Prices are falling on many models, so it's easy to buy a lightweight, high-performance laptop without breaking your budget
A laptop is a bit like a bed -- you will spend a good portion of your life using it, so you had better get something you love. Luckily, prices are falling on many models, so it's easy to buy a lightweight, high-performance machine without breaking into next year's marketing budget. Here are five of the best new laptops on the market.
A glossy black finish and bright 15.6-inch backlit display make
the ProBook 4510s a stylish all-purpose notebook. The 5.7-pound
device has enough power to run
Vista now and
Windows 7 later, courtesy of a 2.1GHz dual-core processor and
2GB of RAM.
HP's QuickLook 2 technology lets you view your Outlook e-mail,
calendar, contacts, and tasks without even booting up. And the 3D
DriveGuard feature shields the 250GB hard drive from bumps and
drops.
COST: $699
Extreme speed meets extreme slimness in the pricey
ThinkPad T400s, which measures only 0.8 inches thick and weighs
3.9 pounds, yet features a relatively large 14-inch display. The
speed comes from the blazing 128GB solid-state drive and the 2.53GHz
Intel processor, which allows the notebook to plow through the
heaviest of workloads. You also get a well-designed keyboard (now
with larger Delete and Escape keys) and a textured touchpad that's
quite comfortable to use.
COST: $2,130
The 2.9-pound NB205 has the same specs as most other netbooks
(1.66GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive) but lasts an
impressive 8.5 hours on a charge. It has a full-size keyboard, a
10.1-inch screen, and the largest touchpad and mouse buttons in its
class. Other features include an impact sensor, which parks the hard
drive in case of sudden movements, and three USB ports, one of which
can charge your gadgets even when the computer is off.
COST: $400
This new 12-inch notebook, which weighs less than 4 pounds, is
all about keeping your data safe and sound. It comes with a
fingerprint reader and spill-resistant keyboard, and you can order
an encrypted 250GB hard drive for an extra $99. (A 160GB drive comes
standard, as do a speedy 2.4GHz processor and 3GB of RAM.) The
laptop comes with a webcam and free videoconferencing software.
Plus, you get 24/7 tech support from small-business-trained
technicians.
COST: $1,261
The newest, cheapest, and lightest member of the
MacBook Pro family combines serious graphics muscle with more
than six hours of battery life. The improved LED display is easy on
the eyes, too. And the notebook will get even better in September,
when Apple releases its Snow
Leopard OS, which has built-in support for
Microsoft Exchange. The notebook comes with a 2.26GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive.
COST: $1,199
