Don't buy a new laptop just yet! Start by figuring out what you're going to do with it. For frequent flyers, ultraportables are key. Many weigh less than three pounds and can keep you productive for a whole cross-country flight (up to seven hours in one case). Other models also offer a good deal of power, depending on how much you care to lug around. Want an elegant alternative to your clunky monitor and PC combo? Beefy desktop replacement machines pack 17-inch displays and sport slick entertainment features such as a TV tuner or Blu-ray Disc drive. Are you rough with your stuff? Consider a laptop with a solid-state drive. Just be prepared to pay a lot more ($1,000 more in most cases) for less storage space. Speaking of which, if price is really a sticking point, you can find good machines for around $1,500 at this point. Heck, if you just need to tap out a few emails and documents, a $500 mini-note could just as easily do the job. And for all you environmentalists out there: look for laptops with LED-backlit screens -- they save energy and are Mercury-free.

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