7. Vye Jolibook - £270
The Jolibook provides a great alternative to the current glut of Windows-based mini laptops. The first thing that stands out is its garish style. With a gaudy cartoon design on the lid, it immediately sets the Jolibook out as a machine better suited to younger members of the family.
The lid is pleasingly hard-wearing and the contrasting black interior tones things down slightly, while hiding dirt and smudges well. Weighing just 1.3kg, the slim chassis is very easy to carry during the day.
Usability is excellent. The spacious, isolation-style keyboard is firmly fixed to the chassis and responds smoothly, quietly and accurately.
A real strength of this netbook is its vibrant 10.1-inch screen. The glossy Super-TFT coating is less reflective than others we've seen and brings images to vivid life.
Of course, the key selling point is the excellent Jolicloud OS. While the easy-to-use Linux-based software is not revolutionary in its design, the simple icon- and tab-based interface is very easy to use and accessible for even the youngest (or oldest) laptop user.
