The last Toshiba The West previewed was a dependable but ugly machine, but then design wasn’t part of the bargain made in the price. If you want a beautiful looking machine, you can go for a BenQ or Sony VAIO.

Typing fingers strike the edge of the space bar in the millimetres where it ends above the plastic casing of the keyboard. In the LA38G that distance doesn’t exist so you frequently miss the space bar, and the solution is to type much slower and be conscious of hitting it deliberately.

They’re not quite snug enough to take jogging and the sound isn’t the best quality — not nearly as rich as that of a normal pair of iPod earbuds. At this stage, they’re an early adopter’s toy.