The technorati predict, in the next two or three years,netbooks will render cell phones obsolete.  At the very least, netbooks will demote cell phones to their original place as portable telephones.  Lightweight, compact, and powered by web-friendly operating systems like Google Android, netbooks will appear in boardrooms, berooms, and classrooms everywhere.  They will not, however, replace laptops.

Laptops grow faster, lighter, and more versatile in each new generation, and they add memory and battery capacity that make them more seductive—or essential—than ever.  Just as importantly, laptop prices continue shrinking even as machines’ capabilities grow.  No child should go to college without a laptop, no attorney should go to court without a laptop, and no journalist can hit the road without his or her portable newsroom.

Although Apple iBooks rule, they labor under the same two disadvantages that always have hounded them: (1)they cost a small fortune, and (2)they do not run the most powerful, most popular business software in genuinely PC-friendly codes.  Windows still owns business.

Experts’ Picks for the Top Five Multi-Purpose Laptops
If the time has come for you to invest in, replace, or upgrade your laptop, industry experts and analysts recommend…

1. Samsung X460-44P

The Samsung X460-44P is a 14.1 inch thin and lightweight all-purpose laptop. It is absolutely portable and goes hand-in-hand with Lenovo Thinkpad X300. Samsung assures its battery will last nearly five hours, even powering plug-ins and peripherals. Not much taller than a legal pad, the SamsungX460P-44P’s large screen shows vivid, high-resolution images even in bright sunlight.  The machine offers all the connectivity you need–Ethernet jack for a modem, with 802.11 in Wifi and Bluetooth. It also has HDMI and VGI video fronts.  It also has a five-in-one flash card reader, a PC Express card slot and three USB ports.

Photo by itshoang

Specifications of Samsung X460-44P

• CPU: 2.26-GHz Core 2 Duo P8400
• Display Size (inches): 14.1″ Display
• Wide Screen: Yes
• Total HD Size (GB): 320GB Hard Drive
• Min. Weight (lbs.): 4.2Lbs.

Price Tag : $1203

2. Lenovo Thinkpad T400S

One of the best-equipped, most elegant notebook computers on the market today, Lenovo’s Thinkpad 400S measures only 0.8-inches thick and tips the scales at just over two pounds.  This go-everywhere, do-everything laptop comes with ample memory, excellent battery life, and every imaginable port and link. It has a five-in-one card reader, a blue-ray option (9.5 mm DVD ROM burner space), a DisplayPort option, and a VGA. It also gives you a choice to plug it in two monitors. For high-speed data processing, it features a USB/eSATA port.

Photo by 黛Daisy

Specifications of Lenovo Thinkpad T400S

• CPU: 2.53-GHz Core 2 Duo SP9600
• Display Size (inches):14.1″ Display
• Wide Screen: Yes
• Total HD Size (GB): 128GB Hard Drive
• Min. Weight (lbs.): 4Lbs.,

Price Tag : $2130

3. Dell Studio XPS 16

Dell Studio XPS delivers form and function at a very attractive price. Elegantly styled and wonderfully efficient, XPS 16 is equipped with two USB ports, a shared eSATA/USB jack, HDMI-out and VGA-out jacks, and DisplayPort. For meeting and seminar use, XPS 16 has extra audio inputs and a variety other  input options.  Unlike several of its more pricey competitors, XPS 16 showcases a four-spin Firewire 400 port and a five-in-one flash memory card reader. It also has a 2 megapixel webcam and an ExpressCard.  Even with all these features, XPS 16 will run for three hours on its battery.

Photo by Bitman

Specifications of Dell Studio XPS 16

• CPU: 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo P8600
• Display Size (inches): 16″ Display
• Wide Screen: Yes
• Total HD Size (GB): 320GB Hard Drive
• Min. Weight (lbs.): 7Lbs.,

Price Tag : $1324

4. Micro Express JHL9050

The Micro Express JHL9050 provides speed at a competitive price. This durable, reliable laptop performs to the business world’s highest performance standards.  Loaded with a full office suite and Windows Vista Business, JHL9050 runs all the most popular business software, and the manufacturer rates its battery life at more than three hours.

Photo by microexpress.net

Specifications For Micro Express JHL9050

• CPU: 2.66-GHz Core 2 Duo T9550
• Display Size (inches): 15.6″ Display
• Wide Screen: Yes
• Total HD Size (GB): 320GB Hard Drive
• Min. Weight (lbs.): 5.9Lbs.

Price Tag : $1009

5. HP HDX 16

HP’s HDX 16 laptop presents desktop replacement functions and features for a wide variety of specialized uses.  A little road warrior, HDX 16 is equipped with a small screen and compact hard drive. Ideal for trade shows and sales presentations, HDX 16 runs for more than two hours on battery power, and it features a unique coax cable tuner, which allows you to watch and record TV shows.

Photo by duaijun

Specifications For HP HDX 16

• CPU: 2.8-GHz Core 2 Duo T9600
• Display Size (inches): 16″ Display
• Wide Screen: Yes
• Total HD Size (GB): 320GB Hard Drive
• Min. Weight (lbs.): 7Lbs.

Price Tag :$900