MV Mobeus

The MV Mobeus is a prime example of just what notebook computers are capable of these days. It's small enough to be truly portable but doesn't make too many sacrifices in performance or usability.

At the centre of this diminutive device is a 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M processor. Its popularity is well founded so don't be put off by the lower speed. Think of it as working in a higher gear than the Pentium 4 - the revs might be lower but you go just as fast.

Our tests found the Mobeus to be a good performer in Windows applications and most multimedia tasks. Supporting this processing power is 512Mb of memory, which is good for a notebook of this size. Some memory is shared with the Intel Extreme 2 graphics. We say some, because the Mobeus can vary the amount allocated, depending on the visual workload of the task at hand. 3D gaming isn't really possible, but that's not what you'd be buying this notebook for anyway. Everything is displayed on a 12.1in TFT, which is clear and easy to read.

The Mobeus comes with a 40Gb hard disk and a DVD/CD-RW combo drive for archiving data and watching DVD movies. Because this notebook uses Centrino technology, it's Wi-Fi ready and has good battery life of around two hours and 50 minutes. Conventional networking and modem connections are also available at the back of the notebook.

Multimedia enthusiasts will appreciate the InstantOn function, which lets the Mobeus play DVDs, CDs, MP3s, digital video and images without the delay of loading Windows first. At this price, we weren't expecting much software but you get what you need. Along with XP Home Edition you get Ability Office, Panda antivirus software and DVD playback tools.

As mentioned, the Mobeus certainly qualifies as a portable device, weighing just over 2kg, although the keyboard has suffered a little because of the overall reduction in size. The size also means that there are only two USB 2 sockets. At £758 this is a great combination of power and portability that, until now, we didn't think was possible at this price.

Contact: MV 0871 855 4668
www.go-mv.com

Also consider:
JVC MiniNote MP-XC841