If anything, 2008 was the year of the mini-notebook. After ASUS debuted its Eee PC 701 in October 2007, other PC makers were quick to follow with their own models. The category proved so popular that, of all the notebooks that we reviewed in 2008, nearly 20 percent of them were mini-notebooks. As of late October, these systems, also known as netbooks, accounted for five of the ten best-selling computers on Amazon.com.

If you're don't deem yourself pro enough to opt for the MacBook Pro, Apple has updated its MacBook range to feature the precision aluminium unibody as well. But what is the real difference, and in these "credit crunch" times can you really save some cash here by dropping the Pro label? We get digging to find out.

The ASUS G50Vt-X1 is an "affordable" gaming notebook available through BestBuy for a low price of $1,249. Priced and configured to compete against other popular notebooks such as the Gateway FX series of notebooks, ASUS is taking aim at this new market segment.

Like chocolate and episodes of Mad Men, there's no such thing as too much battery life. Alas, it's the rare notebook battery that'll give you more than a few hours -- unless you know some tricks for squeezing out extra juice. Remember these three tips the next time you travel.

The IdeaPad U330 is the stylish 13.3” consumer oriented notebook from Lenovo. With a slick chassis and thin frameless LCD, the U-series notebook is a huge step away from the popular ThinkPad series. Offering power-saving switchable graphics, HDMI out, touch sensitive media controls, and the Intel Centrino 2 platform the Lenovo IdeaPad U330 packs a big punch.

Fujitsu just recently updated their popular business tablet the T2010 with a new processor and chipset. Welcome the LifeBook T2020, which we got our hands on for review. This tablet has the same design, build, display and most of the features just better in the performance department. Check out our review of this sleek, lightweight LifeBook.

With the X460-44P Samsung does more than just cram an ultrabright 14.1-inch display and an optical drive into a remarkably thin chassis. This machine exudes style like no other notebook in its class, which is not all that surprising given that Samsung has been producing envy-enducing laptops for several years overseas.

We were promised when we reviewed the Asus N10 Netbook that there would be other laptops in the range, but we didn't realise just how similar they'd look. The Asus N80VC features an identical glossy black bezel around its screen, and you'll also find similar champagne-coloured plastics to the N10’s elsewhere on the chassis.

Business users may be slightly more predictable in their usage, but that doesn’t mean they’re satisfied with five-year-old machines. Lenovo’s new SL-series of lappies - the SL300, SL400 and SL500 - all have an options list weighed under with choices such as Vodafone-powered mobile broadband, Blu-ray and more.

Lenovo has an attractive thin-and-light notebook on its hands with the IdeaPad U330, a 13-inch system that takes some design cues from the 11-inch IdeaPad U110, released earlier this year. Like the U110, the U330 offers both touch-sensitive media controls and facial recognition. However, the glossy black U330 adds a more comfortable keyboard and switchable graphics.

We've made no secret of our love for Sony's ultraportable VAIO notebooks, as they are some of the best machines money can buy. However, when it comes to larger machines, our love affair with Sony is a little more hit and miss. On the style and build quality front, the Sony VAIO VGN-AW11M/H, it's latest desktop replacement offering, certainly lives up to expectations.

Apple's approach to products and marketing is inherently challenging, it's this that makes it such a love it or hate it company. We've taken a fair amount of abuse, for instance, for our views on the Apple iPhone 3G - particularly myself and my 10/10 review of the said handset.

The new MC7801u is Gateway's answer to the new 16:9 notebooks that many manufacturers are starting to release. These notebooks offer a wider display that is friendly to newer high definition videos and come in an in-between size of 16” and 18.4”.

Fujitsu announced today the updates to a couple Tablet PCs in their line-up. The first being the updated LifeBook U820 and the other the LifeBook P1630. Fujitsu's goal is to meet consumer and business demands for greater mobility and usability. The 1.32 pound LifeBook U820 combines full featured Windows functionality and integrated Garmin Mobile PC Navigation software and the feather-light P1630 has the latest Intel Centrino processor.

When you're working wireless, avoid transactions that involve credit cards or other confidential information. If possible, use a virtual private network , which encrypts data transmissions. And make sure your firewall software is current. Don't trust your neighbor It doesn't always take technology to steal passwords and other private data.

The amazing evolution of the netbook is set to continue, with Dell readying a 12 inch version of its popular Inspiron Mini 9. The Mini 12, as it will be known, sees the direct vendor bypass the 10 inch screen size favoured by Asus and Lenovo (plus a rumoured forthcoming model by HP) and leap straight into a space populated by full-featured subnotes.

Gateway hasn't exactly been known for its laptop designs in the past, but the MC Series is a potential game changer for the manufacturer. With an eye-catching lid, 16-inch widescreen (with 16:9 aspect ratio) glass display and backlit keyboard, the Gateway MC-7803U looks the part of a modern notebook and backs up those looks with pretty good Centrino 2 performance and decent graphics muscle performance.

The ThinkPad X200 Tablet, the latest convertible business notebook from Lenovo, combines the portability of LAPTOP's Editor's Choice award–winning ThinkPad X200, with the excellent tablet functionality of the ThinkPad X60 and X61. It may lack an optical drive and a touchpad, but it's still one of the best tablets of the year thanks to smooth performance, durability, and numerous wireless options.

As one of the inaugural notebooks of Best Buy’s Blue Label program, HP’s Pavilion dv3510nr offers features that the big-box retailers’ customers have been asking for, including a thinner and lighter design (this is HP’s first consumer 13-inch notebook) and a backlit keyboard. This system also sports a fast Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, discrete Nvidia graphics, and a stylish design.

The 14-inch HP Pavilion dv4t is consumer notebook offering a wide range of multimedia features at a modest starting price of $599. With features that span from built-in Verizon or AT&T WWAN, a Blu-ray media drive, and even an internal TV-tuner this notebook has the ability to be the hub of any home or dorm entertainment system. Take a look at this review and find out what all a “budget-priced” notebook can do.