Dell, Inc. Laptops

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.

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 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

The Bottom Line: Dell's middle-of-the-road Inspiron 14 offers a decent low-cost mainstream Core 2 Duo package, but we would have liked better battery life and more graphics options.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.13 GHz), 3 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English, 14.0

The Bottom Line: Dell's Mini 10v keeps a lot of the features of the more expensive Mini 10, while dropping the price below $300. It's one of only a handful of $299 Netbooks that doesn't look and feel especially cheap.

Specs: Intel Atom (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP3, 10.1

The Bottom Line: As a highly configurable budget-range black box, Dell's Inspiron 1545 laptop line can be a good value--as long as you don't pile on the upgrades.

The Bottom Line: The Dell Studio XPS X1340-024B is an attractive 13-inch laptop and a capable performer, but it tends to run hot and its poor battery life will leave you cold.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.4 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, 4.9 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix

The Bottom Line: Aimed primarily at school kids, the Dell Latitude 2100 is an interesting new take on the Netbook. It's worth a look if the unique features--including an especially rugged design and a touch screen--are important to you.

Specs: Intel ATOM (1.60 GHz), 1024 MB DDR II SDRAM, 16 GB, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, SP3, with media, 2.8 lbs, 10.1 in TFT

The Bottom Line: If you can forgo a DVD burner on your laptop, the Dell Studio S1440-022B offers a ton of features and a slick design that should make it a frontrunner for any student doing their back-to-school shopping.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.1 GHz), 3 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, 5.3 lbs, 14 in TFT active matrix

The Bottom Line: Dell's upscale Adamo is a 13-inch laptop for those who value design and finish as much as performance, but its luxury price will limit the potential audience.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (1.4 GHz), 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English, 4 lbs

The Bottom Line: For a budget-priced 17-inch laptop, the Dell Studio S17-162B has many features of a more expensive system, but also a few notable omissions.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition SP1, 7.9 lbs, 17 in TFT active matrix