The Freshest laptop designs

ASUS G51JX

With aesthetics becoming almost as important a factor in usability and performance when it comes to buying a laptop these days, manufacturers are using teams of consultants to get the design just right for a particular market before they even start putting the parts together. Business users will be looking for something that projects a corporate image of sleek efficiency, often in matt black, whereas teenagers will be more interested in bright colours and funky originality, and there is a whole raft of different requirements in between. Laptop news covers the latest designs in innovative laptops to hit the market in recent months. 

Notebooks are becoming increasingly lighter and thinner, and taking on the role of fashion accessories to project a personal image as well as sophisticated machines for processing data and keeping in touch with friends and colleagues. 

Intel's Core-i technology is at the heart of the laptop revolution, with these ultra-fast and ultra-small microprocessors allowing for ever-smaller designs and increased performance. They are fitted into a whole range of electronic devices apart from laptops, from digital signs to automated machines. Fitting them into laptops allows the kit to work anywhere up to three times faster than those using the Core 2 technology of older ranges. 

HUGI (Hurry Up and Get Idle) technology incorporated into the processors enables them to quickly complete tasks before moving on to the next ones, and this is reflected in a prolonged battery life as less energy is wasted. 

Laptops nowadays are designed to work and play hard, and can be used equally effectively by dad at the office and the kids at home or on holiday. Designs are becoming more sleek and innovative as producers compete fiercely for increasingly small slices of the market. 

ASUS G51JX 
This laptop has 3D effects for gaming and uses a Core i7 for faster play and response times. Its chunky size exudes the essence of the hardcore gamer's mentality, speaking of robustness and stability in its sleek but uncompromising lines and caring as much about performance as appearance. 

ASUS EEe 
This was designed by a leading industrial designer, Karim Rashid, and has an embossed grid pattern on a seashell case with a rubbery feel to it reminiscent of the IBM Thinkpad range. Coming in a choice of glossy pink and coffee brown this is one of the funkiest laptops around. 

Dell Inspiron 15R 
This sleek and efficient model running on a Dual Core P6100 processor has the full range of features you'd expect with a laptop these days and comes in cherry red, peacock blue and lotus pink colours to reflect your positive and creative mood. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Hands On 
This is a representative example of a new range of convertible laptops that use innovative designs to convert them into slates that can be operated using a stylus. The screen simply folds into place on top of the keyboard when it is closes or when you want to use it as a tablet. 

Sony Vaio EB Series 
Slim, elegant and compact, the EB series of laptops from Sony gets you online in seconds through the quick-web button and comes in a range of colours. It's light and portable for use on the road as well as in the home.