5 lbs or less 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: 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: Sony's bold experiment--a high-end luxury system with essentially Netbook components--makes an enviable coffee shop conversation piece, but one that includes some serious sticker shock.

Specs: Intel Atom (2 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 1.6 lbs, 11.1 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, RoHS

The Bottom Line: Apple's latest version of the popular $999 white MacBook gets an upscale makeover, while keeping the price the same. It's a strong alternative to the more expensive Pro line, if you can live without extras such as an SD card slot.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.26 GHz), 2048 MB DDR3 SDRAM, 250 GB, Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard, 4.7 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix

The Bottom Line: If you're in the market for an affordable thin-and-light, the Asus UL30A-A1 provides great value and a solid Core 2 Duo CULV processor in an attractive package.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (1300 MHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, 3.7 lbs, 13.3 in TFT

The Bottom Line: HP's upscale Envy 13 looks and feels like an expensive status symbol, with performance and features that impress us--but its high price makes it a tough sell over the similar-looking MacBook Pro.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.13 GHz), 3072 MB DDR II SDRAM, 250 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 3.8 lbs, 15.4 in TFT

The Bottom Line: The Viliv S7's small size and Netbook-tablet hybrid design are appealing, but its high price is illogical in a world of inexpensive portables.

Specs: Intel ATOM (1.33 GHz), 1 GB DDR II SDRAM, 32 GB, 1.76 lbs

The Bottom Line: A revamped version of Lenovo's slim ThinkPad T400s adds an innovative touch-screen package to the first Windows 7 laptop we've reviewed.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.53 GHz), 4096 MB DDR II SDRAM, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, 3.9 lbs, TFT

The Bottom Line: Samsung brings a different look to a generic Netbook build with the N310, but is there any good reason this costs almost $500?

Specs: Intel Atom (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, 2.9 lbs, 10.1 in TFT active matrix, EPEAT Gold, EPEAT gold

The Bottom Line: The 11-inch, AMD-powered Gateway LT3103u does well on price and performance, but drops the ball on battery life when compared with the competition.

Specs: Athlon 64 (1.2 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, 3 lbs, 11.6 in TFT active matrix