Sony VAIO VGN-AR11S

This isn't a cheap notebook, and the inclusion of the Blu-ray drive means it isn't going to be stellar value either. It does manage to outmanoeuvre the Qosmio G30, though, which costs an extra £200 and, like all current HD DVD products, is HD read-only. That makes the AR11S vastly more suited to being an HD-editing workstation or similar, although it's worth noting that battery life is much poorer, and you'll lose 40GB of hard disk capacity too. That leaves the AR11S as a well-implemented, flexible and desirable product, but one that will ultimately appeal only to hard-core early adopters who either want or need such cutting-edge features.

Author: Ross Burridge