Acer Aspire 5735-4624

The good: Bargain-basement price; decent performance; 16:9 display will appeal to movie lovers; does Draft N W-Fi. The bad: Flimsy, plastic chassis; clacky mouse buttons; somewhat low screen resolution; keyboard feels a bit cramped because it must make room for separate number pad. The bottom line: A mainstream laptop at a Netbook price, the Acer Aspire 5735 provides the basics plus a movie-friendly 16:9 aspect display. Price range: $399.99 CNET editors' review Editors' note: This review is part of our Holiday 2008 Retail Laptop Roundup, covering specific new configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores. If you set out to find the largest laptop for the smallest price, your quarry would be Acer Aspire 5735-4624, a 15.6-inch laptop that lists for $499--and currently selling at Best Buy for $399. That... [read full story]