For anyone considering making mobile broadband part of a Christmas present, the news that Vodafone has unleashed a new laptop on its pay monthly packages will be most welcome. There is nothing to pay up front and the bundle includes a free laptop and free Vodafone mobile broadband USB dongle to get users online wherever they are. You will need to commit to a 24 month contract, but the specifications of the new laptop make this an attractive package.

Unlike other free laptop deals, the Compaq Presario CQ60 which is included is not a lightweight, low-powered netbook. With a large 15.9 inch high resolution screen, a powerful processor, 2GB of RAM and Windows Vista pre-installed it will be able to deal with all of the latest software and tasks that you could reasonably require of it. There is even a limited subscription to a security software suite included, as well as 60 days access to Microsoft Office straight out of the box.

As you might imagine, the CQ60 is far from feather light; indeed at nearly 3KG it could give you quite a workout if you are going to lug it around all day, but that is the price you invariably pay for a more powerful and versatile system. A DVD writer and a built-in card reader round off the package, making it ideal for multimedia playback and image storage on the 250GB hard drive.

The CQ60 may come with built in wireless connectivity, but you will still need to plug in the Vodafone mobile broadband USB dongle if you want to connect to the mobile broadband network. Current Vodafone customers will be able to take advantage of a lower monthly cost than new customers, which means that if you have a Vodafone mobile contract or an existing mobile broadband deal with the company then this offer becomes even more appealing.