Back-to-School time! Wondering which laptop to buy? Here is a jargon-free list of the top 5 best laptops from Dan Ackerman of CNET.
The most common question we get around here is simple: "What laptop should I buy?" Being a generally difficult person by nature, I usually respond with my own series of questions: "What size screen do you want? How much do you want to spend?" and so on. But sometimes people just want a simple suggestion, based on what I actually like.
So, here is a jargon-free list of the current crop of laptops that I'm digging, either because they give you good bang for your buck, they excel in their specific category, or because they just plain rock.
Apple MacBook Pro Summer 2009
(Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM,
160GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M,
13-inch)
Previously known as the MacBook, the basic 13-inch aluminum unibody laptop has been promoted to the "Pro" series. In addition to all-metal construction and GeForce 9400M graphics, the 13-inch Pro regains a FireWire port, and adds an SD slot.
Price:$1,149.00 - $1,199.00
Asus Eee PC 1005HA
Asus hits nearly all the marks in the 1005HA, the latest version of its iconic Eee PC, highlighted by a 6-plus hour battery.
Price:$374.00 - $389.89 (check prices)
Alienware M17x
Alienware's new version of the M17x makes some welcome design tweaks and offers the best laptop gaming hardware you can get. Just be warned: it ain't cheap.
Price:$4,049.00 - $4,049.00 (check prices)
HP Mini 5101
HP's biz-minded Mini 5101 is a successor to the Mini 2140 (one of our all-time favorite Netbooks). It looks and feels great, but for a premium-price Netbook, we expect to get more features, not fewer.
Price:$416.25 - $429.99 (check prices)
Toshiba E105-S1602
Toshiba improves on last year's excellent Best Buy Blue Label laptop by slashing the price while serving up a nearly identical machine. Long battery life, a lengthy warranty, and a backlit keyboard highlight Toshiba's winning Satellite E105-S1602.
Price: Sorry, pricing not available
Source: reviews.cnet.com
