There's no doubt that Apple's latest notebook computer is a joy to look at. The enormous 17in widescreen means you can watch films on it at a size approaching that of a television, and the brushed aluminium finish is undeniably stylish.

The main problem, of course, is one that's long affected Apple computers: nearly everyone else uses PCs. This isn't as big an issue as it used to be, however, as there are Mac versions of most PC software, including Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer.

On the flipside, Macs are renowned for their ease of use, and the latest version of the operating system, OS X, is easier than ever. If Windows XP was a step forward, OS X represents a leap into the future - wireless networking using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is a piece of cake, as are most tasks.

It can take a while to get used to how the Mac does things, though. There is no Start menu; instead, a pop-up menu bar appears at the bottom of the screen. There you'll find the wealth of applications that the Mac is supplied with. Among others, you get iTunes, GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD, which between them let you play, edit and create music, photos, movies and DVDs.

It has a full complement of ports - USB2, FireWire, modem, PC card, S-Video out, DVI and a very fast network port. The screen is sharp and has good contrast. In fact, the overall look and feel is superb and this is undoubtedly one of the most attractive computers available today, elegantly designed with rounded curves in keeping with the look of OS X.

Our PowerBook was supplied with an enormous 2Gb of memory, which meant it performed extremely well. The standard 512Mb offering is more than enough for most tasks particularly in combination with the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics card and 80Gb hard disk.

Being a 17in widescreen notebook, the PowerBook is not the most portable of computers, and its size means that you might find it hard to work on a train or aeroplane. It is heavy, too, although not so much that it stops being portable. Apple has taken advantage of the wide screen to fit in extra hand rest space below the keyboard, although this makes the keyboard a little small. The Enter key, for example, is tiny and, tucked away on the edge, is easy to miss.

The battery life is good, allowing over three hours for office tasks, or less if you're using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or the recordable DVD drive.

The 17in PowerBook is a notebook computer that will be of maximum use to only a few people, but it is quite stunning to look at and a joy to use.

Contact: Apple 0800 039 1010
www.apple.com/uk