LG LW70-4LQA

LG balances professional appearance with home theatre-like multimedia features in the LW70 series. This model certainly benefits from being based on the updated Intel Centrino platform, but LG has added some nice touches of its own.

The 17.1" screen (powered by an ATI Mobility Radeon X600) looks a treat. It's great for productivity at work (along with the dedicated keyboard number pad), but also great for watching movies.

On that subject, the LW70 has the ability to play DVD movies and CD audio without booting up into Windows. A remote control is included (that can also be used for presentations) and it can hide away in the spare PC Card slot. You also get S/PDIF digital audio-out, a small subwoofer and S-Video TV-out.

The LW70 is light and delivers above average (although not best-in-class) performance and battery life.

The four-in-one card reader (SD, MMC, Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO) and DVD writer are perfect for transporting information. Networking is covered off with a 56Kbps modem, Ethernet port and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. There's also support for one PC Card and one Express Card Type II.

Our only real problem with the machine was the one-year standard warranty, but your local retailer may be able to offer you an extended period.