laptop

We're back with more awesome tech for the pool, the beach, and 20,000 leagues under the sea ... and this time it's personal.

You don't know what you've got until it's gone, they say--and they might very well have been talking about my cell phone. A couple of months ago, while walking through the departures terminal at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, I reached into my coat pocket to grab my Motorola Droid--and panicked. Where I had expected to feel the cool metal case of my most trusted travel companion, my fingers reported only pocket lint and a couple of crumpled business cards. My phone had gone missing, and with it the security of my contacts, my banking information, my entire e-mail history, and my Facebook and Twitter logins--and I didn't even have a passcode on the phone.

PC World looked at many outstanding hardware, software, sites, and services this year, evaluating each one on its design, functionality, performance, and impact. Here is the cream of the crop, the 100 best of 2009. (Note that we chose not to rate products specifically on their price or value, focusing instead on their overall quality.)

This is a true story about sex, computers, the Internet, spying, theft, intrigue, and the police--and it all began this past February when David Krop made the mistake of leaving his two laptop computers inside a locked SUV in a parking garage.

Whether you're a mobile gamer with a minuscule budget, a business traveler who puts a premium on portability, or a starving student who needs an all-purpose PC, there's a laptop for you.

From petite netbooks to massive desktop replacements, laptops are made for different needs. Follow the tips in this buying guide, and you can meet the notebook of your dreams.

What's the last thing you do before going to sleep?

Laptops come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Whether you're buying for yourself or outfitting a department, here's help in picking the right one.

Like it or not, design, color, form factor, and texture are the new key features for tech products, which begs the question ... Are you OK with using a cute laptop?

For some number of enterprise users and their application requirements, netbooks' portability and price will be compelling. But potential customers may want to wait for a few months to buy one.

Mini laptops are highly portable, inexpensive, very popular -- and a potential security nightmare.