Sony VAIO VGN-NR11Z/S

Don't expect a huge number of niceties with this machine, though. Wireless is 802.11abg, not draft-n; there's no Bluetooth, no dedicated graphics, no DVI or HDMI ports - the list goes on or, rather, doesn't. Also note the limited one-year return-to-base warranty.

Nevertheless, Sony has covered all the basics and more. The ambitious core specification of the VGN-NR11Z/S ensures speedy performance, it's well built and stylish enough to gain admiring glances - plus, it has that VAIO logo. It's also reassuring to see a 200GB hard disk and the near-ubiquitous DVD writer.

All this is enough to make this latest VAIO a rather tempting purchase. But, given the iffy keyboard and average display, it doesn't do quite enough to earn our recommendation.

Author: Sasha Muller