Top-Tier Laptops

We know times have been tough. You may have had to cut a few corners and pinch a few pennies here and there, and your pockets may not be as deep as they were. But there are some new premium notebooks we really think you should know about. So maybe it's time to give yourself a pat on the back for your hard work and treat yourself to one of these beauts.

In October, Gateway premiered its MC notebooks, featuring top-notch multimedia features and a sleek look and feel. Users can easily connect the notebook to an external display as well as various media cards, electronic devices and peripherals; and an ambient light sensor automatically monitors and adjusts brightness. The 7.7-pound premium notebook comes packed with Intel Core 2 Duo power, 4GB memory and a 320GB hard drive. Price: $1,000.

Although released a few months earlier, Sony's FW notebook has many features comparable to the MCs, including processor technology, memory and hard drive space. But this premium notebook only weighs in at 6.7 pounds despite its larger screen, which is ideal for viewing multiple websites, side-by-side documents or widescreen multimedia--including Blu-ray. Its Wireless-N technology provides greater wireless access and dependability. Starting price: $999 on sonystyle.com.

The Hewlett-Packard Pavilion HDX line's latest entry is the HDX 16, with advanced graphics, built-in HD TV tuner and integrated HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection that automatically locks the hard drive if the notebook is dropped. The 7.4-pound premium notebook includes an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, as well as up to 4GB of memory and 320GB of hard drive space. Starting price: $1,050.

A new thin-and-light that caught our eye--especially because it's from a company new to the U.S. notebook scene--is Samsung's X460. Despite its size (only 4.2 pounds), the ultraportable notebook is packed with features and performance, including Intel Core 2 Duo, Windows Vista Business and advanced Nvidia GeForce graphics, as well as memory and hard drive space in line with the others. Starting price: $1,599.

—By Lindsay Holloway.

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