Sleek and professional, the Hp Mini 5101 is another attractively pitched netbook that can't shake its very poor battery life. When will manufactuers learn that battery life is all-important to netbook success?

Since the release of the Eee PC 701, the 'Notebook' has dominated. Easy to use, cheap and able to be left on the coffee table next to the remote, Notebooks are true appliance computing. The choice of which one to buy comes down to personal preference, but it's hard not to prefer those with the best usability. Our rundown of your options covers their performance, battery life, and design.

The Olympus Mju Mini S makes a unique style statement for the cost of an everyday budget snapper

Are "free laptop" deals like Vodafone's Dell Inspiron mini 9 offer a great way to save money on a new PC, or a cleverly disguised con? We reveal the truth

Iomega's Mini USB drive is one of the more feature-poor memory keys reviewed however there is free software available for download from the Iomega website.

Apple has updated its iPod range with new iPod mini and iPod photo models.

A good mini-cam that compromises on some features in return for high portability. It has similar specs to the MV630i but a $600 higher price, so the cost for the reduction in size is a noticeable one. It is comparable with the other mini cameras in the lab.

Whereas a couple of years ago Canon might have described this as a mini camcorder, it now describes it as a compact multimedia DV camera. Certainly by comparison with the others in this month's labs it's not mini, however it does manage to pack a lot of features into a relatively small package. It is an upright camera rather than the longer, squatter shape of the MVX250i and weighs 43 grams less than its bigger but cheaper brother.

Digital video camera technology is constantly changing. The transition from analog to digital has been slow, with tape still being the standard. But, while the Mini DV tape may be the most popular recording media today, many experts tip that within a few years most of us will be recording direct to disk. Already several companies are producing DVD-based camcorders and with the introduction of Blu-Ray disks in coming years it seems the days of tape may be limited.

Apple’s ads may be funny, but they’re woefully inaccurate. Here we reveal dozens of reasons why the PC outclasses the Mac.

Selecting presents for the geek or gadgeteer in your life? We take the hassle out of gift buying, so you can put your feet up and relax.

The all-in-one design has certainly reduced the overall size of the modern PC, but just how far you can go is the question on the lips of all the boffins in the R&D labs. Jadetec has already released

Smart and easy to use, and can be positioned vertically or horizontally

This well-priced mini cam fits snugly in the palm of your hand and like any good entry-level camera can even be used by a child. It's just a matter of pointing and shooting which gets points in our books for a consumer camera.

A smart mini-DV cam with more features than most

The little R2D2 from Speaker Realm certainly packs a punch - and very cheap too.

The only PC in our mini roundup this month to feature a rather boring beige case, it more than makes up for its looks with blistering performance at a very reasonable price. Inclusion of thumb screws will allow you to get at your hardware quickly and without the need for tools. Always handy for those of us that like to fiddle frequently.

Our Labs Winner this month represents what a mini barebones PC should be: it's small yet easily accessible; it's attractive, but has a quality build; and it has all the features you need for a full PC or a media centre.

Samsung has produced a nice looking mini-cam with an unusual dual zoom system. One button for optical and another for the digital, which serves more to confuse than help.