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CNET Reviews - Most Recent Computer Systems

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1 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router DIR-855 - wireless router
The D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router DIR-855 is a stable performer with excellent Web interface. But because it comes in a bulky, old-school design, has a relatively short range, and carries a hefty price tag, consider waiting for the price to drop before investing in this router.
2 Toshiba Satellite L355D-S7815
Unless you need a 17.1-inch display, there are better entry-level laptops than the Toshiba Satellite L355D-S7815.
3 ZT Affinity 7221Xa
The ZT Affinity 7221Xa is an inexpensive, relatively powerful computer. You definitely won't be gaming with the integrated graphics chip, but if you just need an inexpensive, no frills desktop for light photo editing and to run simple applications, the 7221Xa won't disappoint.
4 Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router
The WRT610N can satisfy both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz wireless clients with its solid performance, great design, ease of use, and its ability to work as a network storage device when coupled with an external hard drive.
5 MSI Wind U100-035LA (black, Windows XP)
The MSI Wind U100 makes a positive first impression with its polished design and roomy (for a Netbook) display and keyboard, but it's missing a handful of features--bigger battery, solid-state hard drive, and WWAN--that would turn it from a very good to a great on-the-go mini-laptop.
6 MSI Wind U100-002LA (white, Windows XP)
The MSI Wind U100 makes a positive first impression with its polished design and roomy (for a Netbook) display and keyboard, but it's missing a handful of features--bigger battery, solid-state hard drive, and WWAN--that would turn it from a very good to a great on-the-go mini-laptop.
7 Brother MFC 7440N
The Brother MFC-7440N prints quickly and is fairly inexpensive to sustain, but we simply can't get behind a printer with poor quality graphics, significant hardware defects, and a boring design.
8 Sony Vaio NR430E/L
The entry-level Sony Vaio NR430 strikes all the right notes--decent performance, pleasing design, great keyboard and display--to form an excellent 15-inch laptop for students (and home users in general) on tight budgets.
9 Toshiba Satellite A305D-S6848
The midsize Toshiba Satellite A305D-S6848 offers a high-end design and decent feature set, but you can get better performance for the same (or less) money.
10 Dell Inspiron 1525
The Dell Inspiron 1525-121B is the textbook example of a midsize, mainstream laptop. Switching to slower CPU knocks a little off the performance, but also takes $80 off the price and adds battery life, compared with Dell's more mainstream configurations.
11 HP Pavilion dv2915nr
The HP Pavilion dv2915nr is an attractive and affordable 14.1-inch laptop that will serve your needs through four years of study. The disappointing battery life gives us pause, however, on this otherwise well-rounded laptop.
12 Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition
As much as we like the look and feel of Velocity Micro's Vector Campus Edition desktop, we can't recommend it. It suffers from poor bang-for-the-buck, a lack of configurable options, and a narrow upgrade path.
13 Gateway T-6836
A standout among budget midsize laptops, the 14.1-inch Gateway T-6836 marries strong performance and battery life with a compact, well-designed case.
14 HP Pavilion dv6915nr
The well-designed HP Pavilion dv6915nr incorporates most of the features you'll need for school, but other 15.4-inch laptops offer better performance for the same price.
15 Dell Inspiron 1525
Adding some features missing from its 14-inch cousin, the Dell Inspiron 1525 is the textbook example of a midsize, mainstream laptop--a basic workhorse with few surprises. It may be a bit large for daily campus travel, but it should last you the full four years.
16 Dell Inspiron 1420
The basic 14-inch Inspiron 1420 is a reasonable choice for budget buyers who want something a little smaller than the standard 15-inch chassis, but this laptop has missed out on recent updates other Inspiron models have received.
17 AVADirect Core 2 SLI DDR3 Gaming System
AVADirect has a very strong value proposition in its Core 2 SLI DDR3 Gaming System. Assuming you can navigate the daunting shopping Web site, we recommend this system to tech-savvy shoppers who know exactly the components they want.
18 Asus Eee PC 901 (white, Windows XP)
The long-awaited Asus Eee PC 901 is the best version of this inexpensive Netbook yet, but it's facing increased competition from the likes of HP, Dell, and MSI.
19 Dell Studio 15
Dell's first release from its new Studio line, the Studio 15, sits between the Inspiron and XPS lines and offers a good mix of features for the price, but we'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.
20 HP TouchSmart IQ506
HP's new-and-improved TouchSmart all-in-one PC refines the touch-based concept it introduced last year. Faster all-in-ones, and Apple's iPhone, make the TouchSmart seem a bit behind the times, but the convenient software and its kitchen-friendly design offer functionality that's unavailable elsewhere.
21 Gateway FX7026
The Gateway FX7026 offers a quad-core processor at a modest price tag with specifications that any high-end gamer will be satisfied with. You might want to replace the peripherals and the video card down the road, but this system is an excellent option for a nonconfigurable, off the shelf desktop.
22 Gateway FX541XT
Gateway's highest-end performance desktop aspires to be everything to everybody. It takes a few missteps, but mostly it succeeds, especially with its price.
23 Gateway GT5674
The Gateway GT5674 is a low-cost quad-core desktop that delivers excellent bang for the buck. The problem is, most mainstream users don't need four processing cores and can get away with a dual-core PC for even less.
24 Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium
The new generation of similarly sized Netbooks do more and cost less than the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium, putting another nail in the UMPC coffin.
25 Asus M70SA-X2
You can find Blu-ray-equipped desktop replacements for less, but no other media laptop currently offers as many features for the price as the Asus M70.