Dell Adamo 13

When we first reviewed the Dell Adamo 13 back in 2009, we fell in love with its sleek design, but at £1649 it was priced a little too high.
Now this highly desirable ultraportable has dropped massively in price to just £499, so even cash-strapped consumers can afford it.
Without a doubt this is the best-looking laptop at this price point. Everything from the half-glossy lid to the matt-black interior exudes style and class. The build quality is superb too, with no hint of flex seen in any area of the sleek metal chassis.
This is also one of the thinnest laptops we've seen and is practically half the size of the others here at just 20mm. The 1.8kg weight means you can comfortably carry it around all day, while the five hour battery life is perfect for extended travel.
Low-voltage processor
To slim things down, Dell has used a low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor. As a result, performance lags behind laptops such as the Toshiba Satellite Pro S500-15W, although the Dell still outperformed the Acer Aspire 5552 and came close to the PC Nextday Zoostorm 3389.
You can indulge in some light multi-tasking with your office applications, without suffering lag.
Multimedia potential is unfortunately as limited as the PC Nextday Zoostorm 3389-9426/A, thanks to the basic integrated Intel GMA 4500M graphics. You can certainly enjoy your music and movies, but editing your media files isn't an option.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 282 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 166
3DMark 2003: 1503
We were very impressed by the compact 13.4-inch screen. It may be a smallish display, but it features a 1366x768 pixel resolution, so images are beautifully crisp. The Super-TFT finish brings colours to life, and viewing angles are refreshingly wide, although the display is quite reflective in direct sunlight.
The keyboard looks just as slick as the rest of the laptop, with unusually contoured keys that are perfectly sized. The travel is quite short due to the thin chassis but it is very comfortable to type on for extended periods. It's also backlit for use in dark environments.

The well-sized touchpad is responsive and supports multi-touch gesturing, while touch sensitive media shortcuts give you easy control over your music and movies.
While the 128GB of storage is low, the Solid State Drive allows fast access to your data and is less susceptible to failure. There's no DVD drive in the slender chassis, however, so bear this in mind if you need disc access.
A DisplayPort allows external displays to be connected, while an eSATA port can be used to hook up an external hard drive.
The beautifully crafted chassis makes the Adamo 13 one of the most attractive laptops we've ever seen. Packing some impressive features, including the sharp and vibrant screen and excellent keyboard, this is a truly stunning bargain.

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Sony BDP-S570

Sony gave Blu-ray a big push last year by launching a wide range of players that were not only high on features, but low on price.
Now you can pick up those players, including the BDP-S570, a highly specified model, for silly money, which makes it a very tough player to beat on value.
The so-called Monolithic Design (the thinnest on the market at launch) is impractical, as the odd front panel collects dust and hides its tiny buttons from view. Meanwhile, the rear panel doesn't leave room for analogue multichannel outputs.
In almost all other respects though, this is a remarkable machine. The disc loading time, which used to be so infuriatingly slow, is now down to just a few seconds.
Sony BDP-S570 test data
Power consumption (Watts):
Standby: <1W

Good green stuff
Idling: 10W
About what you would expect for a device of this type
Playing: 11W
Only a very slight increase in consumption during playback
Audio jitter (ps): 386.9ps
Reasonable for non-audiophile product
Video jitter (analogue, SD) (ns): 5ns
An average result, but one that shouldn't yield subjective problems
Video noise (analogue, SD): -73.9dB (composite); -77.5dB (component)
Both excellent results
Response @ 5.8MHz (analogue, SD): -1.4dB (composite); -0.9dB (component)
A fair result for the component output, while the composite one is merely average.
Loading (Boot/Java):
Boot speed and tray eject: 4s
Tray in to main BD menu: 40s (Street Kings SE)
Speedy booting and disc loading - for its 2010 models, Sony has addressed past criticisms.
Xross Media Bar
The user interface, a copy of the Xross Media Bar on the PS3, is superbly intuitive and very responsive using the no-nonsense remote control. And on the menu you'll also notice lots of online content that includes Daily Motion and catch-up TV services, all of which pop open quite quickly.
Picture quality is spot on, too. A clean and naturally coloured picture hits your screen – a factor that also helps in 3D mode. There's a tangible sense of depth here, great detail resolution, and no video noise.
Then there's the surprise inclusion of SACD compatibility. It's just a shame that there isn't a multichannel output with which to send this uncompressed audio signal to legacy AV receivers that pre-date HDMI v1.3.
We made the BDP-S570 a five-star Grouptest winner when we first got our mitts on it, and in the intervening months nothing seems to have changed...

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Toshiba Satellite Pro S500

Toshiba's Satellite Pro range aims to strike a balance between a work machine and a home laptop. The S500-15W is a strong performer and has an excellent array of features that help it to stand out in the crowd.
At 2.6kg, this laptop is only marginally heavier than the Acer Aspire 5552 and the Zoostorm 3389. It can certainly be carried around if needed, but the Dell Adamo 13 inevitably proves a much slimmer and lighter option.
The chassis is reasonably solid with just a little flex, although the black plastic design looks a little cheap. However, the screen tilts all the way back to horizontal, letting you find your ideal viewing angle.
Although it isn't the brightest display, images are colourful and pleasing to the eye, thanks to the glossy Super-TFT coating. Unfortunately, this also means that it's fairly reflective.
This laptop features an Intel Core i3 370M processor, which provides stunning performance. The Toshiba racked up some high scores in our benchmarking tests, proving it could comfortably multi-task with a number of programs without slowdown.
Despite this strong performance, we managed to use it for 272 minutes away from the mains, which is almost as good as the Dell Adamo 13.
Similarly, while a basic integrated solution has been used for graphics, this laptop almost doubled the performance of the Dell and Zoostorm 3389. While you won't be able to run the latest games, we found high-definition video played smoothly.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 272 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 223
3DMark 2003: 3280
The touchpad is a little compact, but it's also responsive, with two firm mouse buttons. The keyboard is comfortable to type on with well-mounted, bevelled keys and a dedicated numeric keypad.

Damage limitation
You should have enough space for your files on the 250GB hard drive, which features anti-vibration technology to prevent damage during transit. Those with large media collections will, however, be better served by the Zoostorm 3389 and Acer Aspire 5552 machines, which offer 320GB and 500GB storage space respectively.
Networking is speedy, however, with both 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet onboard.
There are plenty of other features, such as a fingerprint scanner for extra security and an ExpressCard slot for upgrading the laptop.
There's also a DisplayPort connection, a VGA port for hooking up to an external display, and one of the USB ports features Sleep-and-Charge technology, for charging peripherals even when the laptop is in sleep mode.
The performance and features of the Satellite Pro S500-15W make it a worthy Silver award winner. Only the Dell Adamo 13's sleek, highly portable form kept this machine from winning the Gold award.

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Zoostorm 3389

PC Nextday delivers cost-effective laptops via its Zoostorm range. The Zoostorm 3389-9426/A is a solid machine with some strong features, although it struggles to compete against some other laptops at this price point.
The simple black design is attractive, with a mottled, fingerprint-proof lid and palm rests. It's a well-constructed chassis, despite a little flex around the DVD drive, and the 2.5kg weight almost matches the Acer Aspire 5552 and Toshiba Satellite Pro S500-15W. The 206 minute battery life is distinctly average though.
The smooth and responsive touchpad proves usable, albeit a little too sensitive at times, and there are touch-sensitive controls that open Internet Explorer, toggle Wi-Fi on and off and mute audio.
The keyboard is firmly mounted and the sharp travel aids typing, while separate numeric keypad is great for data entry.
Unfortunately, the left Ctrl key is indented to make room for the Function key, which is a pain for those using Windows shortcuts. Power is provided by one of Intel's older Pentium processors, backed up by 3072MB of memory. There's enough muscle to run all your office applications and indulge in some light multi-tasking, as with the Dell Adamo 13, but anyone craving more speed should look to the Toshiba Satellite Pro S500-15W.
The integrated graphics provide a cheap and basic solution for rendering images. You can comfortably browse your holiday snaps and watch low-res video, but this isn't an ideal machine for editing movies or similarly intensive multimedia tasks.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 206 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 176
3DMark 2003: 1719
One of the Zoostorm's highlights, however, is the impressively bright 15.6- inch screen. While not as vibrant as some of the other displays, the viewing angles are commendably wide and photos and videos look great. The glossy surface is extremely reflective though.
Ample storage
There's plenty of storage space for your files and applications, thanks to the 320GB hard drive. Networking is strong, with 802.11n Wi-Fi providing speedy wireless internet access and Gigabit Ethernet for wired connections.
A good selection of ports is also available. An eSATA socket means you can quickly swap files with a high-speed external hard drive and it doubles as an extra USB port, giving you four in total. You also get an ExpressCard slot for expanding your laptop if required.

While the Zoostorm 3389-9426/A doesn't do enough to win an award, it's not a bad machine by any means. On the whole, build quality and usability are good, while the strong set of features means you won't be left wanting. However, if you crave portability or power, there are better options in this group test.

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Sony VAIO S Series VPC-SB1V9E

The Sony VPC-SB1V9E is Sony's latest power ultraportable laptop but it's unusual for Sony - itfalls into the business-oriented VAIO S-Series range.
The VAIO Z-Series is the Japanese giant's usual ultra-portable laptop range, producing ridiculously sexy mini machines that can handle any application. Of course, this combo of power and portability often comes at quite a cost, usually well on the wrong side of a grand.
But while the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E S Series may not have the looks of the MacBook Air or the Samsung 9-Series, this is still a fantastic laptop that doesn't skimp on performance. Even better, at £899, the asking price isn't too steep for an ultra-portable.
At first glance, the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E isn't much of a looker. The lid is attractive enough with a dark brushed aluminium finish, but the insides look a little too plastic. Still, it's available in black, white and silver, and is a solid effort all round. We found no areas that flexed under pressure, and the lid is tough enough to withstand a few knocks, unlike the VAIO VPC-Y21S1E/SI's effort.
A weight of just 1.7kg means you can carry the S-Series laptop around all day, while the 30mm depth is comparable to a netbook. Thankfully the chassis is wider than a netbook's, so the isolation-style keyboard is well-sized. Each key pokes up through individual holes, meaning they are separated from each other by a covered gap. This greatly aids touch-typing.
If you're a fan of late-night spreadsheet fiddling, you'll be overjoyed to hear that the keyboard is also backlit, which highlights the keys in low light.

Sony's usual VAIO, WEB and ASSIST shortcut buttons are stuck just over the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E's keyboard. WEB is self-explanatory, while ASSIST takes you to the proprietary VAIO Care application, which helps you to diagnose any problems with your laptop and improve performance. VAIO acts as a hub for your media, giving you quick access to your photos, videos and music.
We also enjoyed using the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E's surprisingly spacious touchpad, which makes the most of the compact palm rest. Two firm mouse buttons make a nice change from the typical single bar.
Specification
Working on your laptop when you're out and about can be a massive pain, thanks to the prevalence of glossy screens. Squinting at hazy images is never fun, so Sony has used an anti-glare TFT display for enhanced models in the VAIO S-Series, which eliminates any annoying reflections.
At 13.3-inches, it's a comfortable display to work on for extended periods. We were also impressed by the vivid colour reproduction, because images usually appear a little drained without a glossy Super-TFT coating. The 1366 x 768 resolution keeps things sharp, with excellent contrast levels.
A real surprise was the presence of a built-in DVD drive, a feature rarely seen on slender ultra-portables such as the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E. You therefore won't have to lug around a USB drive to watch movies or install and run applications.

Since the Sony VAIO S-Series are business laptops, Sony has included a tiny fingerprint scanner, which is nestled between the mouse buttons. This is a great security measure, especially if you struggle to remember complex passwords.
We were also impressed by the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E's 500GB hard drive, considering the compact chassis. Many ultra-portables use Solid State Drive technology instead – with the likes of the MacBook Air only featuring 128GB of storage – so it's refreshing to have plenty of space to take our media with us.
Networking is strong, with 802.11n Wi-Fi support alongside Gigabit Ethernet. VGA and HDMI ports can be used to hook up monitors or projectors, while one of the three USB ports is USB 3.0, for super speedy data transfer.

Sony VPC-SB1V9E review: Performance

Whenever we get our hands on a brand new ultra-portable laptop, we're always keen to test it out and see what it can handle. With the Sony VAIO VPC-SB1V9E, we expected great things.
The main reason is the inclusion of Intel's latest Sandy Bridge technology, specifically a dual-core Core i5-2410M CPU running at 2.3GHz in the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E. We've seen some incredible performance from these high-powered chips, going above and beyond the original Core i5 and i7 processors. With 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM memory also on board, we hoped the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E wouldn't let us down.
Benchmark test results:
Battery Life: 288
MobileMark 2007: 283
3DMark 2003: 12230
Our benchmark tests proved that this is the most powerful ultra-portable laptop we've seen so far. Multi-tasking even with intensive business software is little effort for the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E, although the laptop's fans do whine when it's busy, which proves rather distracting in quiet environments.
Impressively, Sony has also shoved an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6470M graphics card into its VAIO S-Series laptops. While we can't imagine anyone doing much gaming on these ultra-portables, the extra graphical grunt is perfect for any design professionals who wish to edit video or run similar multimedia software.

Of course, this excellent performance is moot if the laptop dies ten minutes after unplugging it from the mains. The recent VAIO VPC-Y21S1E/SI survived for over seven hours on battery power alone, despite featuring a Core i7 CPU, so again our expectations were high.
Although the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E can't boast that kind of longevity, we did get almost five hours of use before it gave in and powered down. Considering the specs, this is a grand effort. You should have enough battery life for even the most arduous and delay-hammered commutes.
Sony's also included a Speed/Stamina switch at the top of the chassis, which can be used to elongate battery life by reducing a few performance settings. If you want to sacrifice some graphical power to wring an extra hour of life from the battery, this is an excellent option.

Sony VPC-SB1V9E review: Verdict

If you find you're regularly stuck on malfunctioning public transport, with a dire need to conduct some urgent spreadsheet analysis, then an excellent solution is an ultra-portable laptop such as a Sony VAIO VPC-SB1V9E. These slender devices pack an impressive amount of power into a tiny chassis, perfect for taking on your travels.
The VAIO VPC-SB1V9E is a competitor to the likes of Apple's MacBook Air and the upcoming Samsung 9-Series, featuring Intel Sandy Bridge technology and a host of features.
We liked
There's no denying the portability of the VAIO VPC-SB1V9E. The slender chassis measures just 30mm at its thickest point and weighs a measly 1.7kg, while the near-five hour battery life means you won't need the charger for your daily commute.
But there's no sacrifice to performance, thanks to Intel's Sandy Bridge technology. The VAIO VPC-SB1V9E can handle anything you throw at it, making this the most powerful ultra-portable laptop we've tested. A dedicated AMD Mobility Radeon HD graphics card means you can even run video editing software and other fairly intensive multimedia applications.
Usability is another highlight, with a backlit isolation-style keyboard and spacious touchpad in place. The 13.3-inch anti-glare TFT screen reduces glare yet is still satisfyingly sharp and colourful.
Finally, the feature set is fantastic. A built-in fingerprint scanner, USB 3.0 connectivity and an HDMI output are all well appreciated, while 500GB of storage is more than expected. Even better, Sony has somehow found space for a built-in DVD drive.
We dislike
Our first impression of the plain black interior was less than great – it's rather plasticky, considering the high price.
The laptop also tends to whine a little when running applications, although it's not so noisy that you'll be forced to don earphones.
Verdict
If you want a highly portable laptop that still has enough grunt to run all of your applications, as well as a DVD drive and plenty of storage space, then the Sony VAIO VPC-SB1V9E is a fantastic option.

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