Sony VAIO VGN-TX2XP

A decent 80GB of storage cushions the blow a little and Windows XP Professional is just the start of a very good software collection. As well as Sony's huge range of pre-installed utilities, Adobe's Photoshop Elements 4 and Premiere Elements 2 are included, as is Microsoft Works 8.

It's useful to compare the TX2XP to the Panasonic Toughbook CF-W4, as they share the same ULV processor and portable design. Although nowhere near as rugged and durable, the TX2 offers longer battery life and more features such as the DVD-RAM writer and AV mode, and at a lower price too.

The previous A-List resident, Dell's Latitude D410, still offers remarkably good value at over £300 less. As its optical drive isn't integrated, it can't claim to be anywhere near as portable as this Sony, so it really comes down to your use habits. If you use a lot of CDs and DVDs on your travels, this is undoubtedly the best choice. The single-year RTB warranty is a little disappointing, but otherwise the Sony TX2XP is an impressive little piece of kit: wonderfully portable and beautifully styled.

Author: David Bayon