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.

If you need a notebook that will last for four hours while on the road, and double as a media centre once you get back to base, then look no further.

If you need a solid multimedia notebook and don't intend on playing games, the M100 fits the bill nicely.

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.

The Lenovo N100 performs well, with its 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 1GB of RAM offering more than enough power for day to day desktop tasks.

A well-rounded mix of features and performance makes the LifeBook A6010 a good candidate for basic business and personal use.

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 Hewlett-Packard Compaq Nx6320 is a good choice for business users due to its great performance and impressive battery life. It is also rather lightweight as well, so it won't become a hassle to carry around.

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 LG P1 Pro Express Dual notebook is a nice machine to work with. It feels good, has some useful features and performed as we expected it to from the hardware installed. It will provide a good user experience for everyday use.