A low-priced laptop that gives you a lot for your money

The Eee's 7in screen is actually one of the most impressive things about the machine. The resolution of 800x480 isn't huge, but it's bright and clear, and manages a very good viewing angle. When playing video, it's as good as most standalone portable media players we've seen.

It takes no time to get used to the diminutive keys; we spent a couple of hours working on the Eee without any eye-strain or any more than our usual bevy of spelling mistakes.

Battery life is upheld by the small CPU and solid-state hard drive, and with Wi-Fi and IM going constantly, as well as music from our favourite Internet radio site, we managed to get just over four hours out of it. If the 4GB SSD is too small for you then there are three USB 2.0 ports and a discrete SD slot; you can even upgrade the Eee's memory with standard laptop SO-DIMMs.

This is the laptop we've been crying out for all our lives, effective, affordable and oh so desirable. Best cheap laptop in the world? Quite possibly, you know.

Score

• 5 / 5

For

• Compact design
• Great value
• Impressive display

Against

• Battery life not the best

Verdict

Specification