Laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2

Lenovo's popular IdeaPad S10-2 netbook has been slimmed down and its price reduced, making it a better netbook — as long as you can live without ExpressCard.

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  HP ProBook 4310s

  If you find that the price is right and you are only planning on doing menial tasks, you could do a lot worse than the HP ProBook.

  Specs: 250 GB, 2GB , Intel Core 2 Duo , 2.1 GHz

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  Asus K50AB

  The K50AB is a typical mid-range laptop that looks good, but the in-built GPU-switching feature doesn't save on battery at all. We'd suggest looking elsewhere for your mid-range needs.

  Specs: 320 GB, 2GB , AMD Athlon QL65 , ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570

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  Dell Vostro 1220

  At first glance, the Vostro 1220 looks like an ultraportable notebook that was born from Dell's consumer range. But instead Dell has created its own little niche, targeting the more fashion-conscious business user on a budget.

  Specs: 250 GB, 2GB , Intel Core 2 Duo , 2.1 GHz

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  Gigabyte Booktop M1022M

  The Booktop may be on the costly side, thanks to the bundled docking station, but it still falls below "premium" netbook costs. Plus the excellent battery life and ability to switch from a desk-bound PC to a portable mini-laptop captured our attention.

  Specs: 160 GB, 1GB , Intel Atom , 1.66 GHz

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  Lenovo ThinkPad X200

  It lacks some basic features you may require — touch pad, optical drive — but the 12.1-inch ThinkPad X200 offers strong performance and the longest battery life we've seen.

  Specs: 160 GB, 2GB , Intel Core 2 Duo , 2.4 GHz

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  Asus Lamborghini VX5

  Asus' Lamborghini VX5 is a luxury laptop, with a luxury price to match — thankfully justified by the quality of the laptop and package. If you've got a wad of cash burning in your pocket, and don't mind a little luxury, the VX5 might be for you.

  Specs: 500 GB, 4GB , Intel Core 2 Quad , 2.0 GHz

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  Acer Extensa 5635Z

  The Extensa is a business laptop with no particular frills. That's not a bad thing per se, but it's tough to get too excited about it, either.

  Specs: 250 GB, 2GB , 2 hours, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD

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  Samsung N110

  An easy-to-use netbook with a long battery life, but there are cheaper options.

  Specs: 160 GB, 1GB , Intel Atom , 1.6 GHz