The VAIO VGN-CR13G is a reasonably solid, if unspectacular, notebook that features a lovely design and reasonable specifications. A decent choice if you are after an all-purpose machine.

The MSI MegaBook EX600 is a solid, but far from outstanding unit. It will handle most basic tasks with ease, but will struggle with more demanding applications.

It might not be fast, but it sure is affordable. At under $700, this 15.4in notebook is ideal for students, workers, anyone really, who wants a basic machine for perusing the Web and typing up documents, or even for viewing and storing digital photos.

If you can fork out the cash and don’t mind the design, then the Sony Vaio VGN-FW17GU is a well-performing unit that features a Blu-ray burner.

The Toshiba Satellite A200 is a solid workhorse of a machine with plenty of processing power under its hood. Without question, it's the best A200 we have tested to date.

Not built for those constantly on the road, the Pro P100 is nonetheless a great desktop replacement. The big screen combined with impressive graphics capabilities make it a great all purpose unit for business users who also want some entertainment options.

For the modern user on the move the Fujitsu LifeBook S6520 offers surprisingly good processing power and a brilliant battery life in a lightweight package that is easy to use. The only downside is the high price, for which we’d normally expect a better variety of expansion options.

A great value multimedia machine, the 5z70 provides a DVD writer, wireless networking and graphics grunt at a competitive price.

This is a value-priced power notebook that's well geared towards multimedia use.

A decent, but not particularly inspiring machine, the Tecra A6 will suit those who need an affordable business notebook.

Sony's VAIO FZ17G is a great multimedia notebook which offers a HDMI output and couples it with solid performance and a nice array of features.

There's no doubt this unit is ultraportable and it did well in our battery testing, but with a $5499 price tag it's just too expensive.