Lenovo ThinkPad R52 1860 (Pentium M 750 1.86 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD)

Though it's neither the smallest nor the most powerful laptop on the market, the mainstream ThinkPad R52 series offers businesses a mix of high- and low-end component options that will appeal to both budget and power users. You can choose from Intel Celeron M or Intel Pentium M Sonoma processors, the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 or ATI's latest Mobility Radeon graphics chip, and hard drives up to 80GB spinning at a slow 4,200rpm or a more satisfying 5,400rpm. You'll also have your choice of optical drives, display sizes and resolutions, and wireless cards. Like most cost-conscious mainstream laptops, the ThinkPad R52 series doesn't accommodate all the most choice components, such as a 7,200rpm hard drive or a multiformat DVD+/-RW double-layer burner. However, the configuration we tested included mostly higher-end components and cost a reasonable $1,468 (as of April 2005). Overall, the ThinkPad R52 offers businesspeople a sturdy, solid performer to take with them on the road.