14. Finding the right multimedia notebook for your needs

Only recent lottery winners, the well-heeled or those who can figure out some way to get somebody else to pay for the Eurocom are likely to spring for the nearly $6,000 that this unit costs. That said, those who do spend the money are likely to be pleased with what they buy, both in terms of media handling and general computing capability.

Of the less stratospherically priced models, each of the other units in our roundup can make a case for itself depending on your needs and your priorities. Both the Acer and Asus models can make a "value play" (but be sure to outfit your Asus with a 1920x1080 display and a Blu-ray drive, please). The HP remains the best looking notebook in the bunch, with the biggest (and a very good) display. The Sony offers a nice collection of features and functions at a $2,900 price that may still be high enough to make some prospective buyers think hard about that purchase. Of all of them, we would probably be most inclined to purchase the Acer if we had to pony up our own cash.

All in all, though, there’s a lot to like about these multimedia notebooks. While our living rooms were less crowded when we shipped them back to their makers, we do confess to being somewhat sorry to see them go. They certainly livened up our media consumption and made it easier for multiple family members to watch the movies of their choosing at the same time!