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

Laptops & DesktopsJohn Morris

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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.
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.
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.
Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (pink)

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (brown)

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (white)

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (silver)

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (black)

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F is a well designed mainstream notebook with respectable performance and features for the money.
HP Envy 15-1050nr

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.
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.
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
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.
Gateway NV7802u

A large-screen laptop with very good performance, the Gateway NV7802u is an attractive choice for home or office.
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.
HP Pavilion Slimline s5220y

The HP Pavilion Slimline s5220y provides adequate performance for light-duty media editing and entertainment, but its slim tower case leaves little room for future upgrades, leading us to recommend the older Gateway SX2800-01 that offers more features and better components.
Asus UL50AG-RBBBK05

The design and portability of the Asus UL50AG make it one of the slickest 15.6-inch DVD-drive-equipped laptops we've seen, but an ultralow-voltage processor compromises its computing power.
Nokia Booklet 3G (black)

Nokia's entry in the crowded Netbook field shows that the company's hardware know-how translates to computer design, but a poor choice of CPU should give you pause.
Cloud Engines Pogoplug

The Pogoplug provides a quick and easy way to share files from any USB storage device to users on a home network or over the Internet.
Dell Studio XPS 8000

The Dell Studio XPS 8000 offers a strong combination of midrange performance parts that should satisfy anyone looking for a midtower desktop for general productivity, digital media editing, or gaming. It lacks a few performance-oriented extras, but it makes up for any deficiencies with its attractive looks.
Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU

The Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU is a good, if basic, laptop with a strong price-to-performance ratio.
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