Chances are that your laptop has seen little gaming action beyond the odd game of solitaire on the train. However, if Microsoft gets its way, that may change. Buoyed by the success of its Xbox 360 console, Microsoft is going after the PC games market, ploughing millions into a "games for Windows" marketing campaign.
The release at the end of January of Windows Vista came with a whole new level of Windows games. What interests PC makers is that the gaming market is all about performance. To create 3D graphics, surround sound and live online play, you'll need the absolute latest in technology. Graphics cards and processor power have never been so important – and that goes double for the notebook market.
Traditionally, notebooks have been about battery life – enough power to run a spreadsheet and web browser, but little else. But now that has changed, and manufacturers, with one eye on the desktop replacement market as well as gaming, are packing their portables with almost as much power as your desktop computer.
Acer Ferrari 5000
£1,699
acer.co.uk
Thankfully abandoning the all-red exterior in favour of some carbon fibre, Acer has just about managed to make its Ferrari-branded laptop good-looking – although be warned, sticky hands show up badly, so keep the kids away. It's a very fast machine, with the double-chipped Turion 64 X2 processor and a generous 2GB of memory helping the Ferrari to rocket along. However, graphically it's a little disappointing, and games like Doom and Halo do struggle on their top settings. The battery life, however, was very impressive for a laptop with such high-end components and we got just under four hours from it. The screen is an absolute dream – a 15.4in TFT with a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050, offering deep, rich colours and sharp definition. There's loads of space on the 160GB hard drive and a slot-loading DVD writer for backing up and burning home movies.
You'll also get all the usual wireless networking options, Bluetooth connectivity and an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface). There's even a webcam which locks on to you to keep you centred. The price tag might be off-putting, but you have to pay through the nose for a status-symbol brand. The components are top-notch, while the design is eye-catching and not as obnoxious as that of previous Acer Ferrari laptops.
Pros: Superb screen, built-in webcam.
Cons: High price and questionable looks.
Alienware Aurora M9700
From £1,198
alienware.com
Not exactly a machine for the boardroom, Alienware's laptop is aimed squarely at hardcore gamers. It has a massive 17-inch screen and packs in not one but two high-end graphics cards to give it some punch in the latest shoot-em-ups.
The M9700 is one hefty beast, weighing in at over 3.9kg and with dimensions of 4.70 x 39.75 x 29.85 cm. Not the kind of thing you're going to carry to work or whip out for a quick play on the train too often. However, a decent selection of video inputs and outputs, as well as optical and 5.1 speaker outputs, make this notebook into a pretty decent desktop alternative. It may not be an ultra-portable but it's an awful lot easier than carrying around your desktop PC.
It's available in three crazy colours – green, blue or silver – and has the added bonus of being the first 17-inch laptop to feature 1GB of graphics memory across two graphics cards. To finish the robust and out-there looks, it also sports a glowing alien head on the top of the model like the Apple logo.
Powered by a 2.2Ghz AMD Turion 64 Mobile Processor, the Aurora is frighteningly powerful. Beyond the processing power, storage space is distributed over two hard drives, allowing you to choose to record up to 125 hours of television programming with the unit's built-in TV tuner with RAID 0 or opt for the defence of the mirrored settings and enhanced data backup of RAID 1. Other features include a built-in 1.3 MP webcam at the top of the very glossy 17-inch widescreen display and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard, which can be accommodated due to the sheer size of the notebook. For blazing speed in the very latest 3D games, it's the best there is. However, for everyday use, it's probably more for the teenage end of the market, although it's almost worth taking into the boardroom just to see your CEO's face when the alien head on the cover starts glowing...
Pros: Blazing speed, dual graphics cards
Cons: Garish looks, powerpack almost as big as the laptop
Sony Vaio VGN AR11S
£1,999
vaio.sony-europe.com
Sony's high-end laptop has the latest HD-DVD drive, so is already a favourite with movie buffs. However, the processing power and 17-inch screen also make it a gamer's dream, despite the high price tag. An Intel Core Duo processor, which is a dual-core processor running each core at 2GHz and supported by a gigabyte of DDR2 memory, means you run the very fastest 3D games in all their glory. An HDMI-out port can be used to connect to external high-definition displays, and a Dolby 7.1 digital out can link to amplifiers for full surround sound.
The build quality is also high – after all, it needs to be to bear the weight of the huge screen. The keyboard is centrally mounted and comfortable to use, which means you can even use it for work. It's hard to fault such a well-built and good-looking machine. We only managed a battery life of two hours, but the size and weight of the machine aren't designed for mobile travel.
The front-mounted mouse buttons are tricky at first, especially as the keyboard is pushed so far up. There's an integrated hybrid analogue/DVB-T TV tuner to take advantage of its PVR capabilities – an infrared receiver is on the front for the included remote. The coaxial input is helpfully 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. With the Vaio now seen as "the" laptop brand, if you can afford it, you won't be disappointed.
Pros: Great screen, and recordable HD-DVD drive
Cons: High price tag
Toshiba QOSMIO F30-127
£2,199
toshiba.com
Designed to be the ultimate home-entertainment centre, the oddly named Qosmio will do everything from recording DVDs to playing back MP3 files through its Harman/kardon speakers and a solid-sounding subwoofer. Toshiba's thinking behind these features is simple: it needs to look and act like the TV and DVD player it is aimed to replace. Powered by an Intel Core Duo T2500, this 2GHz dual-core processor really packs a punch and, backed by 1,024MB of memory and twin 120GB hard drives, it's got everything you need. The second hard drive can be set up to handle RAID to make incremental backups of your main drive, so there is no fear of losing anything you've saved on there.
What really makes this machine stand out from anything else on the market is the use of HD-DVD optical drive. Graphics are courtesy of the Nvidia GeForce Go 7600, which is a mainstream offering and the only "non" top-of-the-charge component on offer here. You can get a great gaming experience out of this card and it handles everything well, it's just there are faster cards around. As the chassis weighs 4.7kg, you won't be taking this machine on the road with you, but it's not intended for travelling. The same goes for the battery life. We managed a little over two hours, so you can watch most movies but don't plan on getting through any sequels too.
Pros: Amazing screen, and HD-DVD playback is jaw-dropping
Cons: Terrible battery life, very heavy
Dell XPS M1710
From £1,299
dell.com
Although Dell actually owns Alienware, it also produces its own-label gaming laptop. This 17-inch model is one of the most impressive you'll find, with Intel's Core Duo chip and Nvidia's new top-shelf GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics chip. The unsurprising result is a superbly capable machine that will handle virtually every game you throw at it. It's also got an added bling factor – the XPS M1710 can emit shafts of light in any one of 16 colours from its lid, side vents, and speaker vents.
Crafted out of sturdy and stylish magnesium alloy, the XPS M1710 measures 15.5 x 11.3 x 1.6 inches. Our test unit weighed 4.0kg (4.6kg with its AC adaptor). The XPS M1710 includes a full-sized keyboard, though it lacks a separate number pad, and the touchpad lets you scroll around easily.
The XPS M1710 also features Dell's MediaDirect software, which plays CDs and DVDs and lets you access photos and other media files on your hard drive without booting up Windows. The two speakers and internal subwoofer deliver crisp and rich sound and, because the speakers sit in the corners of the front edge of the laptop, your hands won't muffle them while you're typing, and you can play music with the lid closed.
Overall, it's a frighteningly fast system, and one for hardcore gamers. Battery life is adequate at about 154 minutes, but this is really more of a desktop replacement. Just remember to turn off the coloured lighting if you're meeting clients.
Pros: Powerful processor and great screen
Cons: Looks are a little OTT
What to play
If you want a game that makes you think, then you can't go wrong with Civilisation. Now on its fourth iteration, it's the one game several of my friends have actually been forced to delete from their machines because it's become so addictive. The aim is just to build up a civilisation, complete with armies, by building and invading. The problem is the vast amount of tactics involved – you'll soon find yourself playing for hours at a time.
Other games worth trying are the hugely popular Sims franchise, which have you building a home rather than an entire civilisation, and Command and Conquer, which sees you engage in strategic military combat.
There's also a mass of simulators on offer, and many a transatlantic flight has been wasted with Microsoft's scarily realistic Flight Simulator software, which is so lifelike you'll actually have a pretty decent chance of landing your own flight after a long session.
All-action heroes
A lot of PC gaming is about full-on shooting and carnage, and with the right laptop, you'll be blasting with the best of them. The genre was started by Doom and Unreal, both brilliant examples of what's known as a first-person shoot-em-up – a basic "kill everything in sight" game.
These are the games that will really test your machine to its fullest, and all but the very best laptops will need to have settings such as the video frame rate and special effects turned down. The key titles worth looking out for include Call of Duty 2 and Battlefield 1942.
Online games
The mass adoption of broadband connections has led to a whole new genre of games. Permanently online, they allow you to take part in an online world. The two undisputed kings of this sector are World of Warcraft and Second Life.
World of Warcraft, a massive online battle game, is renowned as being one of the most addictive games ever created. Millions of people play online regularly, and after a few hours playing you'll see why. It's a bit of a nerdy game, but the fact you're playing with real players gives it a genuine edge and you'll soon find yourself losing hours to it, so beware...
Second Life is an entirely different proposition. It is, simply, a whole other world, with everything from nightclubs to shopping malls, and even its own currency. It's a free download from secondlife.com, but you'll need to buy some currency to get the most out of it.
Classic games
The emergence of simple, easy-to-play games has also meant a massive market for retro options – everything from Pacman to Sonic the Hedgehog has reappeared on the PC. There's also a huge market in emulating these older games online, and an emulator called Mame is easily available for free online, from mame.net. You'll then need to find the original code for games, which is easy enough for Google. It's great fun, and you're playing the actual code from arcade machines, with thousands to choose from.
Mobile game consoles
Of course, if you really get the gaming bug, there's Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DS Lite to consider. Both are brilliant little handheld consoles, and increasingly are appearing in business class lounges around the world. The PSP in particular has a superb widescreen display, and can actually be used to play music and movies as well – all without running down the battery on your laptop.
Home photo printers
If you're still spending a fortune on getting your pictures printed out, it might be time to invest in a photo printer of your own. Here are three of the best:
Canon Selphy HS1
It's got a great, vertical-loading design so won't take up too much space, and the slick white looks mean you might not want to hide it in a cupboard. It produces the sharpest pics you'll see on a home printer, and the menu system is really easy to understand, so even technophobes will be at home. It's also blindingly fast, producing full-size 6 x 4 pics in about a minute. £190, canon.co.uk
HP Photosmart A618
Cheap and chic, HP's mini-marvel will print out pretty much any memory card you can throw at it, so you'll never need to boot up the computer again. It'll also link via bluetooth to your mobile phone, so you can print out incriminating evidence from the night before. Print quality is good for the price, and the built-in screen is so sharp and clear you can even edit your pics before printing. £100, hp.com/uk
Epson Picturemate 280
It's massive, but this all-in-one printer also crams in a CD/DVD burner, so you can easily burn all your holiday snaps to disc to give relatives their very own reminder. It's easy to use, and prints are great with rich, deep colours. £200, epson.co.uk.
Mini music
If you're looking for the perfect tiny hifi, the Hitachi AX-M133 Slimline DAB Music System might just fit the bill. For MP3 addicts, it will also let you record CDs straight on to your player, so you'll never need to faff around with a computer again. Its flat-panel speakers sound great, although they don't quite rival more expensive "normal" speakers. But for the style-conscious this is perfect. Currys, £199.99
