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Tempted by that $250 netbook? Not so fast. A netbook is fine for a little light Web surfing and e-mail. The problem: Multimedia is now part of the computing mainstream. Just sorting through your photo library and bopping movies and music from your notebook to your media player can tax your computer’s capabilities.Your notebook needs a little graphics muscle, in addition to a zippy processor, to get a machine that can meet the expectations of modern computer users. Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of good options for $1,000 or less … and better options than ever if you’re interested in spending a little more.

Courtesy of HP

Big Screen, Small Price, HP dv6z Artist Edition 2 Series, Price: Starts at $848*

This Hewlett-Packard offering pairs a 16-inch screen with enough graphics oomph to put a decent image on that big display. This 6.47-pound machine includes an AMD Turian X2 Dual-Core processor, 2 GB of memory, a capacious 250 GB hard drive and a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 graphics card. * Recommended configuration.

Courtesy of Toshiba

Satellite of Savings, Toshiba Satellite U500-ST5302, Price: Starts at $900*

Here’s what you want in a laptop: plenty of memory, a modern processor and enough graphics grease to keep the wheels spinning. This machine hits those three criteria, and adds a big 320 GB hard drive and 13.3-inch screen to this 4.7 pound package. Not bad for a machine with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and solid graphics. * Recommended configuration.

Courtesy of Dell

Dell of a Deal, Dell Studio XPS 13, Price: Starts at $950

This is far from Dell’s cheapest laptop. However, it’s light, it’s thin, and you can configure a system with a 13.3-inch display and plenty of computing muscle for under a grand. In review, get this with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 3 GB of RAM and a Nvidia GeForce 9400 G, and you’ll have a lightweight machine able to tackle just about any task you care to throw at it.

Courtesy of Apple

Plastic Fantastic, Apple MacBook,Price: $1,000

Apple doesn’t really do cheap. The upside: Buy a Mac, and you can be confident you’ve got a reasonably capable computer. Take the white, plastic MacBook, Apple’s most affordable notebook. It adds decent graphics capability–thanks to a Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chip–to an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Then there’s the operating system, OS X Snow Leopard. Like Windows 7, Apple’s latest operating system uses the chip that powers the system’s graphics to give many tasks a turbo boost.

Courtesy of Dell

A Latitude With Attitude, Dell Latitude Z, Price: Starts at $2,000

Dell makes plenty of generic Windows boxes. This isn’t one of them. This slippery-thin notebook boasts a 16-inch screen. You can get it with a wireless charging system and a wireless dock. Press a button and an auxiliary processor will let you dive into your e-mail in an instant.

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