The MSI MegaBook EX600 is a solid, but far from outstanding unit. It will handle most basic tasks with ease, but will struggle with more demanding applications.

While it might not quite resurrect a dying breed, the A9 (PTS52A-00V00F) proves that big old-fashioned business notebooks still have a worthy place in the ultra-mobile world. Worth investing in.

A formidable notebook choice with a classy design. Although it's aimed at the casual user in both price and performance, we still feel that an extra $100 can get you a more powerful Intel-based machine.

The VAIO VGN-CR13G is a reasonably solid, if unspectacular, notebook that features a lovely design and reasonable specifications. A decent choice if you are after an all-purpose machine.

A worthy alternative to Toshiba's flagship G40, the Qosmio F40 is a well built and useful entertainment machine.

Although we are unable to fully test this product right now, the concept of a notebook with 3G and GPS built-in is a promising sign for the convergence of mobile technology. However, the inclusion of e-SATA and HDMI already puts up a few gold stars for the ASUS U3S.

The BenQ Joybook S32 (BV13) offers a slight improvement over the previous S32 iteration. Its overall performance was predictably solid for a notebook in this price range. It will neither wow, nor disappoint.

The clean-slate design and trialware-free desktop are immediate pleasures that are soon accompanied by solid performance and some surprising media centre-style capabilities.

With power, connectivity and functionality at your fingertips there's little to complain about. The BenQ Joybook R56 offers some nice new features in a solid, usable machine.

There's not a whole lot more to the HP Pavilion Special Edition, but the small perks and unique design easily match, if not outweigh the slight price hike.

Sony's VAIO FZ17G is a great multimedia notebook which offers a HDMI output and couples it with solid performance and a nice array of features.

A solid notebook, the HP Compaq Presario B1200 isn't a powerhouse machine, but it does come with an array of strong features and a smooth design that makes it a reasonable choice.