Although it's only the beginning of the summer holidays, Fujitsu Siemens is already offering forward-thinking parents a head start for next term with what it calls a 'back to school special'.

The special in question, which is only available in Tesco shops from the beginning of August, is the Amilo Li 1718, a 15.4in notebook computer with an Intel Core2 Duo processor.

Such notebooks are, it's fair to say, ideally sized for students – while they're not small enough to be truly portable, they offer a large enough screen size to make them comfortable to use. This one is very much a no-frills model, as indicated by its sub-£500 pricing, but, again, that's what's required from such a computer.

The main functions – general Windows use, web browsing, email and word processing – are all present and correct, and work very well. The processor, a Core2 Duo T5300 running at 1.73GHz, is not a slowcoach, but it's nowhere near the fastest in Intel's range.

While the 2GB of memory is adequate, the graphics processor leaves something to be desired. That means that while it's not a problem to do any of the above tasks on the Amilo Li 1718, it struggles a bit when it comes to playing video files or DVDs.

In fact, the sample videos included with the built in Windows Media Center are all but unwatchable in full-screen mode, although less so in a smaller window on the desktop. Students looking for an all-rounder might be disappointed with the lack of entertainment features available.

However, while the graphics lag a bit, the processor and memory are powerful enough that in general use, most users won't see a problem, unless they're trying to run three or four power-hungry programs at once. Running a web browser, email program, solitaire and a word processor at once caused it no real trouble.

Windows Vista Home Premium is supplied, along with the Aero Glass package of visual effects, which is one of the most talked-about features of the new Windows. The rounded windows, transparency and 3D-Flip (where the user can scroll through running programs in three dimensions) work fine, although the computer is noticeably slower when these options are switched on.

Looks-wise, the Amilo Li 1718 will turn no heads – it has a basic silver and black plastic case, and the keyboard and trackpad are set in a bare housing below the screen. There are buttons for activating the built-in wireless networking, accessing help and switching the fan down to silent mode, along with a few status lights along the front.

The keyboard is usable but a little stiff, so students and pupils would be well advised to invest in a good new keyboard. This can be plugged into one of the four USB ports. It also has network, modem and VGA sockets, a DVD rewriter, but no PC Card slot. It comes with Nero Essentials for disc creation and Microsoft Works.

The Amilo Li 1718 isn't an entertainment computer, nor can is it really powerful enough to replace a desktop PC. For general use around the home, or as a computer for university students or school pupils who want to get their work done, it's a very good deal, although, as ever, it's worth checking names such as Dell or HP before buying, to see if they can compete on price for a similar specification. It will be available exclusively in Tesco shops from 1 August.

Vista compatible: Yes