Making a change from the rest of the systems on test, MV has plumped for ultra-portability.

The MV Mobeus has a 13in display, weighs 2.1kg and features Intel’s battery-saving Centrino Duo technology.

It topped almost 2 hours in our battery tests and still managed respectable scores of 183 in Sysmark and 2980 in PCmark, which are impressive compared with the bulkier offerings from Evesham and Hi-Grade.

The Intel T2400 (1.83GHz) processor and 512MB of memory obviously had a lot to do with this and, once again, proves how much of an impact Core Duo technology has made.

There’s an 80GB hard disk fitted and the 13in screen can display a maximum resolution of 1,280x768, which makes Windows, applications and DVDs look crisp. A multiformat DVD writer is integrated into the side of the chassis, sitting alongside a brace of USB ports and a memory card slot.

The Mobeus’ weak graphics prowess (courtesy of Intel’s 945GM chipset) was expected. Low frame rates in games and a score of 457 in 3Dmark mean that unless you have a penchant for Solitaire, you’ll need to look elsewhere to satisfy your 3D cravings.

Typing on this notebook is comfortable; however, the right side of the hand rest heats up significantly while in use. Battery life was one of the best, scoring almost three hours in general Windows use.

MV also uses its own technology for increasing battery life. Press the ‘stealth’ button and the processor slows down, so you can extend your time away from the mains.

Like all the other systems on test, the Mobeus has built-in wireless networking but, as an added bonus, it also includes Intervideo’s Instant On software, which allows digital media to be accessed without booting the Windows XP Home operating system first.

See full performance results for MV Mobeus 13” laptop
Compare to all laptop performance results

This article is part of a group test of laptop computers costing under £700.
See also:
Asus F3F
Evesham Quest A430
Hi-Grade A9700
MSI Megabook M662
Toshiba Satellite A110-275

Graphs and table of features can be read via our pdf downloads above.