The latest version of MV's Mobeus 13 notebook sees the family brought bang up to date in terms of performance and features and, while it doesn't have the immediate 'wow' factor of some laptops around at the moment, it does offer good value for money for the home or mobile user.

Weighing in at just 2.2kg, the compact Mobeus 13 is powered by an Intel Core Duo T2400 CPU which is clocked at 1.83GHz, backed up by a somewhat meagre 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 memory. You can always upgrade the memory before you buy (1GB costs an additional £50 while 2GB will set you back £175).

Having said that, the combination of the Core Duo CPU and the better memory controller in the Intel i945GM chipset gives the Mobeus 13 plenty of grunt to run all the usual office applications without any problems.

It does, however, run hot, particularly underneath, so it's not one to work on your lap for long periods. There is a silent mode (or, as MV calls it, 'Stealth' mode) button that reduces the clock speed of the CPU down to 1GHz to reduce the heat, but strangely this doesn't seem to increase the battery performance.

When the Mobeus 13 is plugged into the mains there is an overclocking feature which allows the CPU to run around 5 percent faster than the standard clock speed, but why you would want to overclock a basic notebook is a different matter.

Like many a laptop it comes with Instant On. This is a quick start multimedia function (in this case based on Linux) that allows you to play DVDs, CDs, MP3s and view video and pictures without having to boot into Windows, but disappointingly it doesn't come with a remote control.

The best part of the Mobeus 13, however, is the screen. The 13-inch widescreen display comes with a Crystal Bright coating which lives up to its name. It's among the brightest screens you'll find on a notebook and its 1,280 by 768 pixel resolution is just about right. But unlike the rest of the laptop, which looks and feels well built, the lid feels a bit flexible and you need to take care when travelling around with it.

Our review sample of the Mobeus 13 came with a 60GB, 5,400rpm hard disk, which is the smallest capacity drive that MV offers. For additional cost you can choose between four other options: three more 5,400rpm drives (80, 100 or 120GB) or a faster 7,200rpm, 100GB drive.

As is the norm these days MV has packed a lot of features into the Mobeus 13: 8x Dual Layer DVD burner, 4-in-1 one card reader, Intel 802.11a/b/g wireless, Gigabit LAN and a 56kbps modem.

It may not be the most stylish notebook around but does offer a good blend of performance and features.

With the Mobeus 13, MV has brought its product line bang up to date and, although it's a bit of a plain Jane, it offers plenty of performance with all the features you've come to expect from a notebook at this price point.