When it comes to design principles, the IBM embodies a completely different approach to the Toshiba, choosing instead the classic look and feel that has characterised IBM notebooks for as long as anyone can remember. It speaks of functionality, conforming to a specification of flat surfaces and square edges presented in a matt black finish for maximum corporate impact. In its own way it is quite appealing and serves excellently as a rock solid, well-constructed base for the delicate components inside.

The keyboard is very complete and feels comfortable to use, with an excellent 15in TFT screen that is recessed into the shell-like bezel that typically adorns IBM notebooks, presenting a clear image at the native 1,600 x 1,200 pixels. Behind the IBM A31p is the Pentium 4-M 1.7GHz mobile CPU, 256MB of DDR RAM and the powerful ATI Mobility FireGL 7500 for the graphics, accompanied by 64MB of dedicated video RAM. Performance in the benchmarks was very strong, scoring 154 in SYSmark2002, marginally behind the ASUS and the Toshiba. A strong result of 8,790 in the synthetic PCMark2002 highlights the quality of the core components, with an overall third placing in the final tally.

This month the IBM A31p is the most feature-packed notebook of the bunch, thoroughly equipped for just about any on-the-road situation. Firstly, it comes with an absolutely massive 60GB hard drive unprecedented in a notebook which could truly cater for some very large media files. The combination of large hard drive, powerful graphics adaptor, and bundled DVD, DV editing and Lotus SmartSuite makes the IBM an awesome mobile multimedia and productivity platform. The IBM also comes with a DVD/CD-RW combo drive installed, as well as a floppy drive, leaving one drive bay unoccupied. Networking is handled by the usual modem and LAN connections, however, with in-built IEEE 802.11b and Bluetooth wireless networking technologies, the ThinkPad is the most versatile machine on test when it comes to connectivity.

Given the whole palate of features, build quality, and powerful components the IBM comes at a premium.