Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz)

By Cisco Cheng

Updated components are all you'll get with the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz) ($1,199 direct), but they can be compelling for many. If you bought the MacBook Pro 13-inch ($1,199 direct, ) last year, it isn't worth the upgrade. But if you're new to the MacBook Pro family, this is the ticket to portable computing bliss.

Apple Computer Inc.

http://www.apple.com

• Price as Tested: $1,199.00 Direct
• Type: Gaming, General Purpose, Media
• Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6
• Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600
• Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• Weight: 4.5 lb
• Screen Size: 13.3 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 320M
• Storage Capacity: 250 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15

If you're not an overly demanding business user, simplicity definitely has its advantages. For instance, a moderately equipped laptop, like the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15, runs for as little as $650 (direct). Its boxy black frame may not strike a chord with anyone who puts a premium on aesthetics, but productivity makes up for this shortcoming. The Edge 15 has an excellent business user experience despite parts that aren't the top of the line.

Lenovo

http://www.lenovo.com

• Price as Tested: $650.00
• Type: General Purpose, Media, Value, Business, Small Business
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
• Processor Name: Intel Core i3 330M
• Processor Speed: 2.13 GHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Weight: 5.5 lb
• Screen Size: 15.6 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: Intel GMA HD
• Storage Capacity: 250 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

Samsung R580

Watching high definition content is a popular pastime that's keeping desktop replacements in demand. Whether it's streaming content from Hulu or renting a Blu-ray title through Netflix, a laptop with a big screen is usually high on the priority list. The Samsung R580 ($850 list, at Best Buy) is the least expensive laptop I've seen that comes with an Intel Core i5 processor and a Blu-ray drive. Factor in a 500GB hard drive and a nice midrange graphics card, handing it an Editors' Choice in the desktop replacement category is the only logical step.

Samsung Electronics

http://www.samsung.com

• Price as Tested: $830.00 List
• Type: Gaming, General Purpose, Media, Value
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core i5 M430
• Processor Speed: 2.27 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• Weight: 5.5 lb
• Screen Size: 15.6 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 310M
• Storage Capacity: 500 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW DL with Blu-Ray

Toshiba Satellite P505-S8010

The Toshiba Satellite P505-S8010 ($950 street) joins an exclusive group of laptops that have colossal 18.4-inch widescreens—the largest ones on the market. It's also referred to as a media center, which is basically a gigantic laptop that caters to home theater enthusiasts and videophiles. While the processor and graphics duo put on a good performance show, this Satellite configuration failed to deliver a full HD and user experience worthy of the "media center" name.

Toshiba America Inc

http://www.toshiba.com

• Price as Tested: $950.00 Street
• Type: General Purpose, Media
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core i3 330M
• Processor Speed: 2.13 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• Weight: 9.2 lb
• Screen Size: 18.4 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 310M
• Storage Capacity: 500 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

Fusion Garage JooJoo

Skeptics balked when Apple announced that pricing for the iPad—a touch-screen tablet with a built-in browser and scores of apps for everything from productivity to e-book reading to gaming—would start at $499 (for 16GB). That's a lot of coin for a not-quite-computer. Now Fusion Garage's JooJoo, née Crunchpad, is finally here, and it, too, starts at $499 (direct). But it only offers only 4GB of storage (well, sort of—more on that later), has no apps, and is little more than a touch-screen-based Web browser with bookmarked icons. The inclusion of Flash support in the browser is one clear advantage over Apple's iPad ($699, ), but it is nevertheless a one-dimensional device. No one wants to pick on the little guy, but the JooJoo is overpriced, doesn't do very much, and doesn't do anything particularly well.\

Fusion Garage

http://www.thejoojoo.com

• Price as Tested: $499.00 Direct
• Screen Size: 12.1 inches
• Storage Capacity: 4 GB
• Dimensions: 7.8 x 12.8 x 0.7 inches
• Weight: 2.4 lb
• Networking Options: 802.11b, 802.11g
• Email Access: In browser only

Asus U30Jc-1A

Three months after Intel launched its Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors, we still haven't seen modestly-priced lightweight and ultraportable laptops that don't sacrifice power for battery life. While the somewhat expensive Editors' Choice Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS ($1,800 direct, ) and Lenovo ThinkPad X201 ($1,625 direct, ) both come equipped with an Intel Core i5 CPU, affordable alternatives that run on these processors are woefully scarce. That's why the metal-clad Asus U30Jc-1A is a welcome addition to the market: It's 13 inches of pure muscle, running on a Core i3 processor and two GPUs—an Intel integrated chipset and an Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics card. And because it scored 8 hours of battery life and does all of this for a delectable price ($899 list), handing it the Editors' Choice in the mainstream laptop category is a no-brainer.

AsusTek Computer Inc.

http://www.asus.com

• Price as Tested: $899.00 Street
• Type: Gaming, General Purpose, Media, Value
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core i3 M350
• Processor Speed: 2.27 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• Weight: 4.7 lb
• Screen Size: 13.3 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 310M
• Storage Capacity: 320 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

Apple iPad (Wi-Fi)

After it was announced back in January, the unfortunately named Apple iPad ($699 direct, 64GB Wi-Fi) seemed like it could be the company's first major clunker in a long time: An expensive niche product that would inhabit a nebulous region between laptops and smartphones, but wouldn't quite eliminate the need for either one. Aside from Apple enthusiasts, many of us wondered who would drop hundreds of dollars for this not-quite-computer. But having used the iPad for some time, I can tell you that the device just makes sense. When you combine basic-but-essential work tools with iWork, an improved browser, e-mail, iPod, and photo applications, a well-executed e-Book platform with iBooks, and throw in thousands of downloadable apps and games, and package it all in a gorgeous, slim slate with a beautiful 9.7-inch touch screen, you have yourself a winner. Is the iPad cheap? No. Is it flawless? Not at all. Omissions including support for multitasking, a built-in camera for video chats, and Flash support in Safari leave room for improvement, but otherwise, the Apple iPad is a very convincing debut. And it will undoubtedly be a driving force in shaping the emerging tablet landscape.

Apple Computer Inc.

http://www.apple.com

• Price as Tested: $699.00 Direct
• Email Access: Dedicated email app
• Storage Capacity: 64 GB
• Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Networking Options: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n
• Screen Size: 9.7 inches
• Weight: 1.5 lb
• Notes: Pricing: Wi-Fi: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB). Wi-Fi + 3G: $629 (16GB), $729 (32GB), $829 (64GB).