Laptops offer a wide variety of options to choose from, like with every product that is available to the regular consumer.  There are very many different brands that are also available; some people may prefer one brand over the other. Brand name does not necessarily mean one will be better than the other.

There are many no name companies that are producing computers for half the price and offer some of the same features.  When purchasing a laptop, it is suggested to try it out first to see if it is something you like. There are laptops that are better for viewing movies and listening to music, while others are better for gaming purposes.

The new MacBook Pro Laptop computers from Apple are giving PC’s a run for the money.  The new Thunderbolt OS is fast, efficient and stable and the MacBook Pro boasts 3x graphics usage with AMD hardware backed by double processor speed from the Intel i7 Core processors.

The cost is normally what keeps people from buying Apple, but that is beginning to level off now.  The default memory is 4Gig DDR3 and can support up to 8Gig.  The MacBook Pro is offered in 13 inch, 15 inch and 17 inch and are priced according to those display sizes.

The Gateway NV51Bo5U is a 15.6 inch laptop and is available for under 500 dollars. While this price tag may be enough for many there are some drawbacks as well. The dual core processor is a AMD Fusion E350 with 1.6 GHz, which some consider a little slow for such a large computer.

The graphics are run by TMD Radeon HD 6310 GPU and are not anything special. While they are better version of the year before, it is not sufficient for serious gamers. Many games will not be able to be played in full resolution.

Gateway could have done better with this 15 inch laptop. While the price is right the craftsmanship feels as inexpensive as it costs. The plastic seems dinky for its size and as though it could break easily. From far away the overall design of the computer is attractive, it is simply once it is handled that it feels poorly made.

The ThinkPad series of laptops has always been a quality choice for travel ready business computers. The outsides provide as sturdy computer and the software is clearly geared towards businesses. This new version has the same design features but a increasingly powerful processing system.

The Intel Core CPU processing system has 2.5 GHz and a 320 giga byte hard drive. The screen is reasonably sized at 12.5 inches and the light 3.3 pound weight makes it easily portable. It comes standard with the Windows 7 Progessional operating system and Intel HD 3000 graphics.

The one thing that the computer is lacking is the now common HDMI connection. However it does feature three USB connections as well as an SD flash card reader. It is a great choice for any business traveler. Prices range around the one thousand dollar mark.

The new HP EliteBook 844op has received high marks in the business laptop category. The computer is made with a reinforced frame so it is very durable for traveling business situations. The 14 inch screen features an anti-glare display to optimize office lighting as well as a well-spaced keyboard that is resistant to spills. The battery life is nothing to shout about and anyone interested in a laptop built for gaming should go for another option. The laptop features a 2.53GHz Intel Core i5-460M processor as well as 2GB of random access memory and a 250 gigabyte hard drive. The graphics are pretty high quality featuring Intel HD. While the graphics for business related work such as documents, spreadsheets and power point presentations, they are not high enough quality for 3D gaming. One of the biggest cons when it comes to this notebook is the lack of battery life, any business traveler looking to use the computer on a trip longer than four hours would be pressing their luck.

The Compaq Presario R3000 laptop computer is a generally well rounded computer however it does not amaze the user with any new or high tech features not found on other websites. It is on the heavy side of the mid-sized laptop category coming in at around 8 pounds.

It is best suited for students or professionals that don’t mind the extra weight and wouldn’t be a hindrance to a casual gamer. One of the perks is the flash card reader build into the computer as well as a design that can withstand a lot of wear and tear. It has both a DVD and CDR/W drive and features a powerful sound with the JBL Pro speakers.

The 15.4 inch screen makes it great for watching videos online or DVDs with friends. The weight prohibits from being a real moveable laptop, but for college students looking for a great deal on a computer with good processing speed it is a good option.

The Dell computer company has long been known for creating quality computers at reasonable prices. They hit the mark again with the new Dell XPS 15 laptop. Starting at around $850 the 15.6 inch screen laptop is a great value for the money.

While the touchpad has been the downfall of comparable laptops, the XPS touchpad has received no complaints by testers and users alike. It features a powerful processing system with a 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5-460M processor.

It also boasts a 500 GB hard drive and 4 GB of RAM. While the processor and performance of the computer is highly rated the design is less so. The computer is rather bulky and Dell made no extra effort in distinguishing the computer through a unique design. Those who are more interested in a performance based computer should go with the XPS, but style wise the HP envy series clearly wins.

The new line of HP laptops has received rave reviews from researchers and testers. The design of the laptop is one of the most attractive features sporting a aluminum case and a wide 14 .5 inch screen. There is no glare from side views and the clarity of the graphics is very high.

The tests done in the performance area show that even with many programs running at once the computer still functions at a quick speed. One of the biggest perks is the great speakers, as the envy features the high quality beats audio. One of the downfalls of the computer is the battery life.

The battery lasts around four hours, which although not terrible, is not up to par with the rest of the computer’s technology. There are two different options for purchasing the Envy 14. The base model features a 500GB hard drive, 4GB RAM and a 2.4 GHz Intel Core processor.

The Sony Vaio VPC-YB15KX/S is a small and compact laptop computer option starting at around $550. The screen is only 11.5 inches along the diagonal which makes it easy to carry around. For the quality of the computer the price point is high for many consumers.

It is more expensive than many other comparable computers which is a downfall to the product. That being said the features of the portable computer live up to the Sony name. It has a fast performance with a 1.6GHz AMD and Fusion E-350 Dual Core.

The laptop features an attractive design and comes in a variety of colors to please every computer user.  It only weights a tiny 3.2 pounds and is considered to be in the ultraportable category of laptops. It would be better if the computer featured the optional mobile broadband as others in its category do.

Apple makes the choices between the computers they offer easy by usually only offering three different types per screen size. The same holds true for their smaller 13 inch computers. Apple offers consumers the choice between the light weight Mac book air, the normal Mac book and the more powerful Mac book pro.

The Mac book pro is the only one of these three computers to have a new model release in 2011. It was released in early February whereas the other models have not had updates since mid-2010. Many people believe that the original Mac book is well due for a style change as it is sporting the original all white body.

Both the Mac book air and Mac book pro offer two choices when it comes to memory and running speed capabilities. The Mac book pro series is the most powerful of their laptops and new versions come equipped with the more powerful next generation Intel Corei5 CPU.