BARELY registering on the scales at a scant 1kg, the E8 is one of the lightest laptops around.

It is also one of the most powerful.

For one, its 3.5 hours battery life rivals that of the MacBook. Its Windows operating system also means that users need not waste time getting used to the Linux system (the default system of UMPCs).

The gizmo also did not falter when I was working on content-heavy Power-Point slides and documents while playing music and surfing the Net.

At $1,599, the price might strike some as high, but this slim and stylish 60GB machine is, otherwise, a standout.