BEST NOTEBOOKS OF THE YEAR
It was a momentous year for notebooks: Apple and Microsoft released new operating systems, both offering more intuitive interfaces along with snappier performance. Intel launched several new processors, some of which help laptops last up to 10 hours on a charge, and one that shattered every benchmark. Aided by Window 7, touchscreens started gaining traction, and graphics started to play a much larger role beyond games (even in netbooks).
It’s one thing to have access to this technology, but quite another to implement it well. The laptops that made my list not only embody these new innovations, they surround them with designs that are attractive and comfortable to use for extended periods. It’s this combination of cutting-edge components, aesthetics, and ergonomics that seperates the best of the best from the also-rans.
NETBOOKS
WINNER: HP MINI 311 $399@ Elite Electronics
The netbook will never be the same again. Featuring Nvidia’s discrete Ion LE graphics, the Mini 311 on our tests offered 12 times the performance of netbooks with integrated graphics; in real-world terms, that means consumers can comfortably play games such as World of Warcraft and Spore on the netbook’s 11.6-inch screen. You can also watch high-def (1080p) movies using the HDMI port, and transcode videos in a fraction of competitors time. HP delivers all this in a stylish 3.2-pound package with an Imprint Swirl Finish and an excellent keyboard. Best of all, the Mini 311’s battery lasted 5 hours and 43 minutes, which is only about an hour short of the netbook average. That’s a trade-off I’m more than happy to make.
$399@ Elite Electronics
ULTRAPORTABLES
WINNER: ASUS UL30A $775 @Elite Electronics
Powered by one of Intel’s Ultra-Low Voltage processors, this 13.3-inch system offers nearly 10 hours of battery life in a sleek 4.0-pound chassis with a 1.0-inch thin profile. A black island-style keyboard is off set nicely by its silver deck. The 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor and 4GB of RAM combine to offer snappy performance for everday computing, and the 500GB hard drive offers all the room you need to store music, photos, and videos. Add in an HDMI port and above-average audio comph, and you have a winner.
$775 @Elite Electronics
BUDGET
WINNER: GATEWAY NV5807U $550 @Elite Electronics
Providing that a budget notebook doesn’t mean you have to make sacrifices, the Gateway NV Series combines good performance (courtesy of its 2.1-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 and 4GB of RAM) with a dash style. Design flourishes include a metal hinge with the power button built into the side, a glossy upper panel, LED lights and touch-sensitive controls that glow red. The single touchpad button is a bit narrow, but I appreciated the dedicated backup button for protecting important data to an external drive. An HDMI port and 5-and-1 memory card reader round out the features.
$550 @Elite Electronics
THIN-AND-LIGHT
WINNER: APPLE MACBOOK PRO (13-INCH) $1,000 @Elite Electronics
Apple beefed up its 13-inch notebook with a discrete Nvidia GeForce 9400M GPU, meaning this graphics performance beats out most other notebooks in its class-by a lot. THe MacBook Pro is made from a solid piece of aluminum, achieving a sleek and uniform look, especially when you factor in its edge-to-edge glass display (which offers a wider color gamut than most notebooks). This work of art also offers impressive endurance, lasting longer than 6 hours on a our tests. Lest you forget, the 13-inch MacBook Pro also features a spacious multitouch-enabled touchpad, and Apple’s superior Snow Leopard operating system.
$1,000 @Elite Electronics
Notebooks and PC’s
BEST NOTEBOOKS OF THE YEAR
It was a momentous year for notebooks: Apple and Microsoft released new operating systems, both offering more intuitive interfaces along with snappier performance. Intel launched several new processors, some of which help laptops last up to 10 hours on a charge, and one that shattered every benchmark. Aided by Window 7, touchscreens started gaining traction, and graphics started to play a much larger role beyond games (even in netbooks).
It’s one thing to have access to this technology, but quite another to implement it well. The laptops that made my list not only embody these new innovations, they surround them with designs that are attractive and comfortable to use for extended periods. It’s this combination of cutting-edge components, aesthetics, and ergonomics that seperates the best of the best from the also-rans.
NETBOOKS
WINNER: HP MINI 311 $399@ Elite Electronics
The netbook will never be the same again. Featuring Nvidia’s discrete Ion LE graphics, the Mini 311 on our tests offered 12 times the performance of netbooks with integrated graphics; in real-world terms, that means consumers can comfortably play games such as World of Warcraft and Spore on the netbook’s 11.6-inch screen. You can also watch high-def (1080p) movies using the HDMI port, and transcode videos in a fraction of competitors time. HP delivers all this in a stylish 3.2-pound package with an Imprint Swirl Finish and an excellent keyboard. Best of all, the Mini 311’s battery lasted 5 hours and 43 minutes, which is only about an hour short of the netbook average. That’s a trade-off I’m more than happy to make.
$399@ Elite Electronics
ULTRAPORTABLES
WINNER: ASUS UL30A $775 @Elite Electronics
Powered by one of Intel’s Ultra-Low Voltage processors, this 13.3-inch system offers nearly 10 hours of battery life in a sleek 4.0-pound chassis with a 1.0-inch thin profile. A black island-style keyboard is off set nicely by its silver deck. The 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor and 4GB of RAM combine to offer snappy performance for everday computing, and the 500GB hard drive offers all the room you need to store music, photos, and videos. Add in an HDMI port and above-average audio comph, and you have a winner.
$775 @Elite Electronics
BUDGET
WINNER: GATEWAY NV5807U $550 @Elite Electronics
Providing that a budget notebook doesn’t mean you have to make sacrifices, the Gateway NV Series combines good performance (courtesy of its 2.1-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 and 4GB of RAM) with a dash style. Design flourishes include a metal hinge with the power button built into the side, a glossy upper panel, LED lights and touch-sensitive controls that glow red. The single touchpad button is a bit narrow, but I appreciated the dedicated backup button for protecting important data to an external drive. An HDMI port and 5-and-1 memory card reader round out the features.
$550 @Elite Electronics
THIN-AND-LIGHT
WINNER: APPLE MACBOOK PRO (13-INCH) $1,000 @Elite Electronics
Apple beefed up its 13-inch notebook with a discrete Nvidia GeForce 9400M GPU, meaning this graphics performance beats out most other notebooks in its class-by a lot. THe MacBook Pro is made from a solid piece of aluminum, achieving a sleek and uniform look, especially when you factor in its edge-to-edge glass display (which offers a wider color gamut than most notebooks). This work of art also offers impressive endurance, lasting longer than 6 hours on a our tests. Lest you forget, the 13-inch MacBook Pro also features a spacious multitouch-enabled touchpad, and Apple’s superior Snow Leopard operating system.
$1,000 @Elite Electronics