CNET Reviews - Most Popular Laptops

Rank Most Popular Titles
1 HP Pavilion Entertainment dv7t Customizable Notebook PC
2 Dell Inspiron Mini 9
Dell's entry into the Netbook market means it's time to take these low-cost, low-power PCs seriously. The Inspiron Mini 9 is an excellent example of the form, if not radically different from the competition.
3 Acer Aspire 5735-4624
A mainstream laptop at a Netbook price, the Acer Aspire 5735 provides the basics plus a movie-friendly 16:9 aspect display.
4 Gateway P-7811FX
We don't know how Gateway makes money selling these things, but the combination of high-end components and low price makes the 17-inch Gateway P-7811FX the best mobile gaming deal going right now.
5 Lenovo ThinkPad X300
The ThinkPad X300 breaks new ground by packing a broad display, full-size keyboard, and nearly every feature a mobile user needs into a sleek, lightweight case.
6 Apple MacBook - black (Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard)
Apple has been content to issue minor periodic hardware updates to the 13-inch MacBook, but the modest performance gains and new Leopard OS keep it in our top tier of laptop recommendations.
7 Asus Eee PC 901 (white, Windows XP)
The long-awaited Asus Eee PC 901 is the best version of this inexpensive Netbook yet, but it's facing increased competition from the likes of HP, Dell, and MSI.
8 Asus Eee PC 4G (white)
For less than $400, the Asus Eee PC 4G offers an impressive package for portable Web surfing and basic productivity, as long as you keep expectations tempered. The incredibly approachable price outweighs any shortcomings; it's a near perfect choice for a highly portable second or backup laptop.
9 Asus Eee PC 1000 (black)
The Asus Eee PC 1000's 10-inch screen walks a fine line between Netbook and regular laptop, but the higher price may drive away value-seeking consumers.
10 Lenovo IdeaPad S10 - 42312CU (White)
Lenovo's "me, too!" entry in the Netbook sweepstakes, the IdeaPad S10, gets the price and features right, but falls behind on battery life.
11 Dell Studio S1535-125B
The Dell Studio S1535-125B impresses us with its leading performance in the sub-$1,000 category, thanks in large part to a speedy Intel CPU and generous memory allotment. Striking a fine balance between Dell's XPS and Inspiron lines, we recommend this well-rounded 15-inch laptop for students and home users alike.
12 Acer Aspire One (Linpus Linux Lite, White)
The Acer Aspire One is easily the best of the current under-$400 Netbooks, but its meager allotment of memory and tiny battery limit its appeal.
13 Gateway T-6836
A standout among budget midsize laptops, the 14.1-inch Gateway T-6836 marries strong performance and battery life with a compact, well-designed case.
14 Alienware Area-51 m17x
If you're looking to drop some major change on a show-off gaming laptop, it's hard to do better than the Alienware Area-51 m17x, a mean-looking, high-performance black slab.
15 Acer Aspire One (XP Home, White)
The Acer Aspire One is easily the best of the current under-$400 Netbooks, but its meager allotment of memory and tiny battery limit its appeal.
16 Dell XPS M1330
Dell has finally put design first with the head-turning XPS M1330 laptop, emphasizing both the "thin" and "light" aspects of the thin-and-light category without sacrificing features or performance.
17 HP Pavilion dv6985se
The HP Pavilion dv6985se is a well-stocked mainstream machine with a long-living (though heavy) 12-cell battery. We recommend it, provided you like the unique copper-colored case and are willing to schlep around 6.6 pounds of laptop.
18 Dell Studio 15
Dell's first release from its new Studio line, the Studio 15, sits between the Inspiron and XPS lines and offers a good mix of features for the price, but we'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.
19 HP 2133 Mini-Note PC
Despite an underpowered CPU, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC offers the best balance of small size, comfort, and functionality we've seen in a mininotebook, making it fast a favorite for on-the-go use.
20 Lenovo ThinkPad X200
It lacks some basic features you may require--touch pad, optical drive--but the 12.1-inch ThinkPad X200 offers strong performance and the longest battery life we've seen. With a variety of connectivity options and a roomy keyboard, the X200 makes a great ultraportable for road warriors.
21 Dell XPS M1530
Dell's turn toward a "design-first" philosophy continues to pay off with the XPS M1530, easily the best-looking 15-inch laptop in recent memory.
22 Sony Vaio NR430E/L
The entry-level Sony Vaio NR430 strikes all the right notes--decent performance, pleasing design, great keyboard and display--to form an excellent 15-inch laptop for students (and home users in general) on tight budgets.
23 Dell Latitude E6400
A total revamp of Dell's ubiquitous business laptop line, the Latitude E6400 offers Intel's latest Centrino 2 mobile platform and introduces a brushed-metal design that works at home or office, but the real highlight here is the long battery life.
24 Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600
With the Qosmio G35-AV600, Toshiba delivers a best-in-class multimedia experience that's built on a state-of-the-art set of components and includes virtually every feature under the sun.
25 Apple MacBook (13-inch, 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo)
With the MacBook, Apple has corrected a handful of the iBook's shortcomings, hit a reasonable price point, and delivered a laptop that makes a great compromise between size and portability.