The 12.1in display has a 1,366×768 resolution – a great improvement over regular netbook screens. It’s wide enough to have two documents open side-by-side, and long enough for Windows’ dialog boxes. The screen doesn’t tilt very far back, but horizontal and vertical viewing angles are wider than the average netbook. Image quality is excellent, with high contrast levels and rich colour reproduction. Brightness is even and black levels are deep. Audio quality from the front speaker pair can’t match the impressive screen, but sound quality was still above average, with solid mid-range and even a small amount of bass.

The relatively thin construction of the base unit turns out to be surprisingly sturdy. Surfaces on the top and bottom of the base unit, including the keyboard area, do not flex, with the understandable exception of the lid, which does flex in the middle when you apply some serious pressure. The hinges hold the lid firmly in position; we needed both hands to open the netbook.

A desktop version of Intel’s Atom processor gives a welcome power boost over other netbooks. The dual-core Atom D525 runs at 1.8GHz and is sensibly matched with 2GB of memory. Asus has installed Windows 7 Home Premium to avoid the 1GB memory limit imposed by the Starter edition of Microsoft’s operating system. The extra memory makes everyday programs run far smoother than we’re used to on most netbooks, but it still can’t compete with full-size laptops. In our multimedia benchmarks, the VX6 managed an overall score of 29, which is roughly twice as fast as a single-core netbook.

An Nvidia Ion chipset is a step above Intel’s integrated HD graphics, as it can comfortably play 720p video on the VX6 itself, or Full HD content on an external display via HDMI. Unfortunately playing modern games is asking too much, as Call of Duty 4 crawled along at 5fps. You should be able to play older titles by lowering detail levels. To extend battery life, Optimus power-saving disables the graphics chip when it isn’t needed, but the VX6 still only managed just over five hours in our light-use test – below average for a netbook.

The VX6 has one of the best keyboards we’ve seen on a netbook; the keys are all a good size and have excellent tactile feedback. Unlike many Chiclet-style keyboards we’ve tried, each key didn’t wobble and made little noise as we typed. The touchpad is small but responsive. We weren’t so keen on the rocker-style touchpad button. The large dead spot in the middle isn’t always noticeable, but we would prefer a two-button layout.

The VGA port is positioned immediately next to the HDMI on the left-hand side. Since these ports are towards the back of the netbook, there should be no awkward cables getting in the way of your mouse (for both right and left-handers). The selection is rounded off with a USB 2.0 port and a card reader (SD, SDHC, MMC, RJ45). As with all its netbooks, Asus uses a tiny mobile phone-style power socket. Looking at the right-hand side it becomes apparent why the VX6 can call itself a ‘performance’ netbook. Asus has splashed out on two USB 3.0 ports for the netbook. This new standard is theoretically ten times faster than USB 2.0, as it can reach transfer speeds of up to 625 MB/s in Super Speed mode.

Battery life is very important for a netbook, and generally the best argument for getting an Intel-based system. Run times of from 6 hours (Asus Eee PC 1001P, Samsung NP-NB30, WLAN test) to 10 hours (Acer Aspire One 532, Asus Eee PC 1008P, WLAN test) are the norm. The first Nvidia Ion netbooks of 2009 (e.g. Samsung N510) were also in the same ballpark with almost 5 hours of battery life.

The VX6 is fast, well-built and a joy to use, but regular laptops have much better performance and cost only slightly more. Easily the best-looking and most graphically powerful netbook we’ve seen in the last year, and indeed since Asus conceived the first ever Eee PC. We’d happily take an Eee PC VX6 on the road with us any time, although that price tag might put off many potential buyers.

The K42JC-A1 has a 14-inch diagonal display with LED backlighting and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The overall quality of the display is “very good” within the narrow viewing angle sweet spot. Brightness, contrast and color are all quite good. If there is a single obvious issue it has to be the narrow vertical viewing angles. While the horizontal viewing angles (side view) are nearly flawless, the colors become over exposed when viewed from above and significantly inverted and distorted when viewed from below.

The K42J’s speakers are nothing to write home about. When we tried listening to both a rock tune, “My Delirium” by Ladyhawke, and a jazz standard, “Morning Dance” by Spyro Gyra, the sound wasn’t tinny, but it fell completely flat; all the instruments and vocals seemed to blend together, sounding very much like a mono clock radio. Even at maximum volume, the output wasn’t loud enough.

The K42JC-A1 adds the much needed HDMI port, though we’d still like to see the addition of an ExpressCard slot to make this laptop a little more future proof. A simple ExpressCard slot would have made it possible to upgrade the K42J with USB 3.0 a potentially important feature since USB 3.0 is starting to show up in more and more notebooks. The 0.3-megapixel webcam produced grainy, noisy images with washed out colors, both when streaming video on Skype or capturing images with ASUS’s bundled LifeFrame software.

The K42JC-A1 offers good overall performance thanks to the combination of its Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and speedy 500GB hard drive. The Nvidia GeForce 310M discrete graphics also help in applications that support CUDA by taking advantage of the GPU to speed up performance. The bottom line is that this laptop is more than capable of handling everyday tasks and even more intensive applications like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere.

The Intel Core i5 430Mprocessor is one of the lower-level Core i5 processors and only provides a modest boost over Core i3 models like the 330M used in the Dell Inspiron 14 (1464). That said, overall performance is quite good for a 14-inch notebook in this price range.

Graphics performance from the Nvidia GeForce 310M is perfectly fine for playing typical online puzzle games or older first person shooters, but don’t expect to play newer games like Mass Effect 2 or Modern Warfare 2. That said, the graphics are strong enough for light gaming and the CUDA-capable graphics do help speed up some applications. Thanks to Nvidia Optimus technology, this notebook automatically switches between the Intel integrated graphics (for extended battery life) and the Nvidia dedicated graphics (for better video and gaming performance). You don’t have to worry about pressing any extra buttons to get the best out of this laptop.

In balance mode with 75% screen brightness, the K42JC-A1 lasted for four hours and three minutes while surfing the Internet and using a word processor. This is pretty good for a notebook with a stock battery, but we’re seeing more and more notebooks with this level of performance deliver five hours or more continuous run time, so we’d have to call this “average.” Of course, if you’re running applications that stress the processor, hard drive, or Nvidia graphics then you can expect the battery life to drop even lower.

The LifeFrame software provides a ton of webcam photo and video recording options, including color filters, special effects, and face tracking. ASUS Smart Logon allows you to use facial recognition for logins. Power4Gear provides different power profiles for different tasks, such as High Performance, Entertainment, and Battery Saving modes. Speedboot allows you to set any of your programs to load after Windows boots rather than during the boot process.

The ASUS K42J has several things going for it, such as Nvidia Optimus technology, a speedy hard drive, and a fast Core i5 CPU. However, it has too many trade-offs for a notebook with a price tag just under $900.

The Mini 100e offers a considerable selection of ports, considering the age of the intended user. Included are a power port, a Kensington lock slot, two USB ports, a VGA-out port, an Ethernet jack, microphone and headphone jacks, and a two-format (SD, MultiMediaCard) flash-card slot. HP also squeezed in a modem jack, in case students without a broadband connection need to bring the Mini 100e home. There’s even wireless (the 802.11b/g flavor), but the system lacks a Bluetooth radio.

The Chiclet-style keyboard is spill-proof, just like the Classmate PC’s. The keys are decently sized for small hands, and may feel a tad cramped to an adult. The key plunge is a little shallow, but the keys are virtually silent when struck. Most important, this keyboard feels sturdy enough to withstand rough treatment from a child. Slightly sunken into the palm rests is a small touch pad that features a light, pebbly texture. It responds well to finger taps and scrolling but does not accept other multi-gesture input. The dual mouse buttons, which feel a little flimsy, have a deep plunge and are also responsive.

Above the deck is a 10.1-inch wide-screen LCD, surrounded by wide bezels. Thanks to the screen’s LED backlighting and matte finish, the picture looks bright, and the colors are rich on this 1,024×600-pixel display. However, the vertical viewing angle is tight, with the picture looking washed out when viewed more than 20 degrees off of the sweet spot. The screen handled video admirably; streaming online videos (via Hulu and YouTube) played surprisingly smoothly for this class of netbook.

The Mini 100e’s 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 matte display has extremely wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles, so a small group of students should be able to share a screen without encountering distortion or obfuscation. The netbook handled a 720p trailer for “The Discoverers” without dropping frames. The audio quality isn’t powerful, but given the small speakers on the front edge of the system, this is no surprise. While watching an episode of “The Closer” on TNT.tv we had to turn the volume up to 100 percent and still had a hard time hearing softer scenes over the air conditioner on low in the background.

The Mini 100e is powered by an Intel Atom N455 with a clock speed of 1.66GHz and GMA 3150 graphics. Outside of decoding locally-playyed HD video or streaming HD flash, the system had no trouble with normal activity. Office-or classroom-productivity software was no problem for the 100e, making class presentations or typing assignments a breeze. This netbook is the first model that came with Microsoft Security Essentials pre-installed for virus protection, which ran quietly in the background. Compared to other AV packages that have endless user prompts or annoying popup windows, it actually went unnoticed for a couple of days.

In strenuous battery test, in which we stream video wirelessly, proved too taxing for the Mini 100e’s three-cell battery. The system lasted a measly 2 hours and 18 minutes on a charge. Even the Classmate PC lasted slightly longer than that (2:44). We expect netbook batteries to last closer to four hours. Then again, if this machine is to be used mostly in an elementary-school classroom setting, an hour is probably plenty long, since it would likely be brought out for one subject and then put away for charging for further use later.

The Mini 100e comes with HP’s standard one-year limited warranty. It also includes bundled software that educators will find useful. For instance, Computrace tracks and helps recover stolen laptops, while Microsoft Security Essentials provides antivirus and malware protection.

The HP Mini 100e is one of the more interesting netbooks we have reviewed in a long time. With a design that is very reminiscent of the original OLPC with a clamshell body and builtin carrying handle, the Mini 100e is designed to be very rugged and user friendly. We found the body to be extremely durable with very little flex and just about as rigid as a ruggedized notebook. The keyboard and touchpad felt more durable than the average ones found on consumer notebooks, which should hold up to the daily abuse of a classroom setting.

The screen is held down by friction of the screen hinges alone and seems to be held firmly shut when the notebook is hanging at your side. The 15.6-inch widescreen is large enough to handle multiple windows and take in a movie without squinting.

The feature set is what you would expect from a $750 laptop. One of the 3 USB ports doubles as an eSATA port, so that a compatible hard drive can extend storage capacity and reap the speed benefits of SATA. The Z560 comes with an ExpressCard slot, a feature that many laptops are excluding nowadays. With it, you can slide in an expansion card that has extra USB ports, a FireWire port, TV tuner, or mobile broadband. The Z560 has an HDMI port and a multimedia card reader, and the DVD burner is as standard as it gets on a laptop.

The IdeaPad Z560 offers fairly good performance, even with an assortment of low to mid-range components. Our review system included a Core i3-350M processor, 3 GB of DDR3 memory, and a 500 GB, 5400 RPM hard drive. At the time of this review, only Intel HD integrated graphics are offered with the Z560, although NVIDIA graphics are an option on the smaller Z360.

For average daily use the system was more than capable and responded quickly to commands. Boot times could have been improved with a faster hard drive or SSD, but for a budget-oriented system it was pretty fast. The system had no trouble handling office productivity applications or watching HD videos. The Core-i3 processor and GMA HD graphics proved to be more than capable for decoding locally-played 720P and 1080P video and streaming HD content from YouTube and Hulu.

Even with a small battery (48WH), the Z560 scored 4 hours 3 minutes, which outlasted the Samsung R580 (3:42) and Gateway NV59C09u (3:42) in battery tests. Desktop replacements like the HP dv7-4053cl and Asus UL50VF-1A come with bigger batteries; thus, they yielded better battery scores.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Z560 offers the look and feel of a multimedia notebook, but at a lower price compared to the gaming oriented Y-series model. Offered in 13.3 and 15.6-inch sizes, the Z-series offers a wide range of configurations options to fit any buyer.

Its lovable chiclet-style keyboard is taken from its award-winning netbook line, and came closer to a perfect typing experience than the MacBook Pro 13-inch and Asus U41JF-A1. It’s also backlit, a feature that comes in extremely handy in poorly-lit areas. The touchpad and mouse button combo, however, was unresponsive at times, like that of the HP 14-1210NR. Toshiba was better off with dedicated mouse buttons.

The E305′s features match up well with those of the best all-purpose laptops. Complementing the two standard USB 2.0 ports is a single USB 3.0 port, which remains powered while the unit’s asleep so you can charge phones (for example). You may also play music through an external MP3 player connected to the input jack while the unit is asleep. WiDi lets you route the E305′s video output (but not HDCP content) to an external display via a wireless adapter. The unit supports HDMI and VGA output, too, if you don’t want to spring for the adapter.

Connectivity is a rare combination of older 10/100 ethernet and dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless. One very rare feature is the integrated WiMax–a wireless broadband service available in many metro areas. The E305 was set up for the Clear network, but it failed to connect in my testing.

The E350 ships with the usual array of software and utilities: Microsoft Office Starter 2010, a trial version of Norton Internet Security, the aforementioned WinDVD, and a Best Buy app. Toshiba supplies a fair number of branding apps and utilities as well, but you can save some memory and CPU cycles by reverting to the Windows Home 7 Premium utilities where possible. Intel’s MyWiFi utility allows you to use the E305 as a hotspot.

A big 67WH battery is the second largest battery among the QX411-W01 (60WH), MacBook Pro 13-inch (63.5WH), and HP 14-1210NR (59WH). Thus, its 6 hours 28 minutes battery score was more than satisfactory. Based on specs and speed, except for the 10/100 ethernet, the Satellite E305-S1900X is a killer all-purpose laptop. Ergonomically, it’s not quite a slam dunk, though, so make sure you give it a thorough type-and-point test at the store before you buy.

The G53SW has an average amount of ports for a 15.6-inch notebook; a larger variety would be appreciated. It lacks an ExpressCard slot and eSATA. The right side of the G53SW houses a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, Ethernet, a HDMI port, a VGA port, headphone and mic jacks, and the power jack. Two USB 2.0 ports and a DVD burner line the left side of the laptop, and the front lip contains a 5-in-1 card reader.

This “Chiclet” or island-style keyboard has raised flat-topped keys. It features white backlighting, which is great for using the notebook in a darker environment. The keyboard has a very light feel and it is easy to press down the keys. The tactile feedback is adequate however could be significantly improved if the keys had a longer throw.

The touchpad is oversized and has an excellent matte/non-stick surface. It supports multi-touch features such as ‘pinching’ to zoom. The touchpad buttons need serious work, however; they are difficult to press depending on where pressure is applied on the button. Additionally, they are loud and take too much pressure to press.

The 15.6-inch glossy display on G53SW offers full 1920 x 1080 HD resolution. We appreciated the deep blue in Captain America’s uniform and the rich red in his shield while watching a trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger. The colors popped even more we when switched to Vivid mode. The speakers located above the G53SW’s keyboard provided rich and clear audio. Sound during our gaming sessions was equally impressive. The EAX and THX surround audio enhancements made the sound more immersive, heightening our gaming experience.

Powered by the 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor, experience top-of-the-line adaptable speed and responsiveness for the most demanding tasks. Featuring the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics engine that comes with a massive 1.5GB of GDDR5 VRAM, the ROG G53Sw-A1 leads in DirectX 11 gaming for advanced tessellation and faster graphics rendering. And while others struggle to find the keys in dimly lit areas, the backlit gaming keyboard gives you the edge in the dark to put you ahead of the competition. The ROG G53Sw-A1 showcases a stealth fighter-inspired design with a unique thermal design that promotes airflow and keeps air away from you.

Good battery life is not expected out of a gaming notebook for obvious reasons; high-performance components  consume more power than typical parts. Despite this, the G53SW managed a respectable 3 hours, 11 minutes during our standard battery rundown test  (Windows 7 Balanced power profile, 70% screen brightness, wireless active, and refreshing a web page every 60 seconds).

The $1,449 ASUS G53SW-A1 offers a great combination of blazing-fast graphics, a gorgeous display, and rich audio. Our biggest issue is the keyboard, which not only has an undersized number bad but exhibits a lot of flex. You also have to think about the weight: 8.2 pounds is a lot to carry for a 15.6-inch notebook, especially when the 17-inch version of this ASUS laptop (the G73SW-A1) weighs just about half a pound more.

Business-rugged features include new metal hinges and the Active Protection System, which parks the hard drive in the event of a drop. While not fully rugged, the L420 meets eight military specifications for withstanding high and low temperatures, dust, and other extreme conditions. The L420 is also equipped with a spill-resistant keyboard, which Lenovo rates to withstand up to an ounce of water. These features are comparable to what’s offered by Dell and HP. Other business-friendly features include an integrated fingerprint reader, which lets you log into the notebook in an extra-secure way; TPM; BIOS port locking; and an optional smart card reader.

The L420 has an above average port selection for a 14-inch notebook, including DisplayPort, eSATA, and an ExpressCard/54 slot. It also has a docking station port on the bottom of the chassis. Lenovo is known for its springy, responsive keyboards, and the L420 is no exception. During our hands-on time with the notebook, we enjoyed strong tactile feedback and were able to type this review at a brisk pace with few mistakes. On the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, we achieved our typical score of 65 words per minute with a 3-percent error rate. The ThinkPad L420 features a TrackPoint pointing stick (located between the G and H keys) and a textured touchpad. The pointing stick provides an accurate way of navigating the desktop, and, of the four brands who offer one–Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba Lenovo’s is the easiest to use.

Lenovo ThinkPad L420 has a 14-inch display with an anti-glare coating and 720p (1366×768) resolution. The display quality is average at best; brightness is satisfactory though by no means “bright”. Contrast is average; the Command Prompt window is not quite deep black as it should be. The 1366×768 resolution is subpar considering this notebook is intended for productivity. Unfortunately the L420 is not available with a higher-resolution screen as of publishing.

Lenovo ThinkPad L420 stayed cool throughout our testing. After we streamed a Hulu video for 15 minutes, the touchpad measured 89 degrees Fahrenheit, the space between the G and H keys registered 85, and the notebook’s underside came in at 86. All of these temperatures are well below what we consider uncomfortably warm (95 degrees).

Lenovo L420 is well-stocked with performance components. The second-generation Intel Core i5 processor is more than capable of handling business productivity tasks; 4GB of RAM is enough for multitasking; the integrated Intel HD graphics work fine for everything but gaming. The hard drive is not impressive; the Seagate 7200.4, while it runs at 7200RPM, is old and slower than most modern 5400RPM drives. It is also noisier than newer drives.

The L420 has a modest 6-cell 57Wh battery. I measured four hours, 36 minutes of life during our standard battery rundown test (Windows 7 Balanced power profile, 70% screen brightness, wireless active, and refreshing a web page every 60 seconds). This is less than I expected; I was looking for a time well north of five hours.

The ThinkPad L420 comes bundled with Lenovo’s typical array of ThinkVantage utilities. These include Enhanced Backup and Restore for keeping your files safe and Fingerprint Reader for adding an extra layer of security when logging into your machine. There’s also Power Manager, which lets you tweak various settings related to the system’s battery. Regardless, this laptop’s great keyboard, snappy performance, and reasonable price make it a compelling option for professionals who aren’t willing sacrifice quality. We wish the sound quality were better, but if a solid typing experience, good performance, and a budget-friendly price are what you’re after, the ThinkPad L420 fits the bill.

This quality extends to the keyboard, which shows no flex when typing. It’s a perfect size, despite cramming in a numeric keypad, and well laid out for touch-typists. The touchpad is a little more compact, but supports multi-touch gesturing, and you can slide your finger up and down the right edge to quickly scroll through documents and websites.

Intel’s second generation Core i3 processors provide significantly more power than last year’s chips, so even though the dual-core i3-2310m inside the G570 only runs at 2.1GHz, it’s still capable of solid performance in Windows. An overall score of 43 in our multimedia benchmarks is very respectable for a budget laptop. The 4GB of RAM certainly helps with multitasking, as everything felt responsive even when we had multiple programs running at once.

The port selection has not changed much since the G560. There is no longer an ExpressCard/34 slot, and there are two more USB 2.0 ports. The overall selection is very good for an entry-level/general use notebook. Notably, there is an HDMI port for hooking the system up to an HDTV, plenty of USB ports (although no USB 3.0), a media card reader, and VGA.

Graphics are handled by the integrated chip on Intel’s processor. It’s certainly capable of high definition video playback, either on the laptop in 720p or on an external display using the HDMI output, but playing modern games is still a struggle. A low 13.5fps in our Dirt 3 test shows you’ll have to sacrifice a lot of detail settings to get a playable frame rate in most titles.

Although the glossy screen finish may pick up a lot of light reflections, image quality on the 1,366×768 15.6in display was otherwise very impressive. Colours were largely accurate and contrast was excellent on the maximum brightness setting. Viewing angles are reasonable, and the screen has plenty of tilt adjustment to help you find an angle that suits you.

With 250 minutes of life from a single charge, this is one of the better battery performances in the group. If you’re taking this laptop on your daily commute you can leave the charger behind, and the 2.5kg chassis won’t weigh you down too much.

The ThinkPad G570 has a great deal to offer and comes with very few flaws to speak of. If you enjoy watching movies, browsing or editing your photo collections, or simply want a laptop to work on each day, this is a great value solution and is easy to recommend.

The 17-inch wide-screen LCD offers a 1,920×1,200 native resolution, which is the current default for a high-end 17-inch screen. It performed well, with good color and dynamic range for entertainment, Web surfing, office productivity, and gaming. Above the screen is a 2-megapixel Webcam; a mic is built into the frame below the screen. The keyboard on the D900F is a full-size model with number pad. Spacing is average compared to most notebook keyboards, with some slightly condensed function keys on the left side of the keyboard. Gamers will enjoy the proper control key position, in the far lower left-hand corner, instead of an Fn key.

With the Intel Core i7 975 processor, 6GB of RAM, and OCZ Vertex drives in RAID 0, the Clevo D900F blasts through any task you can think of. Installing software happens abnormally fast, boot and shutdown times are very quick, and game load times are phenomenal. Gaming performance was excellent, even without SLI or CrossFire graphics.

The processor has two fans to itself, one for the system memory, and the forth for the graphics card. Under light use most of the fans are off or spinning very slowly. Under stressful activity such as running benchmarks or gaming the fans kick on loud enough to be heard in a decent sized room. Gaming in a classroom would be possible, if only because the battery wouldn’t last long enough to annoy those around you.

Heat output is substantial while gaming, but the constant flow of air from the four cooling fans keeps the chassis temperature within reasonable levels. The pictures below show the temperature readings off various spots on the chassis after stressing the system for 15 minutes. The palmrest and keyboard are kepy fairly cool, with most of the hotter parts along the back edge near the processor and GPU.

Battery life, as expected, is pretty poor, at just 1 hour and 8 minutes on our video playback battery drain test. We don’t usually expect such a monstrous laptop to last long on battery power, but it is worth noting that other performance desktop replacements, such as the Gateway P-7808u and MSI GT725-212US, can last far longer away from an outlet.

While the $3,900 price seems steep, most of it comes from the processor and SSDs in our review unit. Going with a more reasonable Core i7 920 would save you nearly $800 by itself. Bottom line, if you want the most processing power out of a notebook, there is really nothing else that is faster than this with an Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition packed inside.

Not much has changed in the way of materials and durability, the X1 does get a facelift in the form of a chiclet (and backlit!) spill-resistant keyboard, coupled with a buttonless touchpad. Rest assured, though: Lenovo hasn’t mucked with the secret sauce that makes its keys so comfy to type on. And while you might feel ambivalent about Lenovo once again going with an integrated touchpad, know that this is one of the better ones we’ve tested. The textured pad feels wonderful and makes a satisfying low-pitched sound when you press it.

The ThinkPad X1 features a unique port layout as a result of the thin side profile which is just 16.5mm. You’ll see a headset jack and USB port on one side of the X1, a media card slot on the other, and the rear of the laptop is packed with more ports than you’ll find on any other ultra-thin notebook.

The 13.3-inch screen on the ThinkPad X1 is a HD (1366 x 768 resolution) screen with a “Super Bright” backlight rated at 350 nits. The panel is extremely glossy but that is in no small part due to the addition of Corning Gorilla Glass which protects the screen from scratches and damage that would break a typical notebook screen.

With its 2.5-GHz second-generation Intel Core i5-2520M CPU, Intel integrated graphics, and a 7,200-rpm hard drive, the ThinkPad X1 offers strong enough performance to take on even the most daunting productivity tasks. On PCMark Vantage, a synthetic benchmark that measures overall system performance, the X1 scored a whopping 7,535, about 80 percent above the ultraportable notebook category average of 4,185 and well above the Core i5-2537M powered Samsung Series 9 (6857), the Core i5-2410M powered Toshiba Portege R835 (6115), and the 13-inch MacBook Air (5,390) and its older Core 2 Duo CPU.

Noise levels were mostly a non-issue with the X1 as long as you weren’t seriously stressing the system. During the 3DMark benchmark tests we noticed the system fan was loud enough to be mildly disruptive in a quiet office or classroom setting. The best way I can describe it is the fan sounds like someone is using a hairdryer somewhere on the second floor of a two-story house. You’ll notice the fan noise when you’re stressing the graphics but it isn’t as loud as what we hear on gaming notebooks with discrete graphics cards.

The ThinkPad X1 with Intel Core i5-2520M processor delivered 5 hours and 51 minutes of battery life with the built-in battery. If you need more than 8 hours of endurance, you can always buy a second slice and swap them, but there’s no way to replace the internal battery. Fortunately, the internal battery is rated to last at least 1,000 charge cycles (three years) before it might start to lose capacity.

The ultimate businesss ultraportable, the ThinkPad X1 combines the best notebook typing experience ever with strong performance, a sleek design, great sound, and durability. However, the notebook isn’t perfect. Business users who require more endurance will want to consider the Lenovo ThinkPad X220, which includes a nine-cell battery for $125 less.

The build quality is generally pretty strong for a mostly plastic notebook, but you will notice some minor flexing in the plastics if you firmly squeeze the notebook in your hands or press hard on the keyboard while typing. The main chassis has a hollow feeling which makes you think there is some unused space inside this black box. It has the standard color for the Inspiron 15R, black. However, you can select an optional “Fire Red” or “Peacock Blue” for an extra $35 when you order your laptop from Dell, or you can choose a more artistic lid for an extra $60. At least with the new SWITCHable Lids, you may buy a fancy screen lid at a later time if you want.

The additional benefit of the new “SWITCHable Lids” is that the screen is slightly more protected from exterior pressure. The new screen cover offers moderately more protection for the LCD than the old 15R. That means ripples do not show up as easily on this screen if you press on the back of the lid. When this notebook comes to budget 15-inch laptops, Dell has a history of packing their notebooks with enough inputs and outputs to keep any tech enthusiast happy. This new N5110 is no exception. Then, the Inspiron 15R features two USB 2.0 ports which is one of which is an eSATA/USB combo port), two “Super Speed” USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and VGA-out, audio jacks, and Ethernet. Other feature is a SDHC-card reader and a CD/DVD optical drive.

It has a very nice Chilet-style keyboard that you will feel a little like a traditional keyboard while typing. Each key has a slightly curved top similar to regular keyboard keys. In addition, since this is a Chiclet or island keyboard you get a little extra space between the keys to help prevent typos.

The Intel Sandy Bridge chipset in place here has recently been getting a lot of flak for its  faulty SATA II clock generator.  As with the Aspire 7750G, which has the same Core i7-2630QM processor and Cougar Point chipset, we’ve decided to review the Alienware  M17x R3 because the chipset is only theoretically defective.  Bugs stemming from the faulty SATA II clock generator should not be an issue with new devices but only start to malfunction after several years if ever, and then only after prolonged exposure to high temperatures.  Manufacturers have been speaking of a 36-month time period after which a decrease in performance or malfunctioning of the 3Gbps SATA ports may arise.

The coupling of a i7-2630QM and Geforce GTX 460M (GDDR5) might get gamers giddy with excitement.  Compared to the older Clarksfield (i7-720QM etc.)  can the new Sandy Bridge CPU provide for an even better gaming experience?  How about the 17″ full-HD display, can it stand up to the demands for professionals?  Find the answers to this and more below. The model of the M17x R3  provided to us by Dell and furnished with a full-HD screen, i7-2630QM, 4 GB RAM, GTX 460M, 256GB SSD, DVD burner and Windows 7 Home Premium will cost about 2,500 Euro when its back on the shelves in April.

The M17x R3 gets an upgrade in the sound department compared to its predecessor. It features two custom-designed Klipsch speakers integrated below the palm rest. They sound positively fantastic for notebook speakers, boasting full sound with perceptible bass. They have ample loudness and don’t distort up to 90% volume.

The two large intake vents on the bottom of the notebook provide the air for cooling. At idle the cooling system hardly makes any noise. Once under full load, however, the noise level increases significantly; it sounds like a very fast rush of air, like the high-pressure ventilation nozzles in commercial airliners. Fortunately the fans lack any sort of whine or motor noise. The top of the chassis remains lukewarm only on the keyboard area; the rest is room temperature. The bottom center of the chassis gets hot but not alarmingly so. Overall the M17x R3 has a well-designed cooling system, though its predecessor was much quieter. The exterior temperatures shown below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit.

Such a large notebook can’t possible have a good battery life… This is a prejudice that Dell’s Alienware M17x R3 has to confront. You’d think its 4.3-kg weight holds as little promise of mobile use as its bulky case.  But our big ‘ol Alien manages to surprise us.  In idle mode, 6 hours go by until the stoic-like M17x R3 draws its last breath. The 90-Wh lithium-ion battery (8,100 mAh) is responsible for the Alien’s decent battery life.  Moreover, it requires a mere 145 minutes to fully charge.  For such a high capacity, the battery really does charge quickly.

The Alienware M17x R3 is a class-leading entrant into the 17.3-inch gaming notebook market. Its outstanding design, AlienFX lighting system, and excellent performance make it ideal for gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. Other highlights of the machine include a great keyboard and touchpad, nice-sounding speakers, and good build quality. Speaking of build quality, that is the one area where Alienware could have improved. As it stands the M17x R3 has good quality, but it is not up to par with its aluminum-clad predecessor. Furthermore, the cooling system works well but is not as quiet as its predecessor’s either.

The chassis is extremely solid as a result and does not flex even under strong pressure. The lid however could be stronger; it flexes when twisted by the corners; additionally, the fact that minor ripples appear on the screen when pushed in from behind means it could have better support. Overall the build quality is impressive; aside from some glossy plastic and a lid that could be stronger, there is little to complain about.

The 14.1-inch, 1366 x 768 glossy display on the ThinkPad Edge E420s provided bright, colorful images and decent viewing angles. However, because the 200-nit display is covered end to end in glossy infinity glass, the screen can be a bit reflective and colors wash out at angles greater than 45 degrees to the left or right. The ThinkPad E420s’s Intel HD Graphics 3000 chip allowed it to handle any video we threw at it with great aplomb. From a 1080p QuickTime trailer for Thor to a 720p streamed Flash episode of Fringe, videos were smooth and sharp.

Has two USB ports (one of which can sleep and charge) on the right side of the chassis along with HDMI and a combo headset/mic jack. On the back are an Ethernet connection, eSATA/USB port, and VGA out. On the left side are an SD Card reader and a slot-loading DVD drive. We only wish the ThinkPad Edge E420s had a USB 3.0 port to enable faster backups.

The E420s is well-equipped to handle everyday tasks including office productivity. The Core i5 processor is fast enough for even demanding applications such as Adobe Photoshop. 4GB of memory is plenty for multitasking and the Seagate hard drive is reasonably fast. The E420s is not gaming friendly since it only has integrated graphics.

The E420s is more or less silent for normal productivity tasks. Its single fan exhausts air out the right side of the chassis; it stays off most of the time. At maximum speed the fan develops a slight whine but is bearable. The fan does a good job keeping the notebook cool; the area around the vent on the bottom of the notebook is the only area that gets warm. All exterior temperatures shown below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit.

With its embedded battery, the ThinkPad Edge E420s lasted an impressive 6 hours and 41 minutes, nearly two hours longer than the 4:55 category average and similar to the Toshiba Tecra R840 (6:34). Note that the E420s’ battery is non-removable similar to Apple MacBooks or the Alienware M11x. Lenovo most definitely opted for the internal battery to keep the E420s as thin as possible. Li-polymer batteries like the one in the E420s can be shaped to fit the interior of the notebook unlike the Li-ion batteries most notebooks have.

This laptop offers a great typing experience, solid performance, and strong battery life. The ThinkPad Edge E420s is easily recommendable for all of the above-mentioned qualities. It represents a good value at its $799 price point. Step up to a traditional ThinkPad for a higher resolution screen.

The Fujitsu has a number of great features in addition to the spill-resistant keyboard. An ExpressCard slot can be used to attach peripherals, along with the three USB ports. The 500GB hard drive provides a decent amount of storage, allowing lots of room for your media, and is backed by a 3-in-1 card reader. Networking is also as speedy as the majority of other laptops being released, and Bluetooth is also on board for quickly exchanging files with compatible devices or connecting a wireless headset.

Equipped with a current Intel dual core processor.  A Core i3-370M does its job in the AH530MF112DE at hand. The midrange CPU for the base 1156 has a three MB L3 cache and a clock rate of 2.40 GHz. The Core i3-370M unfortunately doesn’t have an automatic overclocking function, as it is found in the Core i5 and Core i7 processor range. The notebook temporarily works almost silently. The hard disk also behaves pleasantly quiet, except for single clacking. The optical drive doesn’t provide reason for complaint, either. It doesn’t drown out the DVD soundtrack.

The Lifebook AH530 places itself in the midfield in terms of battery life. The notebook can survive for almost 3.5 hours away from the mains in optimum conditions. That is minimum brightness, maximum energy saving options and low load (BatteryEater’s Reader’s Test). About 2.5 hours of wireless internet surfing are possible when medium energy saving options and the maximum brightness level is used – a good result.

The LifeBook AH530 may not be a very exciting machine, but there is loads to like, from the excellent Intel Core performance to the great range of features. Portability is limited, but this laptop can still be taken on the road if needed.

The Dell offers two display options with the 14.0-inch Latitude E6420 ATG. The base screen is a standard 1366×768 resolution panel with anti-glare finish. The second screen option is a Resistive Touchscreen LED display with the same resolution. Honestly, I’m a little disappointed that Dell doesn’t offer at least one 1600×900 resolution option, but the majority of enterprise businesses and government agencies that will buy the E6420 ATG would rather have large icons that are easy to read.

Dell Latitude E6420 ATG certainly delivers superior computing power: Configured with Intel’s high-end quad-core Core i7-2620M running at 2.7GHz, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel HD graphics, a 128GB solid-state drive, and the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional. As usual with its business laptops, Dell keeps the software bundle simple. Aside from the usual Microsoft Office Starter Edition, you get basic versions of CyberLink PowerDVD and Roxio Creator Starter for use with the DVD burner, Dell’s Backup and Recovery Manager, and Intel’s security-management and antitheft utilities.

You can opt to reduce the price by going for a cheaper and less powerful CPU, less memory, or a conventional hard drive (which would be slower but larger than the solid-state drive in our test unit). Conversely, a discrete graphics card, a second hard drive (the laptop has a module to accommodate one), more memory, and other upgrades could make the E6420 AGT even more expensive.

However you configure it, though, the Dell Latitude E6420 AGT is clearly meant for corporate users who want a machine that can not only survive rough-and-tumble conditions but also crunch serious numbers over a full day on the road, whether a power outlet is handy or not. Unless you need such a seriously sturdy, powerful laptop (and you don’t mind lugging it around), you can probably find acceptable alternatives (including other Dell models) for a lot less money.

HP has been known to go mostly for style over functionality in its build quality in the 17-inch entertainment notebook realm. However, this time around the outer build quality seems to have improved greatly from the last 17-inch dv7t. The notebook has a dark brown color or umber and the all-over brushed metallic gives the notebook a nice textured look. The frame around the display consists of glossy plastics. It is a stylistic move by HP. The model name is featured in the upper-right hand corner of the display. In addition, the “beats audio” is written in the upper left hand corner. Beats Audio is HP’s new audio-enhancing software. The overall design is sophisticated and trendy. It is a design almost anyone would enjoy. This also comes in a “steel gray” color for $25 extra. This series has jumped onto the SuperSpeed bandwagon and features two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 1.4 and VGA, and a multi-format card reader. However, there is no Display Port or Express Card ports.

Its brushed metallic color has progressed the build quality from last time. Thus the exterior frame of the notebook feels stronger and the overall build quality really is excellent. The chassis is made of tough aluminum across the top and plastic underneath. It also does not bend inward much when pressure is applied in the center of the keyboard. The palmrests do not flinch at all when its pressure is applied and the side follows suit. However, the top of the chassis does bend a little. The aluminum finish helps the palmrests. The rest of the chassis stay nice and cool even when the notebook is exerted. The speakers are located across almost the entire top of the chassis and below the touchpad.

The other is at the bottom of the notebook for a surround sound effect. Its touchpad is ringed by a light blue backlight. Since the notebook has a big-sized 17.3-inch diagonal display and a 6.72-pound weight, this is probably not made for weak laps or for heavy traveling. However, it will do great to be placed on a desk or to be carried around the house.

The Alps-powered touchpad is the most visually distinctive aspect of the ID49C08u. It’s set slightly lower than the rest of the deck, and is trimmed in chrome. When you put more than two fingers on the pad, it glows bluish-white, which is a neat effect, but may prove distracting to touch typists who are focusing on the screen. You can deactivate this feature, too, but we wish you could customize its activation.

The 14-inch wide-screen LED-backlit display offers a 1,366×768-pixel native resolution, standard for 14-inch laptops, although some high-end laptops such as the HP Envy 14 exceed it. Brightness and sharpness are average, but we found that images looked washed out at maximum brightness settings. The image quality faded at wide viewing angles, too. For this price range, other laptops offer better screens.

Stereo speakers located above the keyboard offered decent volume and quality for movie playback, nothing stellar but better than other laptops in the budget range. Dolby Home Theater is advertised on the laptop’s exterior, but any theatrical audio effects don’t translate onto smaller speakers such as these. The included Webcam had below-average light sensitivity and contrast; we had a hard time getting our face to not look grainy and completely washed out.

The ID stayed fairly cool during our testing. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the temperature between the G and H keys was 83 degrees Fahrenheit, the touchpad was 86 degrees, and the middle of the underside was 85 degrees. Temperatures must reach at least 95 degrees before they start to concern us.

This highest-priced config of the ID49 series packs a 2.4-GHz Intel Core i5-540M processor and 4GB of RAM, and did very well on our benchmarks. Its PCMark Vantage score of 5,490 is about 400 points higher than the base model ID49, and about 100 points higher than the Toshiba Satellite M645. However, the similarly priced HP Pavilion dm4 we reviewed eclipsed it with a score of 5,983.

The ID49C08u booted in a speedy 61 seconds. The 5,400-rpm, 500GB hard drive hard drive was also relatively fast, taking just 3 minutes and 18 seconds to duplicate a 4.97GB folder of multimedia. That’s a rate of 25.7 MBps, about 2 MBps faster than the category average. The notebook also converted a 114MB AVI file to MPEG-4 in 54 seconds, the same time as the HP Envy 14 and about 7 seconds faster than the category average.

Not only is this configuration of the ID49 much more powerful than the first one we reviewed, it also lasts longer on a charge. On the LAPTOP Battery Test (web surfing via Wi-Fi), the ID49C08u lasted 4 hours and 37 minutes. While this runtime is still a few minutes below the category average, it bested the ID49C07u by half an hour, the Envy 14 by 10 minutes, and the Satellite M645 by more than an hour. However, the HP dv4 (4:56) and the Toshiba Satellite E205 (4:53) endured longer.

Gateway includes an industry-standard, one-year warranty with the ID49C08U. Support is accessible via chat or e-mail as well as by toll-free 24-7 phone line, although there’s no clear indication of any phone number on the company’s Web site (it’s 800-846-2301). An online knowledge base and driver downloads are relatively easy to find.

For its keyboard, of course, it has an island-style layout. This makes Sony which was known for long before other PC makers jumped on board and started ditching those pillowy and closely arranged keys. Then, below the thick speaker strip (but above the keyboard) you will find multimedia keys, as well as buttons to launch Sony’s VAIO Care and Media Gallery software. Moreover, the glowing green power button is still built into the side of the hinge, which is an attractive touch. It has full-sized Chiclet-style backlit keyboard.

This notebook weighs 6.6 pounds and has 15.3 x 10.4 x 1.6 inches. This type of VAIO F is still light enough to carry around the house with ease. For the most important part, the VAIO F Series never became uncomfortably hot. After 15 minutes of streaming a Hulu video at full screen, the temperatures is about 86 degrees Fahrenheit on the underside of the notebook, 97 degrees in the center of the keyboard, and 98 degrees on the touchpad. Then, on the bottom of the notebook—near the vents on the left side—the temperature is 110 degrees.

This notebook is completed with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system. There is also 3-in-1 memory card reader. For the USB ports, there are 3 USB 2.0 ports. It has also HDMI/VGA and FireWire. Then, there is 6 GB DDR3-1333 dual-channels RAM (1x 4GB, 1x 2GB). Its hard disk drive is 640GB 5400RPM Toshiba hard drive. Besides, it is also completed with Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6250 AGN wireless LAN. Then, there is also Internal Bluetooth. Those looking to upgrade the VAIO F will find it relatively easy to do. There are separate compartments on the bottom for the RAM and also its hard drive. Both RAM slots are occupied in your works.

Bright LED-backlit 15.6-inch display has a native resolution of 1,366×768 pixels, whereas many higher-end laptops offer better resolutions. On a screen this big, you can look closely and see the pixels, but both video and text appear crisp, albeit with limited viewing angles before looking washed-out. Unfortunately, the speaker was a big disappointment. The Aspire’s cost-conscious single speaker, situated under the top left of the grille above the keyboard, was fine for spoken-word material, but its lack of stereo sound and low overall volume couldn’t hold a candle to other 15.6-inchers for music or movies.

The full-size keyboard is complimented by a 10-key numeric pad, which adds some number crunching functionality. Unlike most chiclet-style keyboards, in which a distinct square button is used, Acer uses a floating wafer top design. And The touchpad has a silky matte finish, which feels great under the fingertips.

The Acer Aspire AS5742G-7200 comes equipped with a healthy selection of input and output ports. Connections include a VGA output, Ethernet port, HDMI output, microphone and headphone connections, a two-format card reader (SD and MMC), three USB ports, an 8x Super-multi DVD drive/burner, and a 1.3-megapixel webcam. The Ethernet port on the left side of the laptop provides a wired networking connection. In addition to this wired connection, there’s also built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi.

The Intel Core i5-460M CPU in this Acer Aspire isn’t a next-gen Sandy Bridge processor, so it doesn’t benefit from any of the latest Intel improvements. On the other hand, it’s as good as most Core i5 laptops from last year. The Aspire 5742G-7200 handles multitasking, streaming HD video, and nearly every daily computing task well. That being said, with new Intel processors already having debuted, you might be best served by waiting for a next-generation upgrade (although mainstream dual-core models are still a couple of months away).

The Aspire 5742G-7200 uses the same battery pack as the less expensive non-dedicated graphics versions of the laptop. The six-cell battery has a rated capacity of 4400mA which is fairly typical of more affordable laptops. In DVD playback tests, the system last roughly two and a quarter hours. This is slightly lower than the models based solely on integrated graphics and is a bit lackluster but consistent with laptops of this size battery. More traditional usage should yield roughly three hours of usage before going into standby mode.

While the exterior of the Acer Aspire 5742G still has a glossy overall look, they have moved to a weave style pattern for the plastic. This does a much better job than the previous 5740 model at hiding smudges and fingerprints from view. Of course, the glossy texture still collects them, they just aren’t as visible. If you want great performance without the high price, the Acer Aspire AS5742G-7200 desktop replacement laptop is worth looking at.

This notebook was built by the best quality of the Aspire 7740. It is above average with a solid body that does not have much flex. Its screen cover provides decent impact protection for the LCD and does not allow the screen to be distorted unless firmly pressed from the back side. Besides, the glossy paint on the screen lid resists light scratches and seems to hold up under normal daily abuse from carrying it around. Acer Aspire 7740’s palmrest and keyboard trim resist smudging and managed to stay clean throughout most of the review period.

This serial of Aspire also uses a floating island-style keyboard that is comfortable to type on but causes a few hang-ups when trying to type quickly. Since this keyboard does not have an internal bezel structure or solid key design, we can hit the top of another key easily when you finger is fully pressing a neighboring key and trying to slide over at the same time. The keyboard layout also takes advantage of the chassis and offers a four-key wide number pad with room to spare on each side.

This notebook’s selection is average for a 17-inch notebook with VGA and HDMI-out. There are four USB ports, audio input and output jacks including S/PDIF out, LAN, modem, and a Kensington lock slot.  We can also find eSATA for faster external storage expansion, but it was probably left out to keep the price low. We will be impressed that a Blu-ray drive was included, but its decoding software was absent. The blu-ray decoding software may cost as much as $99. It is with one example being PowerDVD 10 from CyberLink.