Nov. 3--That's why I think the sweet spot for notebooks is in the 13-14-inch range. If you're traveling, these systems offer lots of power, adequate screen real estate and -- in many cases -- a good price.

--Satellite T135 -- $700, Toshiba. In the not-too-distant past, you could count on very thin notebooks to have very high prices. Cramming components into a thin case has gotten a lot easier, and the results include systems like the Satellite T135.

The T135 comes with an ultra-low voltage, dual-core Intel Pentium SU4100 processor that runs at 1.3 GHz. The processor's low-power consumption helps the notebook achieve better battery life -- I averaged over four hours per charge.

It also has 4 gigabytes of memory, a 320-GB hard drive but no optical drive, common for systems in this class. It also has a wireless adapter that uses the newer and faster 802.11n Wi-Fi standard, a 5-in-1 memory card slot, an Ethernet port, three USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI port for high-definition video. It has a built-in Webcam and facial-recognition software, but the program could never recognize my face. I'm not quite sure what that implies.

Unfortunately, it uses Intel's shared memory graphics adapter, which uses system memory for video memory.

All this is packed into a stylish, wine-red case that's less than an inch thick at its widest point and weighs less than 3.5 pounds. It's wide enough that the keyboard is roomy, and it's got a textured touchpad. The only interface gotcha: It has a single button below the touchpad for left- and right-mouse clicks. You must hit it in the right place to get the click you want.

The T135 performs well. Its applications launch quickly and are responsive. It has enough memory that you can keep several programs working without the system bogging down, despite the slower processor.

Unfortunately, it also comes with junkware. Toshiba is fond of loading up its systems with helper programs that purport to make some tasks easier, but often duplicate Windows features and slow down your system. If you buy this notebook, I'd suggest you take the time to uninstall what you don't need.

--MacBook Pro 13-inch -- $1,549, Apple. In early 2007, I bought my first Apple notebook: a black, 13-inch MacBook. I loved it, but over time yearned for something with more muscle and better graphics. I decided to make the leap when Apple launched its latest line of MacBook Pros, along with this 13.3-inch model. I bought one.

The price above reflected a hard drive upgrade for it, but even at its base price of $1,499, this is an expensive purchase.