Radically overhauled last year, Apple’s MacBook line of laptops moved to aluminum construction, edge-to-edge glass over LED displays, and oversize multitouch trackpads (with the exception of the lone $999 white plastic model). The latest round of updates is more of a refinement than another revolution, but it adds some much-sought-after features, while lowering prices on many configurations.

Most notable, the 13-inch aluminum unibody MacBook has been promoted to join the MacBook Pro family. It’s a move that makes sense, as the differences between the two lines were becoming increasingly blurred. To complete the transformation, the 13-inch Pro regains its missing FireWire port, making it even more useful for creative professionals on the go.

New to the Pro line is something we never thought we’d see on a MacBook: an SD card slot. Standard on the 13- and 15-inch Pro laptops, this corrects one of our main MacBook annoyances. We’re also pleased to see the backlit keyboard–previously found in only the more expensive 13-inch versions–filter down to even the $1,149 base model (which is a nice discount from the previous $1,299 entry price).

Some have strong feelings about the nonremovable battery–similar to those already found on the MacBook Air and 17-inch Pro. It’s a legitimate concern, but we think the promise of better battery life (Apple claims up to a 40 percent improvement), and three times as many recharge cycles as older batteries is just as important.

Apple Macbook Pro Summer 09

There are still a few items on our 13-inch wish list–matte screens, mobile broadband options, Blu-ray–but Apple has done an admirable job filling in some of the major missing pieces. By offering more features for less money, the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains one of the most universally useful laptops available.

Though most laptop shoppers may be laser-focused on value, snapping up $300 Netbooks and $600 ULV systems, there’s always a little room at the top of the heap for a high-priced, full-featured showpeice. In the 13-inch category, HP has the Envy 13, Dell has the Adamo XPS, and Sony has the Vaio Z series.

In this latest refresh, the Vaio Z has a very fast Intel Core i5 processor, an Nvidia GT 330M GPU, which can be switched off to save battery life, a DVD drive (something missing from those other high-end 13-inch laptops), and a huge 256GB SSD hard drive, which is no doubt a big part of the $2,299 price (although it’s not yet available for sale at the time of this review).

Price aside, the Vaio Z may be our new 13-inch laptop of choice, as it breezed by many other recent 13-inch systems we’ve tested, which all use older Intel CPUs (or slower low-voltage ones). The trade-off is in battery life, even with the system automatically changing power profiles as needed with its Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System (which is a fancy name for the integrated/discrete graphics switch).

Unfortunately, the Vaio Z116 priced out of range for most consumers, but if you get an opportunity to test-drive one, we I recommend it.

As the sequel to one of our favorite all-around Netbooks, the HP Mini 5102 has some pretty big shoes to fill. It wasn’t HP’s choice in components that we liked about its business line 10-inch system–after all, most 2009 Netbooks shared a very uniform set of parts–it was the overall design and build quality of the Netbook we liked

With a body made of aluminum and magnesium alloy, the 5101 felt significantly more rugged than many of the plastic Netbooks it was competing with, and its excellent keyboard layout made typing a breeze. The new version, the 5102, offers only minor cosmetic tweaks, but also more configuration options, including a touch screen.

That means you can create a fairly compelling Netbook using HP’s online configurator, but it’ll also be an expensive one, as anything above the baseline adds significant cost. At a time when HD displays are becoming the norm, our $424 review unit has only a standard 1,024×600-pixel resolution 10-inch display, along with a single-core Intel Atom N450 processor, Windows 7 Starter Edition, and 1GB of RAM.

With the competition (including HP’s own Mini 311 line) regularly offering HD displays and Nvidia Ion graphics for very reasonable prices, we would have liked to see the Mini 5102 make some bolder steps with its new version. As it is, this sequel to our favorite 2009 Netbook feels like just that–a 2009 Netbook.

At this year’s CES, one of the technologies that captured interest was Intel’s Wireless Display technology, or WiDi. Presented as a simple plug-and-play way of transmitting a laptop’s video signal to any TV with the help of a small Netgear-made box, WiDi presents a tempting solution to the often messy methods currently available to those who want to get their Hulu on the big screen. (For more on Intel’s Wireless Display, check out our hands-on report and video.)

WiDi, however, needs to be built into a compatible laptop. One of the first notebook computers to include WiDi at retail is the $899 Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904, a model that’s exclusive to Best Buy. Though having WiDi included makes the E205-S1904 intriguing enough, we’re also excited because the last Best Buy exclusive design that Toshiba made, the E105-S1802, was one of our favorite Satellite laptops. We particularly liked it for incorporating a more comfortable keyboard and touch pad than are available in most mainstream Satellite models.

The new E205 changes the look of the E105 considerably. Gone is the boxy but clean look, replaced with a sleek curved blue design. A new Intel Core i5 processor replaces the previous Core 2 Duo, offering some performance upgrades and power-management advantages. A slot-loading DVD/CD drive is also included. The keyboard is still backlit, and speaker volume is improved over the E105. At a price of $899, it’s only $50 more than last year’s E105 Blue Label offering. For the improved CPU and wireless display functionality alone, however, it’s arguably worth it.

Pink laptops have become increasingly popular of late and the option is no longer restricted to just a limited range of machines.

Most leading computer manufacturers now offer the pink option with much of their product range. Dell have been at the forefront of this move away from dull blacks and greys and offer a wide selection of colour and design options.

Pretty Pink

The latest edition to Dell’s line-up of colourful and affordable laptops, the 1545 offers an overall package which will be hard to beat for the money.

What You Get

Put together in a 15″ shiny pink case the Dell 1545 offers a high quality computing solution that won’t break the bank. With 3GB of memory and 160GB of disc space this laptop should cope with most people’s needs quite easily.

You also get a choice of processor with the Intel Celeron 585 in the base model or, for a few quid extra, you can opt for the Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor T4200.

There are 3 USB connections, a built-in webcam and Wi-Fi card for those who need to stay connected and the 4 cell Li-ion battery will keep going for around 2 hours between charges. A great looking machine representing great value! Read more about the Dell 1545 here…

Spec

Colour: Gloss Pink
Processor: Intel Celeron 585 / Pentium Dual-Core T4200
O/S: Windows Vista Home
Memory (RAM): 3GB
Hard Drive: 160GB
Display: 15.6″ Widescreen
Battery life: 4-cell Li-ion (2 hours)
Connections: USB x 3
Price: £379 / £399