Toshiba Satellite Pro L20

The base model of the L20 comes pre-installed with Windows XP Home, but the rest of the range includes XP Professional and an installation of Microsoft OneNote 2003. That brings about the potential for deploying the Pro L20 as a low-cost option in a business, although the one-year warranty won't win many fans on the support front. For deployment in a small business, or for use in the home, you're getting surprisingly high quality for a bargain price. While the screen and external expansion options are as basic as they come, they're forgivable at this price.

All this would have been enough to secure an A-List spot just a few months ago, but Acer's TravelMate 2403WXCi offers a 14.1in widescreen package with the same build quality. Not only is the screen itself of a substantially higher quality, but it also weighs less - and all for £30 less. If you'd prefer the larger 4:3 aspect ratio screen, though, the L20 is still a great choice.

Author: Ross Burridge