Top 10 laptops of July

Outlook
The Asus F8 offers good value for a laptop which hovers at the S$2,000 (US$1,472.50) price point. Equipped with a hybrid TV tuner, mini remote control and options for fingerprint sensor and discrete graphics card, this laptop is an excellent all-rounder for those on a budget.

The good: Good connectivity options; reasonable performance for the size.

The bad: Speakers aren't great; no digital video-out.

The bottom line: The Aspire 2920 should suit most people who are on a budget and like to stay portable, but still need a bit of grunt. If it had an HDMI port, it'd almost be the perfect solution.

The good: Strong entertainment suite; mini remote control; USB/eSATA port; value-for-money machine; unique top cover design; swappable optical drive.

The bad: No expansion port for Pavilion accessories; thick and heavy for a 13.3-inch portable; no integrated TV tuner.

The bottom line: If you are looking for a strong entertainment machine at a reasonable price, the HP Pavilion dv3000 certainly fits the bill nicely. Just be aware that it's not the lightest or sleekest in its class.

The good: Excellent battery life; spiffy performance; multitouch touchpad; solid state storage; Draft-N wireless radio and Bluetooth; built-in CPU overclocking/underclocking application.

The bad: Keyboard still hard to use; a little more hefty than the Eee PC 900; glossy finish attracts fingerprints.

The bottom line: With an excellent battery life and spiffy performance, the Eee PC 901 has matured into an exceptional Netbook capable of all-day computing.

Outlook
The B1200 is a performance portable targeted at users who need a system primarily for work. As such, it eschews extras like Altec Lansing speakers and a mini-remote control, leaving only a Webcam and touch-sensitive multimedia control bar for the occasional video or music playback. In return, this 12.1-inch system puts in a water-resistant keyboard so the occasional spill does not spell disaster.