The MacBook Air is a superbly crafted notebook, but this niche product isn't for everyone. Its lack of optical drive, FireWire and Ethernet ports deem it inadequate for power or everyday users. Regardless, it functions well as a secondary device for frequent travellers, or those who require basic, hassle-free computing.

Although there's a notable premium on the solid-state hard drive and ultra-portables don't often come cheap anyway, this is a good little buy. It's got enough power to handle the most basic tasks and its implementation of flash memory should please those wanting to be on the cutting edge.

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.

If you're looking for top comfort and full features in an ultraportable, you'll find them all in the XPS M1210.

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

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.

The U1010 is about twice the size of a smart-phone, yet it's a fully-fledged Windows Vista-based tablet PC. It's suitable for professional users, or even regular travellers, who want a very mobile device with all the functionality of a typical computer. Unfortunately, it lacks built-in 3G features.

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.

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

The screen may have a poor viewing angle, but the rest of this portable business option is pleasant to use. The LifeBook P8010 may not be as thin as some of its closest competitors but it's still a very portable unit.

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.

It looks great and has fast specifications for an ultraportable laptop. It's a good thing it comes with a second, larger battery though, because its small battery produced a very low run-time in our tests. Nevertheless, if it's a lightweight powerhouse that you want, this one is ideal.