You can tote all-purpose notebooks across town, across campus, and across the room without breaking your back (or the bank). These systems pack enough power to perform most of your computing tasks, and if you're into cutting-edge design, notebooks like Apple's MacBook Pro and Acer's Ferrari 5005WLMI are tough to beat. But like any big purchase, you can't fork over the cash without some advice from the experts. Here, we provide three essential buying tips and five top-notch notebooks that won't disappoint. 

 

1. Dual-Core Power, Decent Battery Life
If you're going to run the Premium or Ultimate version of Windows Vista, we recommend opting for a notebook with a dual-core processor and at least 1GB of RAM to get the best multitasking experience. Shoot for 2GB of fast DDR2 memory if you want to future-proof your system. Expect anywhere between three and five hours of battery life depending on the processor and whether the battery is of the six-cell or nine-cell variety.

 

2. Multimedia Perks
You won't get a ton of multimedia features such as TV tuners and a slew of A/V ports, but all-purpose notebooks are becoming increasingly entertainment friendly. Look for a built-in multicard reader, a few USB ports, an S-Video/TV-out port, at least one FireWire port, and a dual-layer DVD burner. Some of the more robust systems sport DVI connections and embedded webcams as well. The ability to play music and movies without fully booting the system is another plus.

 

3. Display & Graphics
A nice, bright, 15.4-inch widescreen display is the norm for these systems, and some will come with glossy antiglare coating. While the coating can provide brighter, more vibrant colors, it may be too reflective under certain lighting conditions, so choose your screen type carefully. You may end up paying more for a model with discrete (dedicated) graphics, such as an ATI Mobility Radeon or Nvidia GeForce Go solution, but if you plan to do some gaming you'll need the 3D muscle these cards provide. Otherwise, you can save a few bucks and settle for an integrated graphics solution.