Notebook Price Watch
OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
BUSINESS NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
| Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor
(2.2GHz); 2GB RAM; 250GB HDD;
12.1-inch screen;
DVD writer drive; integrated graphics card; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition | S$1,698 (US$1,250.16) |
Active Foto and Electronics; Azenith; Buy Laptop; PA Mart |
| Why: |
The Acer TravelMate 6292 is one of the most affordable corporate thin-and-lights in the market, yet doesn't compromise on features or performance. At under S$2,000, this TravelMate has high-end specifications as well as a one-year international warranty.
|
| Wow factor: |
Rugged; good battery life; strong security suite; value for money. |
| Peer pressure: |
If a large desktop replacement laptop is what you're after, the HP Compaq 8710p has an excellent 17-inch display, a powerful discrete graphics module, plenty of connectivity and a spacious keyboard.
Not all businesses need a powerful setup with premium support. For the small to medium enterprises, the Dell Vostro 1400 offers enough power and features at a budget price. Best of all, the system can be shipped with either Vista or XP and comes with minimal bloatware.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 business portables chart. |
GAMING NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
|
Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor (2.5GHz); 4GB RAM; 320GB HDD; 17-inch screen; Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT graphics card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Ultimate Edition |
S$3,698 (US$2,722.66) |
Active Foto and Electronics; Azenith; Digital Asia |
| Why: |
If you like blinking lights and a macho design, the Asus G2S certainly serves that in spades. The latest iteration is decked out with the new Penryn Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz processor along with an Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT video card, the latter being one of the most powerful mobile graphics engines available in Asia markets.
|
| Wow factor: |
HDMI and e-SATA jacks; cool industrial design; reasonably priced gaming rig. |
| Peer pressure: |
Designed in collaboration with luxury car maker BMW, the Acer Aspire 5920G has a look you will either love or hate. However, it is possibly the most powerful gaming laptop to pass through our Labs. Based on the Santa Rosa platform coupled with the high-end Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT, it managed to squeeze out an impressive 3,288 on our 3DMark06 gaming benchmark. Oh, and did we mention it's also DirectX 10-compatible?
When it comes to gaming, the latest XPS M1730 from Dell seems to be a shoo-in for king of the hill. After all, with a blazing Intel Core 2 Extreme processor and two high-end Nvidia GeForce 8700M graphics card under the hood, it should cut through most games like a hot knife. Starting at S$3,899 (US$2,870.65) for the base configuration, it has options for a Blu-ray drive as well as 64GB SSD storage device.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 gaming portables chart. |
BUDGET NOTEBOOK
| Model |
Specs |
Price |
Vendor |
|
Celeron M processor (900MHz);
1GB RAM; 12GB/20GB HDD; 8.9-inch screen; integrated graphics
card; Linux/Windows XP Home Edition | S$798 (US$587.53) |
Digital Asia |
| Why: |
The extra S$200 (US$147.25) over the Eee PC 701 is essentially for the larger 8.9-inch display and bigger storage capacity, as the Eee PC 900 has almost the same platform and feature set. Despite the price bump, this model is still one of the most affordable sub-notebooks in the market. It also doesn't hurt that users are given an option between Linux and Windows XP Home operating system. |
| Wow factor: |
Multitouch mouse trackpad; 8.9-inch display; decent storage. |
| Peer pressure: |
Taking consumer complaints to heart, Dell updates its mainstream 15-inch laptop with the Inspiron 1525. It's thinner, lighter and less expensive than its predecessor.
The Aspire 2920 should suit most people who are on a budget and like to stay portable, but who still need a bit of grunt. In fact, it may be one of the cheapest 12.1-inch portables in the market. If it had an HDMI port, it'd almost be the perfect solution.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 budget portables chart.
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