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Top 10 laptops of October

By Darius Chang
Nov 20, 2008

Are Netbooks losing their charm? Despite a flood of low-cost UMPCs entering the market, with Toshiba and Fujitsu the latest to enter the fray, only two relatively early models managed to hit our top 10 list in October. Perhaps due to the current economic woes, attention seems to have shifted from laptop companions back to full-fledged budget portables.

Note: Results are based on readership as well as data collected from retail outlets (AAAs Com Solution and MC2)

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Click here for a feature comparison table.
1.  Compaq Presario CQ40 (Core 2 Duo P7350 processor 2.0GHz; 2GB RAM)

Outlook
Built for the budget crowd, the 14.1-inch Compaq Presario CQ40 is based on the Centrino 2 chipset with Intel's latest integrated graphics processor. The higher-end variant, the CQ45, costs a little more but will net you a discrete video card in the form of an Nvidia GeForce 9200M GS chip.

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2.  Acer Extensa 4620Z (Pentium Dual-Core T2330 Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM)

Outlook
At just under S$1,000, this Acer offers great value with a decent feature set for the basic user. Though it does not have Bluetooth, the Extensa 4620Z does have a generous four USB ports, Wi-Fi radio, built-in Webcam and a DVD writer to satisfy all your surfing and productivity needs.

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3.  Acer Aspire One (Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM)
 
CNET Asia rating: 7.6 out of 10
The good: Secondary SD slot expands primary storage; slim and light form factor; inexpensive.
The bad: Limited 8GB SSD; poor battery life; no Bluetooth.
The bottom line: The Acer Aspire One may not be as feature-packed as the Eee PC 901, but the keyboard is certainly much better and could tip the scales in its favor.

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4.  Acer Aspire 2920Z (Pentium Dual-Core T2330 Processor 1.6GHz, 2GB RAM)
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
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.

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5.  HP Pavilion dv5 (Core 2 Duo P8400 Processor 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM)
 
CNET Asia rating: 7.6 out of 10
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.

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Tags: Laptop Computer, Hewlett-Packard Co., Acer Extensa, Acer Inc., Compaq Presario
 

 
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    Talkback
Mygenie says...
After using laptop for many years, 14" is still the best & comfortable to use whether for work or entertainment, however, sad to say that not many brands are able to have light weight 14" except probably some from Fujitsu, Mac & Sony. A good laptop is not just on CPU, HDD, RAM, video RAM, it should be the orientation , functionalily and the detail feature that is incoporated. & yes, long battery life is crucial for mobile traveller like me.

Feb 21, 2009 22:52
 
 
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