Thin-and-lights for less than a grand

There are plenty of laptops that cost well under $1,000. And there are lots of ultraportables and thin-and-lights for frequent fliers. But there aren't as many notebooks that combine portability and price.

Both CNET and PC World have just posted reviews of one such laptop, the 13-inch Gateway UC series. The UC7807u starts at $800 with a 13.3-inch WXGA (1280x800) display, 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T6400, 3GB of memory, Intel integrated graphics, 250GB hard drive and DVD drive (another model, the UC7308u with an older Pentium dual-core processor is available at Office Depot for $750).

The other choice in this sweet spot is the HP Pavilion dv3 (The sleeper HP Pavilion dv3). The Pavilion dv3t starts at $700 with a similar configuration: 13.3-inch LED-backlit WXGA (1280x800) display, 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T6400, 2GB of memory, Intel integrated graphics, 250GB hard drive and DVD drive. The AMD-based Pavilion dv3z has a slightly lower starting price. The Apple MacBook and Lenovo IdeaPad U330 are similar laptops, but they really start at around $1,000 and up.

Reviews coverage of the Gateway UC series and HP Pavilion dv3 series:

Gateway UC7807u reviews:

• CNET.com
• Computer Shopper
• PC Magazine
• PC World
• Wired.com

HP Pavilion dv3z reviews:

• CNET.com
• Computer Shopper
• Laptop Magazine
• PC Magazine
• PC World