Amazon Releases Point-and-Click Console for EC2

TECHNOLOGY
- Infrastructure
  - Network
  - Security
    - Virus
    - Intruder
    - Spyware
    - Spam
    - Theft
    - Disaster Recovery
    - Privacy
    - Regulatory Compliance
  - Client
    - Desktop
    - Laptop
    - Laptop - Macbook
    - PDA
  - Server
    - Load Balancing
  - Mobile
  - Operating Systems
    - Windows
    - Windows - Vista
    - Linux
    - Mac
    - Mac - Leopard
    - Unix
    - Other
  - Data Center
  - Virtualization
- Applications
  - SaaS
  - Cloud Computing
  - ERP
  - CRM
  - BI
  - BPM
  - KM
  - SCM
  - RFID
  - Middleware/EAI
  - Portals
    - B-to-B
    - Consumer
  - Inventory Management
  - Databases
  - Document Management
  - E-Business
  - Data Warehouse
- Development
  - Open Source
  - Eclipse
  - Java
  - .NET
  - Agile
  - Web Services
- Architecture
  - SOA
  - Enterprise Architecture
LEADERSHIP

IT DRILLDOWN

NEWSLETTERS

CIO.com updates, insights and advice on technology, management and your career.

RSS Feeds »

LEADERSHIP

CIO Executive Programs

The Leader in Face-to-Face Education for Senior Executives

Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »

CIO Executive Council

A Peer-Advisory Service and Professional Association for CIOs

Social Responsibility's Strategic Benefits

December 15, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)

Join Ed Granger-Happ, CIO of Save the Children, for a discussion of how creating an organization that is socially responsible improves staffing, retention, leadership development and overall corporate health.

Working With and Communicating to Your Board of Directors

January 13, 2009, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)

CIO panelists who will share tips and experiences working with their boards: Twila Day of SYSCO; Jeff O'Hare, West Corp.; Marc West, formerly with H&R Block.

IT's Role in Growing Mid-Market Companies

January 14, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET (GMT-5)

Mid-market Council members will share their companies' stories and challenges in driving or coping with growth. Panelists represent Veterinary Pet Insurance, Medicis Pharmaceutical, and Intrax Cultural Exchange.

More / Register »

Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »

RESOURCE CENTER

buy a link »

SUBSCRIBE TO CIO

Are you involved in setting the direction for your company's IT budget or strategy?

Apply today for a FREE subscription to CIO Magazine!

Subscription Services »

Reprints »

Feature

Eight Best-of-Breed Gadgets for the Tech Connoisseur

Here's what to buy among the gear everybody needs, from laptops and desktops to HDTVs.

Leave a comment

By Melissa J. Perenson and PC World Staff

October 01, 2008 — PC World — Pop quiz: Which would you rather have on a business trip, clean socks or your laptop? These days, clean socks are nice, but the laptop is indispensable, just as a desktop is at home, a camera is on vacation, and a cell phone is pretty much everywhere.

12 Great Gadgets for the Digital Nomad

Wi-Fi: 10 Best Gadgets for Work and Play

But tech is continuously in flux, so it's always the right time to upgrade your gear. Here's our look at today's best of the best: the top product in each of eight essential tech categories, including printers, hard drives, monitors, and HDTVs.

If you prefer to jump straight to our current charts, use the links below. To read about our picks, start on the next page.

Laptop

Monstrous desktop replacements and supersmall ultraportables exist, of course, but for us, the all-purpose laptop offers the best combination for anyone seeking a well-rounded notebook.

Our choice in this category best represents the delicate balance that considers cost, specs, and performance. The top-ranked portable on our all-purpose laptops chart right now is the $1299 Micro Express JFL9226. This 6.6-pound model lacks the sleek lines and polish of its competitors, but it delivers the right mix of performance and features, for a good price.

Our test system, which came configured with a 2.53-GHz Core 2 Duo T9400 processor and 3GB of RAM, whipped through our WorldBench 6 tests as if the other members of the all-purpose laptop pack were standing still. Whether the task was to burn disc images or to encode video, no other model could keep pace; the JFL9226 earned an impressive score of 103 on the WorldBench 6 test suite. And it did all that while lasting almost 4.5 hours in our battery tests.

The next-fastest all-purpose laptop, Sony's VAIO VGN-SZ791N, scored nine points lower on the test suite but costs almost twice as much.

The Micro Express notebook's 256MB nVidia GeForce 9600GT GPU knocked out reasonably solid numbers in our graphics tests. The results indicated that this system would be good enough to handle most tasks, but not sufficient to support modern, top-flight games jacked up to the 15.4-inch screen's native 1280-by-800-pixel resolution.

Bottom Line: The Micro Express JFL9226 cuts most of the right corners to produce a capable, budget-friendly companion for the road.

Desktop

Desktop PCs can be had on the cheap today, of course, but in our estimation the power desktop holds the most appeal: You'll get better graphics handling (such as for gaming), as well as greater customization options and more-nimble performance for tasks such as editing 21-megapixel images or cutting your video masterpiece.