Best Out-of-the-Box Laptops, do you want it?

Getting a new laptop doesn't have to involve upgrading the hardware and cleaning out the bloatware. These four laptops are great straight out of the box.

Nothing can dull the excitement of getting a shiny new laptop like turning it on and finding it's nothing like you thought it would be. For the unlucky, fantasies of blazing speeds and fantastic graphics will be crushed by a reality of bloatware, miserly amounts of memory, and weak chipsets. But if you've chosen wisely, your new notebook should perform like a dream.

Being perfect out of the box is a tall order. Then again, the average user won't want to bother uninstalling extraneous programs or, even worse, actually having to crack the thing open to upgrade RAM or install a new graphics card. This means that the onus is on the manufacturer to provide a capable system with plenty of features that's also properly configured for its target audience.

In my quest for the best out-of-the-box systems, I came up with the following criteria. First, the laptop must come with 2GB of RAM. As we've stated time and time again, that's really the minimum amount needed to run Windows Vista properly. Also, the unit must come with discrete graphics. This may not be a priority for every user, but it will come in handy with Vista's Aero interface, plus any casual gaming. Next, the notebook must have an optical drive. For many users like me, that's a necessity. (I can't imagine not having my entire CD collection on my hard drive or actually having to watch the in-flight movie instead of my personal selection.) Last but not least, the system must be free of bloatware. No Microsoft Office trials. No AOL sign-ups. Just a clean hard drive. Period.

That said, I found four great choices we've reviewed recently that fall into all different notebook categories. Business travelers, students, and those who aren't looking to add to their already overfilled bags will likely appreciate the ultraportable ASUS U6S. This lovely little sub-4-pound laptop still manages to squeeze in a slot-loading dual-layer DVD burner, an nVidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics card, and 160 GB of storage. Though it's a little low on battery life (drained by the standard-voltage processor and discrete graphics card, no doubt), the tradeoff in performance may be worth it for power users.

If you're looking for more of a multimedia powerhouse, the desktop-replacement Dell XPS M1530 is a great option. Raw horsepower aside, this hefty notebook offers a graphics-card upgrade from its XPS sibling (the M1330) and nVidia's PureVideo engine for high-definition playback and 3D gaming. It's also the only laptop of the bunch to feature a Blu-ray burner.

The Gateway P-171XL FX, part of Gateway's new dedicated gaming line, kicks things up a notch. It's more expensive than the other Windows systems listed here, but that's because it utilizes ultra-premium parts, including the best mobile CPU now on the market and the latest nVidia graphics card (the GeForce 8800M GT). The P-171XL FX boasts 1,920-by-1,200 resolution (1080p), also top of the line, for a fantastic high-definition experience. With ample storage (400 GB to be exact) the P-171XL FX should keep you in business for a long time.

When it comes to picking out a stellar system from the start, Apple fans are in luck. Our new Editors' Choice, the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn), is a particularly good option. The newest iteration in this popular line builds on all the strengths of its predecessors and introduces some cool new features, like the gesture-based touchpad from the MacBook Air. The ultra-efficient Penryn processor boosts performance, but it also contributes to this MacBook's stellar battery life thanks to its low power usage. Though the additions are likely not enough to entice MacBook Pro owners to upgrade their systems, new users will not be disappointed.

If you're like the majority of users who expect their laptops to work from the start, no uninstalling or upgrades required, you should appreciate our best out-of-the-box laptops. Read on for more of what you can expect from these stellar systems.

more on http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2307304,00.asp

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