PCs, Peripherals and Software

Averatec All-In-One D1130 (black)

The Averatec D1130's wimpy processor and paltry features give consumers little incentive to choose this Nettop over a faster budget PC or the mobility of a Netbook. If you're dead-set on a Nettop, the Lenovo C300 is a less terrible decision, but you can stretch your dollar much further with a budget slim tower system like the Gateway SX2800-01.

Acer Aspire Revo AR1600-U910H

Acer's Aspire Revo 1600 might be the first Nettop we don't actively dislike. We'd rather have an Xbox 360 in the living room, but the Aspire Revo 1600 would be suitable as a PC for young kids or as a low-profile cloud kiosk. Thanks to its $199 price tag, you won't feel too much remorse if it breaks or you outgrow it.

ZDNet Product Perspectives

Laptops & DesktopsJohn Morris

Refine Category by

Desktops: All-in-one, Budget, Gaming-friendly, Home Theater PC, HP, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, Sony, All

Laptops: Netbooks, Thin-and-light, Mid-size, Desktop replacement, HP, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, Sony, All

Monitors: 15 in., 17 in., 19 in., 20 in., Samsung, NEC, Dell, Elo, LG, All

Printers: Laser, Inkjet, Multifunction, HP, Canon, Brother, Lexmark, Epson, Xerox, All

Storage: Internal drives, External drives, Flash memory, Removable drives, Storage adapters, All

Software: Multimedia & graphics, Business & productivity, Security, System utilities, Home & personal, Operating systems, All

Components: Sound cards, Memory, Processors, Graphics cards, TV tuners, Power equipment, All

Peripherals: Keyboards, Mice, Scanners, PC speakers, VoIP phones, Accessories

Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU

The Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU is a good, if basic, laptop with a strong price-to-performance ratio.
Dell Inspiron i545s-1476N

With similar results as its ancestors, the Dell Inspiron 545s-1476N registers decent benchmarks and offers respectable upgradability, but we hesitate to recommend it over the older Gateway SX2800-01 that leaves Dell in the dust in regards to both performance and features.
Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309

For a budget Windows 7 thin-and-light that won't need to recharge often, you could do a lot worse than the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309.
NetGear WNHDEB111 HD Gaming Wireless N Networking Kit

The NetGear WNHDEB111 HD Gaming Wireless N Networking Kit is a good investment if you want to add a high-speed Wireless-N connection your HD video streamer or game console.
Gateway NV5207u

The Gateway NV5207u is certainly above average for the money, but its processor is a dog.
AVADirect Nano Cube

AVADirect's tries to distill as much gaming power as possible into its Nano Cube, but the extra small case requires too many sacrifices next to even standard small form factor PCs. Gaming purists with a need for an extra tiny PC might appreciate the Nanon Cube, but even they should be wary of everything you need to give up for this tiny desktop.
Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980

Good design and some really nice-sounding speakers round out the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980, a very affordable mainstream laptop with excellent battery life for its size.
Sony Vaio X (VPC-X115KX/N Signature Collection, gold)

Sony's bold experiment--a high-end luxury system with essentially Netbook components--makes an enviable coffee shop conversation piece, but one that includes some serious sticker shock.
Toshiba Satellite L455-S5975

While it's hard to argue with a $330 laptop, the old-fashioned-looking L455-S5975 cuts some serious corners to get you a package that will suit only basic users.
Averatec All-In-One D1130 (black)

The Averatec D1130's wimpy processor and paltry features give consumers little incentive to choose this Nettop over a faster budget PC or the mobility of a Netbook. If you're dead-set on a Nettop, the Lenovo C300 is a less terrible decision, but you can stretch your dollar much further with a budget slim tower system like the Gateway SX2800-01.
Acer Aspire Revo AR1600-U910H

Acer's Aspire Revo 1600 might be the first Nettop we don't actively dislike. We'd rather have an Xbox 360 in the living room, but the Aspire Revo 1600 would be suitable as a PC for young kids or as a low-profile cloud kiosk. Thanks to its $199 price tag, you won't feel too much remorse if it breaks or you outgrow it.
Kodak 5250

Kodak's ESP 5250 multifunction printer isn't marred by the errors of its predecessors, but it still needs improvement before it can keep up with the competition. Right now, its pleasing photo quality and satisfactory output speed don't justify the $170 price tag and lack of features.
TP-Link TL-WR741ND Wireless Lite N Router

The TP-Link TL-WR741ND Wireless Lite N Router makes a great entry-level Wireless-N router at an affordable price.
Apple MacBook Fall 2009 (Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Nvidia GeForce 9400M)

Apple's latest version of the popular $999 white MacBook gets an upscale makeover, while keeping the price the same. It's a strong alternative to the more expensive Pro line, if you can live without extras such as an SD card slot.
Toshiba Satellite T135-S1310 (red)

Toshiba's slick entry into the thin-and-light laptop world is timed for Windows 7, but if you're going to get one, make sure it's the dual-core T135-S1310, and not its single-core cousin.
Apple iMac (27-inch, 3.06Hz Intel Core 2 Duo, ATI Radeon HD 4670, fall 2009)

Apple's new 27-inch iMac will charm plenty of you with its screen size alone. Fortunately, that won't lead you astray. Behind its expansive display, Apple has packed one of the fastest all-in-ones available, and added a few useful extras to sweeten the deal. This iMac isn't perfect, but its positives far outweigh its negatives. We can think of few users to whom we wouldn't recommend this system.
Asus Eee Top ET2002

Nvidia's Ion graphics chip gives the Asus Eee Top ET2002 better-than-average video performance for a Nettop, but that does little to spare this system from its weak overall performance and the variety of competitive, more well-rounded alternatives for low-cost video and gaming. Nettops might be competitive someday, but for now this category as a whole is a disappointment.
Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850

Toshiba revives its Qosmio gaming line with the high-end X505. It has everything from Blu-ray to an Intel Core i7 CPU, but it also carries a premium price.
Lenovo ThinkPad SL510

Lenovo's Windows 7 upgrade to the ThinkPad SL500 keeps the price affordable, and features a consumer-friendly 16:9 display.
HP TouchSmart 600

If HP's TouchSmart 600 won't at least get you thinking about the idea of bringing a PC into your kitchen, the concept truly has no hope. With well-though-out touch apps, a wide, easy-to-use array of digital media features, and an attractive, flexible design, HP's new all-in-one is not the fastest new all-in-one, but it has the most comprehensive and compelling set of features of any all-in-one launching alongside Windows 7.
More Reviews »