Labs

When it comes to laptop design, Sony answer to nobody. Their current portable range looks great, and the VGN-FZ21M is no exception. With understated good looks and finely crafted details, it's simply gorgeous.

Slip the VAIO from its packaging and it feels expensive from the off. The silver lid is smooth to the touch, and - in a welcome departure from the likes of the MSI - the large VAIO logo adds to its charm rather than looking overdone. Tilt the lid back on its smooth, strong-feeling hinges, and the VGN-FZ21M continues to impress. The two-tone interior houses a distinctive Sony keyboard resembling a set of neatly arranged Scrabble tiles.

If we had to find something to complain about,

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the lid doesn't offer the 15.4 inch display quite as much protection as we'd like: lightly twisting it had a visible effect on the screen. The base, though, is very sturdy.

And the Sony's beauty is far from skin deep. Settling down to type this review, we were quickly impressed by the positive feel of those unusual-looking keys, which offer lots of travel. The trackpad is maybe a little small, but it works fine.

Nor did the VGN-FZ21M keep us waiting. Thanks to the Core 2 Duo T7250 processor and 2GB of memory, our general (2D) benchmark rated the Sony at a speedy 149%. Gaming performance, predictably, wasn't quite as remarkable, but the nVidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics chipset is a lot better than the integrated graphics found in cheaper laptops, and achieved a passable score of 57% - enough to play quite a few games if you're prepared to turn the video quality settings down.

With a built in Blu-ray drive to play the latest high definition movies, the Sony will certainly keep you entertained. It's a shame the built-in speakers are so quiet, but plug in a good pair of headphones and you'll have a cinema in your lap - as well as a great all-round portable PC. The catch is it's not cheap, but Sony have at least thrown in a useful Adobe creative software bundle.