The dilemma with laptops is that their most coveted attributes– affordability and portability– are priced almost exclusively in inverse relation to one another. But, while Apple seems intent on pioneering the first laptop to both fold into an actual piece of notebook paper and cost a million dollars, alternative PC companies like Asus and Wal-Mart-sold Everex are leading a new trend in the market: the bargain laptop. Both the Asus Eee PC and its kindred competitor, the Everex CloudBook start at $399. But while the CloudBook has beefier specs and, thus, markets itself as a cheaper, primary-laptop alternative to mainstream brands, the Asus is built more as a second laptop, a more portable compliment to the workhorse you already own. That is to say, in addition to a very stylish design, what’s most appealing about the Eee PC, rather counterintuitively, is what it doesn’t have.

The philosophy behind the Eee is: no extra muscle means no extra weight. It’s essentially a micro laptop. Ideal for a quick business trip, a sunny vacation or a crowded subway commute, it has everything you need and nothing you don’t. Weighing in at just 2lbs., it sports a 7-inch LCD screen, a modest but very capable 512 MB of RAM, built-in wireless LAN, and a frequent-flier-friendly 3.5-hour battery. But, like you, it’s not all business; it also has a built-in webcam and microphone, with pre-loaded Linux* software for webchat capabilities. The drawbacks are obvious ones. Word is that the keyboard can feel cramped at times, and it only comes in 2 ipod-nano-like hard drive sizes– 4GB and 8GB. But, its extreme lack of added weight and cool looks (in titanium silver or clean white) more than compensate. And, even if you have to bring an external hard drive along, your net weight is still well under that of the MacBook Pro (5.6 lbs) you left at home. On top of all that, the Asus Eee PC is 100% guaranteed to make you look and feel like an international spy/professional hacker-for-hire (think Ving Rhames in Mission Impossible.)

*The Eee PC is also compatible with Windows

Buy: $399

See anything special about this iPhone?  Look closer.  Still don’t see anything?  That’s the whole point.  This iPhone is protected by an acrylic case, stopping those ugly smudges, scratches and assorted blemishes your iPhone has already picked up.  Thanks to Case Mate, you can stop the tide of scrapes that your iPhone is already sporting.  You may have forgotten, you own a piece of tech history– its time you treated it that way. Get yourself the lovely Naked Case for the iPhone, as pictured above, for pennies compared to what you spent on the thing…

Buy: $34.99

For those of us who balked at the original offering of AppleTV, now’s your chance to get your foot in the door at a discount price. Today, Apple is selling refurbished models of their 40GB and 160GB AppleTV systems at 13% off and 15% off respectively, plus free shipping. Don’t worry about quality concerns on Apple refurbs– Apple has backed these up with their full one year warranty. If you’re ready, now is the best time to bring the Apple experience to your home media environment.

Buy: $199 (40GB, $30 off)

Buy: $279 (160GB, $50 off)

Apple never ceases to amaze. Their latest innovation is a perfect example of why. The Apple Time Capsule, available in either 500GB or 1TB models, is a wireless back-up hard drive that seamlessly integrates with Leopard’s Time Machine application. It’s 802.11n Wi-Fi insures the best wireless connection range and the highest transfer speeds available, not to mention future-proofing your investment. The Time Capsule is the perfect no-hassle back-up solution, and it’s even compatible with your Windows machine. The device also works great as a wireless hard drive, enabling you to store and retrieve information from any computer on the same network. It’s protected with industry-standard encryption, including WPA/WPA2 and 128-bit WEP.

Buy: $499

It shouldn’t be hard to tell, we’ve got a serious case of Watchlust over here at GearCrave. When we found Diesel’s new signature series release, we had to post it immediately. Looking back, it wasn’t a tough choice to choose the new Diesel timepieces as our favorite of last week. What is special about the new Diesel Watches? Click that link to find out. We’ll give you a tease though: the new Diesel DZ series watches include thick steel faces with multiple readouts for multiple time zones. What stands out is the styling– these watches push the fashion forward with bold new details and functionality that make your Father’s wristwatch look more like your Mother’s… There was plenty more of note last week, so be sure to keep reading for GearCrave’s other favorites from last week.

Mmmm… Multi-touch.  This new MacBook isn’t just faster, its smarter.  Apple’s latest MacBook includes a multi-touch enabled trackpad, allowing Mac users to get “in touch” with OSX Leopard in exciting new ways.  Fans of the iPhone, the iPod Touch, Microsoft’s Surface and more have found a new muse.  The new MacBook Pro is available in 15″ and 17″ models with the high performance standards Mac people have come to expect.  If you’re not yet a Mac user, there hasn’t been a better time to switch.

Buy from $1999.

Most people think Adobe Photoshop rules the photo world, but Apple has carved out its own niche with Aperture, and now Aperture 2. The new version features an easier interface, faster photo browsing, Smart Albums, online photo publishing, even a section that lets you create your own custom photo books. Ever wanted your own photo art coffee table book? Live the dream, baby. You can also use Aperture 2 to sync photos to your iPod or Apple TV.

Buy for $199

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the 32 gigabyte iPod Touch shows up on the market as a great, extravagant V.D. present. You want to make somebody REALLY happy this Feb. 14th? This is the one to get. Often imitated, never quite duplicated, the 32-gig iTouch sports a 3.5 inch display, wi-fi, and is only 8mm thick. Just do it…you won’t be sorry.

Buy for $499.00

Certainly not new, but vital to remember as a gift this season: Apple TV lets Mac-ophiles enjoy downloaded video, music, and photos on any home theatre system. Connect Apple TV to the HDMI port or component audio/video inputs and you can view all your TV shows, concerts, and other media downloaded from iTunes, Amazon Unbox, and other compatible services. You can also view photo slideshows from Photoshop and other sources. Store up to 50 hours of downloaded video in the Apple TV box, and Apple TV’s wireless system automatically syncs your iTunes library from any computer in the house. Whenever you update your playlist, Apple TV updates wirelessly. This is the perfect companion to your MacBook Pro.

Buy for $299.

Amazon is absolutley breathless over the latest addition to its massive stockpiles; the 16-gig iPod Touch. And just in time for the holiday shopping feeding frenzy, too! If you don’t mind $400 per prezzie, you can completely avoid shopping in a bricks-n-mortar store this year, just buy one of these for everybody. How convenient! It’s much more expensive than the new Britney Spears album, but unlike the Spears CD, this won’t end up in a landfill in mass quantities anytime soon.

Buy for $399