Stories by: David Ramli

In the current economic climate, most users looking to buy a notebook will be asking one question above all others: does it give me value for money? Sadly, the Toshiba Tecra A10 doesn't.

Toshiba’s Satellite Pro A300 is a rather drab-looking workhorse that will satisfy business users looking for a device that’s better than an entry-level laptop but cheaper than a mid-level unit.

When many people think of 'netbooks' they often picture devices like the ASUS EeePC. Cheap and simple to use, ultraportable notebooks have proven to be a hit thanks to their convenient size, despite their frequent lack of high-end features.

As the desktop replacement notebook market fills up, the Toshiba Satellite Pro P300 (PSPCDA-00L00D) finds itself either matched or outpaced in almost every respect: from aesthetics and performance to multimedia features and value. In fact, the Pro P300’s only saving graces are its excellent keyboard and its relatively large dual hard drives.

Although it features an excellent array of connections that make it suitable as a media centre PC, the performance of the HP Pavilion Elite M9380a_01 didn't live up to our expectations, especially for a unit that costs $2000.

Fujitsu’s latest refresh of its S-series is the LifeBook S6520. Although the chassis design has remained largely identical for the last three generations, the S6520's processor is fast and punchy and the screen is big and bright.

Since the runaway success of the Asus Eee PC 701 4G, notebook makers have been tripping over themselves trying to cash-in on the popularity of ultraportable laptops. Devices such as the MSI Wind U100 and the latest Asus Eee PC 901 combine surprisingly good performance with cheap prices and portability to be hot items.

Yesterday Toshiba unveiled its new line-up of consumer and business notebooks, with an ultramobile prototype stealing the show.

The modern business PC is a feature-packed creature, but rarely does it come with its own Morse-code signal light for use on ocean-going vessels. At least, that's what we initially thought the sliding shutter that shields a useless green light on the front of this small form factor PC was for.

The BenQ Joybook A53-BV09 finds itself outclassed by several of its competitors. Lacking the latest network connections and suffering from several usability issues, this device's only saving grace is a relatively large 160GB hard drive and a pleasing, simple design.

The Toshiba Portege M700 (PPM70A-0G301G) is a great notebook that provides connectivity options such as HSDPA and draft-N wireless -- which are great features for road warriors shopping for a tablet. Unfortunately, it isn't quite worth its very high asking price of $4180 because of 3G provider limitations and a screen with a very limited viewing angle.