The HP Pavilion dv6837tx_02 is an attractive unit that is hard to fault. Feature-packed and great value at $2199, this laptop's only drawbacks are a graphics card that fails to scale full high-definition output during Blu-ray movies, low battery life and a competitor that offers an alternative configuration at a similar price.
Although the Western Digital 'My Book' Studio Edition II is nominally aimed at Mac lovers, there's little to keep PC users from enjoying this flexible and energy-efficient 2TB unit.
Although the BenQ Joybook R45's price of $1199 puts it squarely in the 'entry-level' notebook category, its good performance, chic style and wide range of expansion options means it's a laptop that shouldn't be underestimated.
The Toshiba Satellite A200 (PSAE3A-07M007) is a solid entry-level workhorse that offers excellent usability for the low cost of $1,099. The price drops to $999 after a $100 cash-back offer from Toshiba. Although it doesn't have as many features as the Dell Inspiron 1525 or the Acer Extensa 5620Z-3A1G12Mi, the A200 is cheaper than the Dell and provides a larger hard drive than the Acer.
There are many things to like about the Compaq Presario V6800 (V6807TU_02): its keyboard is superb for lengthy use and it offers good key size and responsiveness when typing, an excellent webcam sits above an effective 15.4in screen, and the price is reasonable.
The Sony Vaio VGC-LJ25GB is an interesting device that's stuck directly on the fence between notebooks and desktops. Its style is a mix of a desktop's form and a notebook's function -- it's essentially an all-in-one PC that's designed to be used as a desktop. It has a handle and a battery, but these are mainly useful for transporting it from one room to another. Its keyboard is directly attached to the bottom of the screen and can be folded up when not in use.
The TravelMate 6592 (831G08Mn) is Acer's latest business-focussed notebooks. Although inferior in several ways when compared to its 2007-released predecessor, the Acer TravelMate 6592G (601G16N), this new notebook is $700 cheaper than last year's model and it still packs some serious processing power.
The Toshiba Tecra A9 (TS52A-OCU03F) is a no-frills notebook built with the business user in mind. Although the unit's design isn't innovative, eye-catching or easily portable, it's very functional and easy to work with.
Having made a name for itself with a range of excellent smartphones, such as the TyTN II and the S730, HTC is now branching into a different market with its ultraportable notebook - the Shift X9500.
For any serious computer gamer, the name "Alienware" is instantly recognisable. When you glance at the specifications of the m15x-R1, you'll see why. It delivers very high performance, but, for $5870, it's at the top end of the price scale.
The Pavilion tx2011AU Entertainment Notebook PC is from HP's new range of 'creative' notebooks, which have funky patterns printed on their lids. More than a notebook, however, the tx2011AU is also a Tablet PC and it rates well in almost every aspect - it's stylish, very functional and costs less than most equivalent Tablet PCs because it uses an AMD CPU.
