This notebook isn't powerful, but it has many useful features and good build quality for its price. It's easy to use and well-suited to anyone who wants a portable computer for everyday tasks.

It might not be fast, but it sure is affordable. At under $700, this 15.4in notebook is ideal for students, workers, anyone really, who wants a basic machine for perusing the Web and typing up documents, or even for viewing and storing digital photos.

This notebook is suitable for anyone who wants an inexpensive dual-core machine for home, school or office use.

Despite lacking the latest and fastest networking options, the Dell Inspiron 1525's chic design and HDMI output make this a good choice for the home user.

This Linux version of the Aspire One is easy to use and has a solid-state drive, but the Windows XP version has better memory and storage capacity for only $100 more. Furthermore, Acer will also release versions with built-in 3G modules. It's really a case of waiting for the new versions to arrive, unless the portability and ease of use of this unit catch your fancy.

For running office applications, and even for some light media encoding, this laptop is ideal. It's well-suited to home users who want a second computer, or even as a first computer for the kids.