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• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: While it's not going to dazzle anyone, the Toshiba Satellite U845T is a great example of exactly how much laptop $799 should buy in 2013. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5, i5-3337U / 1.8 GHz ( 2.7 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB, / 8 GB (max), 128 GB, - Serial ATA-300, Microsoft Windows 8, 14 in, 1366 x 768, ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, None, 3.8 lbs, 3 MB, Sky silver brushed aluminum, silver keyboard

• 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:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The shiny Samsung Series 7 Ultra has a long battery life and nice design, but its now older processor gives us pause. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i5 i5-3337U / 1.8 GHz ( 2.7 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 16 GB (max), 128 GB, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 13.3 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics 4000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology, 3.6 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB, Bare metal

• 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:
  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:
  2.5 stars Average

  Overall score: 5.8 (2.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 17 reviews

The Bottom Line: At $199, the Acer C7 is an attractive proposition for anyone looking for a supercheap portable laptop, but the Chrome OS and short battery life mean you'll have to accept a lot of compromises. Read review

Specs: Intel, Celeron ( Dual-Core ), 2 GB, 320 GB, Google Chrome OS, 11.6 in, 1366 x 768, ( HD ), None, 3 lbs

• 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: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The VivoBook S500CA offers a big-screened touch-screen Windows 8 laptop for a bargain price -- and without many extras. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB / 6 GB (max), 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4.6 lbs

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 9 reviews

The Bottom Line: While the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains a well-built laptop, it's fallen behind the MacBook Air and Retina Display MacBook Pro in design, lacks higher-end upgrades, and feels too expensive compared with the competition. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5 2.5 GHz ( Dual-Core ), ( 3.1 GHz ), 4 GB, / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - 5400 rpm, - Serial ATA-300, Apple Mac OS X Mountain Lion, 13.3 in, 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ), Intel HD Graphics 4000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0, DVD±RW (±R DL), 4.5 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!

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: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.5 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The ultrabook-like HP Envy Sleekbook 6 is the sharpest-looking $599 laptop you're likely to find, although you'll pay a performance premium. Read review

Specs: AMD A series A6-4455M / 2.1 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 16 GB (max), 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 15.6 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), AMD Radeon HD 7500G Shared video memory (UMA), 4.6 lbs, L2 cache, 1 MB, Brushed aluminum in midnight black with a red soft-touch base

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

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

The Bottom Line: Slightly less conservative-feeling than the average ThinkPad, the well-made ThinkPad Twist offers one of the better tablet modes from the first wave of Windows 8 convertibles. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i5, i5-3317U / 1.7 GHz ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, 500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 7200 rpm, English / MUI, Microsoft Windows 8, 12.5 in IPS, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 3.5 lbs, 3 MB

• 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:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: We have yet to see a truly great gaming laptop built from the ground up with Windows 8 in mind, but the 17-inch Toshiba Qosmio X875 can be configured into a powerful, reasonably priced mainstream gaming machine. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i7 i7-3630QM / 2.4 GHz ( 3.4 GHz ) ( Quad-Core ), 16 GB / 16 GB (max), 1 TB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Windows 8, 17.3 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, BD-RE, 3 GB GDDR5 SDRAM, 7.5 lbs, L3 cache, 6 MB, Black widow styling in diamond-textured aluminum, black keyboard

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.9 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The HP Pavilion Chromebook 14 advances the argument for Chrome as a low-cost mainstream computing environment, but the laptop's most noteworthy feature is a slightly bigger screen. Read review

Specs: Intel Celeron 847 / 1.1 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 2 GB / 4 GB (max), 16 GB, Google Chrome OS, 14 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics, None, 4 lbs, L3 cache, 2 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.0 stars out of 10 reviews

The Bottom Line: The business-oriented Lenovo ThinkPad X1 has a few quirks, but is otherwise a very impressive business-oriented ultrabook with strong crossover potential. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5 1.8 GHz, Intel i5-3427U ( 2.8 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, / 4 GB (max), 128 GB, - Serial ATA-600, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, 14 in, 1600 x 900 ( HD+ ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, None, 3 lbs, 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+ ), DVD±RW (±R DL), NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M / Intel HD Graphics 4000, 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: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: More RAM and a focus on Chrome's offline capabilities, for a new sub-$300 Chromebook. Read review

Specs: Intel Celeron, 847 / 1.1 GHz ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB, / 4 GB (max), 320 GB, - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm, Google Chrome OS, 11 in, 1366 x 768, ( HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics, 3 lbs, 2 MB, Iron gray

• 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:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Toshiba Satellite U845 is a serviceable but generic-feeling 14-inch ultrabook that, in a quest to become more affordable, has fallen into a grey zone: not all that compact, not all that rich in features. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5 3317U / 2.6 GHz, Intel ( 2.6 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 6 GB, / 8 GB (max), 500 GB - 5400 rpm, - Serial ATA-300, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 14 in TFT active matrix, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), None, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4.1 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB, Sky silver brushed aluminum

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The HP Elitebook Folio 9470m does a serviceable job at being a good thin all-around Windows 8 business laptop, but it doesn’t rise from the pack, and it doesn’t take any chances. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i5, Intel i5-3427U / 1.8 GHz ( 2.8 GHz ) ( Dual-Core ), 4 GB / 16 GB (max), 180 GB - Serial ATA-600, Windows 8 Pro / 7 Professional 64-bit Edition downgrade, 14 in, 1366 x 768 ( HD ), Intel HD Graphics 4000, 3.6 lbs, L3 cache, 3 MB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: A high-end big-screen multimedia laptop that's pretty portable (for a desktop replacement), the Samsung Series 7 Chronos is what we imagine a 17-inch ultrabook would look like. Read review

Specs: 3rd Gen Core i7, Intel i7-3615QM / 2.3 GHz ( 3.3 GHz ) ( Quad-Core ), 8 GB, 1 TB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, 17.3 in, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M / Intel HD Graphics 4000, 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM, 6.3 lbs, 6 MB, Silver

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: If you want to buy a "budget" gaming laptop, the Asus G75VW-AS71 offers plenty of horsepower and features in its heavy 17-inch body. Just don't expect anything svelte -- or good battery life. Read review

Specs: Intel 3rd Gen Core i7 i7-3610QM, 2.3 GHz ( Quad-Core ), 12 GB, / 16 GB (max), 1.5 TB, - Serial ATA-300 - 7200 rpm, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 17.3 nm, 1920 x 1080 ( Full HD ), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M, DVD±RW (±R DL), 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM, 8.7 lbs, Black