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In our current roundup of retail-specific laptops, we've divided our 25-plus systems into four different price categories, from sub-$700 budget models to high-end ones that cost more than $1,000.

In the "Budget" category, covering laptops up to $699, we found a collection of largely indistinguishable systems, along with a few that stood out as particularly good or bad. Most of these will provide a decent low-end experience, as long as you stick to one of the models with a dual-core CPU.

Our favorite, by a hair, was the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980, with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU and a big 500GB hard drive.

Note: For a roundup of retail laptops in all price ranges, check here.

Check out details of each system below:... Read more

Blu-ray and decent gaming graphics for less than a grand: Vaio FW560F/T

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Several months ago, one of our favorite retail laptops was the Sony Vaio FW480J/T. Besides offering no-hassle Blu-ray playback and a large if not full-HD 1,600x900-pixel resolution, 16.4-inch screen, it had decent discrete graphics that could handle many mainstream games. At the time, its $1,199 price was a little high, but very good when compared with traditional "gaming" laptops.

Just a few months later, the Sony Vaio FW560F/T has found itself at the top of our Holiday 2009 retail laptop roundup, a high-end system by definition of its price and features. At $999, however, this Vaio slips right under that psychological $1,000 line, while keeping Blu-ray and slightly improving the processor speed--and now it has Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled instead of Windows Vista.

This has jumped from a good deal to a great deal for anyone looking for a Blu-ray-ready multimedia laptop. The package offered is a big improvement over the Vaio FW351J/H, which cost nearly the same amount of money early this summer.

On the other hand, gaming laptops have changed the landscape recently with the release of the Intel Core i7 processor. High-end laptops have never been faster, and going with a Core 2 Duo is now a significant step down from that new plateau. We can't really call the Vaio FW560F/T a gaming laptop, but it's certainly affordable, and can handle many games better than you think.

Read our review of the Sony Vaio FW560F/T.

Sony Vaio FW560F/T (photos)

Sony's Vaio P: Getting a new lease on life?

(Credit: CNET)

One of the smallest, most pocketable ultraportables still remains the Sony Vaio P. We always liked its slim design and high-resolution screen...the problem was that it was far too expensive. That problem may be in the process of being rectified, according to reports that Verizon could be adding the Vaio P to its subsidized Netbook offerings this week. The cost? A mere $299, according to Gadgetmix and Phonearena. While that would require a 2-year contract, the original Vaio P cost around $1,000 at the beginning of 2009, making the subsidized price very appealing.

Even better, the P seems like it will be outfitted with a 160GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium. While it will have to compete with other high-quality Verizon Netbook offerings like the HP Mini 311, the Vaio P is another high-design Netbook we wouldn't mind owning at the right price, especially with 3G built in.

If this is true, it seems like a nice move for both Sony and Verizon.

(Via Engadget)

(Credit: Sony)

Feeling a little spaced out? Sony has a limited-edition Vaio that may suit your mood. The Nebula FW, part of Sony's Signature Collection, features an intergalactic theme that really makes us want to curl up in a space quilt and play some Spore. For a starting price of $810, you get a 6.9-pound Windows 7 machine with a 16.4-inch display featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio. You have a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 500GB of storage. Plus a Blu-ray drive. Battery life runs up to 3.5 hours, according to Sony.

CNET reviewers have positive things to say about another Vaio FW, the Sony Vaio FW480, calling it a "an above-average Blu-ray-playing laptop with impressive looks and good under-the-hood power."

(Credit: Gizmodo)

Sony is recalling 69,000 Vaio AC adapters, the company announced Wednesday. Insulation inside some VGP-AC19V17 adapters can fail over time, Sony said, posing an electrical shock hazard.

The Sony VGP-AC19V17 AC adapter shows up in computers from the company's VGC-LT, VGC-JS240, VGC-JS250, VGC-JS270, and VGC-JS290 series sold after September 2007. The adapter also appears in VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 notebook docking stations sold after September 2005.

Sony said it has received four reports of adapters short-circuiting, with none of those incidents occurring in the U.S. No injuries have been reported, Sony said. The recall only relates to adapters with certain serial numbers; you can enter your number on Sony's site to see if your product is impacted.

The company said consumers with affected devices should turn off their computers, unplug them, and stop using the recalled AC adapters immediately. They should also contact Sony to arrange for a free replacement of the affected product.

Sony can be reached toll-free at 877-361-4481, or online at esupport.sony.com/ac19adapter.

This week on the Digital City, we consider the PlayStation 3's awkward Netflix implementation; marvel over the super-thin Sony Vaio X laptop; debate the fate of FireWire in new MacBooks; and review some gamer-friendly Halloween costume ideas.

We also plug the first round of Windows 7 laptop and desktop reviews; mourn the death of Geocities; and find out why Julie and Dan have swapped seats for a week.

Plus -- take an early sneak peek at Dan's Halloween costume -- but it only makes sense if you're over, say, 30 and kind of a geek.

Related links:
>>Netflix streaming coming to PS3
>>Does anyone miss FireWire?
>>Windows 7: the first wave
>>Make your own Bayonetta Halloween costume

>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!

One is an affordable HD laptop with an optional Blu-ray drive, the other is a carbon-fiber lightweight feather of a notebook with a price that's far from budget. Together, they comprise Sony's Vaio newcomers that are ready to launch along with Windows 7.

Let's start with the sexiest. The Vaio X has been shown off in photo galleries here before, but the details are now confirmed. At half an inch thin, it isn't quite as slim as a Dell Adamo XPS, but its 1.6-pound carbon fiber body makes it the "lightest notebook ever," according to Sony.

Equipped with an 11.1-inch 16x9 LED backlit display that has a scratch-resistant screen, as well as built-in 3G compatible with Verizon, it's definitely an upscale coffee shop notebook if we've ever seen one.

There are more notable features:

• An SSD drive instead of a hard disk drive (64 GB)
• Built-in GPS that doesn't require an internet connection to function
• A multi-touch trackpad that Sony promises will work "like a smartphone"
• Both a standard and long-life battery packaged right in the box, which Sony claims will provide up to 17 combined hours of plug-free work.

Sony Vaio X Series up close

What's not specified is the processor: "Intel processor, 2.0 GHz" is all that's confirmed, but combined with the small screen size, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and small-size SSD, the suggestion is high-end Netbook. The Vaio X starts at $1,300--not that you'd expect this to be cheap, would you? The Vaio X comes preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium, and comes in either gold, as seen above, or black.

The Vaio CW

(Credit: Sony)

On the more affordable end of the spectrum, the CW series also comes preinstalled with Windows 7, but its starting price is a relatively palty $780. Optional Blu-ray drives and a 14-inch 16x9 screen add up to another potentially solid HD-savvy multimedia notebook from Sony.

The CW15FX/P comes with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, a 320GB hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce G210M GPU. It sounds good, but we can pretty much guarantee that that particular config won't be the one that costs $780.

Both will be available in time for the launch of Windows 7, which is only a few weeks away.

Sony's flexible OLED-based Vaio notebook--not coming to a store near you.

(Credit: Scott Ard/CNET)

CHIBA, Japan--Perhaps to distract from the fact that it has no organic light-emitting diode TV on display here at Ceatec 2009, Sony is instead showing off conceptual uses for its flexible OLED technology.

Mind you, these are just prototypes, nothing even close to a real product, like the XEL-1 TV that Sony actually sells but is notably absent from its booth here. But the ways the company is thinking of perhaps using its flexible display tech are certainly cool.

Take the dual OLED screen Vaio notebook. It features the 0.2 mm OLED on both the screen and keyboard area. It's not a functioning prototype, though, so it doesn't do much besides sit in a plexiglass case and look pretty.

Also showcased here is the company's e-book Reader with an OLED screen and a futuristic update of the time-worn Walkman brand, in which the audio player takes the form of a wearable wrist device.

As cool as those are, they're just concepts. And none of them can make us forget that Sony was once the leader in commercializing OLED TVs and now seems content to let LG and Samsung take charge.

Vaio with flexible OLED screen.

(Credit: Scott Ard/CNET)

The Sony Reader and Walkman redone with flexible OLED technology.

(Credit: Scott Ard/CNET)

A blade of a laptop: the Sony Vaio X Series

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)

Giving the MacBook Air and the Dell Adamo a run for their money in the thin/coffee-shop sexy department, the Sony Vaio X Series notebook previewed at IFA Berlin definitely has the looks to rise to the top. At less than half an inch thick and weighing 1.5 pounds, it certainly could be one of the thinnest thin-and-lights out there, and a carbon fiber exterior should help with durability. Internal 3G and an "all day and into the night" battery also sound nice.

As to price and specs beyond an 11.1-inch screen, we're as curious as you are. Until then, here are some up-close and personal shots direct from Berlin for you to peek at. Hope you like the color black.

Sony Vaio X Series up close