As a multi-purpose business notebook, the Lenovo 3000 V200 performs admirably well in almost every area. However, those after a highly portable unit are likely to find themselves a little weighed down.

The ThinkPad X61 is well-built and very portable, which makes it suitable for the road warrior. However, it doesn't ship with an optical drive.

It's very difficult to criticise the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 without sounding like a nitpicker. This is a fantastic and well-engineered notebook that has plenty of features and looks very attractive. The only substantial issues are the high price tag, the lower than average battery life and the problematic latch.

For its sub-$700 asking price, you can't go wrong with the MSI Wind. It was responsive in our tests, and has plenty of storage and a large screen. Most importantly, its battery lasts a long time. This ultraportable is also quite comfortable to use.

The NEC Versa E6210 looks nice and is a good size for those on the road. The battery life didn't impress us, but will be fine for the casual user, as will the performance of this machine.

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.

The OQO E2 is quite an impressive little design with some good connectivity and would suite a number of tasks, as long as they require more portability than power

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.

This mid-sized widescreen has plenty of power and a sizable, speedy hard disk, and it's backed by a three-year warranty.

As long as far better products remain on the market at similar prices, buyers should steer clear of the Pioneer DreamBook IL1. It suffers from a slow processor, small touchpad and the screen resolution is stretched in all the settings. The only thing that saves this product from being a complete flop is its phenomenally long battery life.

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 VAIO is an excellent option for anyone after an ultraportable with good performance, solid battery life and an excellent design.