Hi-Grade Notino 2200

The Hi-Grade Notino 2200 stands out with its 12.1in screen and tiny physical form. It's a lovely piece of design and steers clear of the faults of the Rock, Mesh and Iridium.

All the ports and sockets are on the sides and there is nothing on the back at all. Granted, the Notino is missing infra-red and serial ports, but those are rarely used at home. The only significant missing feature is the lack of a PS/2 port for a mouse - forcing users down the USB route, whether they like it or not.

For such a slender notebook the performance is excellent. The SIS chipset and 1.06GHz Celeron combine to score well in Sysmark, and yet the notebook seems to generate no heat. As a result you get decent battery life and should just about be able to watch a whole movie on one battery charge.

The limiting factor is the SIS graphics, although they are certainly adequate for the job. Although the screen is smaller than the much more common 14.1in, it still has the same 1,024 x 768 resolution and is comfortable to use.

Hi-Grade feels confident about the Notino as it offers a two-year return-to-base warranty and free insurance against accidental damage.

This notebook's main strength is intangible - although it is shared with the HP zt1151. It's the way the Notino has been designed and the attention to detail that makes all the difference.

Price: £999 (£850.21 ex VAT)
Contact: Hi-Grade 020 8532 6113
www.higrade.com FEATURES: *** PERFORMANCE: *** VALUE FOR MONEY: *** BATTERY LIFE *** OVERALL: ***