Virgin Media did not launch the famed 50mbps package with a big whoosh as we were expecting. Instead, the cable company has teamed up with Carphone Warehouse in an exclusive partnership to give a free laptop.

Customers who wish to buy the £49 triple play XL package will be given a free Toshiba Satellite laptop, a great offer given that Virgin Media's own offer does not include any gift.

The price of the package rises to £56 after the first six months and will include the 20mbps XL Broadband, XL TV and XL Phone. The Toshiba Satellite Laptop, which is worth £440, is a L300 model.

It comes with an Intel Pentium Dual Core processor, 2GB memory, 120GB HDD, a 15.4-inch LCD monitor, Microsoft Vista Operating System and a webcam with face recognition technology apparently.

Other fees including a delivery charge and installation fee of £65 may apply. The package is available at more than 800 stores across the country. Surprisingly, neither Virgin Media nor Carphone Warehouse have this offer displayed on their websites.