eMachines M6000 series

Pros: Cost, performance, media reader, widescreen, wi-fi

Cons: LCD seems loose, weak plastics on some systems

Summary: This is a great value for the budget-minded! It offers great features for the price, from the useful and vast media card reader to the ability to turn off the funky blue lights. The AMD Athlon 64 is a fast processor and the laptop seems to handle the heat well with a good cooling system (very quiet and efficient compared to some Intel-based systems).

However, this system has its faults. The screen seems to be loosly attached and the plastics around where it rotates crack easily. eMachines will replace the hinges if they are found faulty... but thats about where their support ends. When I had an issue with the power/shortcut buttons board, it was expensive and a hastle to get eMachines on the same page and get the system running again. Also having keyboard issues, but everything else works fine. This laptop is great if you plan to play games and watch movies at your desk, but it may not be rough, tough, or portable enough for much else. Eventually downsized to a 12" Dell Latitude due to changing computing needs.