Best

__ Best __ - Great stuff - tested and approved in our top-secret labs.

MINI NOTEBOOKS

__ First Class: __
__ Vaio PCG-505FX __
The Vaio's smooth elegance isn't only skin-deep. Packed into this 3-pound, 1-inch-thick lovely is a 266-MHz processor, a scribble pad (and a place to store the stylus), a firewire port for your digital camcorder, and an MPEG-1 digital-video decoder. Because of the small size, the floppy drive and port replicator come separate - in matching purple.

__ Vaio PCG-505FX: $2,199. Sony: (888) 593 8246. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Amity CN Model 2 __
A notebook's compactness can hamper your ability to even hunt and peck, but this nearly pocket-sized, 2.6-pound Pentium 166 machine has a keyboard big enough to type comfortably. And its 8.4-inch active-matrix color display makes for easy viewing. The Amity CN's rounded case is solid, and all the ports are onboard - no replicator needed here.

__ Amity CN Model 2: $1,495. Mitsubishi: (888) 445 5250. __

__ Coach: __
__ Libretto 70CT __
At 1.87 pounds and just bigger than a cigarette case, the Libretto has a 6.1-inch screen and roomy hard drive and ships with Windows 95. While the keyboard is too small for anything but hunt-and-peck, you can plug in a larger keyboard. The Libretto comes in 166- and 233-MHz models, but the still-efficient 120-MHz 70CT proves that last year's state of the art is always a bargain.

__ Libretto 70CT: $999. Toshiba: (800) 457 7777, www.toshiba.com. __

RUNNING SHOES

__ First Class: __
__ Gel-Kayano __
Air, ions, DMX, HydroFlow - running-shoe companies have used every substance besides Grey Poupon to make their midsoles more appealing. With Asics, it's Gel (as in silicone) for longer-lasting cushion power. The Gel-Kayano is the perfect balance of lightweight shock absorption and stability - the ultimate footwear for long, injury-free trots on Sunday mornings or speed plays at the track club.

__ Gel-Kayano: $125. Asics: www.asicstiger.com. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Grid Swerve __
Saucony, of course, has its own midsole magic: A grid of interwoven strings supports your heel like a tennis racquet. The Grid Swerve continues Saucony's tradition of comfort and speed; it offers great stability and a light, fluffy ride. Trendsetters take note: The company is finally phasing out its granny-glomper styling for a more fashionable look.

__ Grid Swerve: $89.95. Saucony: www.saucony.com. __

__ Coach: __
__ Galaxy 3 __
Adidas invented the torsion bar, which has become the Nike Air of the '90s, inspiring legions of copycats. Torsion, a hard plastic midsole support connecting the forefoot and the heel, makes it look like a part of the shoe is missing. But in the Galaxy 3, it adds stability and flexibility.

__ Galaxy 3: $65. Adidas: www.adidas.com. __

CORKSCREWS

__ First Class: __
__ Screwpull Lever Model __
Le Creuset's up-market screwpull extracts corks with one effortless motion and plops them in your hand. Just grasp a bottle's neck with the plier-like handles, crank the lever, and you're ready to pour. The maneuver might conjure images of drilling for oil, but hey, that '94 California Cab costs more per barrel anyway.

__ Screwpull Lever Model: $140. Le Creuset: +1 (803) 943 4308. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Screwpull Table Model __
Like the lever above, this workhorse boasts an extra-long Teflon-coated screw to yank out corks. Fitting the device over the bottle in the conventional mouth-to-mouth fashion, you turn the handle, driving the metal worm down through the stopper, and keep turning to magically lift it up and out.

__ Screwpull Table Model: $28. Le Creuset: +1 (803) 943 4308. __

__ Coach: __
__ Waiter's Corkscrew __
This uncomplicated device cleverly incorporates a serrated edge for foil cutting, a worm, and a lever. Its ergonomic curve fits the hand nicely and guides you around the bottle lip. There's even a belt-loop-chain hole for real-life waiters who are forever losing these gems to sneaky patrons.

__ Waiter's Corkscrew: $4.95. Crate & Barrel: +1 (212) 308 0011. __