Dell Inspiron

The Dell Inspiron laptop model was designed with consumers in mind. Unlike most other major laptops, the Inspiron comes with memory, graphics cards, and ports optimized for home use. All told, Dell has put out over half a dozen versions of the Inspiron, including the 6000, 700, 9300, and XPS generation II.

Some Inspiron users have complained of display resolution troubles, and that these laptops don't do well when running non-Windows operating systems. That being said, you can get patches to repair the graphics problem, including a fix called the 855 Resolution Patch. The Dell Inspiron 6000, which is the so-called affordable model, contains a Pentium M processor. Both 1.3 and 1.6 GHz processors are available.

Interestingly, the Inspiron 6000 employs something called DDR2 memory--a rather unique feature for laptops. Entertainment mavens and gamers prefer the Dell Inspiron 9300 to the Inspiron 6000. You get a wider range of processor speeds, ranging from 1.60 GHz to 2.0 GHz. The Inspiron 9300 also features a 17-inch screen for immersive action.

For something slightly more upscale, gamers may wish to get the Inspiron XPS II, which can be upgraded to include all sorts of fun bells and whistles. The Inspiron XPS II comes standard with an nVidia GeForce Go 6800 video card and a superfast Pentium M processor. You can get up to 2.260 GHz and boost your Inspiron XPS II's performance with a 7,200 RPM hard drive.