Many people have contacted me and asked about pink laptops under $500, so I thought we’d do a little overview of which companies offer them, and what you can get for under $500. First out is Dell, who do have quite a few in that price range, and on a few, you’re even able to add some upgrades and still stay within budget.

Here’s the list:

Inspiron Mini 10 (1012) – $299.99 and up
This mini laptop comes in several different configurations, ranging in price from $299.99 to $449.99, but not all are offered in pink. The ones that do cost between $309.99 and $409.99, but you have to add $40 to the price for pink, so the price range for pink Mini 10s is really 349.99 to $449.99.

On a few of them, you also have the option to select a different look from Dell’s Design Studio for $85.00 extra, so if you want a “swirly pink” instead of the standard solid one, you’ll end up with a base price of $434.99 – $494.99. How about other upgrades? There are none (for hardware).

Inspiron 11z – $349.99
Same thing for this one – it starts at $349.99, with an additional $40 for pink resulting in a price of $389.99. But if you want to spend up to $500, you can add a few performance-boosters without going over budget. For an extra $75, you can either upgrade the processor from a Celeron to a Pentium, or the hard drive from a 5,400 rpm 160GB SATA to a 5,400 rpm 320GB SATA, putting you at a price of $464.99. If you prefer to add more RAM, you can almost stay within budget. If you keep the Celeron processor and 160GB HD and instead upgrade from 2 to 4GB or RAM, you end up at $509.99.

Inspiron 15 (1545) – $379.99
This midsize laptop starts at $379.99 + $40 for pink = $419.99. There are a few upgrades that will keep the price under $500: upgrading the RAM from 2 to 3GB is an extra $45.00 (=$464.99); upgrading the hard drive from 250 to 320GB is $25 (=$444.99), and 500GB is $45 (=$489.99). You could also upgrade the battery to a 6-cell for $40 extra (=$459.99).

Inspiron 14 – $449.99
Starting out at $449.00 with an additional $40 for pink (=$489.99), the price for this laptop does not leave a whole lot of room for upgrades, so you’d have to stay with the basic configuration on this one

Inspiron 15R – $449.99
One of the newest laptops from Dell (read our review in the “Dell’s Latest Pink Laptop – The Inspiron R” post), the 15R is priced exactly like as the 14 – $449.99 + $40 for pink = $489.99, so no room for upgrades.

Inspiron 17 (1750) – $449.99
Same thing here – $489.99 in pink.

So these last three are exactly the same price, but how do they differ? Here are the specs:

Processor – Inspiron 14 & 17: Intel Pentium Dual Core T4500 (2.3GHz/800MHz FSB/1MB cache)
Processor – Inspiron 15R: 2010 Intel Pentium P6000 1.86GHz (2 Threads, 3M cache)

Operating System – All 3: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit

Graphics -14: Intel GMA 4500MHD
Graphics -15R: Standard Intel HD Graphics
Graphics -17: Intel GMA X4500HD

RAM – 14 & 17: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
RAM – 15R: 2GB Shared Single Channel DDR3

Hard drive – All 3: 250GB SATA, 5400rpm

Battery – 14 & 17: 4-cell Li-Ion
Battery – 15R: 6-cell Li-Ion

Screen – 14: 14.0″ High Definition (720p) LED Display
Screen – 15R: 15.6″ High Definition (720p) LED Display
Screen – 17: 17.3″ HD+ WLED

Size – 14: 13.3×9.4×1″
Size – 15R: 14.8×10.31×1.25″
Size – 17: 16.4×10.9×1.2″

Weight – 14: 4.96 lbs
Weight – 15R: 5.83 lbs
Weight – 17: 6.8 lbs

Dell recently announced the release of their latest laptop series: the Inspiron R.

This new take on the Inspiron laptops comes in three sizes (14″, 15″ and 17″) and four colors (“Tomato Red”, “Mars Black”, “Peacock Blue”  and “Lotus Pink”). However, only the 14R and 15R are offered in pink (for $40 extra) and as always when you buy pink laptops from Dell, they donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the cure.

They are not the most exciting-looking laptops we’ve ever seen (Ego Lifestyle, HP’s Vivian Tam and Sony VAIO Limited Editions get that award), but with their rounded corners and brushed metal look, they are pleasant enough to look at.

Glen Robson, Vice President of product marketing at Dell says: “The Inspiron R takes the rock solid Inspiron line and amps up the cool factor with a sexy and practical machine for entertainment and social networking along with all the usual home, school and work functions”.

One major difference between the Inspirons and the Inspiron Rs is that the customization options in the Rs are limited to color choices, warranties, 2 versions of Office and a whole bunch of gadgets. In fact, for the R series, it is not even called “Customize”; it is called “Personalize”. Oh, and you can also choose to Plant a Tree (for $2 extra) to offset your PC’s gas emissions. A true sign of the times.

What they have done instead is to create several pre-configured versions of each laptop, ranging in price from $449.99 for the most basic version of the 15R to $1009.99 for the most juiced-up 17R. However, since the 17R only comes in black, red and blue, we will leave that one out of our review.

The Inspiron Rs are not the smallest and lightest pink laptop computers currently on the market, but they are solid machines with some nice features. They all come with the Dell Dock – a bar of icons for your most often used applications (organized by category with “drop down icons” so your desktop stays uncluttered), which looks a bit Mac-inspired if you ask me.

The 15R models have a dedicated 10-key number pad, something I really like. You also have the option of choosing Intel Wireless Display, which allows you to” hook up” your laptop to your TV wirelessly, but that also requires an Intel Wireless Display TV adapter (not included with the laptop).

Here are the specs for the most basic and most upgraded options of the 14R and 15R:

This system sells for $479.99 + $40 for pink = $519.99

Processor: 2010 Intel Pentium P6000 1.86GHz (2 Threads, 3M cache)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics
RAM: 2GB Shared Single Channel DDR3
Hard drive: 250GB, 5400rpm
Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion
Screen: 14.0″ High Definition (720p) LED Display
Size: 13.5×9.69×1.2″
Weight: 4.96 lbs

Other features include:
- An internal 8X CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
- Dell Wireless DW1501, 802.11 g/n 1×1 Half Mini Card
- An integrated 1.3 Megapixel webcam with microphone
- 7-in-1 Media Card Reader
- Integrated 10/100 Network Card

This configuration sells for $939.99 + $40 for pink = $979.99

Processor: 2010 Intel Core i5-450M 2.4Gh (Turbo boost up to 2.66Ghz, 4 Threads, 3M Cache)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Basic, 64bit
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD5470, 64-Bit, DDR3 1GB
RAM: 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3
Hard drive: 500GB, 5400rpm
Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion
Screen: 14.0″ High Definition (720p) LED Display
Size: 13.5×9.69×1.2″
Weight: 4.96 lbs

The extra features are the same as for the basic 14R, plus
- Dell Wireless 365 Internal Bluetooth

This system sells for $449.99 + $40 for pink = $489.99

Processor: 2010 Intel Pentium P6000 1.86GHz (2 Threads, 3M cache)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics
RAM: 2GB Shared Single Channel DDR3
Hard drive: 250GB, 5400rpm
Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion
Screen: 15.6″ High Definition (720p) LED Display
Size: 14.8×10.31×1.25″
Weight: 5.83 lbs

The extra features are the same as for the basic 14R, plus
- Keyboard number pad

This configuration sells for $999.99 + $40 for pink = $1,039.99

Processor: 2010 Intel Core i5-450M 2.4Gh (Turbo boost up to 2.66Ghz, 4 Threads, 3M Cache)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD5470, 64-Bit, DDR3 1GB
RAM: 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3
Hard drive: 640GB, 5400rpm
Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion
Screen: 15.6″ High Definition (720p) LED Display
Size: 14.8×10.31×1.25″
Weight: 5.83 lbs

The extra features are the same as for the most expensive 14R, plus
- Blu-ray Disc Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
- Keyboard number pad

So, as you can see, the prices vary quite a bit, but you do get what you pay for. Remember, there are several other pre-configured systems for each model if your budget is somewhere in the middle. I have to say though, that I kind of prefer the “old” way of customizing my laptops from Dell. I liked being able to see for example all the hard drive options offered on one page instead of having to go back and forth trying to figure out the differences between each configuration.

There is an ever increasing number of pink laptops available on the market, but surprisingly few pink gaming laptops. Apparently, the manufacturers think that the color pink doesn’t go with gaming. Apart from adding a skin or customization, you have only a few options to choose from.

First – What should you look for in a gaming laptop?

In general, when buying a laptop to use for gaming, you want to spend as much money as you can afford on the graphics (or “video”) card, RAM and processor speed.

Graphics Card
You definitely want a dedicated graphics card, i.e. a card that has its own memory instead of sharing it with the system memory (as integrated cards do). And the more memory it has, the better. The dedicated cards have their own processor, called GPU, which handles all the image rendering.

In the laptops I’ll be talking about today, you have the choice between single and dual graphics cards. What’s the difference? Well, the dual cards split up the chores, which in theory should make rendering images twice as fast, right? It does speed it up, but not to that extent. And two is not always better than one. Two cards consume more energy, and users have seen stuttering with dual cards from both NVIDIA and ATI.

As far as which brand you should chose, NVIDIA or ATI, that’s a tossup. They’re both great, and it’s more a matter of preference on your part. If you want more of a techie view on this, check out Tom’s Hardware, a great website for this type of info.

RAM
In order for your computer to handle all these intense graphics, it needs to have a lot of RAM (Random Access Memory). These days, most gaming laptops come with DDR3 SDRAM, and you want to get as many GB of RAM as you can afford. Dual channel is a little bit faster than single (think of it as a two-lane vs. one-lane road), just make sure they’re the same size (for example 2GB+2GB = 4GB dual channel or 3GB+3GB = 6GB dual. Don’t get 2GB + 4GB to get a 6GB dual.)

Processor
The more GHz the better, and the more cores, the better. These days, you can get quad-core processors and if you can afford one, get it. The newer games have been developed to take full advantage of them.

Screen
For gaming, larger screens are preferred, and you want to make sure that the screen you choose has enough resolution. You want at least 1440 x 900 for a 15” screen, and 1680 x 1050 or higher for a 17”.

Hard drive – HDD or SSD?
SSD stands for Solid State Drive and HDD is the good old conventional spinning hard drive that used to be the only kind available. SSDs are expensive, but worth the money. The read/write speeds are a lot faster, they consume less energy, don’t give off heat, and are much more rugged than a regular hard drive.

Now, the Laptops
If you’re fine with it not being edge to edge pink, you have two great and one ok option: Dell’s Alienware M15x and Alienware M17x, and Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q708. The Alienware machines are black, red or silver, but you can set the logo (on the lid), the keyboard, touch pad, power button and loudspeaker grills to be illuminated in several different colors (pink is one of them). It really makes for an eye catching effect, and if you get tired of pink (yeah, right!), you can just pick another color. The Toshiba has a dark red lid with pink “flames” and pink accents on the inside.

The Specs

Base Configuration ($1,399)
Processor: Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Graphics Card: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M
LCD Panel: 15.6-inch WideHD+ 1600×900 (900p) WLED
RAM: 3GB DDR3 at 1066MHz
Hard drive: 250GB SATAII 7,200RPM
Battery: 6-cell (56Watt) Li-Ion

Upgrade Options
Processor: Intel Core i7 820QM 1.73GHz (3.06GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache) (+$300) or Intel Core i7 920XM 2.0GHz (3.2GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache) (+$900)
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (+$130) or Ultimate (+$150), 64bit
Graphics Card: 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M (+$200)
LCD Panel: 15.6-inch WideFHD 1920×1080 (1080p) WLED (+$100)
RAM: Lots of choices here, ranging from 4 to 8GB and 1066 or 1333MHz. The top choice is the 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz for an additional +$375
Hard drive: 320GB SATAII 7,200RPM (+$25), 500GB SATAII 7,200RPM (+75), 256GB Solid State Drive (+$520)
Battery: 9-cell (85Watt) Li-Ion (+$100)

If you went with all the top choices, this laptop would cost you $3,744.

If you want to save a bit of money, I would say go with the Home Premium OS, the 500GB SATA, the i7 820QM processor, and the 6-cell battery (if you’re gaming, you probably want to be plugged in anyway), which would give you a price tag of $2,449.

Base Configuration ($1,699)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz (3MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Graphics Card: 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
LCD Panel: 17-inch WideXGA+ 1440×900 (900p)
RAM: 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
Hard drive: 250GB 7,200RPM
Battery: 9-cell Li-Ion

Upgrade Options
Processor: Lots of choices. The top of the line option is the Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB) (+$1,000)
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (+$130) or Ultimate (+$150), 64bit
Graphics Card: Again, several options but top choices would be the Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M, 2GB – SLI Enabled (+$600), or if you prefer ATI, the ATI CrossFireX Dual 1GB Radeon Mobility HD 4870 (+$700)
LCD Panel: 17-inch WideUXGA 1920×1200 (1200p) (+$150)
RAM: Lots of options again. The top choice is the 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz for an additional +$375
Hard drive: Several different options. The two top choices are the 1TB – 2x 500GB 7,200RPM – RAID 0 (+$150) or the 512GB – 2x 256GB Solid State Drive – RAID 0 (+$1,040)
Battery: Additional 9-cell Li-Ion (+$180)

Selecting all the top choices would get you a price tag of $5,294.

Again, to save money, you could go with the Home Premium OS, the 1TB HDD, the Intel Core 2 Duo T9800 processor, which at 2.93GHz and 1066MHz FSB is faster than the most expensive quad core (and there aren’t many games yet that can take advantage of the quad core anyway) and skip the extra battery. This configuration would cost you $3,524 and it’s still a great system.

If you want to go even lower, choose the NVIDIA 280M (over the ATI) and drop the RAM to 6 or even 4GB. The price tag for this config with 6GB RAM (1,333MHz) is $3,274 and with 4GB (1,333MHz) $3,089. If you went with 1066MHz for the memory, the 6GB config would be $3,249 and the 4GB $3,049. Still a great system for gaming.

Whatever you do though, don’t skimp on the Graphics Card and the LCD panel

Configuration (no customization available) ($3,199)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX9300
Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate, 32 or 64bit
Graphics Card: Dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS with SLI technology
LCD Panel: 17.0″ widescreen 1680×1050 WSXGA+
RAM: 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM
Hard drive: 448GB: 128GB SSD + 320GB (7200rpm)
Battery: Li-Ion (3200mAh)

This is a decent gaming laptop, but technology advances fast, and since it came on the market in the fall of 2008, several new and improved laptop components have seen the light of day. It is, however, pink(ish).

The main complaint when it first arrived on the market was the price (at the time, it sold for around $4,200). It is now on clearance at Toshiba for $3,199. The processor is the same as the top choice in the Alienware M17x, it has two hard drives: an SSD and a 7200rpm HDD, the memory is the same as in the base config version of the M17x, but, and this is a big but, the top choice graphics cards in the M17x are much faster and more powerful than the ones in the Qosmio. And you can’t replace them in the Qosmio either, they are soldered with the system board.

So which is the best gaming laptop out of these three? If money is not an issue, and you don’t care about the weight, I would definitely go with the Alienware M17x with all the top choices. If you don’t want to spend over $5,000 I would still pick the M17x but save on some features (as described above). If weight is an issue, go with the M15x.

Remember when a computer took up an entire room at the office? Even if you don’t, I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures. Both desktops and laptops certainly have come a long way in just a few decades, and still seem to be shrinking every year (for even smaller laptops, check out our “Mini Laptop Computers” post).

We classify a small laptop as one with a screen size between 12 – 14″ and a weight of less than 6 lbs. How else does a small laptop differ from a mini laptop? Well, they have larger hard drives, more memory, internal CD/DVD drives, often dual channel processors, sometimes discreet graphics cards, and they are almost always customizable. The price can therefore vary quite a bit. On our list, the least expensive choice is Dell’s Inspiron 14 at $449 (base configuration) whereas Sony’s VAIO SR with all the top options added will cost you $3,079.

Below are the pink small laptop computers currently on the market:

Asus Eee 1008P
Dell Inspiron 14 (“Promise Pink”)
Dell Studio 14z (“Promise Pink” – click for full specs)
Dell Inspiron 14R
MSI PR200 (“Pink”)
MSI PR210 (“Pink”)
Sony VAIO SR (“Sunset Pink”)
Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P (Textured “Luxe Pink”)

Since all except the MSIs are customizable, the specs are quite lenghty, so we are just going to list the best and worst for each category. Each come with the Windows Vista Home operating system, and they all offer (except MSI of course) OS upgrade options.

Best – Base configuration
Dell Studio 14z (3GB2 Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz)

Best – Upgraded
Sony VAIO SR (8GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 4GBx2))

Worst
MSI PR200 and MSI PR210 (2GB DDR2 x 1 (533/667MHz)

Best – Base configuration
A tie between Dell Studio 14z and Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P, both with a 250GB3 SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

Best – Upgraded
Dell Studio 14z (500GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor)

If you prefer a solid state drive, the Sony VAIO SR is the winner with a 256GB Solid State Drive as an upgrade option.

Worst
MSI PR200 and MSI PR210 (120GB SATA)

Best – Base configuration
Dell Inspiron 14
Dell Studio 14z
Sony VAIO SR
Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P
all come with Intel® Pentium™ Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/1MB cache)

Best – Upgraded
Sony VAIO SR (Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T9800 (2.93GHz)

Worst
MSI PR200 and MSI PR210 (Intel Centrino 2.0GHz 667 MHz, 2MB cache and AMD Turion®64 X2, TL50, 2.0 GHz, 667MHz, 2MB respectively)

Best – Base configuration
A tie between Dell Studio 14z and Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P, both with 6-cell Li-Ions

Best – Upgraded
Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P (High Capacity 12-cell Li-Ion)

Worst
Hart to tell, since Sony only defines their batteries as “Standard” and “Large”. However, if we go by cells, Dell Inspiron 14 and the two MSIs “win” this category with 4 cell Li-Ions.

No best and worst here, just the facts:
MSI PR200 – 12″
MSI PR210 – 12″
Sony VAIO SR – 13.3″
Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P – 13.3″
Dell Inspiron 14 – 14″
Dell Studio 14z – 14″

Lightest
Sony VAIO SR (4.14 lbs)

Heaviest
Dell Inspiron 14 (4.96 lbs)

Smallest
Dell Studio 14z (13.23×9.02×0.79)

Largest
Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P (12.5×9.08×1.16)

On a side note, the sizes given for the two MSIs have such a wide range that they could have placed as smallest, but the variations are so big that I feel more comfortable giving the Studio 14z that award.

In conclusion:
If you’re looking a small and light laptop, the Studio 14z is a great choice: smallest of them all (in spite of having a 14″ screen) and pretty light as well (4.3 lbs).

If you want the best graphics card, the Toshiba Satellite U505-S2925P is the way to go. True, the base configuration comes with a mainstream Intel GMA 4500M, but you have the option to upgrade to an ATI Mobility Radeon H4570 with 512MB DDR3 (discrete).

As far as looks go, it’s all a matter of taste of course, but I think the Toshiba wins here too. The textured surface adds something a little extra, and I also happen to really like that particular shade of pink.

Dell’s latest netbooks, the Mini 10 and Mini 10v, were released in July of 2009. These cute little laptops come in 7 colors (Black, White, Pink, Red, Ice Blue, Jade Green and Purple) and as usual, when you buy one of their pink laptops, Dell donates $5.00 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

At first glance, they seem to be identical, but we have taken a look at how they differ, and the configuration options available.

As always with Dell’s computers, you can customize them – a nice feature which is pretty rare in the world of mini laptops. And in addition to the regular upgrades available, there are a few interesting extras offered such as an internal GPS and digital TV tuner. Neither one has an internal CD/DVD drive, so you would have to get an external drive if you want to install programs from a disk, or burn things yourself.

Both the 10 and 10v come with the option of Windows XP or Ubuntu (Linux) as an operating system, and the customization options vary a bit depending which OS you choose. If you are used to working in Windows and plan on using Windows programs (such as word, excel etc.), you’re better off going with the Windows XP OS.

Dell recommends Ubuntu for more advanced users who do not use windows applications and are “interested in open source programming”. Well, I’m a Windows user and I would definitely choose XP over Ubuntu.

Here are the rest of the specs for each (XP) system:

The 10v is the smaller (10.26×7.19×1.06-1.11″), slightly lighter (2.5 lbs with a 3-cell battery) and least expensive of the two, but there are still some good upgrade options available. The base configuration ($299 + $40 for pink) comes with:

• Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache)
• 10.1″ Widescreen Monitor
• 160GB, 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• Intel GMA 950
• 3-cell Li-Ion battery

Optional upgrades available for the basic model are:

• Intel Atom Processor N280 (1.66GHz/667MHz FSB/512K cache) ($20)
• 16GB solid state hard drive ($30)
• 6-cell Li-Ion battery ($35)
• Wireless 802.11g/n (1510) Mini Card($35)
• AT&T built-in mobile broadband ($125)
• Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR ($20)

If you added all the upgrades and extras, the final cost would be $594. Upgrading to the N280 will make your system run a little bit faster, and I would definitely recommend getting the larger battery.

The Mini 10 measures 10.28×7.19×1.0-1.1″, weighs 2.6 lbs with a 3-cell battery and come with a few more upgrade options.

The base configuration costs $344 (+$40 for pink) and comes with:

• Intel Atom Processor Z520 (1.33GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache)
• 10.1″ Widescreen Monitor
• 160GB, 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• Intel GMA 500
• 3-cell Li-Ion battery

Optional upgrades available for the basic model are:

• Intel Atom Processor Z530 (1.6GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache) ($50)
• HD Widescreen ($75)
• 32GB solid state hard drive ($75)
• 6-cell Li-Ion battery ($35)
• Internal Digital TV Receiver (ATSC) ($50)
• Wireless 802.11g/n (1510) Mini Card ($25)
• Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR ($20)
• Verizon, Sprint or AT&T built-in mobile broadband ($125)
• Built in GPS with Navigation Software ($70)

Note that if you want the digital TV receiver, you must upgrade your processor to the Z530. If you were to select all these upgrades and options, you would end up with a price tag of $799. Again, I would definitely upgrade the processor and battery, but I’m not so sure about the other bells and whistles on this one.

It’s all about personal preference of course, but if I had to choose one of these, I would go with the Mini 10v and upgrade the processor and battery and leave it at that (resulting in a price of $394). Why? Well, the N280 is a faster processor than any of the other options, I prefer a larger hard drive to a “drop proof” one, a larger battery is never wrong, and Bluetooth, HD, GPS and watching TV are not things that are important to me the way I use my netbook. The only thing I wish I could add is more memory. It would have been nice to be able to upgrade to 2GB.

Are you thinking of getting a new pink laptop this fall? If so, the timing is great. There are several new products on the market (read our overview of Dell’s Studio 14z and keep checking back for reviews of other laptops – they’re in the works), and special deals abound (Dell, Sony and Toshiba offer the most generous ones).

To save you all some time, we’ve put together a list (in alphabetical order) of of who’s offering what (as of today, August 14, 2009):

Aspire One @ B&H, Target, Sam’s Club
Free shipping

ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005HA @ Newegg, Buydig & B&H
Free shipping

ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1008HA @ Newegg
$3 rebate
Free shipping

ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1008HA @ Buydig & B&H
Free shipping

ASUS Disney Netpal @ Toys-R-Us
Free speaker set

ASUS Disney Netpal @ Amazon
50% off select magazine subscriptions

Mini 10
$248 rebate
Free shipping

Mini 10v
$123 rebate
Free shipping

Studio 14z
$140-$165 rebate
Free upgrade to Windows 7

Studio 15
$148 rebate
Free shipping
Free battery upgrade
Free HD display upgrade
Free upgrade to Windows 7

Studio 17
$25-$50 rebate
Free shipping
Free battery upgrade
Free HD display upgrade
Free upgrade to Windows 7

Inspiron 14
$133-139 rebate
Free shipping
Free battery upgrade
Free HD display upgrade
Free upgrade to Windows 7
Free Microsoft Office Home & Student or Wasabi Photo Printer

Inspiron 15
$50-$75 rebate
Free shipping
Free battery upgrade
Free HD display upgrade
Free upgrade to Windows 7

Mini 110-1037NR XP Edition, swirl pink chic
$40 rebate
$40 rebate on a DeskJet 4940 with purchase of computer
Free HP DeskJet D1560 or D4360 with purchase of computer

IdeaPad S10-2
$90 rebate
Free shipping

MSI Microstar WindBook U100-427US @ J&R
$10 rebate
Free shipping

MSI Microstar WindBook U100-427US @ PC Connection
Free shipping

NC10-11GP @ Newegg, Buy.com, J&R, PC Connection & Buydig
Free shipping

VAIO CS Series
$50 – $100 rebate on processor upgrades
$10 – $100 rebate on memory upgrades
$10 – $30 rebate on hard drive upgrades
$55 – $150 rebate on Microsoft Office
100 free song downloads
Free choice of certain colors (Cosmopolitan Pink is free)
Free engraving
Free shipping

VAIO SR Series
$50 – $100 rebate on processor upgrades
$10 – $100 rebate on memory upgrades
$10 – $100 rebate on hard drive upgrades
$55 – $150 rebate on Microsoft Office
100 free song downloads
Free choice of color
Free engraving
Free shipping

VAIO P Series
100 free song downloads

Mini NB205-N313P @ Amazon
50% off select magazine subscriptions
Free shipping

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Dell’s Studio 14z is their lightest and most slim Studio laptop to date, measuring 13.23 x 0.79 x 9.02″ and weighing in at 4.30 lbs. It comes in 6 colors, Promise Pink is one of them, and as always, Dell donates $5 of the sale price of their pink laptops to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The 14z comes with some really nice extra features like face recognition and theft prevention (the full list can be found further down in this post) and has gotten rave reviews.

It comes in 3 slightly different configurations, which can all be customized. The least expensive version is $649 (+$40 to get it in pink) and features:

• Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium Edition operating system
• 2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/1MB cache Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 processor
• 14.0″ HD (720p) display (with built-in 1.3MP webcam)
• 250GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive
• 3GB dual channel DDR3 memory at 1066MHz
• Wireless 802.11g Half Mini Card
• NVIDIA® GeForce® 9400M G (graphics and chipset)
• 6-cell 56Whr Li-ion battery

The top-of-the-line optional upgrades available for the basic model are:

• 5GB DDR3 at 1066Mhz memory ($275)
• 2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB/6MB cache Intel Core 2 Duo processor ($350)
• Windows Vista Ultimate Edition operating system ($150)
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive ($175)
• 14.0″ HD+ (900p) bright LED display ($50)
• Dell 1515 Wireless-N Mini-card ($25)
• AT&T built-in cellular mobile broadband ($125)
• Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Internal ($20)
• 8-cell 74Whr Li-ion battery ($40)
• ExpressCard Sound Blaster X-Fi Laptop Sound Card with Wireless Receiver Bundle ($130)
• Back-lit keyboard ($25)

So if you went with all the top choices for this system, you would end up with a price tag of $2,054.

One important thing to note is that these computers do not come with internal DVD or CD drives, so you have to get an external one if you want to use that kind of media.

The most expensive version of the Studio 14z sells for $799 (+$40 for pink), and comes with:

• Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium Edition operating system
• 2.1GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache Intel Pentium Dual Core T6500 processor
• 14.0″ HD (720p) display (with built-in 1.3MP webcam)
• 500GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive
• 3GB dual channel DDR3 memory at 1066MHz
• Wireless 802.11g Half Mini Card
• NVIDIA® GeForce® 9400M G (graphics and chipset)
• 6-cell 56Whr Li-ion battery

The top-of-the-line optional upgrades available for this model are:

• 5GB DDR3 at 1066Mhz memory ($275)
• 2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB/6MB cache Intel Core 2 Duo T9550 processor ($300)
• Windows Vista 64-bit Ultimate Edition operating system ($150)
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive ($75)
• 14.0″ HD+ (900p) bright LED display ($50)
• Dell 1515 Wireless-N Mini-card ($25)
• AT&T built-in cellular mobile broadband ($125)
• Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Internal ($20)
• 8-cell 74Whr Li-ion battery (lasting up to 6.5 hours) ($40)
• ExpressCard Sound Blaster X-Fi Laptop Sound Card with Wireless Receiver Bundle ($130)
• Back-lit keyboard ($25)

If you added all the top choices for this system, you would end up with the same computer and a price tag identical to the one above: $2,054.

The only differences between the two basic configurations are the processor and hard drive, and if you were to upgrade the least expensive basic model to match the most expensive one, you end up with the exact same price ($799).

Extra features on the Studio 14z include:

• 3 USB ports (one of which is an eSATA port)
• 4-watt 2.0 SRS audio (great speakers!)
• Online backup service (Dell’s own)
• Remote access (lets you access what’s on your home computer and other electronics remotely)
• FailSafe theft prevention (which allows you to erase files, lock the computer, and track the ISP location of your laptop when the thief connects it to the internet)
• Facial recognition (to prevent others from logging in)

Also, Dell offers a free Windows 7 upgrade, and as someone who has battled with Vista for a few years now, I’d jump on that offer! For more current deals on Dell (and other) laptops, check out my “Deals, Extras and Offers on Pink Laptops” post.

Click here for my post on Dell’s Mini series. Also check out my recent post on the most recent pink laptop from Dell – the Inspiron R.

As a follow-up to my Dell Inspiron Mini post, I thought we’d take a look at how Acer’s Aspire One compares to Dell’s Mini 9. I’m comparing it to the least expensive, basic configuration of the Mini, since that is the model most similar to the Aspire One.

The Aspire One is available in two display sizes: 8.9″ and 10.1″, but only the 8.9″ comes in pink. It’s what I would call a “happy shade of pink”, Acer calls it Coral Pink: either way, it’s very pretty. It’s not customizable, but you can find a few different configurations online.

Below are the specs for the most widely available system. I have listed the same specs, in the same order as for the Dell Minis for easy comparison:

Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition
Processor: 1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512KB L2 cache Intel Atom
Screen: 8.9″
Hard drive: 160GB SATA
Memory: 1GB (512MB onboard, 512MB SO-DIMM)
Wireless: 802.11b/g
Graphics: Intel GMA 950
Battery: 3-Cell Lithium-Ion (optional 6-Cell Lithium-Ion)

Size: 9.8 x 1.1 x 6.7″
Weight: 2.19 lbs with the 3-cell battery, 2.78lbs with the 6-cell
Cost: $299.99

So how does this compare to Dell’s Mini 9 apart from the different operating systems (Windows XP vs. Linux)?

Similarities

• The processor, screen size, wireless and graphic cards are the same.
• Neither one comes with an internal CD/DVD drive.
• The price, size and weight are almost exactly the same.

Differences

• The battery options do differ a bit, a 4-cell is the only option on the Mini, whereas on the Aspire One, you have the option of upgrading to a 6-cell.

• The Aspire has more memory (although you are able to upgrade the Mini to 2GB for $75).

• The hard drive is where you see the big difference: Aspire One’s 160GB (SATA) vs. Dell’s 4GB (solid state). You can upgrade the Mini to a 32GB SSD (for $100), but it’s still smaller. Having said that, if your laptop has to endure a lot of shaking and the occasional drop, you’re better off with a solid state drive.

On a separate note: Tomorrow, April 7, Acer is having a huge event in NYC, where they will be launching five new product lines. I don’t know yet if any of them will be pink, but stay tuned! Update: Acer did announce several new notebooks and a nettop PC but nothing in pink.

Dell’s line of super-portable laptops – “netbooks” – are similar to the Asus Eee Pc and Acer Aspire One in that they’re basic, small, lightweight, and inexpensive.

This being Dell, upgrades are available, but if you want to keep the cost down, go with one of the basic systems. The least expensive configurations of the Mini 9 and 12 come with the Ubuntu Linux operating system, but don’t let that deter you. If you haven’t used it before, you can do basic Linux training at their (Linux’s) website to see if it’s something you think would work for you.

If you’re looking for a “go everywhere” basic laptop (or “netbook”) and mostly use it for email, accessing the Internet, and basic word processing, the Inspiron Minis are all great choices.

The most economical version of the Mini 9 is only $249 – for the black one. If you want it in pink, you have to add $30, but Dell donates $5 of that to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, so at least part of it goes to a good cause. Other specs for the least expensive base configuration include:

• Linux 8.04.1 operating system
• 1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache Intel Atom processor
• 8.9″ display
• 4GB SSD (solid state drive)
• 512MB memory at 533MHz
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 4-cell 32Whr battery

Optional upgrades available for the basic model are:

• 2GB DDR2 at 533Mhz memory ($75)
• 64GB solid state hard drive ($150)
• Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 capability ($20)

The most expensive version of the Mini 9 sells for $412 (which includes the pink color), and comes with:

• Widows XP Home
• 1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache Intel Atom processor
• 8.9″ display
• 16GB SSD
• 1GB memory at 533Mhz
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 4-cell 32Whr battery

No additional internal upgrades are available for this model

All Mini 9 configurations measure 9.13×1.07×6.77″ and weigh around 2.28 lbs.

Slightly larger (10.28×7.19×1.25″) and heavier (2.86 lbs) than the Mini 9s, the Mini 10 comes in 6 colors. “Promise Pink” is one of them and costs $30 extra – again, $5 of that goes to Susan G. Komen. The most basic configuration sells for $399 (+30 for pink) and features:

• Windows XP Home edition
• 1.33GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache Intel Atom processor
• 10.1″ screen
• 160GB 5400RPM hard drive
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500
• 3-cell 24WHR Li-Ion battery

For an additional $50, you can upgrade the processor to 1.6Ghz.

Dell also mentions the following features, which will be available on the Mini 10 “at a later date”:

• Internal GPS
• HD screen
• Internal digital TV tuner

Dell has not set a date for when that might happen, so keep checking back.

The next step up is the Mini 12, where the least expensive, basic configuration sells for $399 (+$30 for pink) and comes with:

• Linux 8.04.1 operating system
• 1.33GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache Intel Atom processor
• 12.1″ screen
• 40GB, 4200 RPM PATA hard drive
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500
• 3-cell 24WHR Li-Ion battery

Optional upgrades available for the basic model are:

• 1.6Ghz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache Intel Atom processor ($50)
• 80GB, 4200 RPM PATA hard drive ($50)

The most expensive Mini 12 configuration costs $549 (+$30 for pink) and features:

• Windows XP Home edition
• 1.33GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache Intel Atom processor
• 12.1″ screen
• 80GB, 4200 RPM PATA hard drive
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500
• 6-cell 48WHR Li-Ion battery

And again, for $50, you can upgrade the processor to 1.6Ghz.

All Mini 12s measure 11.77×9.02×0.92″ and the starting weight is 2.72 lbs (that’s with the 3-cell battery).

Don’t miss my post on Dell’s newest pink laptop – the Inspiron R.

In spite of what some people might think, those of us who want pink laptops are not willing to settle for something less functional just to get the exact right shade of fuchsia or rose. Sure, looks are important, but we also want speed, portability, great battery life, lots of memory, and any other goodies we can get our hands on. But how do you find the laptop with the features most vital to you?

We have put together a list of our best rated laptops (all pink, of course) in several important categories. Enjoy!

Smallest
Winner: Asus EEE PC 4G Surf and 2G Surf – both measure 8.86×0.79-1.26×6.30
Runner-up: Sylvania G Netbook Meso – 9×1.25×7

Lightest
Winner: Asus EEE PC 4G, 4G Surf and 2G Surf – all weigh in at 2 lbs
Runner-up: Acer Aspire One – 2.19 lbs (with a 3-cell battery)

Largest Screen
Winner: Dell Studio 17 and Toshiba Qosmio X305 – Both with 17″ screens
Runners-up: Dell Inspiron 1525, Dell Studio 15, Dell XPS M1530, Gateway M-730u, and Gateway M2414u – all with 15.4″ screens

Fastest – Basic Configuration
Winner:
Toshiba Qosmio X305
320GB HDD SATA 7200rpm, Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T7350 2.0GHz, 3MB L2Cache, 1066MHz FSB, 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM

Runner-up:
Asus F6V-C1
320GB HDD SATA 5400rpm, Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8400: 2.26 GHz, 3MB On-Die L2 Cache, 1066Mhz FSB, 4GB DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SODIMM socket

Least Expensive – Basic Configuration (at time of writing)
Winner: Asus EEE PC 2G Surf – $245 and up
Runner-up: Acer Aspire One – $349 and up

Most Stylish
Winner: Ego Tulip
Runner-up: HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam

So, if you want the smallest, lightest and least expensive pink laptop out there, the Asus EEE PC 2G Surf is the one for you – and a great choice if you only use your laptop for word processing, internet browsing and email. It comes with a solid state hard drive, so it is able to handle bumps and shakes without crashing.

If you’re looking for a gaming laptop, the Toshiba Qosmio X305 is the clear winner. The basic configuration ($1,499) is pretty great with a 320GB, 7200rpm hard drive, a 2.0GHz, 1066MHz FSB Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB RAM at 1066MHz, and a NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS, but if you’re willing to cough up $1,999, you get a 2.26GHz, 1066MHz processor and dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS cards.

If you do a lot of work on photos, or watch movies on your laptop, you’d probably want the largest screen possible. The Dell Studio 17 and Toshiba’s Qosmio both have 17″ screens. The Qosmio is definitely faster (it comes with a 320 GB 7200rpm hard drive, a 2.0GHz, 1066MHz FSB Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and 4GB RAM at 1066MHz whereas the Dell has a 160GB 5400rpm hard drive, a 1.86GHz, 533MHz FSB Intel Pentium Dual Core processor and 2GB RAM at 800MHz), but that speed comes a a price: $1,499 for the base configuration vs. $749 for the Dell.

However, if you spend $1,199 and choose the faster version of the Dell Studio 17, you get a 320GB 5400rpm hard drive, a 2.20GHz/1066MHz processor, and 4GB RAM at 800MHz. Still not as fast as the Toshiba, but getting better. (By the way, these are the top options for the Dell Studio 17, no hard drive at 7200rpm or RAM at 1600MHz is offered).

If style is most important, the Ego laptops are impossibly good looking, but come with a hefty price tag: $10,900 and up (all the way into the $500,000s). The HP Vivienne Tam is smaller, lighter, so very cute and unarguably more affordable at $699.