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A 17-inch laptop for under $500? Yes! Until you add shipping and sales tax, that is.

(Credit: Dell)

By now you've probably heard about the $348 Toshiba 17-inch laptop that's available at Walmart starting this Sunday.

That's a pretty amazing deal, but I see two downsides. First, it requires a trip to Walmart (and possibly some throwing of elbows, as this is a Black Friday-class price). Second, that Toshiba comes with a seriously pokey Celeron processor.

If you've got a little more room in the budget and want a system that's a tad more robust, you can get a Dell Inspiron 17 dual-core laptop for $499.

In addition to a 17.3-inch LED display and 2GHz Pentium T4200 processor, the Inspiron features 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and all the other standard goodies.

In other words, it's a fine choice for students heading back to school or anyone looking for a no-frills desktop replacement.

Unfortunately, shipping will run you $29, and you may have to pay sales tax as well. Plus, the system comes with Vista Home Basic. I think it's worth spending an extra $30 for Vista Home Premium, which comes with a free Windows 7 upgrade.

By the time you get out the door, then, you may be spending closer to $600. That's still a very solid deal on a 17-inch notebook.

That said, how many of you will be lining up at Walmart Sunday morning? Mighty tempting.

Normally, when you're reading off specs for laptops, an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor isn't listed--for gaming laptops, desktop replacements, or otherwise--and with good reason. We've had a few quad-core systems in the past, like the Toshiba Qosmio X305, but those Q9000 CPUs were made for these notebooks. So, what do you get when you cram a desktop processor into a notebook? A beast.

AVADirect will be the first reseller in the U.S. to offer a notebook using the Intel Core i7 quad-core desktop processor. The Clevo D900F 17-inch gaming notebook can pack up to 12GB of DDR3, 1.5TB (500GB times three) of storage with RAID support, Nvidia GTX 280M graphics with 1GB GDDR3, and a 12-cell battery.

(Credit: AVADirect)

Unfortunately, the spec sheet doesn't say how long you can expect that 12-cell battery to last when you're running this thing. Suffice it to say you'll be plugged in most, if not all, of the time. And at 11.9 pounds of hardware meat--excluding adapter plug--I don't think carrying it around on a regular basis is going to enter the mind, so it works out. If nothing else, at least this will be the most compact Core i7 box on the market.

The D900F is not an entirely new design. It was based on an older model known as the D901C. This model also used a desktop processor and desktop components, but was based on the aging Core 2 technology.

AVADirect started taking preorders as of last week and plans to ship out the notebooks to expecting customers the first week in July. Starting price for the notebook is currently $2,538, with the sky being the limit depending on how high you configure it.

AVADirect's D900F (Core i7) notebook--photos

For just a few bucks more than the refurb price, you can get HP's desktop-friendly Pavilion GX-235DX brand new.

(Credit: Best Buy)

Remember the HP Pavilion G60-235DX notebook from last week? Buy.com had refurbs for $469.99 shipped. (They still do, in fact.)

But eagle-eyed reader Mike wrote in to say that Best Buy has new HP Pavilion G60-235DX notebooks for $499.99. In other words, for an extra 30 bucks (plus sales tax in most states), you're getting the same system brand new, with a full one-year warranty instead of just 90 days.

Worth it? Absolutely. I mean, at any price under $500, this notebook is a steal. The 16-inch LCD makes it more than suitable as a desktop replacement, and it offers ample mainstream-computing power from its 2GHz dual-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and roomy 320GB hard drive. (Check the original post if you want more specs or commentary.)

User reviews for this model are stellar on the Best Buy and Buy.com sites alike. And just to clarify that one point of confusion from last week, Buy.com did indeed have the wrong product photo, which they've since corrected. The G60-D235DX does have a full-size keyboard with separate numeric keypad.

If you don't have a Best Buy in your area, you'll have to pony up an extra $25 for shipping. But I still think this is a system worth considering, especially if you're shopping for, say, a high-school grad who needs a college-ready notebook.

Reader Dan wrote in to say that he'd missed the 17-inch Dell Studio notebook deal from a couple weeks ago, and wanted to know if this HP Pavilion G60-235DX from Buy.com was just as good.

Well, let's take a look. For starters, the HP costs just $469.99 shipped--a full $80 less than the Dell. It's not quite apples to apples when it comes to specs, but it's very close.

For example, the Pavilion has a 2GHz dual-core processor, as opposed to the Dell's 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor. Real-world difference? Not much. The Pavilion also has 3GB of RAM instead of 4GB--still more than enough to run Vista Home Premium at a speedy clip.

Other features include a 16-inch LCD, 320GB hard drive, Webcam, and LightScribe DVD burner. There's also an HDMI port, should you want to connect the system to a big TV or monitor.

Curiously, Buy.com seems to have the wrong model pictured. As shown in CNET's review video (above) and HP's own product page, the G60-DX235 sports a 101-key keyboard (meaning it has a separate numeric keypad, just like a desktop keyboard). Buy.com's photos show a notebook with a smaller keyboard.

However, the accompanying specs do reference the 101 keys, so I do think it's just an honest error. At least one of the user reviews makes specific reference to the G60-DX235's larger keyboard.

And speaking of reviews, the Pavilion averages 4.5 stars out of 5 from Buy.com customers and CNET readers. That's pretty impressive.

My only real complaint is HP's 90-day warranty; Dell covers its refurbs for a full year. Of course, 90 days is pretty typical, and the conventional wisdom is that if something's going to break, it usually happens within the first couple months anyway.

Bottom line: this is a lot of notebook for the money. I think you found yourself a winner, Dan!

Update: First-time Buy.com customers can save an extra $10 by redeeming this coupon.

Dell's refurbished Studio 1737 comes with everything most users need, plus a one-year warranty.

(Credit: Woot)

Today only, Woot Sellout has a refurbished Dell Studio 1737 notebook for $549.99, plus a very reasonable $5 for shipping. A similar model new from Dell would run you more than $1,000.

As Jamie Foxx said over and over again on Tuesday night's "American Idol," woot!

This is one seriously well-equipped desktop replacement. The Studio features a 17-inch wide-screen LCD, a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a slot-loading DVD burner.

But wait, there's more. You also get Draft-N Wi-Fi, a 2-megapixel Webcam, and even an HDMI port for connecting to a big-screen TV or monitor.

The integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics processor is a little lightweight for high-end gaming, but it should handle the mainstream stuff just fine.

Even though this is a refurbished system, Dell backs it with a full one-year warranty. Bottom line: If you're in the market for a new notebook, one that's destined primarily for desk duty, grab this one. Now. It'll be gone at midnight tonight, and might very well sell out before then.

(Credit: Buy.com)

Most desktop replacements (so named for having giant screens, full-size keyboards, and other desktop amenities) start at around $800-900, but Buy.com has the Acer Aspire 7720-6155 on sale for just $599.99 shipped. It's a factory-refurbished model, but it's also very nicely loaded.

Indeed, the Aspire 7720 features a 1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 17-inch widescreen LCD. It also includes a dual-layer DVD burner, a Webcam, a 5-in-1 media card reader, and, well, just about everything else you'd find in a full-bore desktop. The only real letdown: an integrated graphics processor (Intel's GMA X3100). Thus, this is not the machine for gaming.

It's also not the machine for travel: Although it weighs a manageable 7.4 pounds, the sucker's downright huge. I haven't reviewed the 7720 myself, but I did cover (and like) a kissing cousin, the 7520.

The paltry 90-day warranty is reason for pause, but otherwise you'll be hard-pressed to find a better-equipped desktop replacement for the price. If you have any hands-on experience with the Aspire 7720, hit the Comments and speak your mind.

Gateway has one of the best laptop deals going with the P-6831FX.

You're likely shopping for a 17-inch laptop because you really need a desktop to run intensive graphics apps or Crysis, but you want a somewhat portable system you can lug to the couch, the dining room table, or occasionally to the office. Compared with your standard 15-inch laptop, the added screen real estate gives you a larger pallet with which to work in Photoshop and makes games and movies more immersive. The larger chassis also allows for more powerful components, from quad-core CPUs to dual graphics cards and hard drives.

Of the 17-inch desktop replacements we're reviewed in the last year, I present our current favorites.

General home use
We just reviewed Toshiba's latest 17-inch Satellite, the X205-SLi4, and it would have scored a lot higher if not for the existence of the Gateway P-6831FX. This fixed configuration Gateway model is one the best laptop deals we've seen in a long time. It hits the low $1,349 price point in part by the unusual pairing of a relatively low-end Core 2 Duo T5450 processor with a high-end GeForce 8800 graphics card. It also serves up 3GB of RAM and a big 250GB hard drive, which are common specs found on much pricier systems. For pure bang for the buck, there isn't a better deal going among 17-inch laptops.

Graphics work
Apple is still the designer's choice, and its venerable MacBook Pro just received a minor but appreciated update that includes Intel's latest Penryn processors while borrowing the MacBook Air's gesture controls for the touch pad.

Media consumption
The Qosmio has long been one of our favorite multimedia machines, and the latest, the Qosmio G45-AV690, offers up home theater goodies that include an HDMI port, a 1080p resolution, an external TV tuner and remote, and media controls including not one but two jogwheels. Unfortunately, now is a bit of an awkward time for Toshiba; this otherwise well-appointed Qosmio is saddled with an HD DVD drive, which now is basically a grossly overpriced DVD burner. Hopefully, we'll see a Blu-ray-equipped Qosmio soon. In the meantime, Toshiba ought to follow Gateway's lead; it's offering a $200 discount on its HD DVD-equipped P171XL FX.

Gaming
Dell's XPS M1730 is hard to beat as a mobile gaming unit. It offered top-of-the-line components when we reviewed it last October, and it's been updated to include the latest Penryn offerings, including the Core 2 Duo Extreme X9000 chip and dual GeForce 8800M GTX cards. The case is a little creaky, but perhaps the programmable LEDs that abound will distract you from that fact. The unique GamePanel LCD above the keyboard is a nice touch, and you can, of course, choose to outfit the lid in one of a handful of colors. Want to go cheaper? Check out the straightforward Asus G2S. And if you want to go totally over the top, Xtreme Notebooks has a system to sell you. Its 917V Accelerator packs in a quad-core desktop chip inside a custom-painted case (ours featured stars and bars) for right around $5,000.

Of course, the 17-inch screen is widely the most popular size for a true desktop replacement, but Acer recently announced it'll soon be unleashing 16- and 18-inch models. And for a machine that's closer to an all-in-one desktop a la iMac, be sure to check out a pair of 20-inch behemoths, Hewlett-Packard's Pavilion HDX and Dell's XPS M2010.

If you're eyeing a 17-inch (or larger) laptop that we haven't tested, please let me know here, and we'll do our best to get it in for a review.

Alienware's Area 51 m9750

You may be asking, "Whatever happened to that laptop that won CNET's Best of CES award in the Gaming category back in January?" Like you, we've been waiting for the Alienware Area 51 m9750 ever since. With high-end options including dual video cards, a Blu-ray drive, and even a TV tuner, this massive black box impressed with a starting price around $2,000 (minus all those cool extras, of course).

After bugging Alienware on a seemingly weekly basis for months, the Area 51 m9750 was finally released this week, and our favorite Dell subsidiary even managed to send a rep to lovingly hand deliver one into our greedy little paws.

Is it the best gaming laptop ever? It's certainly close to the largest, at least for 17-inch desktop replacements, at nearly 10 pounds and 15.5-inches wide.

The Area 51 m9750 is currently undergoing our rigorous CNET Labs benchmark testing, to be followed by plenty of hands-on, real-world gaming (purely for research purposes, of course), so look for a full review soon.