Finding the right notebook to give as a gift takes a bit of time commitment, especially since there are so many. Instead of sifting through the thousands of laptops around (not to mention netbooks, which we profiled earlier) we've broken down some of our favorite notebooks in each category that are perfect for giving as a gift this holiday season. Read on and see our picks for 2008.

Laptop mainstays

Let's take a look at some of the best in class from a wide range of mainstream laptop selection. Each of these machines represents an entire class of machines, and is our favorite in the group.

Apple MacBook

One of our favorite laptops this year is the Apple MacBook. A refresh of the white plastic MacBooks of old, this new MacBook has an all metal frame and glossy screen. The touchpad adds a new design to the line, forgoing the traditional button found on most notebooks in favor of a surface that is clickable. The $1299 base model has a 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and has a new DisplayPort adapter for video output. All-in-all, this machine has extremely slick industrial design and is great, regardless of whether the operating system is Windows or Mac OS X. Check out our full review of the recent MacBook in the series for our unabridged thoughts.

Dell Inspiron 1525

Budget buyers can find wallet solace in the Dell Inspiron 1525. Not quite as slick of a design as the MacBook, but the $499 base model includes a 15.4-inch display, WiFi, 1GB of RAM and a 2.0GHz Celeron processor. The Core2 version bumps the price up to the $800 range, but we think the performance boost is worth the extra cash. The Inspiron 1525 is the ideal machine for someone looking to give a budget gift that's a full sized notebook at a netbook price.

Gateway MC7803u

While it takes a gaming laptop look, Gateway's MC7803u is an affordable mid-range notebook that tries to balance price with features. While we're not huge fans of the color backlit keyboard, the system is definitely respectable for the price. Coming in at around $1000, the 16-inch notebook has a 1366 x 768 display, a proper 16:9 aspect ratio, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5800 running at 2.0GHz and comes with up to 4GB of RAM. The system has a 320GB hard drive, and comes with draft-N WiFi (802.11n) and gigabit ethernet — a rarity on most non-Apple computers. This system is a good gift for a user looking for a bit of a workhorse. The 512MB Radeon graphics card is a nice benefit which will play some games, so perhaps the machine could be best suited for the PC gaming student.

Fujitsu LifeBook N7010

One of the most head turning laptops we've seen is the Fujitsu LifeBook N7010. While the machine seems pretty normal and plain from the outisde, on the inside users will notice a secondary screen placed above the keyboard. The tiny 4-inch display is 480 x 272 and can be used as a secondary monitor, or can be customized to act as a mini control panel. The system is otherwise pretty standard, featuring an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU at 2.26GHz, an ATI Radeon 3470 graphics chipset and HDMI output for connecting to TVs. All-in-all, a pretty nice machine at $1500.

HP HDX 18t

Moving into the desktop replacement category, HP's HDX 18t is an 18-inch behemoth machine that has a full keyboard including a numberpad. The display sports a full 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080) and includes 500GB storage, a Blu-ray player and HDMI out for connecting to a TV. The machine also includes a GeForce 9600M GT graphics card, 4GB of memory and a Core 2 Duo processor. All in all, a capable desktop replacement which starts at $1500, and an extremely nice gift for the media consuming geek in your life.

Unique gifts

Rather than opt for a plain ol' laptop, want to find a gift that's extremely unique? We've got a recommendation of some laptops that take a bit of a different slant on a regular laptop.

Axiotron ModBook

For the aspiring artist who appreciates a good pen, take a look at the Axiotron ModBook. While not manufactured by Apple, the notebook takes a white MacBook's guts, removes the keyboard and lid of the device, and retrofits a capable touch screen on the notebook. While the biggest disadvantage is obviously the lack of a keyboard, people who appreciate tablet computing and drawing on the screen will appreciate the ModBook. It's not exactly cheap though, as the notebook costs $2629, whereas the equivalent non-tablet MacBook runs about $1000.

Asus U6V-B1-Bamboo

Asus bills the U6V-B1-Bamboo as an eco-friendly machine that makes a fashion statement that your laptop is different. While the specs are fairly standard, including an Intel Core2 Duo T9400 processor running at 2.53 GHz, 4GB of RAM and a pretty nice GeForce 9300M graphics card, we know the machine is a bit overpriced for its bamboo facade. That being said, the $2000 notebook would likely be a perfect gift for someone who appreciates a different look and wants to stand out in a laptop crowd.

Fujitsu Lifebook U820

One of the notebooks getting a spot in our hearts is sort of a mix between a tablet and a netbook. The Fujitsu Lifebook U820 has regular netbook specs, like a 1.6GHz Atom processor 5.6-inch display and 1GB of RAM, but the display has touch sensitivity and can swivel into a more traditional tablet form factor. Add in GPS and fingerprint ID, and the netbook has a bit more features than we've seen on comparably priced tiny netbooks.

Which one is right for me?

Realistically, the "Unique gift" machines are specifically for people who appreciate quirky computers. Don't buy one of those machines unless you're certain it'll get used, as $1000 or more is a lot of cash to spend on someone who won't appreciate the gift.

Our other computers on the list range from the cheap (Dell Inspiron 1525), to the midrange (Gateway MC7803u), to the interesting (Fujitsu LifeBook N7010), and the media prone (HP HDX 18t). Of course for the Mac lover, there's always the MacBook, which we're hearing might be found for a few hundred dollars off, especially on Black Friday or later.

Have a laptop in your eye you'd like more information on? Make sure to leave a comment and we'll get your questions answered. Check out our collection of other holiday gift guides too, so you can get all of your gadget shopping ready to go before the season overwhelms you.

[Image: Burnt Pixel]