PCs, Peripherals and Software
Alienware M15x (Intel Core i7 720QM, 250GB HDD, 3GB)
Alienware's big and bulky 15-inch M15x pulls out most of the stops, thanks to a superpowered CPU.
Sony Vaio L117FX (Core 2 Quad Q8400s 2.66GHz, 6GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Windows 7 Home Premium)
Earlier this year Sony was the unquestioned king of all-in-ones designed for home entertainment. The new Vaio L117FX retains and improves on many of the features we liked about older models, but revamped all-in-ones from its competition make the new Vaio seem a touch overpriced.
ZDNet Product Perspectives
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HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx
As long as you're not looking for extremely long battery life, the HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx is a well-rounded mainstream budget laptop with above average looks and performance.
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Sony VAIO VGN-NW270F/S
The Sony Vaio VGN-NW270F/S is a low-cost, Blu-ray-equipped laptop that makes a great choice for home use and, should you be willing to tote around a 15-inch machine, a decent choice as your everyday, take-it-with-you laptop.
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Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004
Massive case notwithstanding, the affordable Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004 delivers a competitive feature set with the horsepower to back it up. We recommend this system for light media editors and anyone who can make use of its straightforward performance and multipurpose features.
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Toshiba Satellite U505-S2970
The Toshiba Satellite U505-S2870 is rather tank-like for a 13.3-inch thin-and-light. We'd be more willing to tote it around if its heavy-armor feel extended to the flimsy keyboard.
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HP Pavilion dv6-1375dx
You can find a better-designed, longer-running, Blu-ray equipped 15.6-inch for less than the HP Pavilion dv6-1375dx.
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HP Pavilion P6230y
The HP Pavilion P6230y yields decent scores, but we have a hard time recommending a system that comes at a higher cost and a slower performance rating over competing systems. This system has a few uncommon features for its price, but nothing that makes up for its overall poor bang-for-the-buck.
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Dell Inspiron i1470-3282CRD
With an ultra-low-voltage CPU, the Dell Inspiron 1470-3282 runs longer but slower than competing laptops. We're not thrilled with the performance hit, but we still found lots to like about this well-designed, 14-inch laptop.
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HP Pavilion dv4-1555dx
As a midsize entertainment laptop, the 14-inch HP Pavilion dv4-1555dx hits some right notes, but its poor battery life sours the deal.
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Gateway One ZX4800-02
Gateway's affordable One ZX4800-02 all-in-one isn't the most feature-rich desktop at this price, but it's fast and capable enough that it will handle most basic consumer tasks with aplomb. Don't get too excited about its touch screen, but there's enough to like about this system that we can recommend it as an everyday PC.
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Gateway DX4822-01
The Gateway DX-4822-01 makes a convincing pitch with the performance numbers and features to earn its place in your home, but if you're not tied to the midtower design, the older Gateway SX2800-01 offers faster speeds and the option to set it up as a media center PC.
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Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003
At a glance, the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 offers adequate performance compared to other midtower budget desktops, but an older Gateway outshines Asus with faster performance and more versatility for a little more, leaving us unenthusiastic about this system.
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Asus K60IJ-RBLX05
Although the Asus K60IJ-RBLX05 is an affordable 16-inch budget laptop, it's missing the processing punch and features that can be had for just a little more money.
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (brown)
The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (white)
The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (silver)
The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (black)
The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
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Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (pink)
The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
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HP Envy 15-1050dx
HP's new Envy 15 packs high-powered components into a svelte 15-inch body. The result is an upscale status symbol that still shows a few first-generation rough edges.
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Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 3.06Hz Intel Core 2 Duo, Nvidia GeForce 9400M, Fall 2009)
Despite its good looks and a few useful new features, Apple's new iMac is all about business. You can find a larger screen for less, not to mention all kinds of digital entertainment features, but no other all-in-one at this price can boast similar performance. If you need a modestly priced all-in-one for getting work done, we'd recommend no other system.
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Toshiba Satellite E105-S1802
As a general purpose productivity machine, the Toshiba Satellite E105-S1802 strikes a number of right notes. Its dreadful speakers, however, limit its entertainment value
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Laptops and Desktops Blog
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New ultra-thin laptops ready to catch on?
Low-cost ultra-thin laptops make a lot of sense, but they've gotten off to a slow start (while netbooks continue to grow). But some sleek new models could jump-start the category.
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More rumors ahead of Intel Arrandale arrival
As the end of 2009 approaches, more details about Intel's first 32nm processors are beginning to trickle out.
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AMD updates roadmap, promises "supercomputer in your lap"
AMD's analyst's day is an opportunity to see how the company's processor roadmaps have changed over the past 12 months. This year AMD execs said things are ahead of schedule...
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Acer adds Core i7 to its desktop replacement
Another laptop has been added to the Core i7-Windows 7 roster. Acer's Aspire AS8940G is an update to the company's desktop replacement with a massive 18.4-inch display.
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Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Laptop computers
This year the laptop list was a tough assignment for several reasons. First, the emergence of a new class of ultra-thin laptops--spawned by lower-cost processors from Intel and AMD--has...
More on ZDNet
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For The First Time in Ages, I Agree With Apple
Is this how you work? Then don't get angry at your OEM when they invalidate your warranty when you send your PC in for service. Yesterday our own Apple Core ...
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Is it time to go quad-core?
I need a new laptop. My oldest son's laptop finally bit the dust, and he's pretty well attached to it, both for personal and school purposes. As a likely film ...
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Google makes Chrome OS open source today
Contrary to rumors, Google did not release a beta version of its much anticipated Chrome operating system today. And nothing is coming anytime soon: the final version is at least ...
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New ultra-thin laptops ready to catch on?
Low-cost ultra-thin laptops make a lot of sense, but they've gotten off to a slow start while netbooks continue to grow. But some sleek new models could jump-start the category. ...
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EMC extends deduplication to corporate laptops, desktops
EMC extends deduplication backup offerings to corporate laptop and desktops, protecting all corporate assets. by Sam Diaz
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