Editors' note: This review is part of our Back-to-School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.The Toshiba Satellite L305-S5875 is a thoroughly average, entry-level laptop. It wasn't too ...

Note: This review is part of our Back-to-School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.We were excited when HP announced the revival of the Compaq Presario brand earlier this year. Here was ...

Note: This review is part of our Back-to-School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.By virtue of its broad, 17.1-inch display, the $699 Toshiba Satellite L355D-S7815 stands out among ...

Sony's new VAIO FW140 covers a few firsts for us. It's the first 16-inch laptop we've gotten our hands on--and the display's movie-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio will become more popular in the next year or two (we've already seen it in the excellent 18 ...

If this 16-inch laptop is any indication, the Centrino 2 platform offers excellent battery life ; 16:9 screen perfect for HD movies ; excellent keyboard ; attractive, simple design

No immediate performance gains seen here from Centrino 2 ; screen not really true 1080p, despite the sticker on the system that says so ; clicky media buttons seem old-fashioned ; still some advertising clutter, but less than previous VAIO models

Sony's smart design, long battery life, and a big 16-inch screen, make the VAIO FW140--the first Centrino 2 laptop we've seen--an excellent, but still portable, media hub.

Note: This review is part of our Back-to-School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.When we made our sweep of back-to-school laptops this summer, we were surprised to see a Sony VAIO ...

Note: This review is part of our Back to School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores. With a shiny black case and smart silver pinstripes, the $749 Toshiba Satellite A305D-S6848 features ...

Note: This review is part of our Back to School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.As middle-of-the-road as a laptop gets, Dell's Inspiron 1525 is an excellent go-to choice for basic ...

Slimmer than Dell's 14-inch Inspiron ; includes HDMI and touch-sensitive media control buttons ; a bit cheaper than other 1525 configurations and has better battery life

Slightly slower than other versions of the 1525 we've looked at ; smaller hard drive

The Dell Inspiron 1525-121B is the textbook example of a midsize, mainstream laptop. Switching to slower CPU knocks a little off the performance, but also takes $80 off the price and adds battery life, compared with Dell's more mainstream ...

Note: This review is part of our Back to School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores. Designed for multimedia users, HP's Pavilion laptops have always combined eye-catching looks with ...

Note: This review is part of our Back to School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores. Most budget-friendly midsize laptops feature 15.4-inch screens that, while good for watching movies, ...

Note: This review is part of our Back to School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.We were very fond of Dell's 14-inch Inspiron 1420 laptop when Dell launched it in the spring of 2007, ...