Top five Vista-ready notebooks

By Darius Chang on 17 January 2007

Like the calm before the storm, knowledgeable consumers are holding back their dollars and waiting for the launch of the Windows Vista operating system on January 30. This is simply good economics, as one will save significantly when the new OS is bundled with their PCs come February.

But what if you must have a notebook now? Fortunately, you will not be left out in the Vista wave as most vendors participate in the Express Upgrade to Windows Vista program which allows you to upgrade to the latest OS for a small fee. However, there is a minor caveat. Though most dual-core machines are Vista-capable and allow you to run the Vista Home Basic version, only Vista-ready machines can give you the full eye candy of the higher-end editions.

In order to be given the stamp of approval as a Vista-ready machine, you will need to meet the following specifications:

  • 1GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  • 1GB of system memory
  • Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDM driver, at least 128MB of graphics memory, Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
  • 40GB of hard disk with 15GB free
  • DVD drive
  • Audio device
  • Internet access

If you have to purchase your notebook now, no fear. We present the top five popular picks for Vista-ready laptops.


Dell Inspiron 6400 1. Dell Inspiron 6400

The Inspiron 6400 is a mid-range notebook with an entry-level price tag. It'll handle most applications nicely, but it's a little on the heavy side and isn't suitable for extensive gaming.

  • The good
  • Affordable
  • Impressive general performance
  • Great battery life for a desktop replacement
  • Bright, high-resolution screen
  • Instant-on DVD payback feature
  • The bad
  • Hefty weight and dimensions
  • Poor gaming performance
  • Some minor design quirks

Read review | See images

HP Pavilion dv2040TX 2. HP Pavilion dv2040TX

HP's new line of entertainment notebooks not only delivers in features, but also goes the extra mile in redesigning the chassis to appeal to those with unconventional tastes.

  • The good
  • Laminated scratch-resistant body
  • Discrete graphics card option
  • Integrated Webcam
  • HP QuickPlay function
  • Stylish touch-sensitive buttons
  • The bad
  • Thick chassis
  • Below average battery life

Read review | See images

Dell Inspiron 9400 3. Dell Inspiron 9400

The Dell Inspiron 9400 packs a solid set of multimedia features, and when configured with Intel's Core Duo processor, it has enough power to speed through virtually any task, from editing video to playing games.

  • The good
  • Excellent overall performance and competent gaming performance
  • Complete set of multimedia controls and connections
  • Quality speakers
  • Runs Windows XP Media Center
  • Features double-layer DVD burner
  • The bad
  • Lacks integrated TV tuner, though a PC Card tuner is available

Read review | See images

Toshiba Satellite Pro P100 4. Toshiba Satellite Pro P100

Toshiba's Satellite Pro P100 is a competent multimedia workhorse that could easily replace most regular desktop PCs. It boasts powerful graphics and storage subsystems, while the Harmon/Kardon integrated speaker set beats most competing offerings hands-down.

  • The good
  • Attractive
  • Gorgeous widescreen LCD
  • Good performance
  • Innovative touchpad transforms into hot key array
  • Biometric security provided by fingerprint sensor
  • The bad
  • Bulky
  • Cramped keyboard due to inclusion of numpad
  • Performance and battery life lagged behind the ASUS V6J

Read review | See images

Sony VAIO VGN-TX27GP 5. Sony VAIO VGN-TX27GP

Our new favourite ultra-portable, the Sony VAIO VGN-TX27GP offers up a superb design, brilliant battery life and a great blend of multimedia features.

  • The good
  • Excellent battery life
  • Superb design
  • Impressive multimedia features
  • Highly portable
  • Quality display
  • The bad
  • Relatively slow performance
  • A few minor design quirks

Read review | See images

Topics: core 2 duo, dual-core, intel, laptop, notebook, vista, windows, good, performance, battery life

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Comments (2)

  • ibna commented on 22/09/2007 11:53 Report abuse

    i want hp pavilion

  • DEEPAK SHAH commented on 02/04/2007 03:07 Report abuse

    vista ready makes little sense you should select models with vista aero features supporting 256 mb graphics and pixel shreder 3.0 and directx 10 support preferably with ready drive and TPM support

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