All Laptops

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.

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 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.

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

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 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.

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 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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

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

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