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• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: For those looking for something more than a feature-light ultrabook, the gamer-friendly Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 is close to brilliant, and several configurations are currently available at a deep discount -- but I can't believe it doesn't have a touch screen. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i7 i7-3630QM / 2.4 GHz ( 3.4 GHz ) ( Quad-Core ), 8 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, None, 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM, 6 lbs, 6 MB, Dusk black with hairline texture

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Intel Core i5 3230M, 6 GB, 500 GB - 7200 rpm, Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, 14.0, 1 GB GDDR5 nVidia GeForce GT 650M with Optimus, DVD+/-RW

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 8 reviews

The Bottom Line: Considering the total package of features and price, the Acer Aspire M5 feels like a safe bet if you want an all-encompassing Windows 8 laptop with touch that won't cost a fortune. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 3317UB, 6 GB, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 14 in, 4.63 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: For under $700, the Acer Aspire V5 proves that a touch screen can work in a budget-priced Windows 8 laptop without cutting too many corners. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000 Shared video memory (UMA), 5.3 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB, Silky silver

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Asus Zenbook UX51Vz-DH71 is a nice fit for anyone looking for premium looks and performance in a Windows 8 laptop who is willing to pay for it. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i7, Intel i7-3612QM / 2.1 GHz ( Quad-Core ), 8 GB / 8 GB (max), 128 GB, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, None, 2 GB, 4 lbs, Silver aluminum

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Intel Core i7 i7-3630QM / 2.4 GHz ( 3.4 GHz ) ( Quad-Core ), 8 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 14 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), DVD-Writer, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM, 5.5 lbs, 6 MB, Dusk black with hairline texture

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.6 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: For basics on a budget, the Lenovo G580 gets the job done. Just don't skimp on the configuration. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-3210M / 2.5 GHz ( 3.1 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - Serial ATA-300, Windows 8, 15.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, DVD-Writer, 5.7 lbs, 3 MB, Dark brown glossy

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 is a good gateway to the Windows 8 experience with a responsive touch screen in a traditional laptop body. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5, 4 GB, 500 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 14 in, 1366 X 768

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Lenovo's latest ThinkPad slims down, but not as much as the X1 Carbon -- and it skips the touch screen. Read review

Specs: Intel, Core i5 i5-3337U / 1.8 GHz ( 2.7 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 12 GB (max), 320 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 7200 rpm, Microsoft Windows 8, English, 14 in, 1600 x 900, ( HD+ ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, None, 3.6 lbs, 3 MB, Graphite black

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 reviews

The Bottom Line: This near-ultrabook packs in processing and graphics power, along with an optical drive, at a reasonable price. The only real knock against the Pavilion m6 is that some of HP's higher-end systems hardly cost more. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB - 5400 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 15.6 in, AMD Radeon HD 7670M, 1 GB, 5.3 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.2 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The budget-friendly Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch is a bulky, heavy commodity touch-screen laptop that doesn’t stand out from the pack. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-3230M / 2.6 GHz ( 3.2 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 14 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, DVD-Writer, 5.3 lbs, 3 MB, Dark chocolate

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The business-oriented Lenovo ThinkPad X1 adds must-have features for 2013, and remains a very impressive business-oriented ultrabook with strong crossover appeal. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5, 4 GB, 128 GB, Microsoft Windows 8, 14 in, 1600 x 900, Intel HD 4000, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.2 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 15 reviews

The Bottom Line: HP's unbranded G-series laptops can be reasonable choices for bargain hunters. The latest version gets a design upgrade and keeps the price down, but is stuck with last year's CPU and graphics. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i3 i3-380M / 2.53 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 15.6 in TFT active matrix, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, Intel HD Graphics Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0, 5.5 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB, Charcoal gray

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11 reviews

The Bottom Line: Another year of incremental improvements for the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro help it maintain its lead as a useful, powerful, attractive midsize laptop, but the competition is closer than ever to catching up. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i7 2.3 GHz ( Quad-Core ), ( 3.3 GHz ), 4 GB, / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - 5400 rpm, - Serial ATA-300, Apple Mac OS X Mountain Lion, 15.6 in, 1440 x 900 ( WXGA+ ), NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M / Intel HD Graphics 4000, DVD±RW (±R DL), 512 MB GDDR5 SDRAM, 5.6 lbs, L3 cache, 6 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 42 reviews

The Bottom Line: Slickly designed and amply featured, the Samsung QX410 looks and plays the part of a more expensive high-end laptop at a price that's a solid value. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-460M / 2.53 GHz ( 2.8 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 8 GB (max), 640 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 14 in TFT active matrix, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), NVIDIA GeForce 310M / Intel HD Graphics, DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, 512 MB, 5.1 lbs, 3 MB, Silver

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 2 reviews

Specs: Intel Core i7 i7-3630QM / 2.4 GHz ( Quad-Core ), 8 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, DVD-Writer, 2 GB, 5 lbs, Aluminum

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.2 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 24 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Compaq Presario CQ60-615DX covers the basics, and that's really all you can ask for from a $349 laptop. Read review

Specs: Intel Celeron 900 / 2.2 GHz, 2 GB, / 4 GB (max), 250 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 15.6 in, TFT active matrix, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel GMA 4500M, DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, 6.6 lbs, 1 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i7, Intel i7-3520M / 2.9 GHz ( 3.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 8 GB / 16 GB (max), 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 7200 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit Edition, 14 in, 1600 x 900 ( HD+ ), DVD-Writer, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 3.9 lbs, 4 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: Yes, it's heavier than the average ultrabook, but if you're looking for an excellent value in a full-featured thin laptop, the Acer Timeline U M5 is hard to beat. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 3317U, 1.7 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 6 GB (max), 500 GB - 5400 rpm, Green Instant On, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 14 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE, DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, 1 GB, 4.3 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB, Silver

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: A gentle redesign of the midrange Satellite S shows where midrange old-school laptops are heading in a world of ultrabooks and tablets. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 8 GB / 16 GB (max), 750 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8, 15.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, 5 lbs, 3 MB, Ice blue brushed aluminium, black keyboard

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-3230M / 2.6 GHz ( 3.2 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB / 16 GB (max), 750 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 14 in, 1600 x 900 ( HD+ ), DVD-Writer, Intel HD Graphics 4000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology, 5.3 lbs, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 13 reviews

The Bottom Line: Unlike a lot of other unique proof-of-concept laptops, the Acer Iconia is fun to use and largely works as advertised. But it has a hard time answering the most frequent question we hear about it: why would anyone need a dual-touch-screen laptop? Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-480M / 2.66 GHz ( 2.93 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 8 GB (max), 640 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 14 in TFT active matrix, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0, 6.2 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-3230M / 2.6 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 8 GB / 8 GB (max), 750 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, DVD±RW (±R DL), 5.8 lbs, Mocha

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: With the looks of a Portege and a touch screen, this Windows 8 laptop is part of a big wave of touch-enabled PCs. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB / 16 GB (max), 750 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8, 14 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, 4.3 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB, Champagne silver etched aluminum

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Intel Core i7 i7-3632QM / 2.2 GHz ( 3.2 GHz ) ( Quad-Core ), 8 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 14 in, 1600 x 900 ( HD+ ), DVD-Writer, AMD Radeon HD 7670M / Intel HD Graphics 4000, 2 GB, 5.3 lbs, 6 MB