The other niggle is that while most laptops have jumped wholeheartedly into the Express Card format, NEC have opted for an old-style PCMCIA slot, so before you buy make sure you’ll be able to use the relevant add-ons to fit it.

In the recent past, 99% of us didn’t know or care about video formats. We went to the video shop and got a plastic box with two spools of magnetic tape that somehow contained recorded motion picture and sound. Formats were something TV stations and film distributors were concerned with.

With discipline and imagination, most graphic artists (who don’t work in dedicated packaging studios, at least) can use their favourite page layout software to create a standard box or bottle. Your bureau or printer will usually supply a cutting die to design on top of.