Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Top laptops 2011


The most common question we get around here is simple: "What laptop should I buy?"
Being a generally difficult person by nature, I usually respond with my own series of questions: "What size screen do you want? How much do you want to spend?" and so on. But sometimes people just want a simple suggestion, based on what I actually like. So, here is a jargon-free list of the current crop of laptops that I'm digging, either because they give you good bang for your buck, they excel in their specific category, or because they just plain rock. 



Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 (2.2GHz Core i7, 15-inch)

Price: $2,042.88 - $2,399.00

It's a hefty investment, but the combination of new high-end Intel processor options and AMD graphics makes the 15-inch MacBook Pro an all-around powerhouse, with the new Thunderbolt I/O port as an added bonus.

Toshiba Portege R835-P56X $799.61 - $819.99

With three more hours of battery life over last year's model, Toshiba's new R800 series of Portege laptops are hard to beat, even in the highly competitive 13-inch laptop category.

Dell XPS 15z $1,499.99

Claiming to be the world's thinnest Windows laptop, the Dell XPS 15z is a sharp-looking package with upgradable high-end features and a reasonable $999 starting price.

Price as reviewed / Starting price     $1,534 / $999
Processor     2.7GHz Intel Core i7 2620M
Memory     8GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive     750GB 7,200rpm
Chipset     Mobile Intel HM67
Graphics     Nvidia GeForce 525M
Operating System     Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Dimensions (WD)     14.9 x 9.8 inches
Height     0.97 inch
Screen size (diagonal)     15.6 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter     5.5/6.6 pounds
Category     Midsize

Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch) $1,449.00 - $1,599.99

The $1,649 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A certainly won't be for every wallet, but this light, well-featured, and striking 13-incher is the closest the Windows world will ever come to a MacBook Air. However, its higher-than-the-Air price will be hard to stomach.

Alienware M14x $2,184.00

It's tough to find mobile PC gaming in a package that's neither too big nor too small. The Alienware M14x comes very close, with plenty of component options and a size that's hefty, but not backbreaking.

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