Laptop Club

Of all the 16-inch media centers—laptops with 16-inch widescreens—the Lenovo IdeaPad Y650 ($1,299 direct) is easily the least burdensome on your back. It's an alternative for those who don't want to spend the money or make the switch to an Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Dual Graphics) but salivate over its lightness. The Y650 is designed with mobility in mind when others (ahem, other Windows laptops) with similar screens are at least a pound heavier. Yet it can also fill the void left by an old desktop. Part for part, though, the Y650 is a bit overpriced; there are better values out there. Then again, you can always wait around until there's a good Lenovo sale.

• Price as Tested: $1,299.00 Direct
• Type: General Purpose, Media
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600
• Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
• RAM: 3 GB
• Weight: 5.5 lb
• Screen Size: 16 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: Integrated Intel GMA X4500HD
• Storage Capacity: 320 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: DVD+R DL