10 Notable Netbooks, Laptops and All-in-One PCs from 2009

10 Notable Netbooks, Laptops and All-in-One PCs from 2009By Michelle Maisto

On Oct. 8, Sony introduced the Vaio X Series, a 1.6-pound ultramobile notebook PC that Sony called the world’s lightest. It runs Windows 7, includes built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and Mobile Broadband connectivity and—with a battery slice that adds a few ounces onto its slim physique—can offer up to 14 hours of battery life.

Nokia, in partnership with AT&T and Best Buy, officially introduced the Booklet 3G, its first PC offering, on Oct. 13. The netbook features include Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, a weight of 2.75 pounds, a 10.1-inch high-resolution glass display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, the Windows 7 operating system, and an impressive 12 hours of battery life.

March 17 was a good day for Dell, which introduced what it called the world’s thinnest notebook. The mod and streamlined Dell Adamo, which is 0.65 inches thin, made the quiet statement that Apple was no longer the only computer maker that could appeal to design-minded consumers.

On Oct. 15, Acer made the Acer One netbook—the first to run Google’s Android operating system—available in the United States. Concerned that consumers weren’t yet ready for an all-Android netbook, Acer surprised by designing the dual-boot One to also run Microsoft Windows XP Home.

While netbooks ruled the year, Apple introduced two 27-inch iMac all-in-one desktops, which are gorgeous and powerful by just about any standards. Customers can choose a 2.66GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with 8MB of shared L3 (Level 3) cache or a 2.66GBHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, also with 8MB of shared L3 cache. Both come with the industry’s first mouse with multitouch technology.

The Gateway ZX Series all-in-one desktop PC, introduced Oct. 7, complements Gateway’s TouchPortal interface with the touch capabilities built into Windows 7. An ideal family PC, it features a 23-inch full HD LCD widescreen and a choice of Intel Core 2 Quad processors.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T400 series notebooks are the first to use Intel Anti-Theft PC Protection. Plus, the 14.1-inch capacitive touch screens are the first to offer four-finger multitouch technology. The notebooks also have Windows 7 and a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

The Acer Aspire Revo is BYOS—bring your own screen—but the $200 nettop includes Nvidia Ion graphics, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home Edition. Since its September debut, it’s become a bestseller.

The Hewlett-Packard Envy 13 and 15 Series (pictured here) arrived on Sept. 15. The Envy 13 features the brightest display in its class, and the Envy 15 is the fastest consumer notebook HP has ever made. Both are light, lean and come in specially designed packing that’s high on looks and recyclability. Starting prices are $1,699 and $1,799, respectively.

Geared toward businesses with minimal IT staff, the highly modifiable Vostro V13 was introduced on Dec. 8. In addition to service and security options, Dell focused on aesthetics and durability. The V13 features a 13.3-inch WLED display, has a starting weight of 3.5 pounds and can be configured with up to 4GB of memory, Windows 7 Professional and a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor for $699.