It's been six months since our last laptop buying guide update and while the scene has changed a bit, we're still waiting on the inevitable implementation of Intel's Core i7 in notebooks through the course of 2009. Regardless of what's to come, the Core 2 Duo is still holding strong and probably will for a while, so now is as good of a time as any to make a notebook purchase.

In a similar fashion to the last guide, we will attempt to cover the ideal specifications for a few popular price points and system varieties. The most obvious addition is a section dedicated to netbooks, which have been able to create a segment of their own, moving further away from the more expensive ultra-portables.

* Desktop replacement notebooks
* Budget/Value-minded laptops
* Ultra-portable laptops
* Netbooks