I run training seminars from PowerPoint on a laptop, which I also use on trains and planes, so I want something small and light. I'd love to be able to work for six hours or more without mains power. I'd also like a comfortable keyboard and a 13in screen, but not one with a glossy coating: I've found them unusable. My budget can stretch to £1,600 including VAT. Alan Black
Over the past few years, the market for thin-and-light light business notebooks has had two mainstays: the IBM ThinkPad X60 and the Toshiba Portégé R500 lines. Both offer between seven and eight hours of battery life. But while this type of PC usually leaves out the optical disc to get a thin and light machine, Toshiba now includes a DVD multi-drive only that is only 7mm thick. The catch is that both systems only have 12.1 inch screens, as does Sony's mobile business offering, the Vaio G11. This is less than you want, though it is more usable in an airline seat. However, if you can wait, Lenovo is expected to bring out a new X300 series ThinkPad with a 13.3 inch LED backlit screen. This also has a 7mm ultrathin DVD, according to details leaked to the Gizmodo blog. The catch might be the price.
Apple has recently entered this market with the MacBook Air. This is thinner than the IBM and Toshiba models, but heavier and slightly bigger because of its 13.3 inch screen. Unfortunately for you, it has a glossy screen. Apple does offer the MacBook Pro with a 15.4 inch non-glossy widescreen. This has good battery life (between five and six hours), and you can always carry a spare. The catch is that it's more than twice as heavy as a Portégé R500 or X60. If you can narrow the choice down to two or three machines, getting them side by side will help you decide.
