In fact one of the only differences between the two is that Pioneer's warranty is one year onsite compared to Protac's inferior one year RTB. The other difference is price. The Slim 550 costs $2399 while the Protac M555N is a whopping $500 more. You get free delivery with that, compared with Pioneer's $20 charge, but we're hard pressed to imagine a location where it would be worth your while ordering Protac's notebook instead.

But while Protac struggled to keep up with the competition, Pioneer finished in the middle of the pack. What stands out from the specs is the processor - a 2.16GHz Pentium M T1600 - which is the fastest on show. However, in our benchmarks it, along with 512MB of RAM and a 60GB hard disk, managed a score of 0.95. To be fair though, our review sample was a preproduction model and we expect this to match our desktop PC by the time you read this. We didn't run our 3D tests because Intel's integrated graphics can't handle them.

The ergonomics aren't the best and we're not convinced that full production models will be much better. The keyboard is very rattly indeed. However, it's more of an annoyance than a limitation - there aren't as many un-registered letters compared with Altech's machine. We didn't like the trackpad at all, however. There was noticeably more friction than seen elsewhere and the buttons required too much force to press them.

Still, the screen wasn't bad, and those people who despise glossy coatings will like the matte finish. Colours aren't as saturated but reflections all but vanish. Viewing angles are pretty good compared with the others on test here. Like the Samsung, it sports a 15in 4:3-aspect diagonal with a 1024 x 768 resolution. This doesn't offer a great deal of desktop real estate, but many will warm to the naturally larger icons and clearer lettering. The speakers sound tinny and distant, making this unsuitable for music or movies.

A webcam is in the top of the screen but, disappointingly, only a combo drive is included - there's no DVD burning available. Connectivity options are modest. There are three audio jacks plus S/PDIF. A SD/MMC and MS memory card reader hides beneath the PC Card slot but there's nothing else beyond the common mini FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet, modem, S-Video, VGA and three USB 2 ports.

At 2.6kg it's the lightest, and combined with battery scores of one hour 36 minutes and two hours 46 minutes help portability. But unfortunately, it still can't match the Samsung.

All in all, if you need some serious power on the move but at a budget price, Pioneer's Slim 550 makes sense. However, if you want a few luxuries and better build quality, it's worth spending a bit more on the similar Samsung or Labs Winning Acer.