Acer Aspire 9504WSMi

The keyboard is a slight source of annoyance: with the width afforded from a 17in widescreen there should be no need for half-width keys. Acer adds a keypad on the right instead of making sure important keys such as full stop, right-Shift and Enter are of a decent size. While this was a constant bugbear, the general quality of the keyboard is good. The trackpad and mouse buttons also smack of quality; there's no need for a mouse.

The chassis has a plastic finish but feels robust - not surprising since it weighs almost 4kg. Battery life isn't its forte either: it managed just over two hours even under light use. If you decide to take it on your travels, you'll appreciate the international collect-and-return warranty, although it does only last a year.

This Acer notebook splits the Gateway and the Evesham nicely. The former offers much the same core components for £200 less; the Evesham Voyager provides power and gaming on the go for £200 more. But if your budget falls in between, and you'll take advantage of the Aspire's entertainment features, it's a great choice.

Author: Clive Webster