Top 10 laptops of 2008

Let's face it. Interesting features such as facial recognition and an incredibly strong chassis may grab headlines, but these are rarely the first things consumer consider when choosing a laptop. Instead, models which give the best value are the ones flying off the shelves.

In fact, the market is so price-conscious these days that a vendor can keep refreshing the platform without changing the design and yet the unit will still sell, if it's cheap enough. With the economy taking a dip in the foreseeable future, this trend may become even more dominant in 2009.

Each notebook is given a score based on readership figures and sales performance from Sim Lim Square stores to determine which are the most popular laptops for 2008.

	1.	HP Pavilion dv2700 (Core 2 Duo T7300 processor 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM)   CNET Asia rating: 7.4 out of 10 The good: Attractive new "special-edition" bronze theme; includes a media remote control and an HDMI port; available dedicated graphics. The bad: Heavier than it should be; tinny speakers, unimpressive battery life. The bottom line: The 14-inch HP Pavilion dv2700 Special Edition packs plenty of extra features and a cool new paint job into a slightly too-heavy package with an uninspiring battery. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	2.	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. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	Compaq Presario V3800 series (Core 2 Duo T5750 Processor 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM) Outlook The Compaq Presario V3800 delivers a strong set of components and decent basic features for a competitive price. Optional addons like the HP XB 3000 expansion base further expand the functionality of this series with more connectivity ports and a better speaker setup. See full specs | Rate this
	4.	Acer Aspire 4930G (Core 2 Duo P8600 Processor 2.4GHz, 4GB RAM) Outlook The Aspire 4920G may be cheap, but it's definitely not boring with its Gemstone design. Billed as a portable entertainment notebook, it sports a dedicated Nvidia graphics card for additional video performance. Users who frequently edit videos or produce presentations will appreciate this affordable Acer PC. See full specs | Rate this
	5.	Acer Extensa 4620Z (Pentium Dual-Core T2330 Processor 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM) Outlook At just under S$1,000 (US$736.25), 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. See full specs | Rate this