Fully customizable ; custom paint job for lid included ; compact

Off-the-shelf notebook of same specs would cost $700 less

If you want a fully customized notebook—from the hardware to the software to the paint on the lid—the NVS Carbon may be your ticket. But personalization doesn't come cheap.

Bright, 12.1-inch LCD ; lots of security options ; excellent digitizer ; bidirectional screen hinge ; modular bay for extra battery ; good performance

Clunky design ; mediocre battery life ; weak speakers

Fujitsu's LifeBook T4220 is a compact convertible Tablet PC with lots for business users and tech-savvy consumers to like. Just don't expect it to look as slick as some of the competition.

Easy to convert to and from tablet form factor ; bright screen ; large pen stylus ; low price

Heavy ; lacks newer Core 2 Duo technology ; mouse buttons can be hard to activate

It's heavy, but Gateway's budget-priced tablet PC offers good overall performance and accurate pen input.

Amazingly thin aluminum case packs a 13.3-inch LED screen and full-size keyboard ; extra-large TrackPad recognizes multi-touch gestures ; Remote Disc function lets you access other optical drives ; decent performance, battery life for an ultraportable

Can't use Remote Disc to stream music, movies ; only one USB port ; lacks Ethernet jack, media card reader, optical drive ; no option for WWAN radio ; few upgrade options ; battery is not user-replaceable

The thinnest ultraportable on the market, Apple's MacBook Air will win many over with its gorgeous design. But its feature set won't satisfy every road warrior.

Easily converts from laptop to tablet ; tablet digitizer does not detract from bright, sharp screen ; decent multimedia-encoding performance

A bit hefty for a 12-inch portable ; short battery life ; Vista Business low on multimedia extras

For business users that like to jot notes as well as type, the Portégé M700-S7002 has you covered.

Supports high-speed CPUs and DDR3 memory ; easy to overclock ; ESA-enabled ; standard, 3-Way, and Quad SLI support

Expensive ; heat pipe assembly may block some heat sinks ; not as many USB headers as ESA users will desire

The XFX nForce 790i Ultra, based on the nVidia's new nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset, is an excellent, cutting-edge motherboard for both beginning overclockers and experienced enthusiasts.

Affordable price tag ; nice-looking display ; plentiful connectivity options

Lackluster performance ; bland design ; cramped touch pad ; no ExpressCard slot

The Acer Extensa 4260-6194 provides adequate performance for a budget-priced, business-minded machine, but don't expect to get more than what you pay for.

Full 1080p HD screen ; HD DVD burner ; impressive sound system ; very good performance ; digital cable-TV tuner

TV tuner requires CableCard and a service call from your cable company to set up ; expensive ; merely adequate for 3D gaming

Toshiba has added a faster processor and digital-cable capabilities to its top-of-the-line multimedia-notebook bundle. The Qosmio G45-AV690 is pricey, but as the hub of your digital existence, it doesn't get much better than this.

Stylish brown lid and matching leather palm rest ; ultrabright LED screen ; solid performance ; HDMI port ; Bluetooth mouse included ; generous warranty

On the heavy side for an ultraportable ; no integrated broadband modem ; poor battery life ; battery protrudes awkwardly from the rear

Though slim and stylish enough to impress in the boardroom, the Asus U6S ultraportable laptop disappoints on the road, where a few too many shortcomings get in the way of productivity.

Low price ; big, beautiful screen ; discrete graphics card ; built-in Webcam ; DVI and FireWire ports

Disappointing performance ; scroll strip not marked on touch pad ; some users might prefer HDMI port to DVI ; weak Webcam software ; no configuration options

For users who don't demand high-end performance and cutting-edge multimedia, the big, desktop-friendly Acer Aspire 7520-5115 offers considerable bang for the buck.