The Benefits of a Dedicated GPS

It’s a dedicated device – If you have a smartphone, you probably would like to be able to use it as a smartphone. This means every time you want to use it as a GPS, you have to pull it out of your purse/pocket, attach it to its car dock, plug in the charger (you don’t want it running out of batters later), and hope no one text or calls during an important driving instruction. You can leave a dedicated GPS unit in your car, and it will always be ready for you.

A better GPS signal – Smartphones have a lot of hardware stuffed into a small bit of space, and a solid GPS antenna isn’t always a priority. Dedicated GPS units have fewer size constraints and make the GPS antenna a top priority. They offer much more reliable positioning.

No data connection required – Most smartphone GPS apps rely on a data connection for maps and directions, rather than storing all that information on the phone itself. If you’re in an area with no cellular coverage, those apps are fairly useless for navigation. The apps that do store the data on your phone are generally very pricey or involve monthly subscriptions – that money might be better spend on a dedicated unit.

An interface designed for travel – Dedicated GPS units are designed to be mounted to the dashboard. The user interface large buttons and clear text. Smartphones are intended to be used in the palm of your hand and have smaller buttons and text.

The Benefits of a Smartphone GPS

Connectivity – That data connection means you’ll always have up to date maps, traffic conditions, and road information. It also means you have more search options available. Some dedicated GPS units have cellular data connections with the added benefit of the data being free.

More than just a GPS – Smartphones with multitasking can do more than just give directions. Most can be configured to continue to give you directions while playing music or connecting a phone call. Only a small handful of GPS units offer music playback capabilities.

You probably already have a smartphone – If you already have a smartphone (and a lot of people do, these days), its GPS capabilities are probably plenty for the occasional trip; however, if you find yourself using the phone as a GPS often, you might want to consider investing in a dedicated unit.

A Few of the Top Dedicated GPS Units on the Market

If you think a dedicated unit is right for you, here are a few of the top rated GPS units on alaTest.

Garmin nüvi 3590LMT

The nüvi 3590LMT offers a great screen and touch/voice interface as well as free data service for up-to-date traffic information. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but free map updates for life does make up for it.

TomTom GO Live 1005

TomTom’s GO Live GPS units offer the best in information services, including local searches, traffic, weather, and even fuel prices. The service is free for the first year, but costs $59.95 per year after that.

Garmin nüvi 2595LMT

The nüvi 2595LMT offers almost all of the same great features of the 3590LMT but is significantly cheaper. It has the same great interface and free traffic and map updates for life. The only difference is that it does not show 3D landmarks.

Razer Tiamat 7.1

While it’s a bit on the pricey side, the Tiamat is unrivaled when it comes to 7.1 channel surround sound quality. Unlike most 7.1 channel headsets on the market, the Tiamat is a true 7.1 channel system, with  front, rear, center, side, and subwoofer drivers in each ear cup. This gives a much more realistic surround sound experience than the virtual 7.1 channel systems most headsets use, processing a 7.1 channel signal into a stereo output. The Tiamat is intended for PCs, but can be used with any system that has 7.1 channel 3.5mm outputs and a USB port for power.

Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930

If you’re in the market for a wireless headset, the Logitech G930 ought to be one of your first choices. Its virtual surround sound processing technology is developed directly by Dolby Digital and is essentially unparalleled. Its wireless range is also quite impressive, reaching up to 40 feet without distortion. Like most wireless headsets, battery life can be problematic, offering about 10 hours of continuous playback. Fortunately, it’s possible to charge the G930 while it’s in use. Even with its impressive specs, the G930 is fairly reasonably priced for a wireless headset of its caliber. Unfortunately, because if its USB interface, the G930 will only work on a PC.

Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5

Even though it’s depressingly expensive, the Ear Force PX5 offers some amazingly customizable sound quality, perfect for any serious gamer. Designed to work for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the PX5 will also work with any system with an optical output. The headset even has a Bluetooth channel to pair up with PS3 chat or even your cell phone. Turtle Beach also offers downloadable software to create sound profile presets so that you can tune the PX5 for specific situations, such as playing First Person Shooters, watching HD movies, and listening to music. The wireless range is about average (up to 30 feet), but its 15 hour battery life is pretty impressive. The price is steep, but it’s easy to argue why it’s worth it.

Creative Tactic 3D Omega

Creative’s extensive experience with audio technologies definitely shows through with its Tactic 3D Omega headset. Its THX TruStudio Pro surround sound virtualization easily goes toe-to-toe with Logitech’s G930 in terms of sound quality. While the G930 does best it in wireless range, and even price, the Tactic 3D Omega has the major benefit of being compatible with the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and technically any system with composite stereo output. If you’re a multiplatform gamer, the Tactic 3D Omega should definitely be on your list of headsets to check out – although the Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5 certainly poses a tempting (albeit slightly more expensive) alternative.

Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo 3DS)

What better way to spend a long car ride than playing one of the best racing titles on the 3DS? Mario Kart 7 sticks with the traditional Mario Kart gameplay, featuring good natured go-kart racing between some of the Mario legacy’s favorite characters. Expanding on previous Mario Kart titles, it brings new features to the Mario Kart series, in particular, allowing players to customize their vehicles with things like chassis, tires, and even hang gliders.  Not only is Mario Kart 7 one of the best rated racing titles on the 3DS, but it’s one of the best rated 3DS titles, period.

ModNation Racers: Road Trip (PlayStation Vita)

ModNation Racers: Road Trip is the PlayStation Vita edition of the well reviewed but only mildly popular PlayStation 3 version. While the game isn’t without its flaws, the gameplay is well polished and very enjoyable. On top of that, ModNation offers a very compelling feature: User Generated Content. You can create your own vehicles and courses to share with the online community. It’s easy to lose track of time and spend hours in the editor.

Wipeout 2048 (PlayStation Vita)

The Wipeout series has always been popular ever since its original release in 1995, but following the release of Wipeout Pure on the PSP, the franchise became one of the go to games for portable racing. Wipeout 2048 continues with that tradition, offering interesting new level designs and the sophisticated polish that fans of the series have come to expect.

StarFox 64 3D (Nintendo 3DS)

While it’s not exactly a racing game – nor is it even a new game – StarFox 64 3D is one of the 3DS’ most popular titles, and its flight simulator environment does work well with the ambience of a car (or plane) ride. Even though it’s a remake of the Nintendo 64 original, the game was one of the greatest games of its time, and little has changed that.

Rayman Origins (PS3, 3DS, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)

Moving away from racing titles, Rayman Origins is a surpringly simple game that takes the popular Rayman series and returns it to its 2D side-scrolling roots. Available for all of the major platforms, Rayman Origins is one of the hottest games on the market right now.  Fans of the Rayman series have already given the game high praise, but you don’t have to be familiar with the franchise to enjoy it. A healthy appetite for the 2D platformer is all it takes to fall for the quirky hero.

A Few Other Great 3DS Titles

Racing games may not be for everyone, and if Rayman doesn’t tickle your fancy, the 3DS has plenty of other great titles that can eat away the hours of a long trip. The Legend of Zelda: Orcarina of Time 3D, a remake of what is arguably the best Zelda game of all time. Super Mario 3D Land is another popular 3DS title, full of original content.

A Couple Great Vita Titles, Too

For the Vita gamers out there, one of the more popular games on the market today is Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. While it has no new content, it contains remastered versions of some of the most favorite Metal Gear Solid games. Uncharted: Golden Abyss is another Vita must-have.

Apple’s New iPad (aka iPad 3)

If you’re an iPhone owner, you’ll know exactly what to expect from an iPad – they’re almost identical except for the larger screen. The new iPad’s greatest strength is its “Retina” display. At 2048×1536, the display really is unrivaled, though 1080p displays of the competition do offer many of the same perks. The new iPad is also one of the faster tablets on the market, though even older tablets, such as the iPad 2 can still keep up.

Another huge perk the new iPad has to offer is its cellular options. It’s one of the few tablets that offers LTE 4G connectivity and has options for both Verizon and AT&T. If you think you might want to have a data plan with your tablet, the new iPad is definitely one of the best choices.

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

Asus’ entire Transformer line is by far the least compromising tablets on the market, primarily thanks to the optional keyboard dock. While the keyboard dock is a bit pricey, it gives you nearly all of the benefits of a laptop and even improves on battery life.

The Transformer Pad Infinity, in particular, is an excellent alternative to the new iPad. It’s 1920×1200 resolution display, while not quite as luxurious as Apple’s, is well suited for just about any task, and its 1.6GHz Tegra 3 processor is arguably the fastest on the market.

Google’s Nexus 7

Up until recently, any worthwhile tablet started around $500, and although there were more affordable options, they all sacrificed so much in terms of features and performance that they simply weren’t worth it. That all started to change when Amazon launched the Kindle Fire at just $200, and Google took that a step further.

Where the Kindle Fire dropped things like the cameras and GPS to keep costs down, the Nexus 7 has all of that plus NFC, a higher resolution display, and a blazing fast quad-core Tegra 3 processor. It’s also the very first device with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and as part of the Nexus line, it will continue to be among the first devices to receive Android updates. If you’re in the market for a 7-inch tablet (or just something on the more affordable side), the Nexus 7 is absolutely the best choice.

Samsung Galaxy Note

While it’s not actually a tablet, the Galaxy Note is a rather large smartphone that definitely reaches into the tablet realm. Unlike all of the other tablets, the Galaxy Note can be used as your primary cell phone, which means you don’t need a separate data plan. Its 5-inch screen isn’t quite as roomy as the 7-inch Nexus 7, and it does miss out on some of the tablet-specific features. It does offer an excellent middle ground, though, and is available on AT&T and Sprint (soon on T-Mobile as well). It also might be worth your while to keep an eye out for the Galaxy Note 2, expected in a month or two.

Google develops Android such that anyone can build a device that runs it, but it’s up to the manufacturer to modify it and tailor it to run on the hardware they’re using. This process can take months, and it means that most Android devices out there are generally one or two versions behind. To get the most out of a new Android device, it’s important to know which are the most likely to be updated quickly.

Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean

The latest, and most relevant, version of Android are version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Ice Cream Sandwich brought all sorts of performance boosts and  new features to Android, and any worthwhile new Android phone should come with Android 4.0 already installed – or at least have an update expected very soon. Jelly Bean, the latest version released just weeks ago, expanded on the feature set of 4.0. If you expect to keep your phone for a couple years, you’ll want to make sure it has a high likelihood of receiving the 4.1 update as well.

Google’s Galaxy Nexus (and Nexus S)

The Nexus line is always the first to receive OS updates. This is because they are the only devices maintained directly by Google. The Galaxy Nexus is currently the only Android phone with Jelly Bean available. The Nexus S (which is well over one and a half years old, now) will likely be the second phone on the market to get the 4.1 update. If you want to stay as current as possible with the Android OS, Nexus devices are the way to go.

Samsung

Samsung started with one of the worst update records, taking ages to update its phones, if it updated them at all; however, Samsung listened to consumers and has completely changed its ways. This makes the Galaxy S III an excellent choice in terms of version longevity. Not only does it come with Android 4.0 out of the box, but should be updated to 4.1 by the end of the year. The Galaxy Note ought to see a 4.1 update around that same time, and the Galaxy S II is even a likely candidate, though the time frame on that may be a bit longer than is practical for a consumer.

HTC

HTC can be a little slow when updating its devices, but it does update most of its devices. The One Series (such as the One X, One S, and EVO LTE) are almost all certain to see a 4.1 update, with the exception of the One V which is a bit less likely since it lacks the power to fully benefit from an update. When will the One Series updates be rolling out? Hopefully before the end of the year. Older HTC devices, like the Sensation 4G and EVO 3D, probably won’t get the 4.1 update, though they have been updated to 4.0.

Motorola

Motorola does a solid job supporting its devices, as long as they’re still popular on the market. The Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX have already started receiving 4.0 upgrades and should definitely be seeing 4.1 before the end of the year. The Droid Bionic and Droid 4, while still fairly current, likely won’t get a taste of 4.1, but should be upgraded to 4.0 before long.

Sony

While its devices start off great, Sony is disturbingly slow out of the gate. Because it takes so long to launch its products after announcing them, they’re often very behind once they hit the market. Sony’s brand new Xperia Ion is a perfect example. Despite its release on weeks ago, it’s only running Android version 2.3 (Gingerbread, technically 3 generations behind). Fortunately, it will be getting a 4.0 update, but that’s likely it. It doesn’t look like any of Sony’s other phones will be updated.

LG
LG likes to support its top tier devices, so long as they’re not too old. The Optimus 4X HD and Optimus LTE 2 are likely the only LG phones to get the 4.1 update.

Samsung and LG both demoed their upcoming OLED HDTV sets at CES 2012 earlier this year, and it’s a safe bet that we’ll see several OLED sets hitting the market before the year is up. What remains to be seen is how the entry of OLED TVs into the market will affect things.

What is OLED?

OLED screens combine the picture quality benefits of plasma with the space and power saving technology of LED. To better understand how an OLED screen works, let’s take a look at how traditional displays technology works.

TVs today use some sort of a backlight in order to illuminate an image on the screen. LCD screens have a CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamp) in the edge of the display; edge-lit LED displays work similarly but use LED lights instead of the CCFLs. Backlit LED displays use a grid of LED lights directly behind the display, allowing it to adjust the brightness in specific sections. In a plasma display, ever pixel is made up of several champers of phosphorus gas that illuminates when charged; in other words, each pixel gives off its own light, with no need for a backlight, which is what allows for those deep blacks.

OLED displays work in the same sense as a plasma screen, in that each pixel is capable of emitting its own light. Alternatively, OLEDs are much more power-efficient and smaller than the plasma gas chambers needed for a plasma display. The end result is a super slim display with stunning color quality and perfect black levels that’s even energy efficient.

How Will OLEDs Affect Plasmas

Because the focus of new OLED displays will be picture quality, the high-end plasmas that videophiles flock to will be most affected. The most expensive plasma screens might see some price drops in order to compete with the superior OLED displays, but the entry and mid-range plasmas, like our current top-rated Panasonic TX-P VT30, should be fairly unaffected, at least for a year or two.

What about LED TVs?

Large LED TVs will also see some heavy competition from OLEDs since it’s expected that the first OLED sets to hit the market will be in the 55- to 70-inch range. Price will be the big deciding factor here. OLEDs will best traditional LED TVs in basically all categories, but they will be considerably more expensive. Samsung’s ES8000 series, Sony’s Bravia XBR series, and other “premium” models might see some considerable price drops when OLED TVs hit the market. Smaller, less feature-packed sets, like Sony’s KDL EX720 line, will be less affected.

And the LCD TVs?

LCD screens will remain the go-to flat panel TVs for anyone on a budget. It won’t be until a few years from now when OLED sets start challenging the prices of similarly sized LED TVs that we see the LCD sets start to fade from the market.

Conclusions about OLED TVs?

OLED TVs are a great advancement to HDTV technology, and they really will outperform any display currently on the market. If you’re in the market for a new TV today, is it work waiting for an OLED model to hit the market? Definitely! But only if you’re planning on spending upwards of $5,000 on something truly top-end.

That’s exactly why we created the Interactive Cell Phone Buying Guide. It lets you select the criteria that are most important to you and get a custom-tailored list of the perfect phones for your needs.

How It Works

You can check out the Interactive Buying Guide here, or you can click the link in the Cell Phone& Smartphone Reviews category.

It’s made up of five main categories: Input Type, Platform, Camera, Multimedia, and Battery. Each has a few choices to select from, and the resulting list will automatically update with each choice. In case you need a hand, here’s a quick description of each of your options:

Input Type:

Touch Screen

Pros:

• Faster page scrolling and easier link selection.
• Typically allows for a larger screen.
• Can also be used for things like handwriting and drawing.

Cons:

• Lack of tactical feedback slows down typing.
• Precise selections and fine tuning can be difficult.

Bottom Line: Touch screens are the most common input type for a smartphone. They allow for faster navigation and a more user-friendly experience when interfacing with the device; however, the lack of tactical feedback does make typing slightly more difficult.

Buttons

Pros:

• A physical keyboard allows for quick and much more accurate typing.
• It’s possible to type without looking.
• Navigation keys allow for fine cursor movements.

Cons:

• A physical keyboard leaves less space for a screen.
• Navigating web pages is typically done by scrolling through links one at a time.

Bottom Line: Devices with only physical inputs, such as some BlackBerry phones, are best suited when messaging is your primary use. Web browsing is generally not very practical.

Combined

Pros:

• The touch screen allows quick navigation.
• The physical keyboard makes for faster typing.

Cons:

• A physical keyboard typically means either a smaller screen or a thicker device.

Bottom Line: This is a good option for those who dislike touch screens for typing but still want the navigational ease they provide, so long as a smaller screen or several millimeters of added thickness aren’t a deal breaker.

Platform

Android

Pros:

• Wide variety of devices to choose from, ranging in price, performance, and features.
• Large App Market with over 500,000 apps.
• Customizable home screen with widgets and wallpapers.
• Highly integrated with Google’s web services, including Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.
• Gives more freedom to the user in terms of system options.
• True Application multitasking.

Cons:

• Some devices have limited customer support.
• The additional options can be overwhelming for novice users.
• Upgrading from one Android phone to another may not give you the same experience.
• Popular models have many accessories, but less popular models do not.

Bottom Line: Android devices come in all shapes and sizes, allowing you to better tailor the features you want to the price range you’re looking for.

Apple iOS

Pros:

• Apple offers excellent customer support online, over the phone, and in person at Apple Stores.
• Large App Store with over 500,000 apps.
• Apps are tested by Apple to help maintain stability.
• The iOS experience is nearly identical across all iOS devices.
• It has a very simple interface.
• Many accessories available.

Cons:

• iOS devices are one size fits all. If you want a larger screen or physical keyboard, you’re out of luck.
• 3G only. Currently no 4G iPhones exist.
• Limited Multitasking. Only portions of applications can run in the background.
• The simple interface can be limiting, especially for more advanced users.
• No removable battery or options for expandable storage.

Bottom Line: Apple’s iOS can be a considerably more limiting platform than the competition; however, those limitations result in a polished and unified user experience.

Windows Phone

Pros:

• Social apps, Bing search, and other Microsoft services are integrated directly into the operating system.
• Widget-like “Tiles” allow for a somewhat customizable interface.
• Moderate range of devices available at several price points.
• Windows Phone experience is very similar across all Windows Phone devices.

Cons:

• Small App Market with only about 80,000 apps.
• Limited Multitasking. Only portions of apps can run in the background.
• No dual-core or “high performance” options currently available.

Bottom Line: Windows Phone offers many unique and useful features over the competition. It also overlooks many features that users have come to take for granted.

Other

Other platforms include BlackBerry, Symbian, and Maemo, to name a few. If you’re looking for devices featuring these platforms, it’s likely that you already have a specific model in mind.

Camera

Not important – “I rarely find myself taking photos with my smartphone.”

A little – “I sometimes take photos with my smartphone to share via text message or Facebook.”

Average – “I often take photos with my smartphone to share via text message or Facebook.”

Important – “I take and share photos with my smartphone often and sometimes like to print them out.”

Very important – “I rely on my smartphone to take quality photos of memorable moments.”

Multimedia

Not important – “I rarely use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch videos.”

A little – “I sometimes use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch video such as YouTube.”

Average – “I often use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch video such as YouTube.”

Important – “I constantly use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch video such as YouTube or Netflix.”

Very important – “I am always using my smartphone to listen to music or watch HD video.”

Battery

Not important – “My phone is almost always plugged in.”

A little – “I don’t mind plugging in my phone half way through the day if I’m using it a lot.”

Average – “I want my phone to last all day as long as I’m not using it too much.”

Important – “I use my phone a lot and still want it to last all day.”

Very important – “I use my phone almost non-stop and want it to last all day.”

Canon PowerShot G1 X

When you’re after full manual control in a digital camera, there aren’t many options that aren’t big, bulky SLRs, but the G1 X occupies a near-perfect middle ground between the compact usability of a point and shoot and the manual control of an SLR. The price is a bit steep, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better manual camera in a compact frame.

Olympus OM-D E-M5

While it’s not the most compact of compact cameras, the E-M5 has a very light weight magnesium body. Similar to the G1 X, it represents a compromise between compact and SLR; however, unlike the G1 X, the E-M5 features an interchangeable lens, though it does sacrifice some manual control and features a 4/3-inch sensor compared to the G1 X’s 1.5-inch. It, too, has a very high price tag, but it does come with one of the nicer lenses you’ll find on a compact.

Fujufilm FinePix X10

The FinePix X10 is a more affordable (though less feature-packed) version of the extremely popular X100. It shares many of the same design cues that made the X100 a hot product, though the X10 has a hard time living under its older sibling’s shadow. The X10 does still feature an excellent lens and a great overall design that keeps it very portable without sacrificing image quality.

Canon PowerShot SX260 HS

The SX260 HS is our currently top-ranked true compact digital camera. Unlike the others mentioned so far, the SX260 HS will fit easily into most pockets. Setting it apart from other compacts is its 20x optical zoom lens with surprisingly good image stabilization. It really does feature some of the best image quality available at this size and price, though it can sometimes struggle with low-light situations.

Canon PowerShot S100

The S100 is another very compact digital camera, even smaller than the SX260. It doesn’t feature the impressive 20x zoom lens found in the SX260, but offer many other compelling features such as HDR and RAW format support. In overall performance, it’s a significant step up, offering less shutter lag, better low-light performance, and faster continuous shooting. It’s one of the few compact cameras with better image quality than the SX260 and can often go toe-to-toe with the G1 X.

If none of our current top 5 compact cameras appeal to you, feel free to check out our full list. It’s full of excellent cameras for all needs. Sony’s Cybershot DSC-HX9V makes a compelling alternative to the PowerShot SX260, for example. Nikon’s Coolpix P300 competes well against the PowerShot S100, too. We’ve collected reviews for every popular camera on the market, and we can tell you exactly how they stack up to one another.

Balanced Performance without Breaking the Bank

Laptop performance has come a long way over the past few years, and even more affordable laptops can keep up the majority of computing needs. AMD’s A-Series processors (particularly the A8 and upcoming A10) offer great all-around performance at budget-friendly prices.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z575 – The AMD A8 version of Lenovo’s Z575 is arguably one of the best values on the market. It’s very well built, with a sturdy yet still lightweight chassis, and at around $500, it’s easy on your wallet as well.

Performance that will Last

Since College will generally last at least four years, you probably want a laptop that can last that long as well. Solid construction and strong performance is one way to help ensure a laptop will still be useful several years down the line.

Sony Vaio SE Series – Configured with a 1920×1080 resolution display and Core i5 processor, the SE series is probably one of the best choices on the market right now. Currently available is the VPC-SE25FX, which, at less than $1000, offers stellar performance for not only productivity, but also gaming and just about everything else. It also has useful features, such as a backlit keyboard and USB 3.0. Sony also offers very good technical support.

Sony Vaio S Series – Similar to the SE series, the S series is a bit newer, featuring Intel’s 3^rd generation of Core i5 and i7 processors. A configuration closely matching the SE25FX mentioned above weighs in at just over $1000.

Ultra-Portability that doesn’t Skimp on Performance

When you’re darting around campus, running from class to class, you might not want to be lugging around a bulky laptop, but at the same time, tablets and netbooks aren’t really the best choice for productivity. Ultrabooks represent a middle ground which features the performance you’d get from a full-sized laptop paired with the portability and battery life of a netbook.

Asus ZenBook UX31 – The ZenBook UX31 is currently alaTest’s top rated laptop. It’s one of the top performing ultrabooks for around $1000, but its biggest appeal is its 1600×900 resolution display. The extra desktop space provided by a higher resolution is a major benefit compared to the 1366×768 resolution display of most ultrabooks.

Apple MacBook Air (2012) – The new MacBook Air is the first ultrabook to run Intel’s 3^rd generation Core i5 and i7 processors, which gives it an edge particularly in graphics performance over other ultrabooks. The 13-inch model also has a 1440×900 resolution display, which, while not quite matching the UX31, is still a great benefit.

What about Laptops We Haven’t Mentioned?

Just because we didn’t mention it in this article doesn’t mean it’s not a good choice. There are a ton of other laptop choices out there, so here are a few key things to consider when making a purchase:

Dedicated Graphics – A laptop with a dedicated graphics processor will almost always outperform a laptop with an integrated graphics processor when it comes to things like HD video and gaming; however, the AMD A-series and Intel’s 3^rd generation Core series with HD 4000 graphics are still strong performers.

Screen Resolution – Most laptops have a resolution of 1366×768. Laptops with 1600×900 and 1920×1080 resolutions often cost a premium, but offer much more on-screen workspace which helps considerably with productivity.

Backlit Keyboards – Backlit keyboards are amazingly useful.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon, or Big Red as it’s more amicably known, plays host to a wide variety of excellent smartphones. The best device it currently has to offer (or soon to offer, really) is the Samsung Galaxy S III. With a 4.8-inch 720p Super AMOLED display and 1.5GHz dual-core S4 processor as well as 4G LTE connectivity, this phone is sure to be one of the hottest sellers this summer.

Of course, the Galaxy S III isn’t the only good choice. The Motorola Droid RAZR is a high-quality, super slim phone with many of the same features. Its processor is slightly older and only runs at 1.2GHz; however, its price tag is an agreeable $99 with contract, though you might want to consider the Droid RAZR MAXX which features a much larger battery. A Droid RAZR HD is also due sometime in the near future with beefier specs and an HD display.

Another notable contender is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, a phone built entirely on input direct from Google and running the purest, latest version of Android. And of course, you can’t forget the iPhone 4S, the latest of Apples iOS phones (though we suggest holding out for the iPhone 5 due later this year).

AT&T

AT&T also has the Galaxy S III; however, it also has a very worthy alternative if you don’t want to wait for the newest Galaxy device to officially launch. The HTC One X is currently alaTest’s top rated phone, featuring a 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD2 display and the same 1.5GHz dual-core S4 processor found in the Galaxy S III. It also has a great 8MP camera and LTE 4G capabilities, and best of all, it’s actually available now.

AT&T also features the iPhone 4S for the iOS aficionados out there, but again, we suggest waiting for the iPhone 5.For WP7 fans, AT&T has the best WP7 device released to date – the Nokia Lumia 900. With its 4.3-inch AMOLED display, 4G LTE, and 1.2GHz processor, it’s the fastest most feature packed WP7 phone on the market, and it’s not even the most expensive.

Sprint

Sprint, of course, will be getting the Galaxy S III as well, but, like AT&T, it has a variant of the HTC One X known as the HTC EVO 4G LTE. It’s really no different from the AT&T model with the exception of a slightly different look and the fact that it’s intended for Sprint’s network.

Sprint’s other great choices include the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Unlike the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, Sprint’s is a little bit more true to the Nexus name with better Google Voice and Google Wallet integration.

T-Mobile

The Galaxy S III will be coming to T-Mobile as well, but the magenta colored carrier doesn’t have as many compelling alternatives as some of its competitors. The HTC One S is its only device we can really recommend, but it really is a great phone (currently ranked 3^rd on our top phones list). On the inside, it’s exactly the same as its big brother, the One X, and it even features the same 1.5GHz dual-core processor found in the Galaxy S III. The only difference is its smaller 4.3-inch display featuring a slightly lower resolution.