Top 5 budget thin-and-lights

Thin-and-lights are laptops with screen sizes between 13 and 15 inches. This category of machines is great for those who need to travel often but who also require the performance and feature set which ultraportables cannot provide. Thin-and-light notebooks are usually equipped with built-in optical drives and full-power dual-core processors.

Just a couple of years ago, a decent thin-and-light machine would cost well over S$2,000 (US$1,472.50). Now, competently specced models can be had for less than S$1,500 (US$1,104.38). With this in mind, we feel that choosing laptops based solely on price would be a disservice to our readers. Instead, we seek out the models which offer the best value based on popularity, price and feature set.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

	1.	Acer Extensa 4630Z (Pentium Dual-Core T4200 Processor 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM) Outlook Though it's equipped with the older Pentium Dual-Core processor, this Acer uses the latest Centrino 2 chipset which offers the best integrated graphics solution Intel has to offer. We also like the fact that this machine has both Type II PC Card and ExpressCard/54 slots, giving more expandability options to the user. Configuration: Pentium Dual-Core 2.0GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 320GB HDD; integrated graphics; 14.1-inch display; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Premium Price: S$1,098 (US$808.41) See full specs | Rate this
	2.	Apple MacBook White (Core 2 Duo processor 2.0GHz, 2GB, 13.3-inch TFT) Outlook Granted it's a little over the S$1,500 (US$1,104.38) mark, but the MacBook White is the cheapest laptop with the Mac OS X operating system. Add the fact that the price includes the iLife '09 suite (which provides an excellent multimedia experience out-of-the-box), Core 2 Duo processor and integrated Nvidia GeForce graphics card, and you'll see why we consider this machine a great buy. Configuration: Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 120GB HDD; Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics; 13.3-inch display; DVD SuperDrive; Mac OS X with iLife '09 Price: S$1,588 (US$1,169.17) See full specs | Rate this
	3.	Compaq Presario CQ40 (AMD Turion X2 ZM-82 processor 2.2GHz; 2GB RAM) Outlook For a hair under S$999 (US$735.52), you get the latest AMD Puma platform with discrete graphics performance and a nice lid design. We also like the fact that it's compatible with a range of HP accessories such as the xb3000 notebook expansion base which offers a wireless keyboard and mouse as well as Altec Lansing speakers. Configuration: AMD Turion X2 2.2GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 250GB HDD; ATI Mobility Radeon HD3450 graphics; 14.1-inch display; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Premium Price: S$999 (US$735.52) See full specs | Rate this
	4.	Dell Inspiron 13 (Core 2 Duo T5800 Processor 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM)   CNET Asia rating: 7.3 out of 10 The good: Excellent battery life; good value for money. The bad: Previous-generation chipset; heavy for a thin-and-light. The bottom line: The Dell Inspiron 13 is great for those hampered by a tight budget but who still want a competent and power-efficient thin-and-light with a decent design. Configuration: Core 2 Duo 2GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 160GB HDD; Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics; 13-inch display; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Premium Price: S$1,399 (US$1,030.02) Review | See full specs | Rate this
	5.	Toshiba Satellite L310 (Pentium Dual-Core T3400 Processor 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM) Outlook It may be the cheapest of the lot, but that doesn't mean Toshiba cuts corners for this laptop. The Satellite L310 not only has an attractive design, its Webcam has facial recognition built-in that allows the user to login simply by flashing his face. Configuration: Pentium Dual-Core 2.0GHz processor; 2GB RAM; 160GB HDD; integrated graphics; 14.1-inch display; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Basic Price: S$899 (US$661.89) See full specs | Rate this