Top 5 (according to CNET.com):
1. Apple MacBook Pro Summer 2009 (Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M, 13-inch)
The good: Adds SD card slot and reacquires FireWire; lower starting price; same solid unibody construction and giant multitouch trackpad.
The bad: Nonremovable battery; no matte screen or discrete graphics options.
The bottom line: Previously known as the MacBook, Apple’s basic 13-inch aluminum unibody laptop has been promoted to the “Pro” series, all while adding features and cutting the base price.
2. HP Mini 311
The good: Nvidia Ion graphics adds HD video and basic gaming functionality; reasonably priced; high-def display.
The bad: Annoying touch pad; streaming Flash video support for new Nvidia Ion graphics is spotty; $20 extra for a white lid, seriously?
The bottom line: HP’s Mini 311 adds a larger, high-definition display and advanced graphics to a basic Netbook, while keeping the price very appealing. Once it starts shipping with Windows 7, this could become our favorite Netbook.
3. Sony Vaio VPCZ116GX/S
The good: Light and sturdy design; large SSD hard drive; switchable discrete graphics; excellent performance.
The bad: Expensive; switchable graphics options can be confusing.
The bottom line: Sony’s top-of-the-line 13-inch Vaio VPCZ116GX/S has a speedy Core i5 CPU, discrete graphics, a huge 256GB SSD, and a sky-high price to match.
4. HP Mini 5102
The good: New Intel Atom processor; excellent build quality.
The bad: Some basic options can quickly drive up the price; small touch pad.
The bottom line: HP’s sturdy and stylish Mini 5102 is a slight upgrade to one of our favorite Netbooks, but we had hoped for a little more fresh thinking for 2010.
5. Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904
The good: Slim design; easy-to-use Intel Wireless Display built-in; speedy Core i5 processor.
The bad: Unimpressive speakers; no dedicated gaming graphics; unimpressive battery life.
The bottom line: As one of the first laptops to feature Intel’s Wireless Display technology, the Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904 is a slim, fast, and affordable package for mainstream users.
Others:
Toshiba Portege R600-ST520W
The good: Truly ultraportable; very good performance for its size; impressive battery life; built-in DVD burner.
The bad: Expensive; WiMAX of limited immediate use; flimsy screen.
The bottom line: The Toshiba Portege R600 may be pricey compared with Netbooks, but it has a lot more to offer beyond its ultraportable size.
MALIBAL Veda series
The good: Powerful desktop gaming performance; excellent service, support, and pricing policies.
The bad: Poor speaker performance; fingerprint magnet; small keyboard and touch pad for a gigantic notebook.
The bottom line: If you’re ready to give up your gaming desktop once and for all, consider replacing it with the Malibal Veda series laptop.
Asus W90Vp-X1
The good: Desktop-quality gaming performance; ample port assortment; instantly overclockable.
The bad: Generic OEM design; gigantic chassis; smallish keyboard compared with its size.
The bottom line: The massive Asus W90Vp-X1 won’t win any design awards, but its mobile gaming performance is tough to beat.
Alienware M15x (Intel Core i7 720QM, 250GB HDD, 3GB)
The good: Amazingly powerful for a 15-inch laptop; highly configurable; adds 16:9 display.
The bad: Configuration options can get expensive; far from portable.
The bottom line: Alienware’s big and bulky 15-inch M15x pulls out most of the stops, thanks to a superpowered CPU.
Asus K50IJ-RX05
The good: Subtle, attractive design; comfortable keyboard; very good battery life, performance for its class.
The bad: Limited growth potential.
The bottom line: As long as you won’t need more than what it already has, the budget-friendly Asus K50IJ-RX05 is money well spent.
Apple MacBook Fall 2009 (Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M)
The good: Sleek unibody design; LED display; big multitouch trackpad; long battery life.
The bad: Loses FireWire; no SD card slot; nonremovable battery.
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.
HP Pavilion dv2
The good: First laptop to use new AMD Athlon Neo CPU; best-looking budget 12-inch laptop we’ve seen; 4GB of RAM.
The bad: Netbook-style performance at mainstream-laptop prices; no internal optical drive; unimpressive battery life.
The bottom line: HP’s slick-looking 12-inch Pavilion dv2 carves out a niche between entry-level Netbooks and expensive ultraportables.
Dell Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook Computer (Intel Atom N270, 120GB HDD, 1GB)
The good: Same basic chassis as Dell’s more expensive Netbooks; very low entry price.
The bad: Limited configuration options; inset screen is not as nice as the Mini 10′s edge-to-edge glass.
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.
