Previous computers we have looked at from Mesh have tended to be full-sized desktop models, but the new Cute series uses a smaller case that’s suitable for those who don’t have much desk space to spare or who want to fit their computers into the living room.

The Cute’s case is short and squat, with a square front panel that houses just the power button, DVD drive (which reads and writes all discs except Blu-ray), sound sockets and two of the computer’s eight USB ports. Our review model came with 2GB of memory but Mesh has since upped this to four, and although our review unit came with Windows Vista, new models will come with Windows 7 Home Premium installed.

The processor is an AMD Athlon II X2 215 dual-core processor, which is a decent but not particularly fast model, and it uses onboard graphics rather than a dedicated graphics card which made games playing a no-no. For less demanding pursuits such as playing video and editing photos, as well as the standard internet and office tasks (the Cute comes with the Works software suite) it coped fine.

One thing to watch out for is that although the price on the Mesh site is listed as £299, this went up to over £450 when we added it to our basket. Once we removed the ‘extras’ that Mesh had thoughtfully added, such as a multiple mains socket extension cable, it came back down to the desired £299.

As is standard with this kind of smaller computer, it doesn’t come with a monitor. It’s possible to add one when you buy it (Mesh charges £155 for a 22in Iiyama model) but the computer is designed to be hooked up to a television screen. To that end, in addition to the VGA and DVI monitor connections, there’s an HDMI socket on the back panel, along with surround sound outputs (including optical), six USB ports, wired network connection, eSata and keyboard and mouse sockets.

It also comes with a TV tuner card, although the model in our review unit was an analogue one, which won’t be much use if you live in a region that has a lready switched to digital-only television. The upgrade on the website to a digital (Freeview) tuner is an extra £40.

A one-year warranty is included in the price, as is a copy of the Cyberlink collection of programs for viewing and editing video, as well as Windows 7 and the aforementioned Microsoft Works 8.5. A Logitech keyboard and mouse will set you back and extra £10 for wired ones or £20 for wireless.

The Mesh Cute Inspire is a competitor to the likes of Novatech’s cheaper Ion Fusion (see below). While that computer is smaller, it’s not as powerful as the Cute and is lacking in a couple of other ways. If you’re looking for a small computer that will function as a media player and more, or you’re simply lacking in desk space and don’t need to edit video or play games, take a look at the Mesh Cute Inspire.