While it has a fast CPU and good features, such as built-in 3G connectivity, the U6Sg is let down by poor battery life. This is a major drawback for a unit that's pitched at style-conscious road warriors. If considering this unit, you should either opt for the slower CPU, or the larger, 9-cell battery.

The Flybook VM's lifting screen is very useful and the unit is comfortable to use overall. It has enough power for typical office applications and even Photoshop, and its screen produced rich colours. We wish it had at least one more USB port and an SD card reader. Apart from that, we think this is a great choice for anyone after a comfortable ultraportable unit.

Exceptional battery life and a compact design make the nc2400 a great option for those willing to sacrifice some performance.

Although the Toshiba Portege R500 is clearly not a power user's choice, its lightweight frame, small size and good battery life make it an excellent choice for simple tasks such as email, Web surfing and simple office applications while travelling for business.

The tiny Flybook V5 is aimed squarely at the business user. It's very mobile, has 3G capability and it can function as a tablet PC. However, it's a hard-to-use laptop and it's missing some useful tablet features, such as a dedicated button for rotating the screen.

The Fujitsu P7230 ultra portable notebook doesn't offer stellar performance, but its impressive battery life will keep you up and running for long periods of time and its light-weight design with the 10in screen make it very easy to carry around.

Samsung has come up with a fantastic, lightweight ultraportable in the Q30. It's got enough power to drive productivity applications and manages to run for 5.5 hours with a long-life 6-cell battery.

The first leather encased notebook on the market, the S6 also performs quite well.

A capable and solidly built ultraportable that's worth considering. It could use some refinement, but its strong case, built-in DVD burner and long battery life are major positives.

We truly wanted to love the Asus U1F (1P010E), but its lack of a built-in optical drive and poor graphics chip dampened our ardour. Nevertheless, it remains a handsome choice for business use and web browsing.

The VAIO TZ17GN is an ideal ultraportable thanks to a compact, lightweight frame, good battery life and solid, if not outstanding performance. A stylish design sweetens the deal.

Although the Panasonic Toughbook CF-W5 is not the most stylish or powerful machine, it does offer some good battery life and should take a few knocks without any trouble. However, for the premium price it is short on ports and other features, a disappointment despite the advantages of its rugged design.