Top All-Purpose Laptops

These mid-size laptops are often very affordable and offer more options for hardware and features than smaller laptops, yet are more portable than desktop replacement models.

1 Dell XPS 14z Dell's XPS 14z offers a balanced approach to thin-and-light, full featured laptops, but has only two USB ports. Full Review | Specs

2 HP Pavilion dv6 HP's dv6 is a classy-looking (though slightly bulky) laptop with a good mix of features for its price. Full Review | Specs

3 Lenovo ThinkPad T420 The venerable T420's staid countenance belies its outstanding performance, reliability, and features. Full Review | Specs

5 Gateway ID47H02u Though not the fastest or most full-featured laptop, Gateway has hit the nail on the head in terms of desgn and overall appeal. Full Review | Specs

6 Asus U46SV This all-purpose laptop is stylish with great stats and numbers, but it's also heavy and you must clean out the software bloat to fully appreciate it. Full Review | Specs

7 Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 Fans of ThinkPad keyboards and input devices should welcome this affordable, not-too-heavy model, but gamers and hard-core number crunchers should look elsewhere. Full Review | Specs

8 » Lenovo IdeaPad U400 You won't find a more stylish or capable all-purpose laptop, though it needs a Blu-ray option. Full Review | Specs

9 Sony VAIO S Series (VPCSE13FX/S) Sony's VAIO S Series won't win any awards for performance or multimedia playback, but it's a great light laptop for a business professional. Full Review | Specs

HP Envy 15 (early 2012) HP could have a very satisfying performance laptop in the Envy 15--if it addresses a couple of critical problems. Full Review | Specs 2