Asus Eee PC 701

Build quality is easily good enough for the Eee to withstand the knocks and bumps traditionally meted out by its target audience - children. It feels unflinchingly solid, the keyboard has a reassuringly firm base, and there's virtually no give in the screen's mounting. Even better, there are no moving parts. The solid-state disk has no fragile head to damage in a fall, and the Eee is at least as shockproof as its ultraportable competitors.

If you need an ultraportable for business, you should still get a Sony VAIO VGN-G11; it runs Windows, and your IT department won't get the vapours when you bring it in for servicing. You could buy six Eees for the same cash, though, and if you're simply browsing the internet, knocking out the odd email and uploading pictures to Flickr, it delivers the goods. The Eee renders websites properly, comes with the office suite currently occupying the Alternative Choice slot on the A List, and it's so portable you'll struggle to find a bag it doesn't fit in. What's more, the battery lasts for well over three hours. This tiny notebook deserves to break out of the education niche, and we're happy to deliver a full-blooded recommendation for all.

Author: Dave Stevenson