It used to be a simple equation – on the road you had an underpowered but light machine to take notes, while back in the office was a powerful desktop for most of your day-to-day work. Today, however, things are blurred, to say the least. When you're out and about there's a choice of mobile phone, Blackberry, ultra-light portable or laptop, while in the office, it seems you really don't need a desktop at all, with some laptops now sporting 17-inch screens and enough processing power to handle anything you can throw at them.
There are, however, a few things to bear in mind. The biggest issue is battery life – in a highly powerful machine, don't expect longevity. These are really designed to be used at a desk, next to a power supply. If battery life is an issue, then it's well worth looking for something with a slightly lower spec – it may not be as quick, but at least you'll be able to get your work done without the horror of the "low battery" warnings. For processors, look out for Intel's Core™ 2 Duo processor – it's the best around at the moment, and will give you desktop-like performance without almost instantly draining the battery.
Here are a few of the best of the new breed of dual-purpose portables.
PHILIPS X200
£850
pcworld.co.uk
The Philips X200 (pictured below left) is only available in the UK from PC World, which has dubbed this notebook "The Longneck". This is fitting, as it's the first machine to be released with a screen a little different from the norm. Instead of being attached to the main body of the notebook like any other machine, you'll find this one sits on a central column, rather like the average external monitor. This means you can raise the 12.1-inch screen up and down so you can pitch it exactly in line with your eye. This makes for a great screen, and although it's small, gives it that desktop replacement feel.
Extra pressure is placed on the design when the screen is raised to the maximum height but we found that the build quality was good enough to support it. Made from toughened plastic, it's doesn't have the most luxuriant of finishes but at a cost of £850 (including VAT), it certainly offers decent value for money.
The most appealing fact is that the X200 only weighs 2.1kg, so you can carry it around with you. The panel is widescreen and comes with a Super-TFT coating so images look as impressive as the notebook's design.
The main specification is impressive, though. Powered by an Intel Core Duo U2500 chip, you'll find this is a dual-core offering, but as it needs to run in a slim case it's an ultra-low voltage chip. There's 1Gb of memory, and although it may be small this doesn't limit the amount of connections you'll find on board. As well as a 1.3-megapixel webcam, integrated Bluetooth connectivity and 802.11g, there is a DVD rewriter and DVI port, so you can either watch movies on the laptop's own screen or outsource them to a large digital screen.
Overall, this is a bit of an odd beast – but one that will definitely turn heads in meetings.
PROS: Innovative design.
CONS: Screen is relatively small for a desktop replacement.
SONY VAIO VGN-AR31S
£1,999
sonystyle.co.uk
Packed to the hilt with processing power, a 17-inch screen and even a next-generation blu-ray DVD drive, this is a beast of a laptop. An Intel Core Duo T7200 is at the heart of the machine, and it's blazingly fast, especially because of its 2Gb of memory.
Don't think it's only the looks that are impressive, as the build quality is also high, as it needs to be to bear the weight of the huge screen. The keyboard is centrally mounted and comfortable to use, and this isn't a machine that's been made to look "cool" – the black finish will look smart anywhere. Battery life is about 1.5 hours, but the size and weight of the machine aren't designed for mobile travel, so we're not too concerned.
The X-black screen is simply stunning, running at an indulgent 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, and it's bright too. Horizontal viewing angles are good, but not top-notch vertically – the panel needed a little adjustment to keep the contrast even from top to bottom. As you'd expect, video playback and digital photos benefit from the apparent extra contrast from the glossy screen, although some slight motion-lag is evident. There's also a neat little video camera above the screen, which is perfect for video-conferencing.
It's supplied with Vista Home premium, and there's a remote control to let you take advantage of the hybrid analogue/DVB-T TV tuner with its PVR capabilities – an infra-red receiver is on the front for the included remote. The coaxial input is full-sized, negating the need for breakout cables. The speakers give a reasonable volume, but bass response is limited, and you'll need more to really get immersed in music and movies.
There's every type of port you could want, and overall it's tough to fault the Vaio. At the very high end of the market where this is aimed, you're really paying for that power – but, with the Vaio now being seen as "the" laptop brand, if you can afford it, you won't be disappointed.
PROS: Great screen, power and blu-ray DVD drive.
CONS: High price tag.
TOSHIBA SATELLITE PRO P100
From £899
toshiba.co.uk
The P100's teal green lid is a welcome departure from the usual drab colour palette adopted by most notebook manufacturers. Popping the hood reveals a brushed silver chassis with a black keyboard inset, but the overall look is both attractive and professional.
Weighing 3.3kg and with dimensions of 314 x 259 x 34.9mm, the P100 is firmly in the desktop replacement category. It's clearly been designed for use as a multimedia powerhouse rather than a mobile workstation. The notebook's most innovative feature by far is its touchpad, which as well as being a mouse doubles as a bay of quick-launch buttons to easily access your most-used applications. This is designed for those using an external mouse, as in these cases the touch pad usually remains idle. Switching between the two modes is done at the tap of a button, and assigning applications to the three buttons is painless.
Continuing the innovations, it's also one of the very first notebooks we've seen to include a numpad attached to the right of the keyboard. This is handy for those who spend a lot of time on data-entry tasks, but it also results in the keyboard feeling quite cramped. The letter keys are full-size, but most other keys have been shrunk to fit, which had me frequently hitting keys unintentionally. It's not as much of an issue once you're used to it, but I'd prefer a proper full-size keyboard to a tacked-on numpad any day.
Lined horizontally along the top of the keyboard are six handy buttons for controlling audio/video playback. In addition, the front bezel contains headphone and microphone jacks, as well as a volume wheel so you don't have to drop everything to fiddle with audio settings mid-film.
Thankfully, the notebook's visual features look just as impressive as its audio options, with Toshiba adopting a 17" SXGA+ display that offers up a high 1680x1050 widescreen resolution. The processor used is a Intel Core Duo T2400 (1.83GHz). Your storage needs are catered for by a 100Gb SATA hard drive, while backing up files is trouble-free thanks to a dual-layer DVD writer that supports all of the major optical media formats.
Those requiring additional security will be pleased at the inclusion of a fingerprint sensor that can biometrically lock down all data. This feature has previously been exclusive to business notebooks, so it's great to see it filtering down to multimedia products as well.
PROS: Great design, innovative touchpad.
CONS: 100-minute battery life is not great.
DELL XPS M2010
£2,299
dell.com/uk
Dell's XPS M2010 is a perfect example of the new type of machine out there which blurs the line between desktop and laptop. At 7.5kg you'll not going to be carrying it about too much, but as a "luggable" the 20-inch screen and powerful performance mean it may well be perfect for that weekend work at home.
The quality of the 20-inch Super-TFT screen is excellent, and displays at a WSXGA+ resolution of 1680x1050 pixels. Images are sharp and colourful and the screen is fully positional for optimum visibility. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is built into the panel for internet video and photo use.
It's impressive to look at, with the pop-button optical drive and a detachable keyboard – ideal for sitting on the sofa typing rather than being on top of the screen. The keyboard uses Bluetooth to communicate with the notebook and is a good size, and I found it really comfortable to use.
Powered by the 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 processor, you'll also find 2048MB of memory, which is more than enough to get things done – and with 240GB of storage space, you won't be complaining that your media files don't all fit on there. The only way you could pack more power into this notebook would be too switch it to a Core 2 Duo processor, which no doubt Dell will be doing in the coming months. The ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 isn't the fastest card out there but it'll certainly run the latest generation of PC games with ease. For using as a home multimedia centre, both 5.1 and 7.1 audio outs allow for connection to external equipment. A DVI-out port can equally be used with external digital displays.
Overall, it's an interesting machine for those who only occasionally need a laptop – it's big and bulky, but powerful, and with a stunning 20-inch screen. This is one machine which could kill off the desktop altogether.
PROS: Huge 20-inch screen.
CONS: Heavy!
EVESHAM C720DC
£1,299
evesham.co.uk
Evesham is building a reputation for powerful, good-looking machines, and the C720DC (pictured above) is an excellent example. There's an Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor and only 1GB of memory, which is ok, but this isn't the fastest machine here by a long way, apart from a really fast video card. It has a 120GB hard drive, which is more than enough for most people.
One problem is the trackpad, which often seems to get in the way while typing, and a USB mouse would make a useful add-on. It also has an unimpressive set of built-in speakers, which sound somewhat muffled. The 17-inch screen is excellent, however, and its 1680x1050 native resolution provides a large Windows Desktop. It's bright too, and delivers a high-contrast image whether you're viewing movies or the latest games. It's certainly not cheap, but if you're going to be showing video or even, god forbid, playing the odd game, the Evesham is built to please.
PROS: Great graphics card.
CONS: Trackpad is fiddly.
ACER ASPIRE 9813WKMI
£940
acer.co.uk
The Acer is a versatile and great value alternative to a desktop PC. It's one of the biggest laptops I've ever seen, and at over 7.5kg you won't want to carry around much, but in addition to a huge 20.1-inch screen, there's room for an almost full-sized keyboard equipped with a dedicated numeric keypad. The keys are a little spongy when compared with some of the best models on test, but they're perfectly usable. The only thing that lets the side down are the speakers, which although reasonably loud often left film dialogue muffled.
Considering its keen price, the Acer's specification is quite generous. Although the Core 2 Duo T5500 is a little slow compared with the competition, it's still a perfectly capable performer. The gigabyte of memory is enough to keep Vista Home Premium running reasonably smoothly too. Another boon is the built-in TV tuner, which is capable of receiving both analogue and digital terrestrial TV signals. Thanks to Vista's sublime Media Center, the supplied remote control and the massive screen, both watching and recording TV is a real pleasure.
If you need a laptop that you can carry around by hand then look elsewhere, but as a compact alternative to a desktop PC, the Acer is a versatile and great value proposition.
PROS: Incredible 20.1-inch screen.
CONS: Be careful lifting it...
HP COMPAQ NX9420
£1,315
hp.com/uk
The austere grey exterior gives away the NX9420's business credentials, but that doesn't mean it would be out of place in your home. While it isn't blessed with drop-dead good looks, it's got plenty of class where it counts – build quality is superb and the slight flex in the base and screen helps the HP shrug off knocks.
Using the HP is an absolute pleasure too thanks to the superb keyboard and trackpad. The keyboard provides well-spaced keys with a wonderfully positive action. The sensible design extends to the shortcut key placed above the numeric keypad which brings up the Windows Calculator in an instant. The trackpad is worthy of equal praise as it's located away from errant thumbs and precise enough to rarely see you reaching for a USB mouse. The 17-inch screen may be dwarfed by the Acer's, but as it has the same high resolution of 1680x1050, you don't actually lose any Desktop space. The display gives a bright, high-contrast image but, as with the Zoostorm display (see below), the NX9420 had a noticeably grainy quality. Partnering a fast Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 processor with a gigabyte of memory makes it a great performer, although the graphics card is a little slow. Overall, this is a classy piece of kit.
PROS: Superb build quality and sleek design.
CONS: High price.
ZOOSTORM 53-7701 FAMILY LAPTOP
£881
zoostorm.com
It's not a well-known name, but this is a powerful, versatile, well-specified and great value. Ugly as sin, though. At the heart of the machine is an Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 with two processor cores running at 2GHz. Allied with 2GB of memory, this makes the Zoostorm incredibly quick for the price. It's got a dual-layer DVD writer as standard, and a 160GB hard disk.
The screen is the one of the few obvious clues as to the Zoostorm budget pedigree. Size isn't an issue – its an ample 17-inch from corner to corner – and the native resolution of 1440x900 gives enough Desktop space to spread a couple of documents side by side. The only grumble is with its image quality, which while perfectly acceptable just isn't as good as the pricier laptops on test here. Another caveat is that the case gets pretty hot during use – not one to keep on your lap...
But overall, £881 buys you a powerful, versatile and impressively slimline laptop that will be as at home permanently plonked on a desk as it will shoved in a bag and lugged about from A to B.
PROS: Great value.
CONS: Really ugly.
Mark Prigg is the Science and Technology Correspondent of the London Evening Standard
