Asus U35JC-A1 Review

The good: Great size, thin chassis, fast performance; Nvidia Optimus graphics; good battery life.

The bad: Lacks an optical drive; graphics performance is OK but not great; poor viewing angles.

The bottom line: The Asus U35Jc-A1 is a thin, but solid, 13-inch laptop with no processor compromises and Nvidia Optimus graphics, covering all the basics--except an optical drive.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d Review

The good: Includes 3D hardware; powerful CPU/GPU combo; excellent keyboard and touch pad.

The bad: Polarized eyeglass 3D system isn't very impressive.

The bottom line: One of only a handful of 3D laptops, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d skips active shutter glasses for an inferior technology, but keeps the A-list price.

News : New HP chief sees software as 'the glue'

HP's new chief, Léo Apotheker.

Who exactly is Léo Apotheker?
For many American investors and analysts, the new president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard is a relative unknown. HP held a conference call this morning to formally introduce its new chief executive and take questions about what many are calling a curious choice.

The call was brief and didn't get into many specifics other than that software will play a much larger role in HP's future.
"For me the decision to accept [the position] was an easy one. I don't think there's another company in tech that can match HP's opportunity in the marketplace," Apotheker said in his opening remarks. "I have a great appreciation for this company's technology and its people."

Asus UL80JT Review

The good: Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics; slim design.

The bad: Weak battery life; low-voltage Core i3 processor is slower than other Core i3 laptops; too much keyboard flex.

The bottom line: A thin design and Nvidia Optimus automatic-switching graphics make the Asus UL80JT-A1 an initially appealing laptop, but looks can be misleading: the underwhelming CPU and battery life are both serious negatives.

Gateway ID49C08u Review

The good: Slim design; automatic GPU switching; Core i5 processor; good graphics performance.

The bad: Short battery life; flimsy keyboard; poorly designed touch pad.

The bottom line: The Gateway ID49C08 combines speedy Core i5 performance and automatic-switching Nvidia graphics in a small package at a reasonable price, but several small annoyances take away from the experience.

HP Envy 17 Review

The good: Slim, attractive design; full-HD 1080p display; USB 3.0 port.

The bad: Only one GPU option; clickpad still isn't perfect; short battery life.

The bottom line: Though it's still in the upper ranges of current laptop prices, HP's upscale-feeling Envy 17 offers great hardware at a decent price.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 Review

The good: Great keyboard, bright screen, solid performance.

The bad: Thick and heavy, annoying rubberized trackpoint.

 The bottom line: The budget-minded Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 does its job as a solid small-business laptop, and Lenovo finally throws in a DVD drive, but it's too chunky compared with svelte competitors.