The Centrino platform has just received a major revision. Tim Dean peers inside Sonoma and takes a look at what we can expect.

From budget laptops to ultra-tiny netbooks, ultraportables and high performance, we explain the tricks to finding out the ultimate laptop at the right price.

The newest version of Intel’s laptop platform is here. We unveil and test real Santa Rosa hardware.

Although the mobile marketplace has been changing in the face of Centrino and the slow but gradual tablet PC adoption rate, large form factored (greater than single spindle) notebooks are still the order of the day.

A fantastic specification notebook with all the trimmings you'd expect to find on more expensive notebooks, the Joybook 8100-V13 has a 15.4in widescreen WXGA with native 1280 x 800 resolution. With ATI's Mobility RADEON 9600 graphics, boasting 64MB dedicated video memory, it's great for DVD playback or gaming -- the unit returned 9,502 marks under 3DMark01SE Pro, more than enough to provide comfortable gameplay with a decent number of fps even in recent games. BenQ has gone as far as to include not just a DVD-ROM for DVD movie playback, but an optical DVD writer, capable of 2-speed DVD+R media writing, ideal for both business archiving or for personal backup.

In a world filled with gorgeous Sony, Apple and even Dell laptops, a sober, matte black machine aimed at consumers has to be truly special to turn heads. The IdeaPad Y430 is a well-built Centrino 2 machine that lacks nothing in the way of features, speed or value

Here's our quick guide to buying a cheap laptop that isn't a pile of junk - from CPUs, to graphics, to price and other specs.

MSI's Prestige laptop comes with a whole bunch of goodies: how does a wireless mouse, 4GB USB key, leather carrybag and leather stitched lid sound, for starters? And that's before you look under the lid.

Decent features and speed, but still lacking in this company.

A solid but unremarkable notebook offering a good set of features and excellent warranty.

The ASUS is one tough little cookie. Its cover and palmrest are encased in brushed aluminium lending the unit a reassuring sense of rigidity and roadworthiness. The 15.4" screen is bright, and its default resolution of 1680x1050 makes text sharp but a little small to read unless up close. The unit also comes with a built in TV-tuner, and also sports a TV-antenna output.

When we ran four tablet PCs in December 2002 (Issue 61, page 36) we got plenty of response from readers looking to find out more about them. Over a year on now and tablets have increased dramatically in spec and design although pricing hasn’t reduced as much as we’d expected - possibly since they still haven’t made mass market appeal and sales.

Is Centrino 2 the leap ahead that Centrino was? Zara Baxter investigates.

With the slow Australian take-off of the Centrino platform, higher spec, slightly larger form factored units are making their way into the marketplace. Intel's Pentium-M processors are ramping up in speed, now available in 1.7GHz values and still impressing.

The best source of knowledge or “broken beyond repair”? PC Authority uncovers how the net’s highly controversial encyclopedia really works.

William Maher wonders if expensive notebooks are really that much better than the $499 EeePC.

Sixteen notebooks under $2500, we've separated the winners with the goods from the less impressive performers.

Smells like green spirit, and offers performance at a budget price. The ASUS F6V Green is a laptop with something a little different

What will you be buying, using and drooling over this year? Tim Dean looks at the astounding products and technologies due to hit in the next 12 months.