6 lbs or less Laptops

The Bottom Line: As long as you're not looking for extremely long battery life, the HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx is a well-rounded mainstream budget laptop with above average looks and performance.

Specs: Intel Turion II mobile processor (2.2 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 5.3 lbs, 14.1 in TFT active matrix

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: 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: 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: 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

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: Lenovo's Windows 7 upgrade to the ThinkPad SL500 keeps the price affordable, and features a consumer-friendly 16:9 display.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.53 GHz), 3072 MB DDR3 SDRAM, 320 GB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 5.3 lbs, 15.6 in TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, RoHS