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Not so long ago, buying a laptop was as simple as deciding whether you wanted a Netbook (11 inches or smaller) or not (12 inches and larger). Suddenly, however, it's getting to be a fairly confusing time to be in the market for an 11-inch laptop. Why do we say that? Simply put, this size used to be considered a "Netbook" category, mainly populated by Intel Atom processors. With the rise of ULV (ultra low-voltage) processors, however, a number of small-screened laptops--anywhere from 11 to 15 inches in size--have emerged, all thin and light, generally lacking optical drives, and running one of a variety of single- or dual-core ULV processors.

You need to know that the laptop you choose can have a greatly varying performance depending on the type of ULV processor it has. Take, for instance, the Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105. With an 11.6-inch screen, it's roughly the same size as the Nvidia Ion-toting HP Mini 311 Netbook we've been so bullish oabout, which costs only $399. The T115-S1105, however, starts at $449 and doesn't have a discrete GPU.

Here's the good news, though: the Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105 has much the same performance and specs as its bigger-screened cousin, the T135-S1300. With a single-core Pentium processor, it's not going to blow you away with lightning fast speed, but on the other hand, this is a better-featured and generally faster-performing machine than most Netbooks, while still coming in at Netbook size. At $479 for our configuration, it's also more expensive than the average Netbook, which could be the drawback for many potential customers. Another upside is its very strong battery life.

While the Satellite T115-S1105 is cheaper than the T135 series, and a single-core Pentium processor seems like a more logical fit here than in a 13-inch, with faster Atom processors on the horizon, it might simply be worth waiting for next year's Netbooks instead.

Read our full review of the Satellite T115-S1105.

Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105 - photos

The Viliv S7: ahead of the curve, or missing the point?

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The Yukyung Viliv lineup ultraportable of mini-computers is, in a way, a bit of a throwback to the days when UMPCs and MIDs ruled the pocket-gadget landscape and laptops were bulky and expensive and didn't have any great battery power to speak of. Back in the days of the OQO and the Samsung Q1, you didn't expect an ultraportable to have the same productivity power as a full-fledged computer...you were, in fact, happy when it just did one or two things right. Those days are over, though. For $300 you can now get a Netbook which, while lacking the horsepower that modern PC users expect, can still run rings around laptops from the days when the Patriots still won Super Bowls.

On the other hand, portables are also the future. From flip-keyboarded smartphones to tiny clamshell "smartbooks" running smartphone processors and mobile operating systems, the old-fashioned concept of a flip-up laptop is bound for a change.

This is where the Viliv devices lie: one foot in the past, one foot in the future, they're transitional evolutionary devices. In some ways, their tablet forms are refreshing. In others, they're less functional than basic Netbooks. And that's a shame, since they also happen to cost significantly more.

Viliv S7 and X70EX

The Viliv S7 and X70EX are two different form factors with the same internal components: both have Intel Atom Z520 processors and 7-inch resistive touch screens, 1GB of RAM, and a smaller-size hard drive or SSD. The X70EX, however, takes the form of a tablet computer, a bigger-screened improvement on the S5. The S7 breaks the mold a little more by adding a convertible laptop/tablet swivel screen to the equation, much like the Asus EeePC T91.

Would either of these be appealing to someone looking for mobile horsepower, or is a smartphone like an iPhone still the way to go? Can either of these Vilivs provide a compelling amount of Netbook in their small-form style, or are these higher-priced items stuck between a phone and a hard place? And here's another question: would you rather see Netbooks get back to these 7-inch sizes, or are you happier with the move to 10 inch and larger Netbooks with better graphics and HD screens?

Or is the future in fact something else entirely--custom-designed tablets like the ones that seem to be around the curve from Apple and Microsoft?

Read our X70EX and S7 reviews.

(Credit: Dell )

For an entry-level 12.1-inch ultraportable, the Vostro 1220 sure is pretty. An upgrade from the Vostro 1200, this series targets the SMB user who might want to save a few bucks and doesn't need the high-end features like the Centrino vPro platform in the Latitude lineup.

Sporting a glossy red or black chassis, this laptop comes with Core 2 Duo performance and an impressive battery life of up to nine hours with the extended cell. Weighing about 3.4 pounds with the standard six-cell battery and integrated optical drive, this machine is surprisingly affordable, starting at $799.

Optional extras include a fingerprint sensor, solid-state drive, integrated Webcam, hard-disk encryption, and mobile broadband radio. The machine is available globally starting Tuesday.

(Source: Crave Asia)

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(Credit: Acer)

More specs:

Acer also announced the anti-Aspire 3935-6504: the 18.4-inch Aspire 8935G.

Intel's newest Atom processor has slipped out of the starting gate sooner than expected.

Asus 1000HE Eee PC uses the new Atom N280 processor.

(Credit: Asus)

Though the Atom N280 had been expected later this year, it is now shipping to Intel customers. "Asus is already taking preorders for the 1000HE with the N280," Intel spokesperson Bill Calder said Thursday.

Intel doesn't expect the rollout to be as big as the Atom N270, introduced back in June, but the N280 is expected to appear in a few systems, Calder said.

The N280 brings a minuscule clock frequency improvement to the N270, bumping up the speed to only 1.66GHz from the N270's 1.6GHz.

The most noticeable improvement is delivered by the accompanying chipset--the GN40. Its built-in graphics silicon offers--for the first time on an Intel Netbook platform--1080p HD playback (though there will be no Blu-ray logo). Nvidia's Atom-based Ion platform will offer even better graphics, however.

Intel has also increased the front-side bus--a data path between the processor and other silicon--speed from 533MHz to 667MHz.

The N280 won't necessarily be the fastest Atom, however. The Z540, which is targeted at handheld-size mobile Internet devices, has been around since April and runs at 1.86GHz, a faster clock speed than the N280.

News about N280 was reported earlier here.

If you travel a lot and write a lot, which laptop should you buy?

Last weekend I had a chance to speak at the annual meeting of the National Association of Science Writers in Palo Alto, Calif., on the subject of laptops. And what many of the attendees wanted to know was whether a low-cost Netbook would be a reasonable purchase for someone whose occupation requires not only frequent travel and note-taking at meetings but also countless hours composing at the keyboard.

The short answer: not unless you have a desktop waiting for you at your home office. You'll find the longer answer, along with my recommended writer-friendly laptops, after the page break.

Fujitsu continued its trend toward colorful laptops this week with the introduction of the tartan-lidded LifeBook A6220. Like the LifeBook A1110 announced earlier this month, the midsize LifeBook A6220 incorporates a swappable exterior panel so you can replace the default indigo lid with a red or gold one to suit your tastes.

All the standard features for a midsize system are here: a 15.4-inch, WXGA screen; integrated Webcam and microphone; fingerprint reader and spill-resistant keyboard; and DVD burner. Around the case, there are the expected four USB ports, expansion and memory card slots, and a mini-FireWire jack, plus such extras as HDMI-out and eSATA connections. In addition to Gigabit Ethernet and Draft N wireless, the LifeBook A6220 offers both Bluetooth and wireless USB connections. In a nice touch, the laptop now includes Fujitsu's gesture-enabled touch pad.

You can configure the LifeBook A6220 to order on Fujitsu's Web site; the $1,299 base configuration includes a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400, 4GB of 1,066MHz RAM (plus 64-bit Vista to take advantage of it), ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics, and a 250GB, 5,400rpm hard drive.

This week also saw a Centrino 2 refresh of the company's 12.1-inch P-series ultraportable and T-series tablet. Find more information on the LifeBook P8020 and LifeBook T2020 on Fujitsu's Web site.

When Samsung announced the X360 earlier this year, we were jealous. Here was a 2.8-pound laptop with a 13.3-inch display, 1.2 inches at its thickest, that we were sure we'd never see in the United States. But with Samsung's entry into the U.S. laptop market, we now have a chance to get our hands on this MacBook Air competitor.

(Credit: Samsung)

Samsung is offering two fixed configurations of the X360: the $1,899 version has a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U9300 processor and a 120GB hard drive, while the $2,499 version bumps it up to a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U9400 processor and a 128GB solid-state drive. Both models include integrated Intel X4500 graphics, 4GB of 1,066MHz RAM, and an LED-backlit WXGA display.

Like the MacBook Air, the X360 lacks a built-in optical drive. But unlike the Air, the X360 is stocked with connections. In addition to 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, the X360 includes an Ethernet port plus an ExpressCard slot, three USB 2.0 ports, VGA- and HDMI-out, headphone and microphone jacks, a seven-in-one memory card reader, and a connector for a docking station.

Even with all that, it's still amazingly thin and lightweight; when we picked it up, we could hardly believe we were holding a fully functioning computer. If the X360's six-cell battery provides the 10 hours of battery life that Samsung claims, it'll be a winner for frequent-flyers who like to travel light.

Though it's certainly eye-catching, the X360 isn't the only laptop in Samsung's X series. The 14.1-inch X460 offers a slightly larger 14.1-inch screen, discrete graphics, and an optical drive in a 4.0-pound package. As with the X360, there will be two configurations of the X460: a $1,699 version includes a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 processor and a 250GB hard drive, while a $1,799 version is built on a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor and 320GB hard drive. Both models include 256MB Nvidia GeForce 9200M GS graphics, 4GB of 1,066MHz RAM, and a built-in DVD burner; the X460's ports and connections match those of the X360.

Both the X360 and X460 will be available by mid-November at such online retailers as NewEgg, Buy.com, CDW, and Amazon.

Sony's $4,300 Vaio TT is about as far from the standard $500 Netbook as possible.

(Credit: CNET)

Sony's newly revamped ultraportable laptop, the Vaio TT, is a well-needed reminder that not every tiny laptop needs to be a low-cost, low-power Netbook-style system.

In fact, the Vaio TT is about as far from the standard $500 Netbook as possible, given the relative physical similarities. The TT's highest-end configuration (named the TT190UBX), includes not only an Intel ULV (ultra-low voltage) processor, but a whopping 4GB of RAM, and even an internal Blu-ray recordable optical drive. The real star power, however, comes from an unprecedented 256GB solid state hard drive, which jacks the price up to an equally imposing $4,300. Naturally, less expensive versions are available, ditching the Blu-ray and giant SSD drive.

The Vaio's 11-inch screen follows the 16:9 aspect ratio trend we've seen in new 16- and 18-inch laptops (including, naturally, Sony's new multimedia laptops). The 1,366x768 resolution isn't too far removed from the 1,024x600 found on most Netbooks, but the extra RAM and Intel Core 2 Duo processor makes a difference, allowing it to run Windows Vista smoothly, instead of XP.