• Best Netbook
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• Best Thin-and-Light
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• Best Performance Notebook
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• Best Fashion Notebook
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Apple MacBook

The good: New aluminum construction looks good, feels solid; giant touchpad; attractive edge-to-edge glass on display; improved integrated graphics; backlit keyboard on some models; thinner than previous version.

The bad: Still no ExpressCard or SD card slot; loses FireWire port; all-clicking touchpad is a bit awkward, at least initially; S$2,088 now gets you a slower CPU than it did before; no matte screen option.

The bottom line: Apple's redesigned 13-inch MacBook is essentially a shrunken version of the more expensive 15-inch Pro line. With its new aluminum body, new trackpad, and Nvidia graphics, it's an even more attractive choice for mainstream laptop buyers than was the plastic model it replaces.

» Read full review of the Apple MacBook

Sony Vaio VGN-CR353

First take

As one of the premium laptop labels, Sony notebooks can hardly be considered cheap though they are well-known for having one of the most stylish designs in the market. The Vaio CR series, however, attempts to target the budget-conscious crowd while still maintaining its aesthetic appeal, though compromises were made in terms of weight. Granted, at S$1,999 (US$1,439.27), it's still significantly costlier than other similarly-configured portables, but the Japanese company adds value to its offering by putting in a discrete graphics engine and proprietary multimedia software.
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» Read more on the Sony Vaio VGN-CR353

HP Pavilion dv5 (Intel)

The good: Strong graphics performance; distinctive HP Imprint design; USB/eSATA combo port; feature-packed with fingerprint sensor and multimedia functionality; Blu-ray combo drive.

The bad: Runs hot; display is not in 16:9 aspect ratio and does not have full-HD resolution option; poor battery life; glossy keyboard and touchpad; no subwoofer.

The bottom line: For portable entertainment on a budget, the HP Pavilion dv5 offers a strong feature suite like a Blu-ray combo drive and fast graphics performance while remaining affordable.

» Read full review of the HP Pavilion dv5 (Intel)