Beautiful screen ; good battery life ; offers both thin-and-light design and tablet functionality

No onboard optical drive ; mediocre performance ; bland styling ; weak audio ; problematic power-management features

The T2010 is a feature-rich ultraportable that conveniently converts to a tablet. Performance is on the low side but adequate for its intended office apps.

Lots of high-end configuration options, including quad-core CPUs and SLI graphics ; customizable design options ; top-notch multimedia performance ; attractive display ; decent gaming scores

Most expensive notebook we've seen ; bulky case ; no media-control buttons or HDMI port ; OS costs extra ; gaming performance isn't good enough to justify the cost

The most expensive notebook to come through our labs, the Xtreme 917V didn't post world-beating gaming scores to match its record-breaking price. But its high-end component options, customizable case, and multimedia performance make it worth a look.

Slim, light, and attractive ; affordably priced ; built-in Webcam

Low-end performance ; Webcam doesn't rotate ; RAM difficult to upgrade ; weak-sounding speakers ; mediocre battery life

The thin-and-light Toshiba Satellite U305-S5097 packs more style than your average budget notebook, but its sluggish performance and so-so battery life hold it back.

Solid performance ; good feature set ; comfortable keyboard for an ultraportable

Optical drive not integrated ; UltraBase dock adds weight, bulk

Business travelers in the market for an ultraportable need to consider the ThinkPad X61. It has power to spare and all the features you're likely to need.

Eminently portable ; available with LED-backlit screen ; very good performance

Options drive up price quickly ; glitch with tested DVD drive ; thin sound from built-in speakers

Sharp looks and sleek design make this the thin-and-light to carry. Technophiles will love its cutting-edge options.

Blu-ray drive offered as option ; long battery life ; lots of USB ports and expansion options ; good 3D performance for a business notebook ; excellent built-in security features, including fingerprint reader ; three-year warranty comes standard

Unflattering industrial design ; bulky AC brick ; comes only in preconfigured models ; no WWAN option

What the HP Compaq 8710p business notebook lacks in good looks it makes up for in processing brawn and enterprise reliability. Plus, for a buttoned-down corporate notebook like this, the 8710p includes some surprising multimedia options.

Sleek case ; beautiful screen ; available with DirectX 10 graphics ; excellent gaming performance, especially considering the price

No media-control buttons, HDMI port ; Blu-ray-drive upgrade is pricey ; won't be updated with Intel quad-core or Core 2 Extreme processors

The Hypersonic SR7 isn't the fastest gaming notebook with a single graphics card—that title belongs to the Dell XPS M1710—but mobile gamers should still consider this top-performing laptop.

Incredibly thin and light ; built-in optical drive ; impressive battery life ; comfortable keyboard

Merely adequate performance ; no option for built-in Webcam or wireless broadband ; only one speaker ; case feels too flexible

Toshiba's Portégé R500 is an amazing ultraportable laptop with only a couple of minor shortcomings keeping it from perfection.

Excellent design ; LED-backlit display ; Front Row multimedia software ; good battery life

No media-card reader ; quick to heat up

The MacBook Pro is a great mix of high specs and high style. Its iconic design is matched only by its superior performance.

Beautiful display ; dual SLI video cards offer record-breaking graphics performance ; excellent A/V connectivity, including built-in TV tuner ; will be refreshed with new nVidia graphics by end of year

Expensive ; stale case design ; no HDMI port ; short battery life ; newer components are on the horizon

The SLI-equipped Alienware Area-51 m9750 is the most powerful gaming notebook we've seen to date, but with updated components on the horizon, it may not hold that title for long.