Over the years Sony's Vaio range has gained a reputation for two things; looking fantastic and costing more than the average notebook computer.

One of the most recent additions to its range - the VGN-SZ1XP - may have a small 13.3in screen and weigh just 1.7kg.

However, lurking inside its brushed metallic chassis is one of Intel's latest core-duo processors; the T2400, which runs at a clock speed of 1.83GHz.

Intel's core-duo processors may run at slower speeds than what consumers have become used to but make no mistake, giving a computer (effectively) a second brain makes all the difference.

With this and 1Gb of memory, the VGN-SZ1XP scored highly in our system tests, positioning itself somewhere in between the great-value Evesham Voyager C540 and the super-fast Dell Inspiron 9400 in the speed stakes.

Another area in which the new Intel processors excel is battery life and the Sony's road-trip score of four hours was fantastic.

This is, in part, down to the 13.3in X-black screen, which consumes less power than bigger displays.

However, the VGN-SZ1XP is also laced with a clever energy-saving method that allows the user to switch between 'speed' and 'stamina' modes.

It may measure just over 2cm high but Sony has managed to crowbar a big 120Gb hard disk and an 128Mb Nvidia Go 7400 graphics card into its frame.

The dedicated graphics allows the screen to run at a crisp resolution of 1280 x 800 and will play 3D games, providing most of the fancy effects are left off.

Other hardware positives are the multi-format DVD writer, mini FireWire, in-built webcam and fingerprint reader for biometric password authentication.

However, only two USB ports are placed around the case, which means after attaching a mouse, only one will be left for other devices. Nevertheless, this notebook's number one priority is portability, so it's no great loss.

The retro keyboard design will evoke memories of computers from yesteryear. Although it's comfortable to type on, it's also quite springy, making it one of those 'love it or hate it' features that can make or break a purchase.

The £1,600 price tag isn't a surprise; the premium is something we've gotten used to over the years from Sony and for a design like this, it's easy to see why some will pay it.

However, the speed and feature differences just aren't big enough to rate it over the more affordable Evesham Voyager C540, which costs £949.

Also consider
Evesham Voyager C540
Not as nicely designed but almost as quick, bundled with Windows Media Center and £650 cheaper.
Rating: 4/5
Price: £949