Until recently, a laptop was merely a convenient way of doing a bit of work on the train - an excuse for workaholics to keep going wherever they were. Now they're impressive machines with beefed-up memories and fast processor speeds that can easily challenge all but the very best desktop PCs. Great for games playing, word processing and surfing the net, laptops are no longer restricted to mobile computing: they are worth considering as an alternative to a full-size desktop PC.
One thing that hasn't changed much is the price you pay for portability. You can now easily pick up a decent desktop for under £1,000, but the equivalent laptop will set you back at least another couple of hundred pounds.
Any laptop can be plugged into the mains, but the whole point is mobility, so the length of time it will run on its rechargeable battery is crucial. All the models tested run for between two and three hours, which should cover you for most meetings and rail journeys (if the trains are running on time). It's well worth buying a second battery, however, although it will of course add to the weight you have to carry around.
With family and home office use in mind, The Good Housekeeping Institute compared six mid-priced models. Battery life, weight, size, hard-disk drive capacity, memory size, processor speed, display and sound quality, software and features were all assessed, along with warranty, ease of use and instructions, to give an overall score out of 100.
All the laptops on test have an AC power adapter/battery charger and battery pack, and all but the Sharp have stereo speakers. All are internet-ready with a 56k modem. Size is given as height x width x depth, closed. Battery life is based on manufacturers' estimates of average use. Weight includes supplied disk drives and battery, and price includes VAT.
Updated models
Manufacturers are constantly updating their models, so some details may have changed since we went to press. Apple, Dell, Packard Bell, Hewlett Packard and Toshiba were all in the process of updating their models at the time of testing, so they were unable to get a current sample to us in time.
Advent 6419XP £1,099 Score: 84/100
1.1GHz Intel Celeron processor; 384Mb RAM, upgradable to 640Mb; 20Gb hard-disk drive; Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition; 14.1in screen; 3.6kg; 42x315x260mm; combined DVD-rom and CD-RW drive; floppy-disk drive; one-year collect and return warranty with hardware and software support.
This beats some of the more expensive models with an impressive amount of memory, a big hard-disk drive and a powerful processor. Easy to set up and logical to use. Comes with a good range of office software. Good-sized keyboard with soft-touch keys and a wrist-support area. Keyboard has useful shortcut key for quick internet access. Clear battery level indicators. Comprehensive instructions with useful on-board help and tour guides.
On/off button could be clearer and touch pad needs to be more responsive. Bulky and very heavy to carry. Slow to recharge (2-3hrs) and battery life is a bit on the short side (2hrs).
Incredible value for money, this is PC World's own brand.
Stockists: 08705 464464.
Sony Vaio PCG-GR214MP £1,602.70 Score: 80/100
1GHz Intel Mobile Pentium III processor; 256Mb RAM, upgradable to 512Mb; 20Gb hard-disk drive; Microsoft Windows XP Professional; 14.1in screen; 2.9kg; 38x314x262mm; interchangeable bay with combined DVD-rom and CD-RW drive; Jog Dial; one-year collect and return warranty with hardware and software support.
Aimed at the movie/digital camera and music buff, with an extensive range of related software and a handy connector to link directly to a camcorder. Logical to use, with Jog Dial, which brings up an on-screen menu for navigating around the laptop quickly. Image is sharp and clear. Long battery life (3hrs) with battery-life indicator. Pop-up feet for more comfortable typing. Good size and weight. Comprehensive instructions.
The screen is too dark when running on the battery, so you can't always read what's on it (it's much brighter when plugged into the mains). No office software. Sound quality is tinny. Very slow to recharge battery (4hrs).
A good choice for the movie/digital camera and music buff.
Stockists: 08705 424424.
Acer Travelmate 612 TXCi £1,761.33 Score: 80/100
900MHz Intel Mobile Pentium III processor; 128Mb RAM, upgradable to 512Mb; 20Gb hard-disk drive; Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional; 14.1in screen; 2.4kg; 32x360x256mm; interchangeable bay with combined DVD-rom and CD-RW drive; SmartCard security; one-year collect and return service warranty on hardware and 90 days' software support.
Quick recharge (1 hrs), reasonable battery life (2 hrs) and useful battery life indicator. SmartCard protects against theft - the laptop won't work unless it is inserted. Soft-touch keyboard with quick connection buttons for internet and email plus shortcut keys you can customise to open favourite programs. Comes with a good range of office software and is compact and lightweight. Good instructions, with useful pocket guide to function keys.
Limited basic memory for the price. Can't cope with some games software - image quality is poor and animation is jerky. Sound is muffled and quiet even on the highest setting.
A good choice for the home office or small business.
Stockists: 0870 9002237.
Sharp Muramasa PC-UM10 £1,875 Score: 67/100
600MHz Intel Mobile Pentium III processor; 128Mb RAM, not upgradable; 20Gb hard-disk drive; Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional; 12.1in screen; 1.3kg; 19x283x234mm; no built-in disk drives; one-year collect and return warranty with hardware and software support.
Wafer slim and very lightweight - small enough to slip into a briefcase or handbag. Battery quick to charge (1 hrs), long battery life (3hrs) and useful battery-life indicators. Good instructions.
Slow processor speed, memory that can't be upgraded and no office software. No built-in CD-rom or floppy-disk drive - you have to buy optional external drives, which adds to the cost (CD-rom drive £179, floppy-disk drive £83; there is no DVD option) and the weight. Can't cope with some games software - image quality is poor and animation is jerky. Sound quality is muffled and quiet. Small 12in screen and cramped keyboard.
Very expensive for what you get.
Stockists: 0800 1388879.
Compaq Presario 2700EA £1,799 Score: 86/100
1GHz Intel Mobile Pentium III processor; 256Mb RAM, upgradable to 1Gb; 20Gb hard-disk drive; Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition; 15.1in screen; 3.7kg; 42x327x273mm; interchangeable bay with separate CD-RW drive and a floppy-disk drive; DVD-rom drive; one-year collect and return warranty with hardware support only.
Separate CD-RW and DVD-rom drives mean you can copy CDs more quickly. Very easy to set up and use. Good range of office, music and movie software. Battery life indicator. Excellent image and sound quality. Soft-touch keyboard with good wrist-support area and buttons for help and quick internet access. Very responsive touch pad. Pop-up feet for more comfortable typing. Smart design. Excellent on-board instructions.
Release catch on the interchangeable bay is stiff and fiddly. Very bulky and heavy to carry. Slow to recharge (3hrs), and battery life is a bit on the short side (2hrs).
High specification that rivals a desktop computer.
Stockists: 0845 2704000.
IBM ThinkPad A30 £2,103.25 Score: 85/100
1GHz Intel Mobile Pentium III processor; 128Mb RAM, upgradable to 1Gb; 30Gb hard-disk drive; Microsoft Windows 98; 15.1in screen; 3.2kg; 52x328x272mm; interchangeable bay with DVD-rom drive; keyboard light; one-year customer carry-in warranty with hardware and software support.
Easy to set up and use. Powerful processor and big hard-disk drive. Quick-to-charge battery (2 hrs) with long life (just over 3hrs) and battery-life indicator. Excellent image and sound quality. Full-size keyboard with help button, internet navigation keys and an effective keyboard light for working in dim lighting. Left and right "mouse" control buttons have a positive click and have a useful scrolling feature for quickly moving around the screen. Solid build quality. Excellent on-board instructions with useful video clips.
At this price it should have some office software, more memory and a more up-to-date operating system. You need to buy a combined DVD-rom and CD-RW drive (£522) or a floppy-disk drive (£45) if you want to save data to be transferred to another machine. Stiffness makes screen hard to adjust and the laptop is unevenly balanced, making it uncomfortable to use on your lap. Bulky and heavy to carry.
Excellent on-board instructions, but no facility supplied for saving data to be used on another machine.
Stockists: 0800 0965287.
The questions people ask
As well as publishing test reports, the Good Housekeeping Institute answers readers' queries. Here are the three questions most often asked about laptops.
1. I'm confused by all these different disk drives available. Which ones do I really need?
If you want to play games or music and load extra software from CD, you will need a CD-rom drive. To play DVD movies and games you will need a DVD-rom drive. If you want to be able to save data for use on another computer you will need either a CD-RW, which stands for compact disc-rewriteable, or the somewhat outdated floppy-disk drive.
Many laptops have a combined drive - either DVD-rom and CD-rom or DVD-rom and CD-RW - which may fit into an "interchangeable bay". This is a multi-purpose slot built into the laptop that allows you to insert different disk drives, and to add either extra hard-disk space or a second battery to boost the laptop's battery life.
2. What features should I look for?
Get the highest specification you can afford. You should look for at least: 850MHz processor speed; 128Mb of memory; 20Gb hard-disk drive; built-in modem (56K); DVD/CD-rom drive; 14in screen and stereo speakers if you want to play games.
Check that there's plenty of room for upgrading the memory, especially if you want to play games or install lots of software. Check what types of disk drive are included (see question 1).
3. I'm confused by all the different types of warranties. What is the difference?
All laptops come with a standard one-year warranty, which you can usually pay to extend. The warranty covers parts and labour, and includes a helpline service. The main types are:
· Collect-and-return (or pick-up and return) - the manufacturer will pay for a courier to collect and return your laptop if you can't sort out the problem over the phone.
· Customer carry-in - the customer is responsible for getting the laptop to the manufacturer. The manufacturer will pay to return it.
For the less technically minded, a good after-sales back-up service is crucial. All warranties cover the computer hardware for one year, but not all offer software support for the full warranty period, if at all.
· Next month's product test, to be published on January 9, will be men's shavers. Subscribe to Good Housekeeping and save £5. Call 01858 438844 and quote ref: 2595/6. www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk
