Dell Inspiron 8200

If you demand power and have cash to spare, there really is no need to buy a traditional PC any more, as a suitably equipped notebook like this one from Dell will do just fine.

Inside is Intel's new mobile processor, the Pentium 4-M, which runs at an astonishing 1.7GHz. This is very similar to the desktop version of the Pentium 4, although it consumes less power.

Add nVidia's new graphics chip for notebooks, the GeForce 4 Go with 64Mb of dedicated memory, and you've got a seriously powerful, transportable games machine. Also inside is 256Mb of fast DDR memory and a 40Gb hard disk.

Although a bulky beast weighing 3.7kg, what you lose in portability is gained in features. Dell has made full use of the notebook's mammoth proportions to pack in everything you'd expect from a high-end desktop PC.

The 8200 houses both a combined CD-RW/DVD drive and floppy drive. Situated at the front, the floppy drive can easily be removed and replaced with an Iomega Zip drive, a second hard disk or a second battery.

The 15in screen displays its best picture at a resolution of 1,600 x 1,200. While some may like this, we found the combination of high resolution on a screen this size to be just a little too much for our eyes. Text was too small to read comfortably and everything seemed a little cramped.

You can run the display at lower resolutions but, although the image is pleasant enough, it appears slightly blurred.

The keyboard is solid and responsive, and the keys are large enough to use for touch-typing. To control the mouse pointer, Dell has integrated both a trackpoint and the more common touchpad. You can disable either or both in the Windows Control Panel.

The Inspiron can be connected to just about anything, as the list of ports is comprehensive. Inside the chassis is a wireless network card which gives you the potential to connect to wireless networks at high speeds. In practice, most of us are unlikely to use it at home but it's a welcome addition nevertheless.

The software package is also impressive, and Dell has added a pre-loaded copy of Microsoft's Office XP Small Business Edition to the additional Windows XP Home Edition operating system.

So far, it's very impressive stuff but there's a price to pay for power: battery life. The Inspiron lasted for one hour 32 minutes in our tests, which is pretty poor for a notebook of this size. In fact, that's 33 minutes less than its predecessor, the 8100.

For many, this won't matter as the 8200 is so bulky you're unlikely to be transporting it away from a power socket for very long, but it is something to be aware of.

The Inspiron is undoubtedly expensive but it offers pretty good value for money considering its features and generous software package. Whether it would make a good purchase depends on whether you need all that speed.

Price: £2,407

Contact: Dell 0870 907 5664
www.dell.co.uk

Also consider: Hi-Grade Ultinote M6400
A hugely capable notebook. £1,562 ****.