While thin-and-light computing may be getting more mainstream, especially with the success of laptops such as the MacBook Air, the most popular laptop size in Australia is still 15.6 inches. We've gathered ten of our top rated 15.6in models in this round-up, which represent some of the best value mainstream models you can get in this market segment.
Most of these laptops are under $1000, yet they still provide excellent performance and features -- the Sony VAIO CB Series and Dell XPS 15z even have a Full HD screen. The ones that cost well over $1000 generally do so because they have a high-end CPU and decent discrete graphics, and can be used for gaming -- the HP Pavilion dv6 is one such notebook.
About our ratings: A star rating is awarded to a product in quarter increments from one star to five stars. The higher the star rating, the better the notebook. Notebooks are evaluated on performance, features, build quality, ease of use, battery life and value for money.
If you're in the market for a fast and comfortable to use desktop replacement notebook, Samsung's RF511 is a good choice. It can be found for only just over $1000 if you shop around, and this includes a 2nd Gen ...
The Dell Inspiron 15R N5110 is a cheap laptop with good speed and it includes nice features such as HDMI and USB 3.0. It also has a customisable lid so that you can install a design of your choice. However, ...
The Satellite P750 is a good all-rounder. You can use it as a media centre, a gaming laptop or for boring old work and social media tasks. Its style is nice, but we hate some of its lighting; we also ...
If you were considering a Macbook Pro recently but held off to see what the model refresh would bring, you might be disappointed. There aren't many innovative updates in the new Macbook Pro -- Thunderbolt is the only one worth ...
With a three-digit price tag and a 2nd Gen Core i5 CPU, the Aspire 5750G represents good value for money. It does have some drawbacks, such as a glossy screen and it could use a better keyboard and touchpad, but ...
The MSI CR640 is a desktop replacement notebook with good speed and battery life. It's a good choice for students, families and budget shoppers who want a laptop that will be quick when processing office, Web, and multimedia tasks. It ...
If you can get over the audacious colours (and let's face it, you probably won't), the Sony VAIO CB Series (VPCCB15FG) is actually a very capable desktop replacement notebook with good speed and useful battery life. We hate its green, ...
HP's Pavilion dv6-6027tx is fast and suitable for pretty much any home computing task. It can be used for admin work and homework, but also for video editing and gaming. We weren't thrilled with its screen and some of HP's ...
If it had a better design and a more comfortable keyboard, the Dell XPS 15z would be close to awesome. As it stands, it's just good. We like its configuration and performance, as well as its Full HD screen and ...
MSI's GE620 is a good value performance laptop with a very good configuration. However, it's let down by some build quality issues and NVIDIA Optimus technology that doesn't always work.
