Labs

If you're looking for a laptop that'll do it all without breaking the bank, it's hard to beat this one. Though the price is reasonable, the impression you get from the moment you open up the lid is anything but cheap. For starters, the 17-inch widescreen vies with the Sony for the title of richest and most colourful here. Like all the displays on test, it has a glossy finish to maximise contrast and sharpness. It's topped off by a swivelling webcam which can be angled independently - a thoughtful touch not matched by any of the other laptops on test.

Beneath this sits an agreeably weighted keyboard on which, despite the inclusion of a numeric keypad, almost all the keys are full size. It's a pity the keyboard isn't better supported - pushing down in the middle causes it to flex a little, a fairly common failing in today's affordable laptops - but build quality otherwise feels very solid, if a bit plasticky. The trackpad works well, too, and there's a four-way tilting scroll button beneath it. If you don't get on with this, you can use the more common option of stroking the right side of the trackpad to scroll.

Key features

Around the keyboard are the usual quick launch buttons for various applications, plus two handy extra buttons that enable you to quickly enable or disable wireless networking and Bluetooth. Yes, you get Bluetooth built in as standard, so you can communicate wirelessly with your mobile phone or PDA. At the front of the case you'll find audio connectors, including a digital audio output, and stereo speakers. These aren't as loud as the Toshiba's,

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and sound a little boxy, but they're fine for most purposes.

Inside, the Acer sports one of the more powerful processors in the group: it's not up there with theHi-Grade, but placed respectably in the second rank, which isn't bad for the second cheapest machine. You get a superior battery, too: of all the laptops we tested this month, it managed to achieve both the longest life under light use and the fastest recharge time. DVD playback was less impressive, with Sony's battery managing to keep a movie turning for over 20 minutes longer before expiring.

Limiting factors

Inevitably, the Acer does have a few limitations. It may be a fast machine for general Windows applications, but even by midrange laptop standards its graphics hardware is fairly weedy, scoring just 23% in our 3D benchmark. That means you'll have to turn the detail and special effects right down on any recent 3D game to have any fun.

On the connectivity front, the Aspire is merely average: there's no FireWire, and no HDMI for output to HDTV, though you can drive a conventional set or a monitor through S-video and VGA sockets. More USB ports could have been squeezed in, although the four provided should be enough for most users. WiFi networking is built in, but doesn't support the high-speed 802.11n protocol, which several rival laptops do. Still, 802.11g is fine for most purposes; browsing the web, for example, will probably go as fast on this connection as it's ever going to.

The Acer's strong performance in our battery tests might tempt you to think of it as an ideal portable system, but its 3.5kg weight calls that into question. The simple fact is that if you want a 17-inch screen, you'll have to be prepared for some arm-ache. If you plan to take your laptop on regular excursions to lectures, rehearsals or the office, we'd suggest a smaller, lighter model might fit the bill.

However, if what you want is a computer that will breeze through almost every task you throw at it, act as an entertainment or presentation centre when the occasion demands, and give you the flexibility to take all your work with you when required, the 9425WSMi is an unbeatable deal.