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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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.
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.
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 (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.
Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F (pink)

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.
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