Why Buy a New Laptop Computer

Laptops are portable, they’re stylish, and let’s face it: the opposite sex will think you more sophisticated when you’re suavely tapping out your latest blog entry at the coffee shop. Okay, that’s probably not true, but they are fun to have for both work and play.

For work, traveling professionals will find that a laptop’s wi-fi can offer them the same conveniences as being in the office via virtual private networks. You can take anything you need with you, having remote accesses to your files at the office so long as you have an Internet connection. It’s all there with you, even if it annoys your significant other when you bring work home.

For play, it’s great for tuning out the latest episode of Drake and Josh that your daughter CAN’T MISS: Just pop in your favorite DVD or play some tunes while you edit your sister-in-law out of your vacation photos.

Finding the right laptop can be a daunting task given the sheer variety of model types. There are miniatures that weigh in at just over a two pounds, super-slim ultra portables that weigh closer to three, on up to heavyweights at more than eight pounds. Generally, when weight goes up, power and screen size do the same.

In this site, you'll find articles on buying laptop computers, news stories and comprehensive reviews on economy PCs that will help you make an informed decision on which laptop is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS - We do the research so you don't have to™.

What to Look for in a Laptop Computer

For checking emails, surfing the web, or typing up that short story, you can get away with less power, weight, and screen size in your laptop. Beware however, as some of these are small because of the absence of a CD-RW, DVD±R or other hardware. Also, due to having less hardware to power, battery life is significantly increased in these lightweight portables.

This is what TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate laptop computers:

  • Size: The purpose of a laptop computer is to be portable without sacrificing power. If you need something with an optical drive (CD-RW, DVD±R, etc.), a little more power and screen size, but still need a light weight machine, consider an ultra portable laptop, but remember, the smaller the package the larger the price tag.
  • Battery Life: No one likes being tethered to a wall, that's the whole reason for getting the laptop. Look for a system that can hold a charge for several hours. There is nothing worse than looking for an outlet in the middle of a project.
  • Screen Size: Typically the larger the laptop's screen size the larger the whole system. Remember, if you need a screen that rivals your desktop at home prepare to build those biceps. However, there are ultra slim laptops with 19 inch screens, but they are mighty expensive and although your computer will be lighter, so will your wallet.

So whether you need a slim ultra portable, or a desktop replacement, we’ll help you find the right laptop for your needs.

 
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Laptop Computer Review

Mobility Equals Productivity

Become more productive by taking your digital life with you. Whether for business or leisure, laptops allow you to carry your information with you, all in a lightweight and compact design.

Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
Excellent score   Excellent
Very good score   Very Good
Good score   Good
Fair score   Fair
Poor score   Poor
Dell Latitude XFR D 630 HP Compaq 8510P Macbook Pro Alienware Area-51 M15x Dell XPS M1530 Lenovo Thinkpad X300 Acer Aspire 8920-6048 Lenovo Thinkpad T61p Sony VAIO VGN-NS140 Dell XPS M1330
Dell Latitude XFR D 630 HP Compaq 8510P Macbook Pro Alienware Area-51 M15x Dell XPS M1530 Lenovo Thinkpad X300 Acer Aspire 8920-6048 Lenovo Thinkpad T61p Sony VAIO VGN-NS140 Dell XPS M1330
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Lowest Price Buy Dell Latitude XFR D 630 BLCWTFZ
$3,970.00
N/A N/A Buy Alienware Area-51 M15x m15x
$2,800.00
N/A Buy Lenovo Thinkpad X300 SL7100
$1,499.50
N/A N/A Buy Sony VAIO VGN-NS140 VGN-NS140E/L
$629.00
Buy Dell XPS M1330
$680.00
 
Overall Rating Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Ratings
Features Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Expert Reviews Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good
User Reviews Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Excellent Good
View Specifications Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
View Screenshots           
Features
Processor Intel Core Duo T7250 / 2.00 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 / 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 / 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 / 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo L7100 - 1.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 / 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 / 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 / 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 / 2.5 GHz
Memory 1 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 4 GB 2 GB 3 GB 2 GB 3 GB 4 GB
Hard Drive 80 GB 160 GB 160 GB 250 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm 500 GB 64 GB Solid State Drive - Serial ATA-300 250 GB 100 GB 250 GB 500 GB
Screen Resolution 1280 x 800 1680 x 1050 1680 x 1050 1920 x 1200 1440 x 900 1440 x 900 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1200 1280 x 800 1280 x 800
Video Card Integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 NVIDIA GeForce 8600   NVIDIA GeForce 8600 Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GS TurboCache supporting 1280MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M Intel GMA 4500MHD NVIDIA GeForce 8400M
Video Memory 358 MB 256 MB 256 MB 512 MB 256 MB 384 MB 512 MB 256 MB shared 128 MB
Battery Life 3.5 hour(s) 5 hour(s) 5.75 hour(s) 3.5 hour(s) 3.5 hour(s) 3.5 hour(s) 2.5 hour(s) 4.5 hour(s) 3 hour(s) 4 hour(s)
Optical Drive CD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RW BD-ROM - Integrated DVD-RW DVD?RW (?R DL) / DVD-RAM - Integrated DVD-RW
Warranty 3 Years 3 Years 1 Year 1 Year Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year - On-site , Technical support - Phone consulting - 1 year - availability: 24 hours a day / Monday-Sunday 1 Year 1 Year 3 Years 1 Year 1 Year
Wi-fi Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11 pre-N, Bluetooth IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g None Check Mark Check Mark IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11 n (draft) , IEEE 802.11g Check Mark
Built-in Camera Integrated None Integrated None 2 Megapixel 1.3 Megapixel Integrated Integrated 1.3 Megapixel 2 Megapixel
Memory Card Reader SD Memory Card, Memory Stick Duo SD Memory Card CompactFlash MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick, SD Memory Card Memory Stick , MultiMedia Card , SD Memory Card , XD-Picture Card , Memory Stick Pro Card reader MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick, SD Memory Card, XD-Picture Card, MMCplus Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick, SD Memory Card Memory Stick , SD Memory Card , Memory Stick Duo , Memory Stick Pro 8 in 1 card reader
Audio Integrated Sound Blaster Pro Integrated Integrated Integrated Integrated Dolby Home Theater, DirectSound Integrated Sound card, Hight Definition Audio, Microphone Integrated
Depth 10.2 in 10.2 in 10.4 in 10.8 in 10.3 in 9.1 in 11.8 in 10 in 10.6 in 9.4 in
Energy Star 4.0 4.0 3.0 no no 4.0 4.0 4.0 no no
Height 2.6 in 1.1 in 1 in 1.3 in 1.4 in 0.9 in 1.7 in 1.4 in 1.5 in 1.3 in
Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Service Pack 1, With media Windows Vista MacOS X 10.5 Windows Vista Windows Vista Windows Vista Windows Vista Windows Vista Windows Vista Windows Vista
Screen Size 14.1 15.4 17 15.4 15.4 13.3 18.4 in TFT active matrix 15.4 15.4 13.3
Weight 9 lbs 6.2 lbs 6.8 lbs 7.8 lbs 5.9 lbs 3.4 lbs 9 lbs 6 lbs 6.4 lbs 4 lbs
Widescreen Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Width 13.9 in 14.1 in 15.4 in 14.6 in 14.1 in 12.5 in 17.4 in 14.1 in 14.2 in 12.5 in
 
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Lowest Price Buy Dell Latitude XFR D 630 BLCWTFZ
$3,970.00
N/A N/A Buy Alienware Area-51 M15x m15x
$2,800.00
N/A Buy Lenovo Thinkpad X300 SL7100
$1,499.50
N/A N/A Buy Sony VAIO VGN-NS140 VGN-NS140E/L
$629.00
Buy Dell XPS M1330
$680.00
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