Judging a laptop amongst many to be "best overall" is a difficult if not impossible task as users have different needs when it comes to performance and portability. Therefore, this best list will consist of the best laptops of their respective classes, with considerations for size, aesthetics, weight, battery life, overall performance and, of course, price. If you already know which type of laptop you are looking for, be sure to check out our other laptop best picks.
For the budget-minded all-around laptop—The ThinkPad lineup of notebook PCs have been the standard for quality notebook construction for many years, and Lenovo's ThinkPad T400 continues the tradition. Every bit as sturdily constructed as its predecessors, the ThinkPad T400 follows the winning formula of the ThinkPad design methodology with its basic, utilitarian design and the trademark TrackPoint mouse nub in the middle of the keyboard. With a 14.1" LED-backlit 1280x800 resolution screen, it doesn't rank the highest in terms of overall resolution or screen real estate, but is an ideal size for a travel notebook without being cramped like a netbook.
In terms of power, the T400 offers many different configurations and can be equipped with powerful Intel processors such as a P8400 running at 2.24GHz. The T400 can also be outfitted with discrete graphics solutions as well, such as an ATI 3450M. While the T400 may not turn heads, it doesn't need to. It is a very functional laptop that can handle almost anything mobile users throw at it while maintaining a sturdy design, good battery life and reasonable price.
For the thin-and-light buyer—Combining decent processing power with good battery life, the Asus UL80Vt-A1 is a flexible mid-range notebook that has both the capability of running performance applications and games when battery life conservation isn’t an issue, and switching to a power-sipping mode when battery life is important. Its main feature, similar to the Macbook Pros, is that it has both Nvidia G210M and Integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics adapters that can be switched without reboot. This allows for good battery life and performance whenever the situation demands it. Unlike the Macbook Pro, where a reboot is required between switching graphics adapters, the UL80Vt-A1 is capable of switching within the operating system itself. Its processor, the Ultra Low Voltage Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300, isn't particularly known for its performance as a processor. However, an interesting feature for the UL80Vt-A1 is that the processor can be set to "Turbo Mode" in which the motherboard overclocks the processor when desired to make up for the processor deficiency. Turbo Mode raises the Intel SU7300's stock clock speed of 1.3GHz to 1.73GHz, a near 33% performance boost! The ergonomics of the notebook is also well designed.Being a 14" thin-and-light notebook, it weighs in at 4.8 pounds, slightly heavy for a thin-and-light such as a Dell Studio 14z. Nevertheless, the performance differential that this notebook offers combined with its reasonable pricing makes it a great value. While the Macbook Pro may have a better processor, the UL80Vt is certainly significantly less expensive, well under the $1,000 price range. Therefore, the Asus UL80Vt-A1 is a hard laptop not to recommend in the mid-range price spectrum.
For Macintosh buyers—For those looking to get a Macintosh computer, the Apple Macbook Pro 13" is the best all-around choice for most users and a viable alternative to a Windows PC machine. The Macbook Pro 13" packs quite a punch within its small frame. The most popular configuration boasts a 2.26Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of fast DDR3 ram, 160GB Hard Drive, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a bright 13.3” LED display. It's a great all-around machine that's ideal for college students and everyday use. The sleek case is lightweight and durable, and small enough to be carried anywhere you go. It's also a relatively strong value, especially compared to last year's models because it's less expensive, more powerful, and the battery lasts longer. The MacBook Pro also includes iLife 09 for working with media content. Other nice features include Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and a FireWire 800 port. If you need more computing power, step up to the MB991LL/A for a 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of DDR3 Ram, and a 250GB hard drive.
For Netbook buyers—The netbook phenomenon was started by Asus with their "Eee" netbook. They have come a long way in the past year, becoming refined, portable, and capable computers in their own right. While many may not like the slower processing speeds, small screen, or cramped keyboard, netbooks are undoubtedly useful as "second computers" and for applications such as note-taking, chatting, and internet browsing. They are also excellent for travel because of their ultra-portable, lightweight designs.
Another important facet to netbooks is their price - cheap enough to not break the bank and affordable enough to upgrade every couple of years. The ASUS 1005HA leads the pack when it comes to overall design, performance, battery life and features for the money. The removable six-cell battery offers up to 10.5 hours of battery life – quite a big longer than many competitors. The 1005HA offers a fairly standard set of components with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 1GB DDR2 RAM (upgradable to 2GB), and a 160GB 5,400RPM hard drive. The 10.1” screen is large enough for anything you’d want to do on a netbook. The keyboard is very good compared to the competition and features a full-size Shift key. This computer has a solid feature set with 3 USB 2.0 ports, an SD card reader, 1.3MP webcam, Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It also features the slim, stylish design introduced with the 1008HA, though the 1005HA is slightly bulkier and heavier than that model. Overall, the Eee 1005HA is an excellent netbook with class-leading battery life, an attractive design, and a solid feature set, making it an excellent choice for any netbook shopper.
Other popular and highly-capable netbooks include the Acer Aspire D250, Acer Aspire AOD150, and HP Mini. With prices typically ranging from $299-400, it's hard to debate the value of a netbook.
For gamers who want some mobility and lots of performance in a laptop—Sporting Intel's new Core i7 Mobile processor, dual hard disk bays and Nvidia GTX 260M graphics, the Asus G51J-A1 is definitely more performance-oriented rather than battery efficient. Priced at around $1,500, the Asus G51J-A1 is priced for its performance, but the total cost for the laptop is actually not unreasonable given the performance that is unleashed from within the G51J's 15.6" chassis. Sporting a high-resolution 15.6" 1920x1080 resolution panel, the G51J's monitor gives the computer the ability to flex its graphical and processing performance within gaming. Its Core i7 Mobile 720QM is clocked at 1.63GHz with four cores and 4GB of DDR3 memory. The GTX 260M is also no slouch in gaming, giving good performance numbers for games and applications alike. Another interesting design feature is the capability to mount two hard disk drives, offering flexibility in drive selection and overall capacity. In its stock configuration, the G51J-A1 comes with two Seagate 320GB drives, totaling 640GB. For a mobile gaming platform at a reasonable price, the Asus G51J-A1 scores high marks, offering good performance and features that usually are restricted within a larger frame of a 17" notebook - just make sure you're near an power socket when you're gaming!