Labs

We liked the Acer TM6292 so much a few months ago (web ID: 137088) that we had to get it back for this group test. This one has a slightly different spec, coming with Windows XP, but the impact is the same, as it again walks away with an award and a spot on the A List.

Picking it up, you'll notice that it weighs 2kg - it isn't quite ultraportable, but it doesn't feel too big. In fact, it weighs that much because it's robustly built, with a strong lid and a well-designed keyboard, and the speakers are by far the highest quality here. It's also a stylish notebook, and it deservedly came top in our

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judges' overall assessment of ergonomics.

With a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 inside, along with 2GB of RAM, performance isn't a problem. A score of 1.05 is up with the far dearer Asus and Sony laptops, possibly helped by XP being slightly less demanding than Vista. And this speed is coupled with a strong battery life of more than 4hrs 45mins under light-use conditions - again, not quite as long as the best, but certainly long enough to make it a viable portable choice.

The hard disk holds 160GB, plus there's a DVD writer and a card reader that supports the SD/MMC, MS and xD-Picture formats. Communication is handled by the draft-n wireless adapter and gigabit ethernet, and there's also Bluetooth and infrared. A webcam sits above the screen, there's a seven-pin TV-out port to go with the usual D-SUB output, and a fingerprint reader adds to the level of security and rounds off a good feature set.

The Acer TravelMate 6292 may not top the chart in any one area, but its combination of features, speed and decent battery life looks extremely appealing when the price is taken into consideration. Some may prefer the long battery of the Sony, or the light weight of the Rock, but for just £721 there's simply no better all-round laptop this month than the little 12.1in Acer.