Dell M1530: Multimedia monster

Dell just unleashed its latest multimedia-centric laptop, the M1530 and judging by the looks of it, this seems to be a solid deal for anyone looking for power on the cheap. The 15.4 inch machine sports a 1280 x 800 display, up to a 2.6Ghz Core 2 Duo T7800 CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, up to 320GB in storage, an optional 64GB SSD, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 and an optional 3G data card. What about the multimedia part? Try the HDMI-out port, the optional slot-loading Blu-ray drive and the capacitance touch-sensitive media controls on for size. While the M1530 starts at a very reasonable $999, you're going to have to shell out a bit more if you want to pack in any of those optional goodies--a fully spec'd out unit tops off at just under $3500. Then again, you know what they say: you get what you pay for.

For more on the M1530:
- check out Dell's website