Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn)

Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn), at $3,149 (direct), isn't the first laptop to undergo an Intel brain transplant in the form of a next generation Penryn processor, but it's among the most sizzling we've seen so far. At the heart of this MacBook Pro, the 2.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 CPU and 4GB RAM played a pivotal role in tearing up performance tests, including a compelling 15 percent increase in battery life.

There are other new additions worth talking about, but performance enhancements alone should encourage first generation MacBook Pro owners and frustrated Windows users to take the plunge.

With all the time spent on perfecting the MacBook Air's design, it's surprising that Apple did little to enhance the looks of the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn).

Until someone can come up with a lighter 15-inch laptop. The system's 5.3 pound frame still measures an inch thick, no matter where you apply the ruler.

Other laptops, such as the Dell XPS M1530 and the HP Pavilion dv6500t, have a sloping chassis that becomes thinner as you move toward the front. Still, those two are also heavier, weighing 6.2 pounds and 5.8 pounds, respectively.

The MacBook Pro's brilliant wide screen sports a 1,440 by 900 resolution and is still the only 15-inch screen to use an LED back light. LED lit screens, as seen on many ultra portables, have power saving characteristics, supposedly longer life spans, and a color gamut wider than that of their CCFL counterparts.