Inspect the latest gadgets and gizmos

£1,700
Styled just this side of sensible, Sony has gone for a super-connected beast - the Vaio has four USB ports, two I-links, a PC card and Memory Stick slot. Connect your digital camera or camcorder, download MP3s, watch DVDs, surf broadband internet and record CDs. Inclusive Adobe and Sony software make it great for playing with images and movies. The infinitely adjustable 15-inch flat-screen monitor with built-in speakers is a joy to sit in front of. The clever keyboard has a wrist rest that also doubles as a keyboard cover.
More information: 0870 542 4424
vaio.sony-europe.com

IBM Netvista X40I

£1,500 IBM has crammed an awful lot into one, compact black box - it is all in the monitor, so there's very little fiddling with wires. They also get a grade A for ergonomics: the CD and floppy drive are hidden in a button-released bay under the screen and there are audio controls on the keyboard for play, pause, stop, skip track and volume. Colour-coded hotkeys on the keyboard also give you instant access to the internet, e-mail or whatever you set them up for - such as playing CDs through the built-in speakers.
More information: 0870 010 2512
ibm.com

Fujitsu-Siemens Jetson-1189 Power

£1,650
If it wasn't for the distinctive cooling vents and lack of a handle, the Jetson would look like a small briefcase. The casing is brushed aluminium, and the overall look and feel is of cool quality.
You can set it horizontally or vertically, for desk or bookshelf. It's fast, though maybe not the beefiest for graphics. For accessing the net, writing e-mails and word processing, though, it has all the juice you need. The wireless keyboard can be used several metres away and can be pointed at any angle.
More information: 01344 475 555
fujitsu-siemens.co.uk