Labs

Style isn't this laptop's strong point. Clad in a rather utilitarian gunmetal grey, it's one of the smaller models here, but its boxiness gives it the impression of being bigger than it really is. On the other hand, it does lend the Asus a reassuring air of solidity, and this is borne out by closer examination. Its sturdy lid offers good protection to the screen, and is also home to a quality webcam that swivels up and down, enabling even the shortest and tallest of users to capture their best angle.

Sadly, the slightly drab appearance extends to the screen. Although the 15.4 inch widescreen was crisp and evenly lit, colours were washed-out, and we weren't convinced that its huge resolution of 1680x1050 was a good thing.

Oddly, it's the keyboard that offers the only hint of sparkle. Quite literally: for some reason the keys have a lustrous, slightly glittery appearance. It's comfy to type on, and Asus has sensibly omitted a numeric keypad to leave enough space for full-size keys. Clumsy users will also note that it's 'spill-proof', though we fought shy of testing that claim.

On either side of the keyboard are a pair of stereo speakers. At low volumes they lacked bass, but stereo separation was unusually good.

The Asus' workmanlike appearance is complemented by Windows Vista Business Edition. Not that it's all work and no play. With a score of 168%, 2D performance was the lowest here, though still adequate. But when it came to 3D, we were pleasantly surprised. Thanks to an nVidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics chipset served by a whopping 512MB of dedicated RAM, the Asus scored an impressive 69% in our 3D test, proving its credentials as an all-rounder.

Overall, though, nondescript styling, mediocre 2D performance and a less than generous 200GB hard disk mean there's better value to be had.