The Samsung Q45 (£799 inc. VAT) is a stylish and powerful ultraportable. Its impressive dual-core performance and strong usability are ideal for travel use, but the fragile lid may deter some buyers.
While the 1.9kg chassis itself is strong and light, the glossy coating is easily damaged. You'll need to invest in a strong carry case if mobility is your main aim. Luckily it is small and tough enough that it can be easily carried in small hand luggage.
The battery runs for 231 minutes during constant use and is ideal for long journeys. This can be extended to 270 minutes using Windows Vista's Power Saver features. The drawback is that the battery protrudes 20mm from the rear of the chassis, but this is a worthy trade-off.
Dual-core power
Equally notable is the dual-core power on offer. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2048MB of memory mean performance is among the best we've seen from an ultraportable. All software runs smoothly, and you can work with several programs at once with ease.
Inevitably for such a small laptop, graphics power is less impressive. The integrated Intel GPU allows for basic gaming, entertainment and media editing, but struggles under heavier workloads.
Day-to-day use is made comfortable by the well-built and responsive keyboard. The left side heats up slightly after short-term use, but not enough to impact usability. Even when typing for long periods out of the office, we always found the Samsung easy and reliable to use.
The 12.1-inch screen is small, but image quality is outstanding. Colours are accurate and ideal for viewing and editing photos and videos. The glossy Super-TFT coating also provides sharpness and clarity, so text and images are always well defined.
The 200GB hard drive lets you store large quantities of data with ease. The DVD rewriter and 6-in-1 media card reader can be used to back up and share files, and LightScribe functionality means you can burn your own customised labels to compatible CDs and DVDs.
Rounding out the package, 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi provides the fastest wireless connectivity at home or on the move. An integrated camera above the screen also lets you take photos, record video and use online video-conferencing software.
While the delicate lid may deter some buyers, the Samsung Q45 is a great ultraportable. Costing half the price of many of its sub-2kg rivals, it makes a strong choice for frequent travellers and comes highly recommended.
