Hi-Grade Notino C7000

Hi-Grade's latest notebook is powered by an Intel Pentium M processor running at 1.5GHz, along with 512Mb of memory. While this makes it slower than most desktop PCs on sale, it's more than adequate for a notebook.

The processor is from the Centrino family, which means the notebook can make a wireless network connection straight out of the box. This works well, with Windows XP's configuration utility handling all the tricky network options.

The 40Gb hard disk is enough for general office use, with room for a modest collection of MP3s or games. The system is fine for office tasks, browsing the internet or working in an image-editing program, for example. It didn't rate very well in our performance tests and will be quite slow at video editing or playing games at a decent graphics quality.

Slim, sturdy and lightweight, it has a sharp 15in screen and a large hand-rest area beneath the keyboard. The keys are made of a translucent blue plastic, which looks good but is not as pleasant to type on as more rubbery keys. Given how much space surrounds it, the trackpad is a little small. In addition to the mouse buttons, a four-way directional pad that controls the horizontal and vertical scrollbars in Windows. This makes it easier to find your way around lengthy documents and web pages.

A row of small silver buttons and a tiny LCD along the top of the unit allow you to use this notebook as a CD player without loading up Windows. Despite being light at 2.7kg, it's a heavy and expensive way of carrying a portable CD player around.

At around three hours, the battery life is average for a notebook PC. It has a set of programmable buttons along the side of the keyboard, which perform common tasks such as launching email or internet programs. There is one PC Card slot to plug in older peripherals, an infrared port for communicating with mobile phones, and a 3-in-1 card reader. The usual connection sockets are all present.

Also included are Ability Office and Panda Anti-virus software, Windows XP Home and a two-year carriage-and-return warranty. A carry case is also thrown in, something most manufacturers overlook.

Overall, it's a reasonable performer, though it won't win any beauty contests. Those who want a light notebook can find better value for the same amount of cash.

Contact: Hi-Grade 020 8532 6111
www.higrade.com