Gateway Solo 9300 XL

Before ordering the Solo, though, you should also consider the Dell Inspiron 7500 (reviewed Labs, issue 64, p113): this may be bulky but offers up to 75Gb of hard disk space thanks to its modular MegaBays. For Gateway to force its way into the A List, though, it would need to go one better than the Dell Inspiron 5000 650LT (reviewed issue 66, p155). This scored 1.79 in our benchmarks, but only provided an XGA screen. However, Dell offers a SXGA version of the 5000 for £1,984, and it's also better specified. So despite the Solo's IEEE-1394 port, the 5000 retains its top position.

Author: Dominic Bucknall