Top 10 laptops of April

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.

The good: Strong set of specs for price; performance almost matches that of more expensive laptops; attractive 14.1-inch display; dual headphone jacks and fingerprint reader; includes most of the ports and connections home users need.

The bad: Average battery life with the standard six-cell battery; opting for an HDMI port means sacrificing a USB port.

The bottom line: The HP Pavilion dv2500 delivers an eye-catching case, a strong set of features, and solid performance at a lower price than competing systems. We recommend it for home or school use.

The good: Solid metal construction; full ExpressCard/54 slot; big keyboard.

The bad: Odd resolution loses a few pixels; no mobile broadband options (yet); awkward mouse button placement.

The bottom line: HP offers a premium version of its plastic Mini 1000 while keeping the price down, making the Mini 2140 the Netbook to beat.

Outlook
At just under S$1,000 (US$736.25), this Acer offers great value with a decent feature set for the basic user. Equipped with Bluetooth, USB ports, Wi-Fi radio, built-in Webcam, DVD writer and even an HDMI port, this Extensa should satisfy all your surfing and productivity needs.

The good: Best Netbook keyboard we've seen; thinner and lighter than HP's previous Netbook; ditches slow Via processor for faster Intel Atom.

The bad: Limited expansion options; overly glossy screen; needless proprietary external drive connection.

The bottom line: HP may have arrived late to the consumer Netbook game, but by lifting the generous keyboard from last year's business-oriented model, the Mini 1000 easily joins the category's top tier.