Sony VAIO BX740N1 (Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD, Vista Business)

The Sony VAIO CR120 incorporates a handful of high-end features at a low--for Sony--price. Just don't expect its performance to handle higher-end applications.

The carbon-fiber TX series is Sony's thinnest and lightest laptop line, perhaps the most lightweight ultraportable on the market, but it still includes features such as instant-on technology, Bluetooth, and a double-layer DVD burner.

Kudos to Sony for releasing the sub-$1,000 VAIO NR160. It's a perfectly functional, budget 15-inch laptop--we just wish it didn't stray so far from the excellent industrial design of the company's more expensive systems.