Eric Grevstad

It’s a reasonable question: how can a PC maker — in a world of falling PC prices — dare to charge more than $2500 for a laptop? The answer: yes, the Panasonic Toughbook F9 is pricey, yet it offers some real value. Why aren’t all notebooks built like this? The Panasonic Toughbook F9 is, the […]

A wedge, a slice, a sliver, a … squeegee? Odd associations come to mind when trying to describe the MSI X350, a notebook so slim that its front edge comes almost to a point like the stapled side of a magazine. The machine measures 8.8 by 13 inches by — well, 0.9 inch thick at […]

Only Sony could make it tempting to spend $1,500 on a PC with little more power than a $400 netbook. The Vaio P “lifestyle PC” starts at $900 with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and 128GB solid-state drive in lieu of a hard disk; the deluxe version tested here (model VPCP118KX) is one and a […]

It’s spelled out in the w suffix: HP considers its EliteBook 8440w to be not just a notebook computer but a full-fledged workstation, carrying ISV (independent software vendor) certifications for demanding CAD, engineering, and scientific applications and packing professional-grade Nvidia Quadro FX 380M graphics. We’ve seen mobile workstations before, but they’ve almost always been luggables […]

It’s spelled out in the w suffix: HP considers its EliteBook 8440w to be not just a notebook computer but a full-fledged workstation, carrying ISV (independent software vendor) certifications for demanding CAD, engineering, and scientific applications and packing professional-grade Nvidia Quadro FX 380M graphics. We’ve seen mobile workstations before, but they’ve almost always been luggables […]

When you think of a netbook, you think of a slightly cramped keyboard and a 10.1-inch screen. But the MSI Wind12 U230 has a full-sized keyboard — it even has real Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn keys instead of piggybacking them on the cursor arrows — and a relatively spacious 12.1-inch display. The word “netbook” […]

Are you a sophisticated business professional who’s shopping for a top netbook? An executive whose briefcase holds only the finest gear available? Congratulations. You’re part of an elite audience, one of two target markets for HP‘s flagship netbook, the Mini 5102. The other? Who else belongs to such a deluxe demographic? Are you sure you […]

Screenwise, bigger is better. Once your buddy’s invited you over to watch the game on his 50-inch flat screen, your 32-inch TV will look puny forevermore. A movie in IMAX packs a bigger wallop than anything else at your local megaplex. And in a sea of netbooks, most with 10.1-inch displays, an extra inch and […]

The Gateway EC1430u ($550) could be seen as a cross between a notebook and a netbook. Netbooks are great. They’re light (under three pounds), low-priced ($300 to $400), handy traveling companions that are great for surfing the Web and checking e-mail and adequate for light productivity work. But a lot of users dream of a […]

Someone at Toshiba has an M.B.A. in customer confusion. The company sells two different netbooks, each called the Mini NB205. The way to tell the pair apart is to look at either the keyboard or the price tag. The system seen here, model number NB205-N210, has a conventional grid-style keyboard and costs $350. What Toshiba […]