Jeremy Toeman
Vice president for market development
Sling Media

Sony Vaio VGN-SZ270P/C; $2,350;
www.sonystyle.com

After my last computer died, I needed a new laptop to take on the road. My requirements: a Centrino Duo-powered machine that was fast, expandable, lightweight, and able to endure at least three hours of heavy use while running on battery power. After a thorough search, Sony's Vaio made the cut. It's a beautiful piece of hardware that weighs less than 4 pounds and is about an inch thick. The incredibly bright screen is perfect for watching DVDs or TV broadcasts on the road, and the fingerprint sensor--which I thought was a bit goofy at first--turns out to be a great feature because I no longer worry about remembering all my passwords for different websites. Battery life clocks in at just three hours, so I also bought an extended-life battery that provides more than six hours of juice in energy-saving mode. This is one of the best--and best-looking--laptops on the market.