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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T

The 13.3-inch Aspire Timeline 3810T boasts a slim, attractive design and a lightweight body, although we'd like to see an optical drive included. Compared to other slim 12- and 13-inch laptops, it also offers decent performance, but it's the extra-long battery life that really makes this machine stand out

User rating 9.0

Editor's rating 7.9

Samsung R510

Whether you're after a work or a leisure laptop, with a 15.4-inch screen and fairly impressive performance, the stylish and affordable R510 is well worth investigating. It also benefits from a sizeable, comfortable keyboard with an anti-bacterial coating, although we expected to see more USB ports

User rating 10.0

Editor's rating 7.0

MSI X340

If you think the MacBook Air is too expensive and netbooks are too small, the 13-inch, super-light, super-thin X340 will be worth investigating. The keyboard and battery life aren't overly impressive, but it’s got good connectivity and its looks will certainly get you drooling

Editor's rating 6.9

Samsung R610

For a laptop with a Blu-ray drive, the attractive R610 is relatively cheap, and the aspect ratio of its 16-inch screen means you can watch high-definition films without any annoying black bars. It's also a decent multitasking machine, and its keyboard and connectivity options aren't bad either

User rating 7.0

Editor's rating 7.2

Samsung R560

If you're seeking a desktop-replacement laptop within a limited budget, check out the 15-inch R560. Although no aspect of it is particularly outstanding, its good performance, decent range of features and attractive price mean it's a great package overall. It's also pleasant to use -- despite a reflective screen

Editor's rating 7.8

Toshiba Satellite Pro S300

The attractive Toshiba Satellite Pro S300 series of desktop-replacement laptops benefits from a sturdy design and excellent keyboard. Various flavours are available for users with different demands, but all versions are weighty and have low battery life, detracting from their portability

Editor's rating 6.8

Samsung Q310

The Q310 is almost identical to its predecessor, the Q210, with the only noticeable differences being the bigger display, extra 1GB of RAM and a slight change in port placement. It's also kept the glossy black finish, which unfortunately is smudge-prone -- so is it worth the upgrade to a more expensive machine?

User rating 8.0

Editor's rating 7.4

Asus F6

Asus continues its trend in crazy laptop innovation with the F6, the world's first scented computer. While its smell proved to be more of a gimmick than a local air freshener, the laptop's ultra-modern design, large storage capacity and sensible pricetag make it a contender

Editor's rating 7.6

Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo M9410

Fujitsu Siemens' Esprimo range is designed for business professionals who are just as likely to find themselves behind a desk as they are on a train between business meetings. The M9410 has a 14.1-inch screen, helping it achieve a good balance of portability and functionality -- we just wish it looked better

Editor's rating 7.1

Sony Vaio VGN-BZ11MN

The Vaio VGN-BZ11MN is a cost-effective workhorse of a laptop, with a very solid magnesium alloy chassis, an anti-glare 15.4-inch screen and a huge bundle of software. At just £650, you get a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive -- plenty of power for all your office apps

Editor's rating 7.1