A desktop replacement laptop needs to be high powered, but it's a myth that it also needs to be expensive. As size and battery life aren’t key concerns here, manufacturers save money just concentrating on performance and features.

Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion X2 processors ensure your laptop will be powerful enough to run all the applications you are used to using.

Most laptops now come with Windows Vista making 1Gb of memory a recommended minimum. Give strong consideration to 2Gb or 3Gb if you are looking at running several applications at the same time.

To store large files such as pictures, downloads, music and video on your home laptop, a hard drive of at least 200GB or larger is recommended - bigger is always better in this case.

A screen size of at least 15.4” is best suited for home use, but if mobility isn’t an issue you may want to go for a larger 17” display if your budget allows.

Dedicated graphics is best if you are planning to play games at all. Wireless networking is pretty much standard in laptops now, but for higher transfer rates look for 802.11g or 802.11n standards. Other extras to look out for include integrated web cams, microphones Bluetooth connectivity for communicating with mobile phones and other gadgets.