

Not every phone can be great. Sometimes, in the rush to get a phone to market, the final product comes out a little half-baked.

A few weeks ago, CNET's Jessica Dolcourt published a blog post called "Don't buy these phones." Being the math whiz that I am, I noticed that her list had five phones and I promptly rehashed it to fit my purposes.

Now, these aren't terrible phones. Most are rated between 2 and 3 stars. They work as advertised, they won't fall apart … Read more