The Sony VAIO VGN-A790 ($2,799.99 direct), the update to the VAIO VGN-A690, is undoubtedly the most powerful machine in Sony’s laptop lineup. Its exterior is unchanged–same gorgeous 17-inch display, same ultrathin chassis. Inside, the updates are minor; a boost in processor speed and more graphics memory. Sony also keeps the VAIO Zone suite, a worthy adversary against Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE). All in all, the A790 is an impressive media-center laptop. -PC Magazine

Reviews: Hardware Ranking