Mesh Dynamo

The Mesh Dynamo is a reliable notebook, but is definitely computing's version of the Ford Focus. That's no bad thing in itself. The trusty Focus will keep you on the road and so will the Dynamo with its integrated 802.11b wireless card. At 3kg, you may even make the distance to the nearest hotspot. The inclusion of a 10/100 Ethernet port reinforces the solid and business-like feel.

You get an Intel Pentium M processor running at 1.5GHz, powering the Dynamo to a respectable 109 in Sysmark 2004. The 512MB of memory is plenty for XP and there's room to upgrade to 1GB. A 60GB hard disk is fairly generous for a machine in this class.

It seems silver has become the new beige, but the 15.4in widescreen display means your eyes won't linger too long on the outside.

The Dynamo provides facilities for watching movies, but not burning DVDs in a CD-RW combo drive. That's the only entertainment you'll be getting though, as graphics are supplied through Intel's onboard 64MB graphics controller. Three USB2 ports and a single Firewire connection are also included.

Mesh claims that the Centrino chip's power-saving ability pushes the battery life to five hours but our tests showed two hours, 56 minutes.

The Mesh Dynamo seems built for neither comfort nor speed and it doesn't quite scrape beneath the £1,000 barrier.

Contact: Mesh 0870 046 4747
www.meshcomputers.com

Specifications:

• Windows XP Home
• Pentium M Centrino 1.5GHz
• 512MB of Ram
• DVD/CD-RW combination drive
• 15.4in TFT display
• 3kg
• 354 x 250 x 32mm
• 1yr parts and labour, 2yr labour-only warranty