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.

1: Lenovo IdeaPad Z575

When it comes to build quality, budget laptops tend to throw it out the window. The Z575, however, does not. It has a solid chassis with a metallic finish and all-around sturdy construction that, honestly, looks great. But its beauty is more than skin deep. When it comes to performance per dollar, the Z575 is one of the best options out there.

The models with the quad-core AMD A8-3500m processor carry a list price starting at $550 but can be found as low as $500. The A8 processor is nothing short of amazing for the price. HD videos are a breeze (even 1080p YouTube videos which are taxing to even performance laptops). Being quad-core, multitasking and productivity are no sweat either, and thanks to the integrated Radeon GPU, moderate gaming is possible too.

2: Dell Inspiron 14z

The Inspiron 14z is a very well balanced laptop. Its 14-inch display is slightly smaller than most budget laptops, but if portability is what you’re after, that’s a good thing. The Intel Core i3-2330M processor isn’t well suited for gaming, but it excels at just about everything else. The base configuration is currently available at $550, and you can even add a backlit keyboard while staying under $600. As far as design is concerned, Dell did an excellent job keeping things practical yet elegant.

3: Asus A53E

The Asus A53E (specifically the NS51 and AS51 models) is a processing powerhouse. The Intel Core i5-2450M processor really is the best you can find for under $600, and it’s no slouch. It’ll actually keep up well with $1000+ laptops. This makes the A53E ideal for heavy multitasking and productivity, although its lack of a discrete class GPU does make it less suited for gaming. Apart from its stellar processing performance, it also carries Asus’ 1-year full accidental damage warranty.

4: Acer Aspire 5750G

Much like the Z575, the Aspire 5750G (in particular, the AS5750G-6873 model) is an excellent all-around performer. The Intel Core i3-2330M paired with an Nvidia GT 520M GPU perform very similarly to the AMD A8, capable of handling anything from web browsing to moderate gaming. At $599, it’s slightly more expensive than the Z575, though it really comes down to personal preference between AMD and Intel.

5: Acer Aspire 7739G-6676

For those who prefer a larger screen, the Aspire AS7739G-6676 is an excellent choice. It has a 17.3-inch display with a 1600×900 resolution, which is rare for a laptop priced just under $600. It also features the Intel Core i5-480M processor which, while slightly older than current offerings, is quite fast. The Nvidia GT 610M GPU is very power efficient and yields similar video/graphics performance as the GT 520M and AMD A8. All-in-all, it’s an excellent choice for anyone who wants a bit more screen at a lot less price.

There are of course countless more laptops on the market for less than $600, especially with the flux of daily deals and discounts. Laptops featuring the AMD A8 processor are supremely well balanced for everything from online browsing to 3D gaming, and are almost certainly a steal if found under $600. Similar is true for Intel i5 systems, especially if they’re paired with some sort of discrete graphics chip.

However, the choice between a laptop and a tablet still continues be a confusing one. There is no denying the fact that they belong to different niches- a tablet is ideal for you if you need to use basic functions while you are travelling or at best, it is an additional accessory to a laptop. But if you are looking to do hard core work which involves a lot of typing input among other things, a laptop is obviously the better choice. So, you can’t really buy a tablet and expect it to serve as a replacement for a laptop or vice versa.

In the past one year or so, several manufacturers have tried to bridge this divide by producing what are known as laptop-cum-tablets. Lenovo recently released the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid which comes with a removable touchscreen. This touchscreen can double up as a tablet which uses Lenovo’s own version of Android or can function as the screen when you wish to use the gadget as a laptop.

This set-up can potentially solve many problems- One major drawback of the tablet is the lack of a keyboard. People usually find it very hard to type with a virtual keyboard. With the laptop cum tablet, that problem can be solved easily. Whenever you need to type, you can use the device as a laptop. At the same time, it gives you the processing speed and performance of laptop, not a tablet. As the IdeaPad is in its nascent stages, Lenovo is still trying to iron out all problem sectors before the final product is rolled out in the global market.

In another attempt to make the choice between a tablet and a laptop easier, Lenovo also announced the production of the Lenovo Yoga PC. As the name suggests, flexibility is the stand out feature of this laptop-cum-tablet. It is only 17mm thick and weighs 3.1 lbs., so it delivers pretty decently on the portability aspect.

The unique hinge mechanism allows the keyboard to flip over completely so that the Yoga can be used as a tablet as well. The device will be powered by the yet to be released Windows 8 operating system. Another feature to look out for is the Intel Chief River Processor, an 8GB RAM and a promised battery life of eight hours.

Quite evidently, it is an ambitious attempt by Lenovo to combine the best of both the laptop and the tablet into one single device. The specifications promise the performance of a solid laptop while the unique hinge feature means that it can be used as a convenient tablet.

The big question now is- will Lenovo Yoga deliver on its promises or will it be just another fancy experiment gone wrong? We will just have to wait till the end of this year when the Lenovo Yoga officially hits the global markets.

Amazon.com’s Game Sale

While it’s not exactly a door buster, Amazon.com is having a huge sale on video games, buy one, get another game at 50% off. This includes some of the top rated game titles of the year, like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (sure to be a best seller this holiday season), Modern Warfare 3, and Rage.

Sharp LC42B45U

While it’s certainly not the best HDTV available (and it is a bit out dated), Best Buy will be selling this 42-inch 1080p LCD TV for a mere $200. This will be one of the items that sells out fast. Remember, doors open at 12am on Friday.

Best Buy Laptops Sales

Another Best Buy door buster, the Samsung RV510 is a pretty capable 15.6-inch laptop with 4GB of RAM and 320GB hard drive. At just $300, it’s certainly a steal. There will also be a 15.6-inch Lenovo Ideapad G575 for $180. It’s a little less powerful, featuring only 2GB of RAM and a smaller 250GB hard drive, but the price is right.

Best Buy Camera Sales

Best Buy will have a handful of digital cameras on sale as well. The most popular will probably be the Canon PowerShot A3300 at $90; however, they EOS Rebel T3i will be marked down slightly, too. Sony’s NEX-5 will be only $500, which is a phenomenal price, though you may want to consider holding off for the NEX-5N instead.

Netgear WNDR3400

If you don’t make it in time for the door busters, the WNDR3400 is an excellent consolation prize, and Best Buy will have it for $60, USB wireless adapter included.

Target

Target is doing something a little interesting this year. Instead of cutthroat deals, Target’s sale prices are a little higher than you’d expect, however, many of its sale items include Target gift cards. For instance, they will be offering a Keurig K-Cup coffee brewer (a very popular item this year) at its usual $80, but it will include a $30 Target gift card. Other gift card combos include the iPod Nano and Beats by Dr. DreSolo Headphones.

Times Are Changing

If you’re not the type to camp out in the cold just for a chance at a killer deal, you’ll likely be happy to hear that many stores are changing the way they do their Black Friday sales. They still have their door buster specials, but the sales seem to get less impressive each year. Instead, many stores are opting to run their sales longer, but with less discounts. This means you can find a lot of Black Friday priced items often a week before Black Friday.

And don’t forget about Cyber Monday, the internet’s equivalent of Black Friday. Cyber Monday starts on the Monday immediately following Black Friday, but keep an eye out before then. Just like the brick and mortar stores, online stores sometimes like to start early.

What Is a Nettop?

Before we get into what they’re good for, let’s spend a moment getting to know what a Nettop is. In short, a Nettop is little more than a Netbook minus the display, keyboard, and battery. Both Netbooks and Nettops share the same lightweight, power-efficient components, like Intel’s Atom and AMD’s Vision processors.

So what good is a Nettop if a Netbook already has all of the same components and can actually work without being plugged into the wall? Well, it primarily comes down to peripherals. Nettops almost always have more features, such as additional USB ports for use with external hard drives, printers, and other peripherals. Some even have new USB 3.0 ports for extremely high speed data transfer. Most current Nettops also feature HDMI, eSata, VGA, and Serial ports, and while Netbooks sometimes offer some of these features, none offer more than one or two of them.

Basically, a Nettop is a Netbook that functions as a desktop.

So Why Not Get a Desktop?

When Netbooks compete with other laptops, they have the advantage of being much cheaper. At one point, the Asus Eee 900 was available for just $169 while you’d struggle to find a full sized laptop for under $400. Nettops don’t have this benefit.

Most entry-level Nettops start around $300. This may seem fairly affordable, but a $300 desktop computer will likely outperform any similarly priced Nettop. So why bother getting a Nettop at all?

First of all, Nettops are small, and even though they aren’t meant to be portable, size still matters. The smallest Nettops aren’t any larger than your average Wi-Fi router, and even the larger Nettops don’t get any bigger than a Blu-Ray or DVD player. This makes them easy to tuck away out of site. Just try balancing a desktop on a bookshelf or mounting it to the wall – it doesn’t work all that well.

Another huge benefit of a Nettop is power efficiency. Because they share many of the same components as a Netbook, they need very little power to operate. Most Netbooks will use only 1 or 2 Watts when idling, and rarely more than 50 Watts at maximum. In comparison, it isn’t unusual for a desktop to use over 50 Watts at idle alone. For a situation in which the device will be on 24/7, a Nettop could save you hundreds of dollars per year.

Best Uses for a Nettop

Even though Nettops aren’t always the most affordable choice in terms of cost to performance, their size and power profile make them ideal for certain uses.

The super compact size works well for anyone who is looking for the basic computing needs of a desktop but doesn’t want the added clutter of a full-sized computer. Some Nettops, like the Asus EeeBox EB1012, actually come with a mounting plate that allows you to mount it to the back of a standard LCD monitor, taking up no more space than the monitor on your desk.

Because of their power efficiency, Nettops also make excellent media boxes. Using the HDMI port to connect a Nettop to your HDTV gives you a very flexible media experience, essentially making it an HTPC (Home Theatre PC). YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu can all be watched directly on your TV, and with Windows Media Center, you can even stream HD video from any other computer on your home network. Nettops like the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 even include a wireless remote. Be careful, though. Not all Nettops are capable of HD playback. Stick with Nettops that feature Nvidia ION or AMD Vision technology.