Sony Vaio PCG-GRX3P (Pentium 4-M 1.6GHz, 512MB RAM)

The good: Value-for-money; fast performance; large, precise screen; superb keyboard; relatively light and slim for a desktop replacement; rich software package.

The bad: Ultra-sharp display resolution may not suit everyone; average battery life; no integrated wireless LAN option; one-year warranty; no floppy drive.

The bottom line: The Sony Vaio PCG-GRX3P offers a lot of hardware for the money. Large-screen notebooks are usually big-ticket items aimed at graphics-intensive users, but this model’s smart blend of features makes it a good general-use computer.