For users wanting a home entertainment centre or a powerful desktop replacement to work with, the dv9800 is a very strong contender.

There's a lot to this notebook, and while it works great for the most part, it could still use a little refinement, especially with regards to its video input ports. Overall though, it's a great media centre notebook and it does have tremendous storage capacity.

If you need a machine with a 17in display that will play your movies, download your photos, store your music, play games and has connectivity that will work both on the road and in your living room, the Pavilion dv9018TX will do a good job.

It's well-suited to road warriors thanks to its light weight and built-in 3G module, but it's still not the perfect laptop. If you're going to go for the R500, opt for a solid-state drive instead of a conventional hard drive.

There's a definite premium for all of this desktop functionality in a portable, notebook style machine. However, if you're willing to spend the money and need a less fixed computing solution, the HP Pavilion HDX9003TX is a great choice.

A good notebook, backed up by a one-year, on-site, parts and labour warranty.

This is a nice little unit with plenty of features. It performed well, has good connectivity and is quite portable.

It's not an entirely practical solution for all types, as for this price you can get a very powerful desktop PC. However, if you're after a system with power and require portability, if not light and easy mobility, then this system has some merit.

The Toshiba Satellite M110 is not likely to turn heads for its performance, but it's an affordable notebook with enough power to satisfy most people. The bonus features of the Satellite range make it a versatile unit that will handle a number of tasks. It's perfect for the casual user.

The ASUS X55SV-AS081C has an excellent range of ports and networking connections and doesn't cost the world. If you can stand the drab design and can't spend more than $1800, this notebook should be seriously considered.

If you’re looking for a desktop replacement with processing power, plenty of storage, an excellent screen and great connectivity options then the Dell Studio 17 (1735) is a hard product to beat.

With stacks of features and plenty of connectivity, the F8Va is the perfect choice for the home user who wants a mid-sized desktop replacement unit. Its battery life is poor, and we think its design could be better, but it's a solid unit overall.