Laptops

Samsung R520

The 15.6-inch R520 desktop-replacement laptop is well worth a look if you're seeking a budget machine primarily intended for handling productivity tasks at home. Its graphics capability could be better, but it offers decent overall performance, a great keyboard and good battery life

Editor's rating 7.2

HP Pavilion dv3-2230ea preview

The 13.3-inch Pavilion dv3-2230ea entertainment laptop could probably do with a more powerful GPU, but it compensates for this with a feature that, for the moment, makes it unique: its multi-touch display. It's also relatively portable and should prove a solid performer, offering decent value for money overall

User rating 8.0

Toshiba Satellite A500

The 16-inch Satellite A500 caters well to those who have a limited budget but still want a machine that will let them watch movies, listen to music and play the odd game. Its screen could do with a higher resolution, but it feels bomb-proof, it's pretty speedy and it looks fairly attractive

Editor's rating 7.0

Dell Inspiron 11z

The mid-range Inspiron 11z ultra-portable laptop that we were given to review proved a capable machine. Its trackpad was poor, but its ultra-low-voltage processor delivered better performance than that of more expensive ULV laptops, and its 11.6-inch screen was great

User rating 3.0

Editor's rating 5.0

Sony Vaio CW series (VPCCW1S1E)

The 14-inch Vaio VPCCW1S1E is an excellent entertainment laptop. It looks stylish, its screen handles movies well, and, as usual with Sony machines, its keyboard is very good. It's no slouch in the performance stakes either, offering enough power to satisfy all but the most demanding gamer

Editor's rating 8.0

Sony Vaio X series (VPCX11S1E/B)

We defy anyone not to be impressed by the 11.1-inch Vaio VPCX11S1E/B ultra-portable laptop. It offers netbook-esque performance and it's ludicrously expensive, but it's remarkably thin and light, and Sony's made surprisingly few compromises considering how slender it is

Editor's rating 6.5

Apple MacBook (multi-touch white 2009)

Apple has given its plastic entry-level MacBook laptop a small spec bump and a 'unibody' makeover, making it lighter and sturdier than before. The battery isn't user-replaceable now, but will last longer, while the trackpad has been upgraded to the same glass multi-touch design as the MacBook Pros'

Editor's rating 8.5

Samsung R720

With a stylish design and good all-round specification, the 17.3-inch R720 desktop-replacement laptop represents excellent value for money. Its 3D graphics performance isn't particularly brilliant, but it can still handle older titles, so casual gamers will probably be satisfied

Editor's rating 7.7

Sony Vaio VGN-AW41MF/H

The 18.4-inch Vaio VGN-AW41MF/H desktop-replacement laptop is big, beefy and beautiful. A crisper screen would help it do full justice to 1080p video played back via its Blu-ray drive, but that's a minor flaw in one of the fastest Core 2 Duo laptops we've seen

Editor's rating 8.5

Toshiba Satellite L550-113

Few heads will be turned by the drab design of the 17.3-inch Satellite L550-113 desktop-replacement laptop, but it's a very capable machine that represents great value for money. Its one relative weak spot is 3D gaming, but you'll be hard-pressed to find better performance at this size and price

Editor's rating 8.0

MSI X600

If you like ostentatious laptops, the 15.6-inch X600 probably isn't for you. This thin-and-light laptop is about as conspicuous as a stealth bomber, but it's a gorgeous specimen nonetheless, and its ultra-low-voltage CPU delivers surprisingly good performance

Editor's rating 8.0

Asus G60J

Packing a quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU, the 16-inch G60J gaming laptop rockets along at a speed that puts greased lightning to shame. It's a pity the screen isn't of a higher resolution, but the G60J is hard to fault otherwise, making light work of even the most demanding 3D games

Editor's rating 8.9

Advent Altro

The 13.3-inch Altro is an unashamed attempt to emulate the MacBook Air. Considering it's almost half the price, it doesn't do too bad a job. Offering 3GB of RAM, strong wireless capabilities and a good keyboard, it's worth a look for those after a relatively cheap thin-and-light laptop

Editor's rating 6.0

Asus UX30

Asus' designers clearly had Apple's MacBook Air in mind when they created the 13.3-inch UX30 thin-and-light laptop. It bears a steep price tag and its battery life could be better, but it's a gorgeous-looking specimen and its ultra-low-voltage processor makes it a strong performer too

Editor's rating 7.0

MSI GX723

The GX723 desktop-replacement laptop won't thrill your socks off, but it's a solid all-rounder nevertheless. Packing loads of connections, a gaming-capable GPU, and an instant overclocking feature that boosts the laptop's speed by a significant amount, it's worth considering

Editor's rating 6.8

Sony Vaio VGN-FW41E/H

You'll have to fork out a sizeable wad of cash for it, but, if you do, the 16.4-inch Vaio VGN-FW41E/H desktop-replacement laptop will reward you with a swish design, good all-round performance and a large, high-resolution screen. It's an impressive lump of laptop

Editor's rating 7.5

HP Compaq 6735s

Whether its sober design will appeal depends on your tastes, but there's no denying that the 15.4-inch Compaq 6735s is a well-built machine. Its full-size keyboard is comfortable to type on, the matte finish on the screen means it's legible in all lighting conditions, and it's a capable performer too

Editor's rating 6.5

Sony Vaio VGN-AW31M/H

With an 18.4-inch screen, this is one serious slab of Sony technology -- and it has a price tag to match. Understated styling and a battery worth the name aren't normally to be found in desktop-replacement laptops, but the Sony Vaio AW31M/H is a versatile machine capable of more than playing Blu-ray movies

Editor's rating 8.0

Acer TravelMate Timeline 8371

You'll want to spatter your brains all over the wall if you try playing games on the 13.3-inch TravelMate Timeline 8371, but it's a good laptop in almost every other regard. With an attractive, understated design, a capable ultra-low-voltage CPU and good battery life, the 8371 has won us over

Editor's rating 7.4

Dell Inspiron 15

The 15.6-inch Inspiron 15 is a highly customisable laptop, but you'll get a solid chassis and good keyboard no matter which configuration you opt for. Adding on the extras will make the cost rise quickly, but it's possible to build a capable machine for an affordable price

User rating 2.5

Editor's rating 7.1