IBM ThinkPad R31

We sometimes get the feeling that ThinkPads will look the same in 50 years' time as they do today. It's easy to follow IBM's conservative reasoning. The black, angular look is hardly the most stylish, but no-one would be embarrassed by pulling out a ThinkPad when on the train. The R31 also benefits from being quite small, a fact reflected in its 2.6kg weight.

Like Asus, IBM gets the balance between portability and battery life just right, with the R31 lasting two minutes shy of four hours in our light-use battery test. Where IBM takes a different approach is the amount of processing power it includes. There's just a 1.2GHz mobile Celeron in this version of the R31 (stock code TR1MLUK) and it's backed up by a mere 128MB of PC133 memory.

So it was no surprise when the R31 trundled in last in our 2D benchmarks, scoring just 0.61. We recommend upgrading the memory to 256MB, as this will also help Windows to run more smoothly. There's no way to boost the ThinkPad's 3D power, though, with Intel's integrated graphics only enough for 953 3DMarks (with 16-bit settings).

IBM also compromises on the hardware included, with just a CD-ROM and 20GB hard disk. Thankfully, the Ultrabay Plus, which holds the CD-ROM, is compatible with many IBM drives, including a combo DVD/CD-RW drive, second hard disk, floppy drive and more. Just beware that the costs soon mount up. For instance, a floppy drive costs £51, while a combo DVD/CD-RW is listed for a ridiculous £293.

The ThinkPad always wins out, though, with the quality of the components. Even though this machine costs just £639, the TFT screen and keyboard are the best here. Touch typists will love the keyboard, as it offers large, easy-to-hit keys and a well thought-out layout. IBM only loses points for not including a Windows key (handy for shortcuts), and it's now virtually alone in the industry in thinking that a trackpoint is a better idea than a trackpad.

Newcomers to notebooks will appreciate the Access ThinkPad guide, which offers an easy way to learn how to get the most from a laptop. However, there's no other software of note, and the one-year, return-to-base warranty is too little for our liking. Then again, IBM's notebooks have come top for reliability in our annual survey for four years running, so hopefully this won't be an issue. And if there is a problem, IBM's support has again won several awards in PC Pro.

As such, the ThinkPad R31 is a great choice for the less demanding user who wants peace of mind rather than lots of features or performance.