Acer Aspire 9500
Slimmer than average for a multimedia laptop, the Aspire 9500 features a combination of strong performance and an attractive and manageable design.
A bright 17-inch screen and built-in TV tuner make this an excellent machine for watching DVDs or television, while the Windows Media Center operating system provides a simple and enjoyable audio/visual media experience.
A number of handy features include dedicated quick buttons for Media Center, internet, email, and other frequently used applications, as well as a slot-loading optical drive that “sucks in” disks automatically.
Instant-on capability would have been a great bonus, but Acer unfortunately neglected to include it on this model. Weak Wi-Fi range is another minor drawback, but the good things about this laptop far outweigh the bad.
Processor: 2-GHz Intel Pentium M 760
Hard Drive: 120GB
RAM: 2GB
Display: 17” WXGA+
Built-in Wireless: 802.11b/g; Bluetooth
Weight: 8.4 lbs.
Price: $2,229*