Apple MacBook

The Apple MacBook Pro MB991LL/A is one of Apple's latest 13.3-inch laptop models. It comes with a powerful 2.53Ghz processor, a 250GB hard drive for storage and 4GB of RAM. Like most Apple laptops, this model uses the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card for graphics rendering. It runs on the new Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard OS.

Major Improvements: This now model is actually a little cheaper that the older model for last year. There is nothing more delightful than an upgrade in specs that comes with a price drop! Another major improvement can be seen in the laptop's battery life. It now can last up to 7 hours on one charge. Other new features include an improved screen, a new SD card slot, a FireWire port and the inclusion of iLife 09 applications. The 13.3-inch edge-to-edge display screen is a LED back-lit screen that is much more energy efficient that the older model. Even the keyboard has back-lighting to enable you to type under low light conditions.

Shortcomings: Although I am a big fan of Apple laptops, like everything else, the Apple MacBook Pro MB991LL/A laptop does have a couple of flaws. For instance, the aluminum casing seems to be prone to scratches. If you plan to travel a lot with the laptop, it's best to get a protective casing for it. If only this model had a Blu-ray drive. With Blu-ray discs becoming more and more popular by the day, it is strange that Apple did not get ahead of the game (as it usually does) by putting in Blu-ray drives in their computers.

Overall: All in all, the improvements made on the Apple MacBook Pro MB991LL/A far outweighs its shortcomings. Despite its flaws, this laptop model is actually one of the best laptop models this year. The combination of a great battery life, great specs, good design and a great OS makes it a formidable laptop.

Budget Netbook

Since its launch, the Acer Aspire One Netbook has been one of the best-selling netbook models around the world, and for good reasons too. The combination of a great design, a modest price tag and good features has made this model to be irresistible to many. This model comes with an Intel Atom N270 processor, a 160GB hard drive, and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. It has a gorgeous 10.1-inch LED back-lit screen that has a 1024 x 600 resolution. Coupled with a pair of stereo speakers, this netbook can serve well as a mini entertainment unit. Other features include 3 USB ports, a memory card reader, a web cam and wi-fi connectivity.

The Acer Aspire One is powered by a 6-cell battery. The battery can last up to an impressive 7.5 hours on one charge. The keyboard is very well designed and fells very good to type on for a netbook keyboard. The touch pad was also very fun to use as it supports a variety of multi-touch gestures. Since its launch, this model has been one of the most affordable in the market and it has remained so till today.

Currently, it retails for just around $299 per unit, which is a great bargain. Its sleek glossy design only adds to its appeal. Although the Acer Aspire One may not have high-end specs like those on the Asus 1005HA netbook or a big brand name like the Toshiba mini, it has proved itself to be a formidable competitor in the netbook market. If you are looking for a good looking, well-rounded and affordable netbook model, look no further than the Acer Aspire One netbook!

Practical and Affordable

If you are one of those PC users that mostly use the desktops for checking the mail, watching some videos, surfing the web and word processing (like myself), the brand new Acer AspireRevo nettop will be the perfect desktop model for you. It is well designed, have most of the specs that we need and most importantly, extremely affordable.

The Acer AspireRevo ships with a CPU unit, a keyboard and a mouse, which are all white in color. The wide surface of the CPU unit is black in color with the word 'Aspire' inscribed in the middle. It is extremely small, measuring at 7.1 x 1.2 x 7.1 inches, making it one of the smallest desktops in the market. Overall, this little desktop model is extremely stylish and very pleasing to look at. To add more style, you can get the optional CPU mount that lets it sit at a tilt (like a photo frame).

The Acer AspireRevo comes with a 1.6Ghz Intel Atom 230 Processor. For storage, this model has a 160GB 5400RPM hard drive and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. Another feature that I love about this desktop model is its NVIDIA ION LE graphics card (I watch a lot of videos on my desktop). It can support HD videos and even comes with a HDMI port to connect to any HDTV or HD monitor. Some of its other features include a card reader, Ethernet jack, 6 USB ports and much more. All in all, the Acer AspireRevo nettop proves to be an excellent desktop model for running everyday computing tasks. Best of all, the price is also right. Currently, this nettop retails for just around $199 per unit.

10.1-Inch Netbook

Specifications & Features: You may be wondering why we are making a comparison between a netbook and a laptop. After getting my hands on he Acer Aspire AS1410, I can't help notice that the size and the pricing of this laptop is more that of a netbook. Because of that I have decided to make a quick comparison with the Asus 1005HA netbook, one of the best netbooks in the market.

Thanks to its slightly larger size, the AS1410 is able to pack in a series of more powerful specs. The only aspect that the Asus netbook would be able to prevail in this category would be its impressive 10.5-hour battery life. The AS1410 laptop has an Intel Core 2 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. The Asus netbook on the other hand has an Intel Atom processor, 1GB for RAM and a 160GB hard drive. The Acer model also comes with a HDMI port and a 11.6-inch LED HD screen while the Asus model has a smaller 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 resolution screen. Winner: Acer Aspire AS1410 11.6-inch laptop.

Design: The 1005HA netbook measures at about 10.31 x 7.01 x 1.44 inches, while the AS1410 measures at 11.2 x 8 x 1.2 inches. Both models have very stylish and distinctive designs but we won't choose a winner based on that, as it is a subjective matter. The netbook model weighs in at 2.81 pounds while the laptop weighs in at just 3.1 pounds. Although it is undoubtedly that the Asus netbook is the smaller and lighter machine, it is noteworthy that the AS1410 laptop is almost as portable as the netbook model. Winner: Asus 1005HA netbook.

Price: This is another interesting category as the AS1410 laptop is so modestly priced that is costs almost as much as a netbook. Current, the Acer laptop retails for just around $399 per unit. The Asus 1005HA on the other hand, retails for around $359 each. Although the netbook is the cheaper machine, I must say that the AS1410 laptop gives you much better value for your money. For just an additional $40 extra, you get a bigger hard drive, a bigger HD screen, a faster processor, more RAM, and a full-sized keyboard. That's what I call a bargain! But then again, some consumers may value the portability and amazing battery life of the Asus 1005HA more everything else. Winner: Draw

Desktop Review

Specifications: Although laptops and netbooks give you a lot of portability, there is nothing that matches the computing power of the good old desktop. The HP Pavilion P6210F for instance is currently one of the most powerful desktop models in the market.

This model has a 2.6Ghz Quad processor, a 640GB hard drive and 6GB of RAM. It uses the NVIDIA GeForce 9100 graphics card for rendering graphics. This desktop can also be configured to support up to 8 external speakers and also supports HD audio. It has an array of the usual ports and connectors that include 6 USB ports and 1 Firewire port. This model runs on Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit). It ships with a HP keyboard and mouse.

Design: The HP Pavilion P6210F sports the classic HP desktop tower design. Most of the slots and connectors on the front are hidden behind glossy black panels (except for the card readers). It measures at 6.97 x 16.85 x 15.32 inches. Overall, it has a very professional feel to it.

Features & Performance: Thanks to the set of powerful specs, the HP Pavilion P6210F would be able to perform most of your computing needs. The ample 6GB of RAM allows for heavy multitasking and the powerful Intel Quad processor lets your run heavy applications without a glitch. Currently, the new HP Pavilion P6210F is priced at just around $559 per unit. If you are looking for a powerful, practical and reasonably price desktop, this model would be perfect for you.