Reviewed on August 17, 2009Dell's Mini 10v keeps a lot of the features of the more expensive Mini 10, while dropping the price below $300. It's one of only a handful of $299 Netbooks that doesn't look and feel especially cheap.TAGS:Netbook, HP Mini, SD card, IEEE 802.11, Dell, Intel, Wi-Fi, Dell Inspiron, Bluetooth, broadband, CPU, HP
Reviewed on July 10, 2009Gateway's SX2800-01 offers a strong combination of performance and features all wrapped up in a design that fully embraces the merits of a slim tower PC. We recommend this system to anyone looking for a fast, affordable desktop for the home office, the living room, or anywhere in between.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Gateway Inc., Dell Inspiron, HP Pavilion, clock speed, Dell, 64-bit, HP, Intel, PC, video
Reviewed on June 26, 2008Dell's first release from its new Studio line, the Studio 15, sits between the Inspiron and XPS lines and offers a good mix of features for the price, but we'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.TAGS:Dell Studio, Dell Inspiron, optical drive, Dell, Intel Core 2 Duo, SD card, USB 2.0, Intel, laptop computer
Reviewed on August 11, 2009Dell's popular Mini 10 is the most customizable Netbook we've seen. Adding extras such as a higher-resolution display makes it more useful, but also blurs the price line between Netbooks and mainstream laptops.TAGS:Netbook, HP Mini, SD card, Dell Inspiron, IEEE 802.11, Dell, laptop computer, Wi-Fi, Intel, HP
Reviewed on December 3, 2009The Dell Inspiron 545s-3055NBK improves on previous models with more upgrade options and faster performance. Its modest components can easily handle the most common tasks, but shoppers looking for a home theater PC should consider the Gateway SX2800-01 or Dell's forthcoming Zino HD instead.TAGS:Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., Intel Core 2 Duo, graphics chip, IEEE 802.11n, Dell, Adobe PhotoShop, Intel, Apple iTunes, PC, hard drive
Reviewed on July 6, 2009You might find a better deal from Dell if you configure an Inspiron 537s online, but this retail only model has little to recommend it. From slow performance to a weak feature-set, this budget slimtower is outclassed by too many other retail desktops.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., HP Pavilion, Dell, 64-bit, ASUS, Intel, CPU, HP, video
Reviewed on July 15, 2009The Dell Inspiron 545s cuts a more robust profile than other budget Inspirons by offering better upgrade options and some decent performance for its price. It has a hard time challenging Gateway's strong budget slim tower, but this Dell might sway you, depending on your needs.TAGS:Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., Intel Core 2 Duo, Dell, 64-bit, dual-core, Intel, Ethernet, video, hard drive
Reviewed on November 6, 2009With similar results as its ancestors, the Dell Inspiron 545s-1476N registers decent benchmarks and offers respectable upgradability, but we hesitate to recommend it over the older Gateway SX2800-01 that leaves Dell in the dust regarding both performance and features.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., graphics chip, Ethernet LAN, Dell, Ethernet, HP Pavilion, Intel, HP, PC
Reviewed on November 19, 2009At a glance, the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 offers adequate performance compared with other midtower budget desktops, but an older Gateway outshines Asus with faster performance and more versatility for a little more, leaving us unenthusiastic about this system.TAGS:graphics chip, ASUS, Gateway Inc., Gigabit Ethernet, Intel, Ethernet, Dell Inspiron, 64-bit, Intel Pentium, CPU, Dell
Reviewed on January 28, 2009In its present configuration, the Dell Inspiron I530S-119B won't feel at home in a home theater or digital media environment, but it succeeds in providing high performance at minimal cost thanks to a faster processor than the competition. Future upgrades to this system are limited, but if you're shopping for a budget computer for basic functionality, this Dell will do the trick.TAGS:Acer Inc., Dell Inspiron, graphics chip, Dell, Acer Aspire, Intel Pentium, desktop computer, 64-bit, Intel, hard drive, CPU
Reviewed on October 31, 2008The HP Pavilion a6620f makes a decent case for its budget price. We like the design and the built-in digital-audio ports, and if you're on an unbreakable budget, the a6620f will get you through a variety of processes, but we recommend saving up for a system that will give you a more powerful set of components for a negligible price difference.TAGS:HP Pavilion, digital audio, graphics chip, portable hard drive, burner, HP, port, Intel, 64-bit, Ethernet, Dell Inspiron, hard drive, adapter, Dell, PCI, video
Reviewed on July 29, 2008It lacks some standard mainstream laptop features, including an integrated Webcam and multimedia control buttons, but the Sony Vaio VGN-NR498 holds some appeal thanks to its decent performance, good battery life, and excellent keyboard. Still, there's a cheaper version of this Vaio laptop we like better.TAGS:Sony Vaio, keyboard, Apple MacBook, Sony Corp., key, here, color, laptop computer, Dell Inspiron, Intel, Dell, hard drive