Philips freevents 11NB5800

Due to the complexities of cramming components into a small chassis, most ultraportables come with premium price tags. We were therefore surprised to see that this 1.5kg laptop from Philips (via PC World) sells for just £765. It may not be as light as the 1.3kg Rock, but the price is attractive for a portable design.

It's surprisingly well put together, too. With the exception of a slightly weak point beneath the integrated DVD writer, the build quality is impressive, with a solid hinge and decent screen support from the lid.

The 11.1in TFT is clear and bright, and the speakers - prominently placed above the keyboard - are among the loudest here. The keyboard is a little cramped, but it's certainly usable, with a half-height Enter key the only real sore point. The styling is a little uninspired, but that's to be expected at this budget.

The cost-cutting shows itself in some ways, though. As with several laptops here, Philips has opted for an ultra-low-voltage CPU, the older Core Duo U2500, and it therefore scored a fairly low 0.59 in our benchmarks. It isn't the slowest here - the Rock and HP have less power - but the performance trade-offs need to be considered if you're looking for such a light notebook.

Elsewhere, Philips has opted for a 4,800mAh battery, and it lasted nearly 4hrs 30 mins under light use - enough to put it on your shortlist if portability is a priority. The basic 802.11abg wireless takes care of browsing, and an ExpressCard/54 slot offers further upgrade potential. The 160GB hard disk is plenty and, rather unexpectedly, you also get Vista Ultimate as standard.

The tiny screen and keyboard mean the 11NB5800 won't be for everyone, but if you just want a durable, low-cost laptop that won't weigh you down it's a good choice.

Author: David Bayon