Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch)

The Apple MacBook Pro proves that a desktop replacement notebook doesn't have to be a behemoth. Weighing just 6.8 pounds and measuring about an inch thick, this sleek system delivers a 17-inch widescreen and plenty of extras.

The simple brushed-aluminum shell of the MacBook Pro (compare prices) is as pleasing to the touch as it is to the eyes, and the clean look continues inside, with a monochromatic brushed-silver keyboard and deck. The keyboard is exceedingly comfortable and quiet, and we appreciate the oversized touchpad and single mouse button. One casualty of the minimalist aesthetic: The system lacks multimedia control keys, although you can use keyboard shortcuts to control these functions.

The 17-inch, 1680 x 1050-pixel widescreen (your choice of antiglare or glossy) is sharp and bright, with excellent color reproduction for image and video editors. It also has the best viewing-angle performance we've seen, which makes the MacBook Pro an ideal presentation tool. If you need a larger screen, the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics engine can drive an external display up to 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Hardware and software features abound. We love the backlit keyboard that illuminates automatically, thanks to the machine's light sensor. The built-in iSight camera and software enable four-way videoconferencing, and the included remote launches and controls Apple's Front Row interface for playing movies, music, and photos from across the room. You'll find FireWire 400 and 800 ports, and the ExpressCard slot accepts a Verizon Wireless EV-DO wireless broadband card. The newest MacBooks are equipped with the latest 802.11n technology.

Then there are the extras of the Mac OS X 10.4 itself, such as the handy Finder search utility and the Dashboard with dockable Widget applets. The included iLife suite makes it easy to manage and edit photos with iPhoto, manage and expand your music library with iTunes, make your own music with GarageBand, create movies and DVDs with iMovie and iDVD, create a Web site with iWeb, and more. Not enough? Load Apple's Boot Camp utility and set up the MacBook Pro as a dual-boot machine running either Mac OS X or Windows XP. In fact, the only software you're likely to need to add is an office suite.

Performance from the 2.33-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (married to 3GB of RAM in our test configuration) and ATI graphics was good but not class-leading. The machine scored 4,871 on PCMark05, and 4,996 on 3DMark03 while running Boot Camp (both acceptable, but on the lower end of the range here). Our F.E.A.R. test got a playable frame rate (39 fps) on its autodetect settings with a resolution of 1024 x 768. On the plus side, wireless throughput was excellent at 19.3 Mbps at 15 feet, and 14.6 Mbps at 50 feet. Battery life of 2 hours and 44 minutes was good for a 17-inch model and the best in the roundup.

For the price, you could certainly get a faster 17-inch Windows notebook, even one with a high-def DVD drive (which Apple doesn't yet offer). But it won't have all the Apple software and hardware extras, it'll weigh at least two pounds more, and it won't look nearly as good. We recommend opting for the standard 2GB of RAM instead of 3GB, which will bring the price down to $2,799.


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Specifications:

RAM Included:  3GB

RAM Upgradable To:  3GB

Hard Drive Size:  160GB

Hard Drive Speed:  5,400rpm

Optical Drive Type:  DVD+R DL;DVD±RW

Optical Drive Speed:  8X

Display Size (inches):  17

Native Resolution:  1680x1050

Graphics Card:  ATI Mobility Radeon X1600

Video Memory:  256MB

Wi-Fi:  802.11b/g

Bluetooth:  Stereo Bluetooth

Ports (excluding USB):  DVI; Ethernet; Firewire; Headphone; Microphone

USB Ports:  3

Card Slot(s):  ExpressCard

Warranty/Support:  One-year parts and labor/90-day toll-free 24/7

Size:  15.4x10.4x1

Weight:  6.8lbs

Everex StepNote XT5000T

The Everex StepNote XT5000T is designed for budget-conscious buyers who want a big screen and not much more. You don't get top-shelf components or a lot of multimedia extras, but considering it costs $899 in a sea of $2,000-and-up fish, some might be eager to overlook its faults.

The black-on-black lid (with a chrome accent strip) gives this machine a rather generic look, and the one-third silver/two-thirds black keyboard deck is not the pinnacle of ergonomics. In fact, the keyboard layout is unacceptable for a machine this size. While the letter keys are full-sized and comfortable, some ancillary keys-including oft-used Enter, Shift, and the period key-are shrunken to accommodate a dedicated number pad (that you'll probably never use). Also, the plastic chrome mouse buttons felt cheap and were very loud.

Another cost-saver comes in the LCD panel: The 17-inch widescreen is bright enough, but the resolution (1440 x 900 pixels) is low for this class. Still, text in applications was crisp and legible, and DVD playback looked fine. Since there is no high-def optical drive option (a dual-layer multi-format DVD burner is standard), you probably won't miss the HD screen. On the plus side, the deck-mounted speakers delivered decent sound quality, and you get a 100GB hard drive.

The XT5000T's selection of ports is fairly basic; a 4-in-1 memory card reader, three USB ports, FireWire, an ExpressCard slot, and S-video and DVI-I connectors for outputting the video signal to a TV or bigger LCD. Everex also includes four application-launch keys below the screen and a volume dial on the front edge. Aside from the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium, the only software included is CyberLink's DVD Suite.

As for performance, the 1.66-GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 CPU is fine for typical chores but couldn't keep pace with the Intel Core 2 Duo machines here, posting a score of 3,411 on PCMark05, the lowest of the group. The 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 GPU is good enough for casual gamers and plenty powerful for Vista's Aero interface, but the machine posted a merely okay score of 7,009 on 3DMark03. F.E.A.R. scores were good, but not great, at 41 fps on autodetect. Wireless throughput was slightly below average for this class at 10.9 Mbps at 15 feet, and 7.1 Mbps at 50 feet, as was the XT5000T's battery life of 1 hour and 18 minutes.

All told, the StepNote XT5000T doesn't have the flash or power of the other entries here. But considering you can get two-or three or four-of them for the money you'd spend on one of the others, buyers with modest needs and budgets might not mind.

Specifications:

RAM Included:  1GB

RAM Upgradable To:  4GB

Hard Drive Size:  100GB

Hard Drive Speed:  5,400rpm

Optical Drive Type:  DVD±RW Dual Layer

Optical Drive Speed:  8X

Display Size (inches):  17

Native Resolution:  1440x900

Graphics Card:  Nvidia GeForce Go 7600

Video Memory:  256MB

Wi-Fi:  802.11b/g

Operating System:  MS Windows Vista Home Premium

Ports (excluding USB):  DVI; Ethernet; Firewire; Headphone; Microphone; Modem; S-Video

USB Ports:  3

Card Slot(s):  4-1 card reader; ExpressCard

Warranty/Support:  One-year parts and labor/one-year toll-free 24/7

Size:  15.7 x 11.8 x 1.6

Weight:  8.5

Pantech duo

More compact than most Windows Mobile phones, the Pantech duo sports a dual-slider design, so you get both a QWERTY keyboard and numeric keypad. (It's actually kind of addictive.) Other highlights include high-speed HSDPA data and easy access to instant messaging. It's not nearly as innovative as the dual-slider Helio Ocean, and the keyboard could be better, but the duo still supplies messaging-savvy consumers and young professionals with a good all-purpose device that won't weigh them down.

The dark-gray body with textured metallic trim has a simple elegance suitable for the boardroom or a night on the town. At 4.6 ounces, the 4 x 2 x 0.8-inch-thick Pantech duo slips easily into a shirt pocket and is lighter and more streamlined than the 5.6-ounce, 0.9-inch thick Ocean. (On the other hand, the Ocean justifies its bulk with a sharper two-megapixel camera, more robust instant messaging, better MySpace integration, and GPS.) The duo's round corners felt good in the hand, providing a solid grip even for those with large mitts. On the right side of the phone are keys for launching the voice recorder and 1.3-MP camera. We appreciated the raised volume keys on the left side.

Sliding up the bright and colorful 2.2-inch (320 x 240-pixel resolution) display reveals a good-sized numeric keypad that makes for easy dialing. Flipping the duo horizontally and sliding out the QWERTY keyboard changes the orientation of the display to landscape mode (sometimes with a noticeable delay). We were able to thumb text messages, craft e-mail, and type URLs with decent accuracy. The duo's flat keys have a decent amount of depth, but the cramped layout takes some getting used to. Most frustrating is the placement of the soft menu keys in landscape mode; they're positioned on the extreme opposite ends of the keyboard instead of right underneath the menu options on the display.

Multimedia options abound, but none exactly wow on this device. Riding AT&T's 3G network, the duo offers Cellular Video, which features programming from Comedy Central, ESPN, HBO, and other content providers. We launched a clip of The Colbert Report, which buffered quickly, courtesy of the HSDPA connection. However, even though the video stayed in sync with the audio, the picture quality was less than stellar. On a few occasions we couldn't tune in and were greeted with a "We are temporarily experiencing technical difficulties" message. A free three-day trial to MobiTV ($9.99 per month) offers a smoother experience and adds shows from The Discovery Channel, Fox Sports, TLC, and more.

Users can sideload all sorts of music (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA) and video (H.263, MPEG-4, WMV) files to the Pantech duo via the microSD Card slot (which is located on the top of the phone for easy access). For now, you can subscribe to Napster ($9.95 per month unlimited) and Yahoo Music ($8.99 per month unlimited) from the phone, but they're sent to your home PC for downloading. Unfortunately, over-the-air music download services, including Napster Mobile and eMusic Mobile, won't be available on the duo. If satellite radio is more your speed, we recommend XM Radio Mobile ($8.99 per month after a free three-day trial) which streamed smoothly on this device so long as we were in a 3G coverage area. Pairing the duo with our stereo Bluetooth headset for an untethered audio experience was simple; a 3.5mm adapter is in the box for using traditional earphones.

Web surfing was quite speedy. CNN.com Mobile loaded within 8 seconds; the mobile version of NYTimes.com took 13 seconds; and Gizmodo.com took 26 seconds. We found text generally easy to read despite the duo's small display, but some may prefer Opera Mobile 8.65 ($24 after free trial), because of its better page formatting and zooming options. Instant messaging clients from AIM, MSN, and Yahoo are included and performed adequately, and we like that they're easily accessible from the Today screen. However, it took the duo nearly a minute to log us in and display our contact list.

Like all Windows Mobile 6 Standard smart phones the duo includes Office Mobile, which let us swiftly download and read and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint e-mail attachments. Speaking of e-mail, the included Xpress Mail client allowed us to painlessly set up our POP3 Gmail and Yahoo accounts.

The camera implementation is a bit awkward. The live preview defaults to portrait mode, and it fills up only half the display. We'd prefer a full landscape view, and for the camera button to be positioned on the bottom part of the right spine instead of the top part. That would make it easier to hold and use the duo like a regular digicam. Image quality was fair for a 1.3-MP sensor, and we appreciated the quick shutter speed.

Call quality was good in our tests. Other callers said we came through fine, and a test voicemail message we left on a landline sounded louder and clearer than one left with the AT&T BlackBerry Curve 8300. With moderate use, the duo barely lasted a full day on a charge, so be sure to keep that charger handy.

The Pantech duo is a solid phone for staying productive and connected on the go, but there is plenty of smart phone competition at or below this price. We prefer the $199 AT&T BlackBerry Curve because of its ease of use and better keyboard; plus, the latest version adds GPS while staying under $200. If you're leaning toward Windows Mobile, the upcoming BlackJack II ($149) has more features than the duo, but this dual-slider is more pocket-friendly. Presuming you can get comfortable with the tiny keyboard and don't mind recharging often, you'll be satisfied with this device.

Specifications:

Carrier: AT&T (formerly Cingular)

Form Factor: Slider

Fast Data Network: HSPDA

Internal Memory: 64MB

Memory Expansion Type: TransFlash/MicroSD

Music Player: Yes

Video: Yes

GPS: No

FM Radio: No

Display (main): 2.2 inches (320 x 240 pixels, 262,000 colors)

Talk / Standby Time: 3 hours/10 days

Size: 4 x 2 x 0.8 inches

Weight: 4.6 ounces

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