HP G42-243CL-B

HP G42-243CL-B

If you happen to be in the market for both a laptop and a printer, head on over to Costco and check out the HP G42-243CL-B. This reasonably priced ($729.99 list) 14-inch notebook is bundled with an all-in-one inkjet printer and comes with a 2-year warranty. Be forewarned, though: Performance-wise, the AMD Turion-based G42 is an underachiever, and the hard drive is laced with the usual assortment of bloatware. Weighing in at 4.7 pounds, the G42 is a bit lighter than the Dell Inspiron 14R ($820 direct, ) and a tad heavier than the HP Pavilion dm4 ($905 direct, ). The silver lid and keyboard deck are decorated with a lightly textured diamond pattern and are done up in a matte finish - impervious to fingerprint smudges. The bottom portion of the chassis is matte black. Beneath the lid is a full-size black keyboard that's firm and comfortable to type on, but as with most 14-inch laptops, it lacks a dedicated number pad. The touchpad is flush with the deck and uses a single mouse bar, much like Apple's MacBook Pros, rather than two dedicated buttons. The textured finish provides just the right amount of friction for a smooth cursor, but the mouse bar is not very responsive and requires multiple clicks from time to time.