Samsung X20 HVM 740

Samsung's new X-series range of 'thin-and-light' business notebooks is built around Intel's latest <a href="http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/processorsmemory/0,39024015,39184696,00.htm">Sonoma</a> platform, and provides a good spread of specifications and price points. The low end is represented by the £765 (ex. VAT, £899 inc. VAT) X20 LVC 730, which has a 1.6GHz Pentium M 730 processor, integrated graphics, a 15.1in. SXGA screen and a 60GB hard disk. At the top of the range is the £1,361 (ex. VAT, £1,599 inc. VAT) X50 HWM 760, with a 2GHz Pentium M 760, 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics, a 15.4in. WSXGA screen, an 80GB hard disk and a built-in fingerprint reader. We reviewed one of the intermediate models, the £1,020 (ex. VAT, £1,199 inc. VAT) X20 HVM 740, which features a 1.73GHz Pentium M 740, 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics, an 15.1in. XGA screen and a 60GB hard disk. It's a handsomely designed notebook that delivers solid performance and reasonable battery life at a competitive price.