We find the best laptops that stay useful beyond Christmas morning, no matter what you need one for.
HP Pavilion dm1
- Available: PC World
- Price: From €449
This laptop has an 11.6 inch HD display and features Beats Audio, which offers high quality audio for your music and movies. It includes AMD processor options and a built-in HD webcam for video calls. The laptop also has HP ProtectSmart, which detects when the PC is dropped to lock the hard drive in place to prevent it from being damaged.
Toshiba Portege Z830
- Available: PC World
- Price: €1,179
Toshiba’s first ultrabook is only 1.6cm at its thickest point and weighs 1.12kg. It boasts a 13.3-inch HD screen and runs on Intel Core i3 or i5 processors. It includes Intel vPro technology for enhanced business security and Intel Anti Theft, which lets you disable the device or delete data remotely if the PC has been stolen.
Macbook Air
- Available: Apple.ie, Compu B
- Price: From €979
This slim Macbook is just 1.7cm at its thickest point. It runs on Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor for video. Its Thunderbolt port can transfer data 20 times faster than USB 2.0. The laptop also runs on OS X Lion, Apple’s latest Mac operating system, with multitouch gesture control.
Sony VAIO S Series
- Price: From €882
- Available: Sony.ie, Sony Centres
The VAIO S Series has a sleek design, with a magnesium alloy lid and an aluminium palm rest. The battery life can be boosted to up to 14 hours with a second thin optional battery and the range includes Fast Boot for speedy activation. The laptops run on second-generation Intel Core i7 processors.
Samsung RV515-S01UK
- Available: Peats
- Price: From €599
This Samsung laptop offers an Intel Core i3 processor and a 640GB hard drive. It includes a built-in DVD writer and an integrated webcam for video chatting. The laptop also includes Samsung’s fast start technology to wake it up from sleep mode in seconds.
