Labs

Finished in glossy black and silver, the Philips cuts a real dash - an ideal quality in a PC that's hoping to share your living space. It also offers a lot for a really low price. You get Windows Vista, a dual-core Intel processor, and even some cool extras like a hybrid analogue/digital TV tuner built in. As ever, though, the devil is in the detail. The processor is a new low-cost model, the Pentium Dual Core T2060. The Dual Core is basically the same as the Core Duo, but with half the amount of

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cache (fast memory that stores data in case it's needed again): just 1MB. Thanks to this, the Philips came last in our speed tests, with a score of 108% in general 2D performance. At 160GB, the hard disk is also rather small for a PC that's intended to record live TV or store your MP3 library.

The Philips' svelte dimensions are achieved by using components more commonly found in laptops. This limits any opportunity to upgrade later, which isn't necessarily a problem, but also means the PC relies on integrated graphics instead of a proper graphics card. The Intel 945GM graphics chips couldn't run our 3D test, so this isn't a PC for gamers, although less demanding entertainment and education programs would run.

This bundle available from PC World doesn't include speakers but comes with a 17-inch Philips TFT monitor. It isn't widescreen, and image quality is pretty average, lacking contrast and slightly fuzzy at the edges. The mini keyboard has a spongy action and an annoying built-in trackball instead of a mouse, though this might appeal if you need to use it on your lap.