1. Dell XPS M1530 - from £679
Dell customises its computers to your specs; this model is available in two colours. For £849, you get 2MB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive in a stylish and effective machine.
www.dell.co.uk; 0870 907 5818
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2. Sony Vaio VGN-TZ21 - £1,599
The latest in a sleek series of models from Sony is small, light and powerful, with great battery life, a 100GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM. Its 11.1in screen is bright and pin-sharp.
www.sony.co.uk; 0870 111 999
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3. Samsung X22 from - £650
Samsung’s slim, light computers are ideal portables. This has a 1.3Mp camera built in, a 14.1in widescreen and an excellent keyboard, and it reads five different memory cards.
www.samsung.co.uk; 0800 521 652
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4. Apple MacBook Pro from - £1,299
Still the best-designed laptop, with the latest version of the elegant Mac OS (Leopard) built in. Using a Mac is a satisfying, classy experience. Works with Windows, too, if you really must.
www.apple.com/uk; 0800 783 4846
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5. Panasonic Toughbook - £1,500
Toughbooks are light, rugged laptops that can survive falls of 2ft 6in, have long battery life, reasonable hard disk space (80GB) and 12.1in screens. The keyboard is water-resistant.
www.panasonic.co.uk; 0844 844 3852
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6. Toshiba Qosmio G40 - £1,699
Awell-built, high-spec desktop replacement with 320GB of hard drive, plus HD DVD drive and HDMI output to play discs on an HD-ready TV. You can save up to 30GB to an HD disc.
www.toshiba.co.uk; 0870 444 8943
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7. Sony Vaio AR51SU - £1,699
The Blu-ray drive lets you watch HD movies on the 17in screen, and you can record up to 50GB of data to disc. The 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM keep your tasks flowing.
www.comet.co.uk; 0870 542 5425
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8. Acer Aspire 7720 Gemstone - £899.97
No slouch this. Two hard drives combine for a total of 320GB, and it’s got a 17in screen and 2GB of RAM. It looks good too, though the off-centre touchpad may not be to everyone’s taste.
www.laptopsdirect.co.uk; 0870 167 0818
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9. HP Pavilion dv2699ea - £899
Alimited-edition laptop that looks very cool in its shiny, tactile chocolate livery. The specs (250GB hard drive, 2GB RAM, 14.1in glossy screen) don’t let it down. Highly desirable.
www.hp.com/uk; 0870 547 4747
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10. Philips 15NB5700 - £449.99
The hard drive is huge – 160GB – and there’s a decent 2GB of RAM. The screen’s big too, at 15.4in, so it’s good for watching DVDs as well as working on documents or spreadsheets.
www.pcworld.co.uk; 0844 561 0000
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7 January 2008, Chosen by David Phelan
