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We still have mixed feelings about the Advent Sienna 510, but ultimately liked the machine when our time with it was over.
There's no doubt the Sienna 510's build quality lets it down. The flexible lid is poor, and the sharp finish to the chassis is unacceptable.
Yet despite these build failings, usability is good. The screen is bright, crisp and clear, while the keyboard is one of the more usable you'll find at this price point.
Processing power is the Sienna 510's main selling point, though, and fortunately the laptop delivers on this front. Multimedia performance could be better, but is more than acceptable for the price.
The Sienna 510's portability is an issue, however, and the 112-minute battery life is limiting – there's no other word for it. If you want a machine for even the lightest of travelling, this isn't it.
We liked
Despite our criticisms, there's no denying there's a lot of processing power on offer for very little money here and that may have you sold. If so, you'll be able to multitask even resource intensive applications smoothly, letting you get on with your work with minimum fuss.
Usability is also great, and we enjoyed typing with the keyboard as well as viewing photos, films and work documents on the impressive screen. Similarly the keyboard is great, and will suit regular typists.
We disliked
The Sienna 510's build quality is sub-par, but that's likely to be a direct result of Advent looking to offset the cost of including a powerful processor. Nevertheless, the sharp plastic chassis and flexible lid are poor.
Portability also suffers thanks to the limited battery life and you won't be able to travel far with the Sienna 510 as a result.
Despite the usability of the keyboard, the touchpad could be better – and few things irritate us more than erratic cursor behaviour during typing.
Verdict
If you need a powerful laptop and aren't too bothered about portability or build quality, then the Sienna 510 is a steal for the price.
Unfortunately, though, the build quality and portability really do let the side down. If either is important to you, head to PC World and try before you buy.
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