ACER LIQUID Z4 specs

                                        LIQUID Z4 SPECS

                                                                                   -Acer launches it's new smartphone in to their wide range of smart phone family.It packs some impressive specs so let us have a look at them:-

Availlable networks :2G,3G

SIM :MICRO-SIM

Dimensions : 9.7 mm thickness

Weight :130 gm

Screen Type :TFT capacitive touchscreen

Size :4.0 Inch

resolution :480X800 pixels

Pixel density :Approx.233 PPI

Internal Memory :4 GB

RAM :512 MB

SD card support upto :32 GB

GPRS : YES

Bluetooth: V.4.0

USB :Micro USB V.2.0

CAMERA:

Primary :5 MP (2592X1944 pixels, autofocus)

Video:YES

Secondary:NO

FEATURES:

OS: Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)

CPU : Dual-core 1.3 GHz

Colour available : Black/White

NOKIA LUMIA ICON specs

                                 LUMIA ICON SPECS

                                                                    -Nokia had launched their new high end smartphone the lumia icon which packs some pretty impressive specs ,So let us have a look at them:

Availlable networks :2G,3G,4G

SIM :NANO-SIM

Dimensions :137 x 71 x 9.8 mm

Weight :167 gm

Screen Type :AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors with Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Size :5.0 Inch

resolution :1920X1080 pixels

Pixel density :Approx.441 PPI

Internal Memory :32 GB

RAM :2 GB

SD card support : NO

GPRS : Class A

Bluetooth: V.4.0

USB :Micro USB V.2.0

CAMERA:

Primary :20 MP ( pixels, autofocus)

Features:1/2.5'' sensor size, PureView technology, dual capture, geo-tagging, face detection, panorama

Video:Yes, 1080p@30fps, video light, stereo sound rec.

Secondary:Yes, 1.2 MP, 720p

FEATURES:

OS: Microsoft Windows Phone 8 Black

Chipset : Qualcomm Snapdragon 800

CPU : Quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400

GPU : Adreno 330

Colour available : Black, White

Battery:

LI-ION-2420 mah

Stand by-2G/3G-432h

Talktime- upto 16h

Music-75h

How to create a love meter

                                      LOVE METER

                                                  -Here I'am going to show you how to create a love meter,So let us have a look at the coding



#include<cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
using namespace std;
int main ()
{
char ans;
do {
system("CLS");
system("TITLE Lovemeter By charan zack");
string firstname, secondname, again;
cout <<"Welcome to lovemeter by charan zack\n";
cout << "Please enter first name: \n";
getline (cin, firstname);
cout << "Please enter second name: \n";
getline (cin, secondname);
float a=firstname.length();
float b=secondname.length();
float c=a + b;
float p= (a/c)*100 ;
cout << firstname  <<" loves "<< secondname << p << " percent\n";
cout <<"Do you want to calculate love again? (y/n) : ";
cin >>ans;
}
while((ans !='N')&&(ans !='n'));
return 0;
}

How to create a windows application

        HOW TO CREATE A WINDOWS APP IN C++

                                         -First point is ti get a compiler,I personally recommend dev-c++ but you can use any one now to create a windows application by using c++ compiler go through  the following steps

1. 
   2
   After installing DEV-CPP, open it. You will be presented with a window with a text area where you will write your source code.
2. 
   3
   Get ready to write a program to display text in a textbox. Before you begin writing the source, keep in mind that Win32 applications don't behave in the same way as other languages, such as JAVA.
3. 
   4
   In the main screen of DEV-CPP, go to File -> New -> Project. You will be presented with another screen. Choose the little picture which says "Windows Application" and set the language as "C", not "C++." At the text box where it says "Name", enter "SimpleProgram." Now, DEV-CPP will ask you where you wish to save it. Save the file in any directory, but just be sure to remember it. As soon as you are done with that, you will be presented with a template on the source screen. Do Ctrl+A and then Backspace. The reason we are doing this is so that we can begin anew.
4. 
   5
   At the begin of your source, type "#include <windows.h>" (without the quotes). This includes the windows library so that you can make an application. Directly beneath that, write: #include "resource.h" And then type: const char g_szClassName[] = "myWindowClass";
5. 
   6
   Write one method to handle all the messages and write another method where we will handle the messages from the resources. Don't worry if this is confusing. It will become clear later on. Now, save your source as SimpleProg.c. We will be leaving it as is for the moment.
6. 
   7
   Make a Resource Script. A Resource Script is a piece of source code which defines all your controls (e.g: TextBox, Buttons, etc.) You will incorporate your Resource Script into your program and Voila! You will have a program. Writing the Resource Script isn't hard, but can be time consuming if you don't have a Visual Editor. This is because you will need to estimate the exact X and Y coordinates of the controls, etc. In your DEV-CPP main screen, go to File -> New -> Resource File. DEV-CPP will ask you "Add resource file to current Project?" Click YES. At the top of your resource script, type #include "resource.h", and also type #include <afxres.h> This takes care of all the controls.
7. 
   8
   Make your first control: a simple menu. Type:

   IDR_THEMENU MENU
   BEGIN
   POPUP "&File"
   BEGIN
   MENUITEM "E&xit", ID_FILE_EXIT
   END
   END
   

   The "IDR_THEMENU" part defines your menu as THEMENU. You can call it whatever you want, however. The BEGIN part is self explanatory. The POPUP "&File" makes a new menu catagorey called File. The & sign allows the user of your application to type Ctrl+F on the keyboard and quickly access your menu :) The MENUITEM "E&xit", ID_FILE_EXIT adds a menuitem to the File catagorey. You must, however, define the menuitem by doing ID_FILE_EXIT.
8. 
   9
   Now for the button part. Your button will be inside a dialog, so we must make the dialog first. Do this by typing:

   IDD_SIMPLECONTROL DIALOG 50, 50, 150, 142
   STYLE DS_MODALFRAME | WS_POPUP | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
   MENU IDR_THEMENU
   CAPTION "Simple Prog"
   FONT 8, "MS Sans Serif"
   BEGIN
   DEFPUSHBUTTON "Hello!", ID_HELLO, 10, 10, 40, 15
   END
   

   The IDD_SIMPLECONTROL defines your dialog. The four numbers after the word "DIALOG" determine x-pos, y-pos, width, and height of the dialog. Don't worry too much about the Style part for now. The MENU IDR_THEMENU puts our old menu into the program. The CAPTION speaks for itself as does the font. The DEFPUSHBUTTON creates our button named "Hello!" and we define it by saying ID_HELLO and give it x-pos and y-pos and width and height coordinates.
9. 
   10
   That's it! We're done with our resource script. Only one more thing remains. We have to assign values to all the things we defined in our resource script (e.g. IDR_THEMENU, etc.) Save the resource file as SimpleProg.rc
10. 
    11
    Go to File -> New -> Source File. Add the source file to the current project? Yes. You will be presented with a blank screen. To assign values to our defined controls, we give them numbers. It doesn't matter too much on which numbers you give your controls, but you should make them organized. For example, don't define a control by giving it a random number like 062491 or something. So type:

    #define IDR_THEMENU 100
    #define ID_FILE_EXIT 200
    #define IDD_SIMPLECONTROL 300
    #define ID_HELLO 400
    
11. 
    12
    Save this file as resource.h Do you remember we did "#include "resource.h""? Well, this is why we did it. We needed to assign values.
12. 
    13
    Get back to the source, our SimpleProg.c or whatever you called it. Type:

    int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow){return DialogBox(hInstance, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_SIMPLECONTROL), NULL, SimpleProc);}
    
13. 
    14
    Don't worry too much with all the technical stuff here. Just know that this parts returns the dialog to our message handling procedure called SimpleProc.
14. 
    15
    Type:BOOL CALLBACK SimpleProc(HWND hWndDlg, UINT Message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam){switch(Message){case WM_INITDIALOG:return TRUE;case WM_COMMAND:switch ( LOWORD (wParam) ) {case ID_HELLO:MessageBox(NULL,"Hey", "Hallo!", MB_OK)break; case ID_FILE_EXIT:EndDialog(hWndDlg, 0);break;}break;case WM_CLOSE:EndDialog(hWndDlg, 0); break; default: return FALSE;}return TRUE;}
15. 
    16
    This part handles the dialog messages. For example in the case ID_HELLO (our button), we make a message box saying hello. Also, in the case where we go to File and Exit, we close the window in case ID_FILE_EXIT.
16. 
    17
    Make sure that your SimpleProc comes before the int WINAPI WINMAIN part! This is important if you want your program to work.
17. 
    18
    Press F9 to compile and run your program!

How to create an anti-virus using c++

           HOW TO CREATE AN ANTI-VIRUS USING C++

                                                                   -Today here i'am going to show you how to create an anti-virus by using c++,So let's go to the coding part:-

#include <dirent.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <fstream.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <iostream.h>

int scan_this(char *file_name)
{
char *pattern, *line_in_file;
char file_ch, ch;
int val, val2, flag;
ifstream fin3, fin4;
fin3.open(file_name); // incase the file is not accesible
if(!fin3) return 0;

else // file is accessible | 100% it is a file.
{
//Opening Virus Database File
fin4.open("db.txt"); // this is our character pattern file

for(;;)
{
fin4>>pattern;
if(!strcmp(pattern,"<-"))
{
fin4>>pattern;
if(!strcmpi(pattern,"End"))return -1;
else if(!strcmpi(pattern, "virus"))
{
if(flag) return 1;
else continue;
}
}
else if(!strcmpi(pattern,"LINE"))
{
fin4>>val; // got the line number

// skipping initial lines to reach the line number
for(int i=0;i<val-1;i++)
{
fin3.getline(line_in_file, 300);
}

fin4>>val; // got the character number
fin4>>file_ch; // got the character

//skipping initial character to reach the character
for(i=0;i<val-1;i++)
{
fin3.get(ch);
}

if(file_ch == ch) flag = 1; // matched.
else flag =0;
fin3.seekg(0); // set to start
}
}

}

}

void main()
{
char comm[300], dirpath[100], file_name[200];
char ask;
int response;
ifstream fin;

cout<<"Enter Directory you want to scan: ";
cin>>dirpath;

strcpy(comm, "dir ");
strcat(comm, "dirpath /b /s >tmp.$$$");
system(comm);

fin.open("tmp.$$$");

while(!fin.eof())
{
fin.getline(file_name, 200);
response = scan_this(file_name);
if(response == 1)
{
cout<<"<–!! Caution.! A Virus has been Detected..!";
cout<<"\n"<<file_name;
cout<<"\nPress Enter Key to Delete it.";
ask= getch();
if(ask == 13)
{
remove(file_name); // delete the virus
}
}
}

fin.close();
cout<<"Scan Complete.!! Thank You for using our anti virus";
getch();

}

Best budget laptops

                             BEST BUDGET LAPTOPS

14 best budget laptops of 2014: the best budget laptop you can buy in the UK right now

The 14 best Laptops for less than £600

By charan zack

Rather than asking, “what is the best laptop?” the majority of people want to know, “what is the best laptop I can buy for the cheapest price?” It's a great question, and one we’re about to answer. Here we present to you the 14 best budget laptops of 2014.

What to look out for when buying a budget laptop

Most people don't need all the features that very best laptops offer, and that’s because most people’s needs are relatively basic – in computing terms, that is. Email, web browsing, Microsoft Office and organising and sharing photos are not particularly demanding tasks for today’s laptops, so you probably don’t need the fastest laptop out there.

The term "budget laptops" is slightly misleading as is implies that inexpensive laptops are somehow substandard. This simply isn't the case, a lot of budget laptops are excellent machines, but crucially they laptops also have affordable prices.

Budget laptops are cheap for a variety of reasons. For example you might find a sub-£500 laptop that has a huge hard disk that rivals the very best laptops. However you can be fairly sure that it will be less well-endowed in other areas, such as its screen quality, processor, RAM or even battery life. When it comes to screen quality, keyboard layout and battery life, it’s important to read our reviews, which will tell you whether these areas are up to scratch – or not.

The vast majority of budget laptops offer a balanced set of specifications, but the important areas to look out for are storage, screen resolution (and
quality) and the ports (does it have those you need?). Many laptops these days have no CD or DVD drive, so make sure you’re happy with that, or look for one that does.

To help find the best budget laptop for you, here are the 14 best budget laptops we have reviewed in our test centre recently.

14. Samsung NP535U3C-A02UK

• Reviewed on: 7 March 13
• RRP: £480 inc VAT

Producing an ultra-portable laptop that costs less than £500 inevitably involves some compromises, and the 13in Samsung Series 5 won’t win any awards for performance or battery life. Even so, it’ll handle most routine computing tasks perfectly well and its neat, lightweight design makes it a genuine ultra-portable without being ultra-expensive.

13. HP Pavilion 11 Touchsmart notebook

• Reviewed on: 17 September 13
• RRP: £330 inc VAT

HP's Pavilion 11 Touchsmart is a good model to consider if you're after a laptop that's small, yet well featured. It's not overly fast, but it has enough grunt for basic Web, communications, and multimedia tasks.

12. Lenovo G505s

• Reviewed on: 26 November 13
• RRP: £499.99

The limited battery life is disappointing, but that's not a fatal flaw since a large laptop like the G505s isn't going to spend a lot of time out and about anyway. Other features, such as performance, screen quality and the comfortable keyboard, are all good for a laptop in this price range, making the G505s a good option for people who need a reliable workhorse laptop for around £500.00.

11. Asus V550C

• Reviewed on: 28 November 13
• RRP: £582 inc VAT

The Asus impressed with its smart, svelte design and its good keyboard and trackpad, and it's got better speakers than its main rival. But it falls behind the competition in several key areas.

10. Asus X501A-XX277H

• Reviewed on: 8 February 13
• RRP: £299 inc VAT

Despite its low price, Asus gets all the basics right with the X501A, providing a sturdy, portable laptop with good battery life. It’s no speed demon, but if you just need a basic laptop for undemanding tasks then the X501A provides excellent value for money.

9. Asus VivoBook S200E

• Reviewed on: 16 August 13
• RRP: £430 inc. VAT

Our only real complaint about the S200E is the annoyingly reflective screen. Performance and battery life are respectable rather than outstanding, but the S200E offers an attractive, lightweight design and build quality that are rarely seen in laptops costing less than £500.

8. Sony Vaio Fit 15E

• Reviewed on: 22 August 13
• RRP: £438 inc. VAT

It’s nice to see Sony making a real effort to produce a decent budget laptop, and the attractive display and speakers on the Sony Vaio Fit 15E make it a good choice for entertainment and web browsing. However, it is fairly heavy and battery life is relatively modest too, which means that the Fit 15E is probably more suited to life at home than in a backpack. 

7. Asus Transformer Book T100T

• Reviewed on: 25 November 13
• RRP: £349 inc. VAT

This is not an iPad killer, or even a rival to the Surface Pro 2. But at £349 it is a compelling deal. The Asus Transformer Book T100T is a compact device that offers true functionality and decent performance. And it is a truly portable office PC. Much more updated netbook than desirable gadget, students, school children, home PC users and office road warriors could easily spend more and get less.

6. Dell Latitude 3440

• Reviewed on: 28 November 13
• RRP: £514 inc VAT

The Latitude 3440 is designed for work rather than play, and that means its talents lie in certain keys areas: the Haswell processor delivers reasonable application and games performance and excellent battery life, and the keyboard and touchpad are excellent. It’s one of the slimmest and lightest machines in this group, too, but it’s also got the best build quality. The middling screen and speakers count against the Dell, but it excels in more key areas than any other machine here – and that makes it a worthy all-round winner.

5. Acer Aspire V3-571

• Reviewed on: 7 September 12
• RRP: £450 inc VAT

The Acer Aspire V3-571 laptop is a great example of just how much can be achieved within the constraints of a severely limited budget.

4. Compaq CQ58

• Reviewed on: 20 August 13
• RRP: £239 inc. VAT

It may be a bit slow, but the CQ58 will get you online for several hours at a time, and let you run Microsoft Office for less than £250.00. We'd recommend stepping up to the 4GB model if you can afford it, but the CQ58 definitely represents good value for money if you're on a really tight budget.

3. HP Pavilion 14

• Reviewed on: 21 August 13
• RRP: £339 inc. VAT

The Pavilion 14 provides good performance and value for money, and would be a good choice for students or other people who need a capable laptop but can't stretch to £400 or £500. Battery life could be better, though, so it's not the best choice if that's your main priority.

2. Lenovo Z580

• Reviewed on: 23 August 13
• RRP: £499 inc. VAT

The size and weight of the Lenovo Z580 mean that it’s not the most portable of laptops, and will probably spend most of its time indoors. However, its strong performance and low cost makes it an excellent choice for anyone that needs a powerful desktop-replacement system for use at home or in the office. 

1. Dell Inspiron 14z

• Reviewed on: 21 August 13
• RRP: £459 inc. VAT

The Inspiron 14z does a really good job of cramming a fully featured laptop into a compact, lightweight design. It's no gaming rig, but its good performance and battery life make it an attractive option for anyone on a tight budget.

Best smartphones under 500$

                        BEST SMARTPHONES UNDER 500$

Best Smartphones Under $500

It’s a well-established fact that contract phones are the work of evil. They constrict you to harsh monthly payment plans and to the same phone for up to 3 years. Fear not though, there’s plenty of smartphone goodness to be had under the 500 dollar price point. Not only will you be getting a terrific smartphone, but you’ll have the freedom of doing whatever the hell you want with it. Here are the best smartphones under $500.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Best Smartphones Under $500

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 might be a year old now, but it’s still a perfectly capable beast. Armed with a quad-core processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM, it can handle anything you can throw at it. It has a large, beautiful AMOLED screen, on of the best in the business. And then you get to the productivity potential of this smartphone and it starts to standout. Thanks to the S Pen, you can easily use this phone to make quick notes, or just look plain ‘business-like’ when you’re holding it. It’s a lot of smartphone for the money.

LG Optimus G Pro

Best Smartphones Under $500

The LG Optimus G Pro is the precursor to the current Google Nexus 5, so you know this is going to be a terrific phone. At just $429, it offers a lot of value for the money. It has a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, like the one used in the HTC One. There’s 2 gigabytes of RAM, and there’s a 13 megapixel camera at the back. On the front you will find a large 5.5 inch IPS LED display with a full 1080p resolution. If you want specs at a low price, the G Pro fits the bill perfectly.

Sony Xperia Z

Best Smartphones Under $500

The Sony Xperia Z is a peculiar phone in that it combines style and ruggedness in one package. On the style front, it features a slim body with excellent industrial design. But apart from being a pretty face, you get a dust and water resistant body. Every phone should be water-proof these days anyway. It’s now a slouch either. It has a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM. On the rear there’s a 13 megapixel Exmor R camera and on the front there’s a 5 inch 1080p display. For $449, this is a very stylish and very capable smartphone.

Sony Xperia SP

Best Smartphones Under $500

The Sony Xperia SP costs just $299, and offers a lot of bang for your buck. Starting off with that 4.6 inch display that has a 720p screen. On this display size, this resolution will be more than adequate. Heck, it’s retina! On the inside it features a Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor with an Adreno 320 GPU. Fear not, this will handle anything and everything you’ll throw at it. There’s an 8 megapixel camera at the rear. Really, if you want great features at a great price, the Xperia SP should be at the top of your shopping list.

Sony Xperia L

Best Smartphones Under $500

The Sony Xperia L is a midrange smartphone that is strictly a value proposition. It has a very basic 4.3 inch 480p display, so it’s not going to amaze you with the eye candy it offers. What it does offer though, is solid specs at a good price. For just $269, you’re getting a Snapdragon dual-core processor with 1 gigabytes of RAM. There’s an 8 megapixel camera at the back, and it has a VGA front camera. It’ll do all the basics of smartphone duties very well, and should play the odd old game with respectable frame rates as well. If it were our decision though, we would just save an extra $30 and get the Sony Xperia SP instead!

Top laptops of all categories

                           THE BEST OF THE BEST

Finding the best laptop can feel overwhelming when you're staring at a sea of brands and specs. That's why we put each laptop we review through a bevy of tests that not only measure its performance, but answer the questions that matter most. Does the laptop have a comfortable keyboard? Is the screen colorful or washed out? And does the touchpad work reliably?

Even if it gets all the little things right, no laptop is right for everyone. Most shoppers opt for a notebook with a 15-inch screen. But if portability is your chief concern, you'll want a 13- or 14-inch laptop that weighs less than 5 pounds. And if you want a machine for serious gaming, you'll likely prefer a beefier system with powerful discrete graphics. Whatever your needs, we've identified the best laptop in each category to narrow your search.

Best Laptop Overall: MacBook Pro 13-inch With Retina Display

The MacBook Pro 13-Inch with Retina display combines strong performance with long endurance and a best-in-class display. Starting at $1,299, this laptop provides an eye-popping 2560 x 1600-pixel Retina display with stunning colors that are good enough for artists and media mavens alike. A 4th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and blazing-fast Flash storage drive make the MacBook Pro with Retina display a speed demon, while a lightweight, 3.46-pound chassis and 9.5 hours of battery life let you carry it all day.

Starting Price: $1,299

Longest Battery Life Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X240

Have an 18-hour flight to Asia coming up? No problem, if you've got the 12.5-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X240. With its extended battery, this 3.6-pound business system lasts more than 20 hours on a charge -- the longest of any laptop on the market. With an optional 1080p touch screen, responsive keyboard, accurate TrackPoint pointing stick and speedy performance, the ThinkPad X240 helps you make the most of all those minutes.

Starting Price: $860

Best Hybrid Laptop: Dell XPS 12

Most hybrid laptops promise the best of both worlds but end up giving you a heavy tablet and a subpar laptop for more than the cost of both. However, the Dell XPS 12 stands out from the crowd by providing a gorgeous, 1080p display that flips backward within its bezel to turn this lightweight laptop into a 12-inch Windows tablet. Add in a comfortable keyboard, large touchpad and more than 9 hours of battery life, and Dell has a winner.

Starting Price: $799

New and Notable Hybrid: ASUS Transformer Book Duet

It's the world's first quad-mode dual-operating laptop and tablet convertible. What exactly does that mean? The ASUS Transformer Book Duet TD300 lets you instantly switch between Android and Windows 8.1 with a push of a button thanks to Bluestacks preloaded software. A 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080-pixel IPS touchscreen display can be detached easily and run off its own 128GB SSD. The keyboard dock, on the other hand, offers 1TB of storage space. Combined the two weigh a hefty 4.2 pounds, but thanks to a slick design this is one good-looking combo.

Starting Price: $599

Best Ultrabook: Acer Aspire S7 (2013)

The very definition of sleek, the 3-pound, 0.5-inch-thick Aspire S7 features a stylish, all-aluminum unibody chassis with a white glass lid. The 10-point touch , 13-inch, 1080p screen provides vivid blues, yellows and greens at a very-high brightness level of 329 lux. An Intel 4th-generation Core series CPU and SSD provide strong Windows 8 performance. Plus, a huge 6,280-mAH battery provides nearly 9 hours of endurance.

Starting Price: $1,299

Best Budget Laptop: HP TouchSmart 11z

Who says touch screens have to be expensive? For just $399, the 11.6-inch HP TouchSmart 11z provides a responsive touch screen that helps you make the most of Windows 8 / 8.1 in an attractive, 3.4-pound package. With more than 6 hours of battery life, this affordable portable will have you pinching and swiping for most of a day.

Starting Price: $399

Best Business Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad T440s

Lenovo's ThinkPad T series line of business laptops have long been known for their powerful performance, long battery life and superior usability. The 14-inch ThinkPad T440s builds on that rich tradition, offering a gorgeous, 1920 x 1080-pixel touch screen; a durable, MIL-SPEC-tested design; and the most responsive keyboard on the market. With more than 14 hours of endurance with the extended battery, this lightweight powerhouse lets you get your work done in style, anywhere at any time.

Starting Price: $1049

Best Chromebook: Toshiba CB35-A3120

It's not the smallest Chromebook or the least expensive, but Toshiba's 13-inch CB35-A3120 provides a ton of value and performance for its $279 price tag. With a colorful display, loud audio output, a slick design and a powerful Intel Celeron processor, the CB35-A3120 outperforms other sub-$300 Chromebooks. Even better, its 8 hours and 2 minutes of battery life beats its closest competitors by close to two hours.

Starting Price: $279

Best Multimedia Laptop: ASUS N550JV

Who needs a home theater when you can have the ultimate media laptop? The ASUS N550JV's gorgeous 1080p IPS, 10-point touch display provides bright images and wide viewing angles. It can also bend backward a full 180 degrees. A quad speaker array with a subwoofer and Waves MaxxAudio provides thumping bass at loud volumes, while an Nvidia GeForce GT 750M graphics chip gives the system enough oomph to play taxing games such as "BioShock Infinite."

Starting Price: $999

Best Workstation Laptop: Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display

Apple's refreshed 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display is ideal for graphics professionals or anyone who needs a notebook with equal doses of speed and endurance. This 4.5-pound juggernaut packs Intel's latest quad-core Core i7 processor, blazing PCIe solid state storage and Nvidia GT750M graphics, making quick work of any task-or multiple tasks at once. Plus, you still get an eye-popping 2880 x 1800-pixel display. With the 15-inch MacBook Pro, your high-res videos and photos will look fantastic, and you can edit and transcode in the blink of an eye. Add about 9 hours of battery life and you have the best mobile workstation money can buy.

Starting Price: $1,999

Best Gaming Laptop: Alienware 17

Alienware laptops have long been the gold standard for portable gaming, and the current-generation Alienware 17 shows why. In our tests, the laptop's high-end Nvidia GTX 780M graphics and 2.7-GHz Intel 4th Generaiton Core i7 CPU were powerful enough to play "BioShock Infinite " at 106 fps and "World of Warcraft" at 144 fps. Alienware's sci-fi-inspired design and customizable keyboard, grille and touchpad lights make the 17 as exciting to look at as it is to use.

Starting Price: $1,499

Best Mainstream Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad U430 Touch

If you're looking for a lightweight, touch-friendly notebook that lasts all day on a charge and won't break the bank, you'll find it in the Lenovo IdeaPad U430 Touch. The 14-inch, 4-pound laptop features a sharp, 1600 x 900-pixel touch screen; a speedy Intel 4th-generation Core i5 processor; and more than 8 hours of battery life.

Starting Price: $628