With an 18.4in high-definition screen, a 5.1 speaker configuration, a digital TV tuner and a Blu-ray player built-in, the Gemstone Blue is almost like a complete home theatre setup. It's fairly easy to use and it's a good performer, so it's a good choice for anyone after a desktop replacement.

Acer's Aspire 4920G is a good all purpose notebook. It doesn't excel at any one thing, but for users wanting a little gaming, movie watching and general desktop PC activities, crammed into a stylish package, it is a strong contender.

This Linux version of the Aspire One is easy to use and has a solid-state drive, but the Windows XP version has better memory and storage capacity for only $100 more. Furthermore, Acer will also release versions with built-in 3G modules. It's really a case of waiting for the new versions to arrive, unless the portability and ease of use of this unit catch your fancy.

The Acer Aspire 2920-302G25Mn is an ultraportable 're-imagining' of the all-purpose Gemstone series; offering a similar performance in a lightweight package. Provided you can overlook its garish interior, there's plenty to love about this little gem of a performer.

Although it comes with a strong variety of connections and good screen performance, the Acer TravelMate 6592 (831G08Mn) is let down by a relatively small hard drive.

The wooden panels on the Bamboo actually look good, and its guts are also impressive. It's not a laptop for everyone; it's mostly for people who want to make an impression, and anyone who just really loves wood.

If you’re not quite rich enough to own a luxury sports car, but still have more money than sense, then the Asus-Lamborghini V3 might just be the status symbol you're looking for. However, it isn’t that fast for a Lamborghini notebook, and is exorbitantly priced for what it offers.

This is a powerful mid-range all-purpose notebook that is well worth looking at, as long as you can stand carting around a 3kg laptop.

This is a laptop for the fashion-conscious user who wants to get some work done on the road. It has good connectivity features and it is small and easy to carry, but don't expect to be able to perform taxing tasks on it.

This notebook is suitable for anyone who wants an inexpensive dual-core machine for home, school or office use.

We like the steps BenQ has taken with its new range, including the HDMI port and a solid component base. We do feel that more could have been added to enhance the media aspect of this powerful machine, but otherwise it's a pleasure to use.

If you can't fork out the extra $500 for the fully featured ASUS F8Va and still want decent performance in an attractive design then the BenQ Joybook S42-PE01 is worth looking at. It might not have all the bells and whistles, but for this price point it certainly has a lot.