Focused improvements and better useability make the Tecra S3 a good pickup

The Tecra A7 may be the wiser option as it offers better performance for a similar price, but it depends on whether you value battery life or graphics performance.

With 3G Internet built-in, this is an excellent notebook for business users who demand a superior product and excellent build quality.

Apple's entry-level laptop is a well-designed winner.

Pioneer has definitely aimed for the performance market with its DreamBook Light 822 notebook, which is the most powerful notebook we looked at this month. Running an Intel Core Duo T2500 (2GHz) processor and 1GB (2x 512MB) of DDR2 533MHz RAM, the 14in DreamBook pulled off an impressive score of 97 in PC WorldBench 5 and 17,469 in 3DMark 2001 SE. These results place the DreamBook above other notebooks in its price range.

While it's a master of none, this versatile machine will handle just about anything the average user can throw at it.

For the price tag, you're looking at a notebook that will carry you into the future. It's light enough to travel with, powerful enough for most tasks and seems sturdy enough to take a few knocks.

HP has done a nice job at creating a good all-round user experience with the Entertainment PC range and this machine is no exception. The performance is much better than the dv2000 family we've looked at earlier but the battery life could do with a boost.

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.

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

The Sony VAIO VGO-LA38G is a welcome change of form factor which retains its mobility while also being a mobile, stylish and functional addition to the household.

This is one of the best business notebooks we've put to the test and it says a lot about Intel's latest Centrino Pro platform. Despite the build quality and lack of Turbo Boost we were very happy with the results.