The empire strikes back. The announced takeover of Alienware by Dell was accompanied with hopes, as well as fears, in the gamer community. It was hoped that the devices would hereafter take a step towards Dell's standards in view of workmanship and case quality. At the same time, it was also feared that the once uncompromising performance-orientation would suffer enormously under the cost pressure, as Alienware was to replace the XPS series from now on. Read our first test impressions here.

Evolution or revolution? The completion of Windows 7 is getting closer and closer and so it's time to go into detail about the changes and improvements promised by Microsoft. We have tested the Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 over several months. In our practical test, read whether Microsoft throws empty marketing promises around like the failed Windows Vista, or whether Windows 7 is actually the worthy successor to Windows XP.

13.3 Inches of Elegance. Sony fully pits on Intel's Centrino-2 platform in the Vaio VGN-SR41M/S. It is pretty well-equipped not only for standard applications, but also for light work in the area of multimedia with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6400, an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics card, and 4GB of system memory. The following review tells you how the tested pre-serial model meets our requirements.

Mobility at any cost? Acer has a 13.3 inch size notebook from the Timeline series in its range, which should especially convince with its long battery life - the Aspire 3810T. In our review you can read if this concept is successful or if the efficiency is affected too much.

EliteBook>Compaq>ProBook. HP still enjoys a good reputation with professional users and business customers. In order to still be able to score points in the high-quality segment in particular, the American manufacturer has established the EliteBook series, which still positions itself above the well known Compaq models when it comes to performance as well as robustness and case quality. We start off with the HP EliteBook 6930p as the first model to be reviewed by us, a compact 14-inch device with high-quality equipment. Read here what you can expect from the pro-laptop.

The Taipan Slimcase M is a small and light messenger bag designed for a 15 inch Macbook Pro. This bag is exquisite to hande due to it's simple design and the high-quality material used for its creation. Also, it is extremely practical due to the fact that the pocket for the laptop is very well-protected to prevent most accidental damage. Interested? Then read on...

Toshiba NB Netbook, Episode 2. As the 8.9 inch sized NB 100 has recently been in our test lab, now Toshiba's second netbook coup, the NB 200, is already on the test-bench. This time, however, with a 10.1 inch display for an improved overview. The question, if the Toshiba NB200 can even be considered to be the NB 100's heir, as the implemented hardware of both models by and large are conform, or if it's simply a refresh of the NB 100 with a larger display and altered look, remains to be seen.

Is plastic still good? After the introduction of the aluminium MacBook (Pro) laptops, the white MacBook made from polycarbonate hasn't got much attention. The low-price entry-level model from Apple is in no way a discontinued product, as it has already been updated twice this year. Thanks to the 9400M chipset graphics and the 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU it actually doesn't have to hide from the smallest MacBook Pro.How it performed in our extensive tests, you can find out in this review.

CrisesBook. Not only are saturated profits in the wallet gone for the time being, but the business laptops are obviously no longer earning so much as some years ago. This indeed might please the consumers, who can profit from the falling prices and new low-cost models. The just-released ProBooks from the laptop giant Hewlett-Packard are part of the bargain. How the low-priced business beginner performs, you'll find out in the following review.

Wide, light, and enduring…Acer brings into play a format so far untypical of netbooks with the 11.6" Aspire One 751 and calls it a "Widescreen Netbook". Image and sound are supposed to be rendered especially "breath-taking" through this niche-modell, not leaving anything to be desired. Our review shows how the new form factor acquits itself in practice and compared to the competition.

Elegance in 12.1 inches. With the Asus N20A we can introduce another of the currently rather popular mini-notebooks. Developed for the consumer market, for this 12.1-inch subnotebook Asus has amongst other things also attached particular importance to elegant looks. You can find out whether the N20A can deliver on what its looks promise in the following test report.

Welcome to the third dimension. The Gyration Air Mouse GO plus is a mixture of a normal mouse, remote control and air mouse (see Nintendo Wii), which directly competes with the already longer available Logitech MX Air. Read in our review about how the Air Mouse cuts off in the single exercises.

The Frugal One. With the Aspire One A110/ A150, Acer has passed other Asus EeePC clones last year and reached the Netbook throne. It seems the Taiwanese company has found the right price-performance mix as they sold more and more items without any spectacular aspect and reached a market share of 37 %. With new additions, the product mix covers a wide spectrum of Netbook segment. We had reviewed the immediate successors Aspire One D150 and Aspire One 531 and now focus on the Acer Aspire One D250. Our review shows the improvements built into the model and how it fares with competitors.

Pocket Size. An ultra-compact and light notebook as a permanent chaperone, perpetual access to internet, never again computer-free time? Sony also makes their contribution to make this lifestyle reality come true with its VGN-P series in an eight inch format and hopes that they will attract a wide range of potential buyers with their stylistic mini-devices. We are taking a closer look at the white Sony Vaio VGN-P21Z in the following review.

Media Artist. Dell offers the new Studio 1555 models at a competitive price of 499.00 Euros and also promotes these accordingly. For this seeming bargain price you get a rather meager equipped basic version, though. But if you configure it well-considered, you still can achieve an attractive price for value ratio. Where the strengths, or rather the weaknesses of the low-priced multimedia starter are found should be uncovered in this extensive test.

Endurance Runner. Acer would like to ensure extensive mobility with the new "Timeline" models. This is implemented through the form of an especially flat case, as well as through above-average battery life. Thanks to energy-saving hardware components, a high-capacity battery, and last but not least the "PowerSmart" function, a battery life of more than 9 hours can be realized. Find out here what else the attractive 14" has to offer.

Sheer Mulitmedia in 15.6 inches Already at first sight, the Acer Aspire 5935G's designated application field was obvious. This does not only apply to the design, which pleases with typical multimedia control elements. No, also the other components are completely orientated on this field, for instance the glossy display in 16:9 cinematic format, the BluRay drive option and the Dolby surround audio system with subwoofer.

AMD Multimedia Entertainment. The Acer Aspire 5536G presents itself as fully orientated on multimedia. Therefore the glossy Acer CrystalBrite TFT monitor is tailored for the standard 16:9 cinematic format. A combination of a Realtek AL C888 soundcard and a Dolby optimized surround system with two built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo loudspeakers provide for a good sound. Equipped with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphic card and HDMI support, you can also enjoy movies on external monitors in full-HD.

Multimedia For Everybody. The dv6 series by the American manufacturer Hewlett-Packard scores with an exciting price/performance-ratio. All the series' models are positioned well below the mark of 1000 Euros, and there is variant by all means suited for gaming: the model dv6-1140eg, equipped with an ATI 4650 graphics card. Also an obligation for multimedia users: a 15.6" HD display in the 16:9 format.

15 inch DTR Gaming. A barebone from the Taiwanese manufacturer Clevo, which comes with a 15 inch display but can be configured with high-performance hardware components, is harbored behind the mySN XMG5 from the German notebook reseller Schenker Notebooks. Efficient dual or quad core CPUs from Intel can be selected from just like the GTX 260M graphic card from Nvidia, currently still the number two, behind the GTX 280M of the same batch from the Californian GPU manufacturer.

The Enduring One Asus offers an almost unmanageable range of mini-netbooks by now. One among the many, the Asus Eee PC 1000HE "netbook", now shines with Intel's updated N280 Atom CPU and a 6-cell battery, making it an attractive endurance runner variant. Our review clarifies whether or not it indeed reaches the grandiosely announced battery life of 9.5 hours, and how the mini-notebook performs in comparison to the competition...

Small, lightweight, and a lot of storage space. This is how one could describe the new external 2.5" hard disk from Toshiba. 465GB of usable space and a USB 2.0 port are supposed to convince for less than 120 Euros. You can read how the HDD comes off in the following review.

Candid Camera! Especially notebook users are thrilled when buying a new mobile computer, which almost always has an integrated webcam ex-factory. The built-in lenses are usually meant to be used exclusively for video telephony and fail in adverse conditions even at this task. But what does it look like with external high-quality hardware? If the partly very expensive devices are worth their money will be revealed in the following test.

Occasional Gamer. With the launch of the GX and GT series, MSI continues to take greater control of the gaming sector. The company has a wide product range, which helps in fulfilling the needs of the many enthusiastic gamers, who enjoy playing on the laptop. Whether the buyer chooses a big, high performance gaming machine or a smaller, far more handy, but still good performance laptop, like the MSI GX 400, he/she is almost always certain to find the perfect laptop in MSI's laptops' category.

Topless. Apple hasn't necessarily changed their new models to a glossy display in an "edge-to-edge" design for an unrestricted rejoicing of their fan community. While multimedia users and private users probably can still yet neglect the disadvantages of such a screen, it looks different for professional users who spend a whole, long day in front of the device. Apple also has a matt display alternative for these customers, but only in a bigger 17 inch MacBook Pro (MBP).

Expensive piece of jewelery. Despite the economic crisis and boom of netbooks, some manufacturers still dare to develop notebooks to fulfill the wishes of customers wanting something special. With the Adamo 13 by Dell, they now offer the first model from a new series, which is out-of-line from the usual product range and presented on an own website. While it is slim, light-weight and comes with a high standard of design, the technical properties shall also not get a raw deal. To find out whether you can really fall in love with this designer piece made from glass and aluminum, as Dell promises, read the following review.

Glitz and Glamour. HP promises "chic design and high end entertainment" with the HDX16. In fact you're dazzled by all of the high gloss and chrome surfaces when opening the laptop. The reflective 16-inch display with full HD resolution, as well the touchpad, which could also have been a makeup mirror, contribute their parts equally. Equipped with a broad range of interfaces as well as solid hardware components (Core 2 Duo CPU, 9600M GT graphics) the laptop leaves little to be desired when it comes to multimedia.

Netbook from Toshiba. The fight for netbook-market shares goes on. It might be that every renowned notebook manufacturer has, in the meantime, brought one or even more netbook models onto the market but the demand for mini-notebooks doesn't appear to come to a stop. One model is followed by the next. If Toshiba's NB-100 can stand out from the broad mass of netbooks and presents an enrichment for the already very big netbook range or rather goes with the flow, is unveiled in this test report.

12.1" dressed in black Our editorial department received another one of the currently popular mini-notebooks in the 12.1" format: the HP Compaq 2230s. You will find out how well the laptop (developed primarily for usage in companies of small and medium size) satisfies the requirements of a business-device in the following review.

Heir to the Throne? Acer already landed a direct hit with the first Aspire One A110, which became the best-selling netbook of 2008. As these tiny devices have provided a proper boost to the balances of many manufacturers in such a short time it is no surprise that Acer also wants to see other models meet the same success of the A110 with future models. Following the Aspire One D150, the Taiwanese manufacturer brings another compact 10-incher onto the market with the Aspire One 531.

Bargain for Gamers. ATI obviously has hit a captivating homerun with the 4600 series. Good performance data and a sizeable price advantage compared to Nvidia's competition make the hardware especially interesting for gaming starters. The German reseller Schenker Notebooks is, for instance, at the very front, bringing out a compact 15.6 inch notebook based on the Compal HLB Barebone with their MG6. We have taken a closer look at the device with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650 and Intel Core 2 Duo T9800 with 2.9 GHz.

Netbook with style. Following the Mini 2133 and the Mini 701, HP's most recent netbook release has been available for some time now, featuring an updated Intel Atom CPU and a 10.1" LED display in order to fulfill current standards. One hardly finds any innovations compared to the present models, apart from the chassis' design. The reflecting display, designed in an edge-to-edge way, remains and does not let the HP Mini 2140 appear to be "business-like" at all.