The Alienware Area-51 X58 has a name and a look that implies it's out of this world, and we would have to agree. With Intel's latest high-end processor and a pair of dual-chip ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 cards inside this desktop is a gamer's par...

Cost-effective for a £4,200 PC; more storage than we've ever seen before on similarly priced models

Clunky Alienware case; overclocking reserved for a still higher-end Alienware system; no HDMI output

Even if we have a few reservations about this system, we can't deny that Alienware has an outstanding deal on its hands. It offers the same core hardware and twice the storage capacity as PCs that cost £1,000 more. High-end bargain hunters, assuming

Sony's T series has always represented the ultimate in ultraportable computing and its latest incarnation, the TT epitomises everything the series stands for: it's attractive, has great connectivity and is highly portable. Netbooks offer similar functiona...

Sleek styling; impressive battery life; integrated 3G; excellent keyboard

High price; only two USB ports

If you have the money, you shouldn't hesitate to buy the TT, in any of its guises. It looks phenomenal, is comfortable to use and is exceptionally portable

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...

Pretty design; reasonable price

Has Centrino, not Centrino 2 architecture; stiff mouse selector buttons; doesn't smell enough

The F6V is a very good laptop, but don't believe the hype about the smell. Unless you're a dog, you can hardly smell anything. Thankfully, it's very good-looking, fairly quick and quite affordable. Laptops such as the Dell XPS M1330 give it...

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-pr...

Battery life; sturdy chassis; compact and light

Disappointing screen; keyboard flexing at the corner; 13-inch screen not worth the extra money

The only major difference between this and the 12-inch Q210 is the slightly bigger display. However, since both run at the same native resolution, the benefits of the Q310's 13-inch screen are minimal. And with similar performance, we prefer the chea...

The S6420 is an ultraportable laptop designed for the mobile professional. It's light, relatively small, and best of all, it has a built-in 3G modem so you can go online almost anywhere. This £1,000 laptop has substantial security capabilities and an

Mobile broadband module; spill-proof keyboard, performance

Battery life; mediocre graphics capability

We like the S6420 for its solid build quality, performance, security and mobile broadband capability. It's a little pricey, but if you require a laptop with its substantial security capabilities, it's well worth a look

Don't worry if you haven't heard of Zepto -- most people haven't. The Danish company might be low-profile, but it can knock out a great laptop. The Nox A15 features high-spec components and matte black good looks -- not to mention impressiv...

Matte black chassis; customisability

Keyboard is a bit pants; poor battery life

We like the Zepto Nox A15. We're big fans of its matte black finish and curved edges, and we're even bigger fans of its performance and customisability. If you want something a little different than the Dells and Acers of this world, you could d...

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 por...

Dual operating systems; Integrated 3G modem; non-glossy screen

Average performance; styling; spongy keyboard

The Esprimo M9410 is the only laptop in this range with a 14.1-inch screen, helping it achieve a good balance of portability and functionality. It's a good business laptop, and we love that it has an integrated HSDPA modem for go-anywhere Internet ac...

Priced at a reasonable £899, the 15-inch Qosmio F50-10Z offers a wide range of multimedia features. It also houses Toshiba's new Quad Core HD processor, a chip separate to the main CPU that aims to boost video performance. Aside from the underperform

DVD upscaling; bright screen; good range of multimedia features; price

Gesture-control feature; restrictions when viewing upscaled video; tacky chassis design

While the over-the-top chassis won't suit all tastes, the Qosmio F50-10Z offers a decent mix of features and performance for your money. But while Toshiba's Quad Core HD processor does a reasonable job of upscaling DVDs, it has few other practic...

The MacBook Pro -- for so long the final word in high-end multimedia laptops -- is back. It now sports a new aluminium chassis and twin graphics cards, and promises significantly better performance than its predecessors. While we certainly like its looks,...

Design; performance; build quality

It's pricey; glossy screen; no card reader; just two USB ports

The MacBook Pro is an excellent laptop, but we find it difficult to recommend. It's great in its own right, but it offers relatively little in comparison the standard MacBook, except perhaps in gaming terms. If you can afford it and can live with its...

Lenovo's ThinkPad notebooks are prized for their robust build, good security features and solid performance, and the new SL series is a cost-effective mix of performance, wireless and multimedia features. The 15-inch SL500 has a 160GB hard drive, bui...

Solid build quality; large, high-resolution screen; built-in mobile broadband

Hardware design makes it fiddly to access ports and connectors; Webcam lacks features; battery life; heavy

The ThinkPad SL500 is attractively priced, solidly built and a good performer. We're particularly impressed with the high-resolution 15.4-inch screen. However, there are one or two design quirks, the webcam is basic and battery life could be longer....