Asus M51a

Asus has made a reputation for itself recently with its impressiverange of netbooks, but it also produces entry-level, mid-range andhigh-end laptops. The M51A is a budget laptop, offering one of the bestspecifications we have seen for the price.

The 15.4-inch screenfeatures a 16:10 aspect ratio – which is taller than some of the newerdesigns. It offers detailed images and colours are bright andcolourful.

It's one of the Super-TFT reflective panels,however, and it's worth trying before you buy if you intend to work onthe move or in direct sunlight.

Unlike the other laptops atthis price point, this machine offers a high-end Intel Core 2 Duoprocessor instead of a Pentium Dual Core we see so often. Running at2GHz, and backed by 3072MB of memory, it offers enough power to copeeasily with daily office tasks and matches machines costing twice asmuch.

We found it started and shut down quickly, with little sign of lag, even when running a host of intensive applications.

At 297 minutes, the battery life also provides ample mobility.

Italso shines when it comes to quality. It can't match the portability ofthe Acer Aspire 5410T, having a much bulkier design, but the patternedplastics are attractive and robust, and the thick screen surroundoffers plenty of protection.

That said, the design looks olderthan some of its rivals, such as the Packard Bell EasyNoteTJ65-AU-010UK and Acer Aspire 5410T.

The keyboard offers goodusability, with large tapered keys that are easy to type quickly on.There's also a pad of numeric keys alongside it, which aids data entrywithout compromising the size of the main keys.

The plastics have a tendency to flex slightly under use, however.

Excellent features

Thismachine comes into its own features, with a comprehensive range ofports included that puts more expensive laptops to shame. It offers aneSATA interface – letting you transfer files at high speeds tocompatible hard drives, and it also comes with a fingerprint readerthat adds biometric security for your files and data.

Four USBports offer good connectivity, and you'll even find an HDMI port –letting you connect high-definition (HD) displays. There's also a VGAport for users with older analogue displays.

Bluetooth is inplace for wireless connections to other digital devices, with 802.11gWi-Fi and 10/100 Ethernet offering standard wireless and fixednetworking connectivity.

If it is value for money you areafter, then there is simply no better machine than the Asus M51A.Offering components that are usually found on more expensive machines,a comprehensive set of features and great build quality, it's an easymachine to recommend.

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