PCAdvisor201401 PDF
PCAdvisor201401 PDF
PCAdvisor201401 PDF
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Windows 8:
Associate Editor Neil Bennett [email protected]
Forum Editor Peter Thomas [email protected]
Helproom Editor Paul Monckton [email protected]
Games Editor Alec Meer [email protected]
Editor-In-Chief Matt Egan
Intern Lauren Dezenski
[email protected]
[email protected] Microsoft’s biggest mistake
Contributors
Orestis Bastounis, David Bayon, Mike Bedford, Michael Burns, Martyn Casserly,
Martyn Clayden, Jon Jacobi, Mike Jennings, Cliff Joseph, Becca Martin,
Having forced the Modern UI on users entrenched in the
Robin Morris, Sarah Jacobsson Purewal, John Taylor, Sandra Vogel, old ways of the Windows desktop, does Windows 8.1 offer
Roland Waddilove, Martyn Williams, Simon Williams too little, too late?
Advertising
his time last year Microsoft released Windows 8 to the world.
T
Head Of Advertising Tom Drummond [email protected]
Account Manager Tom How [email protected]
PC World and Currys even opened their doors at midnight on
Account Manager Edward Longmate [email protected]
Sales Executive Lucie Gillespie [email protected] 26 October ready for the hordes to rush in and buy their new PC.
Trouble is, apart from a few enthusiasts, no-one was in a rush to
Marketing
Marketing Manager Ash Patel [email protected]
upgrade. Microsoft’s biggest mistake was to force the new interface on
Head of Marketing Design James Walker [email protected] users entrenched in the old ways of the Windows desktop. All they saw
Marketing Software Manager Letitia Austin [email protected]
Subscriptions Customer Services [email protected]
in PC adverts was the new Start screen with its brightly coloured tiles.
Radical was the over-used adjective for what became known as the
Online Modern UI, but the real problem was not the learning curve: it was that
Online Development Manager Adrian Black [email protected]
Web Developer Victor Chong Junior Developer John Copsey Microsoft did nothing to explain that underneath the Start screen was the
Web Developer Dominik Koscielak Junior Developer Aaron Bery familiar Windows desktop and all the features people were looking for.
Accounts It remains a source of confusion. If you want you can use Windows 8
Financial Director Chris Norman [email protected] just like you did Windows 7 – you just have to adjust to the fact that the old
Credit Controller Dawnett Gordon [email protected] Start menu has been replaced by the new-look Start screen (or you can
Purchase Ledger Clerk Lyn McNicol [email protected]
Management Accountant Parit Shah [email protected] install Pokki to bring back something that looks like the old Start menu).
With declining PC sales (which have slumped considerably further since
Publishing
October last year), you can see why Microsoft redesigned Windows. Tablet-
Publishing Director Simon Jary [email protected]
Managing Director Kit Gould [email protected] and smartphone sales were rising rapidly, and it needed an operating
system that would work properly on a touchscreen (one of the primary
reasons the old slate PCs failed so badly).
However, without a touchscreen, the Modern UI didn’t make sense and
Subscribe online: Subscribe to digital editions: the options in Windows 8.1 (see our review on page 56) to boot directly to
tinyurl.com/subscribepca pcadvisor.co.uk/magazines
the desktop are arguably too little, too late. The fact that the ‘new’ Start
Subscribe by phone: Subscription enquiries:
0844 844 0232 [email protected] button merely launches the Start screen is considered by many as an insult.
Had Microsoft hidden away the new Start screen and interface and
CWO DD forced it only on those buying a Windows 8 tablet, things might be
12 issues £37.99 £35.88 different now. The idea – clearly – was for everyone to start using apps
Six issues £24.99 £19.99 and forget about their desktop programs (that’s certainly what you have
Europe (12 issues) £100 £100 to do with a Surface running Windows RT, which runs only Office on its
Rest of world (12 issues) £125 £125 ‘fake’ desktop). Unfortunately, not only were the native apps weak, but
developers didn’t queue up to release their apps in the Windows Store.
What do you think of this issue of PC Advisor? We welcome feedback Even now the selection on offer is pretty embarrassing.
– email Jim Martin at [email protected] and include the
The truth is that, even on a traditional PC, Windows 8 is a great
issue number in the subject heading
operating system. It’s faster, more secure and more stable than Windows 7.
You can get things done quicker because it takes less time to boot and
files transfer faster.
If you were put off buying a new PC or upgrading from a previous
version of Windows because of the Modern UI, then read our review of
PC Advisor is published by IDG UK Windows 8.1 and you might just change your mind. J
IDG UK, 101 Euston Road, London NW1 2RA. Tel: 020 7756 2800
Printer: Wyndeham Press Group Ltd 01621 877 777
Distribution: Seymour Distribution Ltd 020 7429 4000
TEST
32 Reviews CENTRE
HARDWARE SOFTWARE
34 Dell XPS 12 56 Windows 8.1
35 Sony Vaio Fit 15 57 Adobe Photoshop Elements 12
36 Schenker XMG P503 58 Nero 2014 Platinum
37 Toshiba Satellite L50DT-A-10C 58 Revo Uninstaller Pro 3
38 Samsung Ativ Book 9 Lite 59 Zhorn Stickies 7.1e
39 Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus 60 Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
40 MSI GS70 Stealth
42 Quiet PC UltraNUC BUSINESS
42 Tesco Hudl 62 Synology DS1813+
43 Fuze powered by Raspberry Pi 63 WD Sentinel RX4100
On the cover
32
102 How to
& 127
Get help with computer problems and
74 learn how to improve your PC setup.
102 Helproom
PC Advisor’s team of experts solves the
computing problems you pose.
107
82 What happens to data when you die? 96 Do you need a 64-bit smartphone?
We’d prefer not to think about it, but there Apple has raised the bar with its iPhone
comes a time when we all need to think about 5s, the first smartphone to include a 64-bit
what happens to our possessions when we die. processor. But do you really need a 64-bit
Our data is no different. We talk to Facebook, phone, and what’s the benefit over 32-bit? 112 How to: Format a hard drive
Twitter, Google and others to find out the fate of We explain how to wipe clean your HDD.
our online accounts. 99 iWork for Windows
Synching iWork documents between iOS 114 How to: Windows Phone
85 How KIckstarter is changing the world and Windows isn’t as tricky as you might Check for, download and install updates.
We explain how crowdfunding sites are bringing think. We show you how to read and edit
amazing new products to the marketplace. Pages, Numbers and Keynote docs on a PC. 115 How to: Webcam photos
Take self-portraits with your PC’s webcam.
TEST
127 Top 5 charts: Buyer’s guide CENTRE 116 How to: Browser toolbars
Remove annoying browser toolbars.
SAVE 50%
137 Office PCs
138 Family PCs
139 Mini PCs 118 How to: Stream live TV
140 Blu-ray drives
Watch live TV on Android, iPhone & iPad.
140 Antivirus software
141 Printers
See page 124
January 2014 www.pcadvisor.co.uk 5
Reader comments
Whether it’s with useful tips, pithy observations, or a good old moan,
we’re always happy to hear from PC Advisor readers. For your chance
to appear here, keep in touch via email, our forums, comments on our
news stories, and via Facebook, Google+, Twitter and YouTube
[email protected] pcadvisor.co.uk
Lend a finger Programming with Fuze
I love the latest iPhone’s On page 43 you’ll find our review of the Fuze
implementation of a fingerprint powered by Raspberry Pi, which makes it
scanner, but it’s been irritating me easier for novice users to program in Basic.
that every time one of the kids But should you bother? “Just like in the 80s,
wants to play a game they need you’ll be able to write three lines of code and
my fingerprint to unlock it. (They watch a little square move 1mm across the
aren’t having the code.) Then a screen. The kids of the 80s got bored doing
friend told me how you could scan this; the kids of today will not even bother to
in up to five fingers, and there’s write those three lines of code. Everything
no reason why these must be your has to be immediate for today’s generation, Who needs a microSD slot?
own fingers. Why didn’t I think of regrettably they have no patience for this You may have noticed a new contender
this before! So that’s one for me, sort of thing,” wrote steve. at the top of our smartphones chart: the
one for the wife, two for the kids, LG G2 (reviewed on page 47) ticks all our
and a spare just in case we, erm, Windows 8.1 well received boxes except one – it lacks a microSD
lose one. Robin Maidstone Despite some discontent, plenty of readers slot. But mountainloafer argues that one
are still sticking up for Windows 8, and now isn’t necessary. “As much as I would like
A life of grime Windows 8.1, too. jon wrote: “I find Windows 8 all phones to provide microSD storage for
I’ve been too busy to read the much easier to use and I picked it up very convenience, I often wonder why people feel
latest issue of PC Advisor... quickly. It’s a great improvement over Vista the need to lug around their entire music
too busy cleaning my phone, and Windows 7, and 8.1 is even better. I enjoy collection or more than one or two HD
tablet, laptop, PC and any other combining the apps with the desktop on the movies at a time. At any given time, I have a
gadget I find. After reading your same screen – it’s great fun and really easy couple of gigs of my current favourite albums
advice (Dec issue, page 90), I am to do. If you prefer the Windows 7 way of on my device, while I dump all my photos on
suitably disgusted. Who would doing things then simply boot to the desktop Dropbox. I never have the time to watch an
have thought that a phone screen and download a Start button add-on. Nothing entire movie on such a small device – I go
would be dirtier than a toilet seat. is being foisted on you. You choose whether home where there are larger screens and
Yuck! Lisa Blanden you want to use the new features.” hard drives on which to access content.”
43% 3D printing
0-5 Not so long ago the thought of
printing out physical objects was
37% an extraordinary idea. Today, even
6-10 supermarkets such as Asda are
getting in on the act, pointed out
14% Dragon_Heart.
11-20 “Shoppers will soon be able to
have 3D versions of any object, up
2% to the size of a family car, printed at
21-30 Walmart and Asda stores. However,
the object will be scaled down to an
3% 8in figure,” he quoted.
More than 30 Join the discussion in Speakers
Corner at tinyurl.com/m7e4L4s.
1%
Don’t know chub_tor Finally, I can return from
Asda, open my hands, and say: “Look,
honey, I shrunk the kids!”
“In te rm s of va lu e ,
it’s pa id fo r itse lf”
.
ultancy
Andrew, Marum Cons s customer
es
BT Infinity for busin
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BT line or similar and a fibre compatible router such as the BT Business Hub provided with Infinity. Not all lines in an Infinity-enabled area can support the service. £30 a month is based on BT Infinity for
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NEWS
CHRIS
MARTIN
Apple lAunches ipAd Air & ipAd mini with retinA displAy
The big iPad gets smaller, thinner and faster; the mini iPad gets more pixels and a 128GB option
Apple has unveiled a brand-new iPad model, 16GB Wi-Fi plus 3G/4G, with storage options The iPad mini ups its screen resolution
the iPad Air, and added to the iPad mini up to 128GB. The iPad 2 remains on sale at from 1024x768 pixels to 2048x1536 pixels,
a Retina screen and an A7 processor. £329 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only version. while keeping the same 7.9in (diagonal)
The iPad Air is significantly thinner than screen size. That ups the mini’s pixel
its already-skinny predecessor, plus iPad mini with Retina display density from 163ppi to 326ppi.
it receives a bit of a speed bump. Apple also introduced a new generation The mini gets some upgrades on the
The new model is 20 percent thinner of the iPad mini. Its marquee feature: inside, too, including Apple’s 64-bit A7
than the fourth-generation model, and a high-resolution Retina Display. processor. Apple claims this processor
183g lighter (weighing just 469g). While makes the Retina iPad mini up to four times
it has the same 9.7in Retina display as its as fast as its predecessor for processor-
predecessor, the bezel around that screen intensive tasks, and up to eight times faster
is 43 percent thinner. for graphics-intensive ones. The mini also
Inside that slimmed-down chassis rests features Apple’s M7 motion co-processor,
the 64-bit A7 chip and M7 co-processor. and it gains the same upgraded Wi-Fi
Apple says these processors provide twice connectivity and camera improvements
the CPU- and graphics performance of the as the iPad Air.
previous model, while retaining a 10-hour The iPad mini with Retina Display will be
battery life. Other new features include available in silver/white or space grey/black
faster 802.11n Wi-Fi with MIMO, expanded in late November. The Wi-Fi versions will
LTE networks, improved FaceTime and cost £50 more than their predecessors, at
iSight cameras, and dual-mics. £319 with 16GB of storage, £399 for 32GB,
Both Wi-Fi and LTE models of the iPad £479 for 64GB and £559 for 128GB – a first
Air will start shipping on 1 November in in that capacity for the iPad mini. Cellular
silver/white and space grey/black colour versions add £100 to the mini’s price.
choices. In the UK they’ll cost the same as Apple will continue to sell the original
the iPad models they replace: the iPad Air iPad mini at £249 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only
starts at £399 for 16GB Wi-Fi and £499 for model and £349 for the cellular version.
Scheme allows customers to buy goods from eBay and collect them from Argos
eBay has announced a deal that will allow customers
to collect items purchased via the site from a local
Argos high-street store.
The auction site has partnered with high-street
retailer Argos to offer customers a click-and-collect
service. The pilot scheme will see shoppers able to
Argos announces buy goods from eBay and then pick them up from
£99 Android tablet one of 150 participating Argos stores.
Argos has announced is Initially 50 sellers will participate in the scheme.
own-brand tablet, called the eBay said the service will be fast, free and local. It
MyTablet, to rival Tesco’s £119 will combat missed deliveries and the need to collect
Hudl. The 7in device features items from the Post Office or reschedule delivery.
8GB of storage and runs “This new way to shop – with different online
Google’s Android Jelly Bean merchants and collection at convenient locations –
4.2.2 OS. It also comes preloaded could create immense opportunities for sellers,” eBay Now is also coming to Europe, a service
with 19 free games and apps. said Devin Wenig, president of eBay Marketplaces. that allows you to buy an item on eBay and get a
Read our comparison of the two The UK rollout will be mirrored around the world. local store to deliver to you within an hour.
at tinyurl.com/qdwL96p. Argos’ managing director John Walden said: There is a risk that the service may eat into
MORE: tinyurl.com/o3x58o4 “Click & Collect is growing quickly, and it may some of Argos’ own collection-service sales, which
eventually surpass delivery.” is why Click & Collect requires trialling. J
Western Digital, WD and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries; My Cloud and absolutely are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
in the U.S. and other countries. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Picture shown may vary from actual product.
© 2013 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
regular basis. In an age in which celebrity (hashtag), which had traditionally been used
culture has reached new extremes, Twitter in IRC chat clients. The idea quickly spread
offers fans a personal insight into the lives of and turned an ever-changing group of
the famous, plus the chance that they might unrelated tweets into single-subject streams,
even interact with the stars themselves. unleashing the true potential of Twitter as
Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) is a long- a news service. In subsequent years the
term and particularly avid Twitter user who hashtag #egypt would bring the struggle of
brought the site to a wider audience in 2009 the country’s people against a repressive
after he found himself stuck in a lift. He government to international attention, while
tweeted about it from inside of the elevator #japan collected tweets about the tragic
and received replies from his thousands (now Japanese Earthquake. Marketing companies
millions) of followers. Fry posted a photo of have also used hashtags to run online
himself and his fellow captives, which was campaigns, television shows enable audience
circulated by the major press outlets and participation in the same way, while activists
helped publicise Twitter to the mainstream. such as the Occupy Movement have brought
Today the site has become the social site their causes to the fore by the simple
of choice for professional athletes, writers, addition of the # symbol.
actors, musicians, politicians and leading Recently Twitter announced a deal to
figures in the tech industry: Bill Gates show in-game highlights (accompanied by
(@billgates) regularly uses his account to sponsored ads) for the NFL, which mirrors
promote the work of the Bill and Melinda earlier agreements with the NBA and
Gates Foundation; Apple CEO Tim Cook ESPN. These form part of Twitter’s Amplify
(@tim_cook) began tweeting on the day strategy, which targets the collective viewing
the iPhone 5s launched; his holiness Pope behaviour of its users. Given that 95 percent
Francis (@pontifex) recently took to Twitter of online conversations during live events
to bring spiritual wisdom to a platform over- occur on Twitter (according to a recent study
run with the thoughts of Premiership football by Bluefin), this is no surprise. How these
players and Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus). Of deals are implemented without disrupting
course, if you prefer words from the heavens the flow of a news feed remains to be seen.
to have a scientific edge, you could always There’s also the issue of trolling and
follow Curiosity, NASA’s Mars Rover aggressive threats, particularly toward
(@marscuriosity) – it shares details of the women, that have grabbed the headlines in
Martian landscape that it now calls home. the past few months. Politician Stella Creasy
To think of Twitter as nothing more (@stellacreasy) and feminist campaigner
than a celebrity fan site would be missing Caroline Criado-Perez (account now deleted)
the real strength of the medium, however. received rape- and death threats for their
First and foremost the service is about entirely reasonable view that a woman
communication: ideas, causes, jokes, should appear on a UK bank note. Arrests
disputes, and how did that person manage to have been made, but such incidents can
survive another week on the X Factor when make shareholders twitchy: their investment
the other contestant was evidently better? might be publicly attached to high-profile
The real genius behind it all is the scandal. Whether this would trigger calls
restricted length of each post. On Facebook for censorship by those who would want to
or Google+ you are free to wax lyrical about protect their stock value is questionable,
whatever is on your mind, quoting sources but the possibility exists and would be a
of inspiration and even inserting the odd worrying road to start down.
photograph or 20. On Twitter you need to In the short space of seven years
cut to the chase. This makes it very different, Twitter has gone from “a short burst of
and allows users the freedom to quickly inconsequential information”, as described
Since its launch in July 2006 Twitter share something and move on. There’s little by co-founder Jack Dorsey, to a rich source
has become one of the most important chance of being caught in the of news,
social networks in the world. Alongside the notorious time-hogging fashion opinion and
inevitable tweets about food and cats, the that the larger social-media global shared
site has also been responsible for breaking sites offer; here you dip in and experiences. It
major news stories and enabling political out, quipping here, discussing has proved that
protests, and is now frequently used on live there, always moving at speed. sometimes less
television shows for audiences to share their In 2007, while trying to really is more.
comments. Facebook might appear to be organise a conference via Twitter, What Twitter will
the dominant entity in the social space, with Chris Messina stumbled across be a decade from
more than twice as many users as Twitter, a single character that would now is anyone’s guess,
but somehow those 140-character messages dramatically affect the way so we’ll just have to
have claimed a higher visibility in society. people would go on to use the keep our fingers crossed
Perhaps one reason for the huge interest service. In an attempt to group and hope that money doesn’t
in Twitter is its unusually high number of together tweets related to the make a total mess of one of the best
famous users, many of whom tweet on a conference he suggested the prefix # things in technology right now. J
Windows Phone may not have great The Surface 2 starts at £359. That from the original Surface Pro it will be the
third-party support, but it does portable puts it in the mid-rank of tablets. It’s too best portable power PC you’ll ever own.
connectivity well. RT can’t even help you expensive because the hardware is no A device on which you can run any
check your email on your commute. better than, say, a Nexus or Tesco Hudl Windows program with performance that
tablet, and it doesn’t offer access to either you would expect from a £700 PC or
It should be cheaper Google Play or iTunes and the App Store. laptop. With a keyboard and display it
Kudos to Microsoft for recognising in could easily be your home- and/or office
its pricing that Surface 2 will not be a It’s not the Surface Pro 2 PC. And presuming that the battery life
challenger to the best Android and iPad The Surface Pro 2 will set you back at is up to snuff, it could also be your daily
tablets with their rich app- and media least £719 inc VAT, but in my view is travelling companion.
support, or the best Windows tablets with worth looking at. It has all the benefits of At half the price the Surface 2 will have
their access to proper software. But even Surface 2 and those of a full Windows PC. almost none of the usefulness, and that
at this price it’s not cheap enough. Indeed, if the performance has improved makes it worth next to nothing. J
P
ushed by a desire to showcase These might sound like fanciful dreams, While TV makers are currently
their expertise to the world, but consider what happened last time promoting 4K or Ultra HD sets, which
some of the country’s biggest Japan hosted the Olympic Games: in offer four times the level of detail of
companies are now targeting 2020 for the 1964, the country undertook a massive current HDTVs, Japan’s national public
deployment of new technologies that could infrastructure program that included broadcaster NHK is close to beginning
revolutionise mobile telecommunications, building the famous Shinkansen bullet trial service of a system with 16 times
consumer electronics, automobiles and train, numerous subway lines in Tokyo, the level of detail. Super Hi-Vision or 8K
even the way people watch the Olympic an expressway system through the city technology has been under development
Games on television. and hotels and facilities for visitors. for years, with test transmissions due
At the Ceatec 2013 electronics expo Back then, technology wasn’t nearly as to begin in 2016.
in Japan companies outlined their plans pervasive as it is today, but the 1964 By 2020, NHK hopes it will be able
for smartphones that transmit data 100 games were the first to be broadcast to cover the Olympic Games using this
times faster than today, TV pictures with overseas via satellite and in colour. system. 8K received a limited trial at
16 times as much detail as current HD, In 2020, the Olympic Games might last year’s London Olympics, where NHK
and cars that drive themselves. again serve to push forward TV tech. and the BBC produced several hours of
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■ Free domain (.com, .net, .org, raise be to iOS 7, one of the great iOS 7’s looks serve a practical purpose
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and the first ‘bet the company’ the screen furniture out of a sense of
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Monthly Traffic, E-mail Accounts Apple didn’t need to reimagine its elements were no longer needed, and were
and MySQL Databases immensely popular OS for iPhone and iPad; obscuring rather than aiding clarity.
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are far more likely to move to iOS than vice distractions from the screen and focused on
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PERFORMANCE APPS user-friendliness and tight integration with that should make it easier to use your iDevice.
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■ Expert support for all enquiries iOS 7 – the handy inclusion of Control Centre, close to the final edition, but Apple did
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■ Premium software included: enhancements, iOS 7 looks utterly different slightly thicker fonts, after testers reported
Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS5.5 to iOS 6. And not everyone likes change. that they couldn’t read text easily.
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■ Maximum availability with geo-redundancy something else: hence the tale of the qwerty iOS 8 will look more like iOS 7 than iOS 6
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To get the most out of iOS 7 you need most likely it will offer a range of tweaks to
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E
very year, the IBC (International
Broadcast Conference) in
Amsterdam brings together tech BT captured the Saracens versus
Gloucester Aviva League rugby
makers, broadcasters, TV programme and
match in London using three 4K
filmmakers, and offers a different view of UHDTV Sony cameras and mixers...
the future of TV and film than a consumer-
focused show such as CES or IFA.
Those exhibitions let you know what TV
set and set-top-box manufacturers want to
sell to you in the future, but IBC shows what
the broadcasters and programme/filmmakers
are buying into. And that’s probably a more
accurate view of the future – without readily
available content, hyped formats such as
4K offer nothing more than tech demos of
beautiful landscapes.
4K is real
Fortunately for those 4K TV makers,
UltraHD television (UHDTV) is becoming
a reality. IBC 2013 witnessed the first time
a full multicamera production of a sports
event was captured in 4K UHDTV and To make the transmission possible, BT Sony Professional Solutions Europe. “It will
transmitted live internationally via satellite captured the Saracens versus Gloucester help broadcasters understand the product
and fibre-based cable (like that offered to Aviva League rugby match in London using and, when audiences see it – perhaps at
homes by Virgin and BT). three 4K UHDTV Sony cameras and mixers. public venues – it will begin to generate
Encoders and receivers demand,” he said.
from Ericsson encoded
and decoded the four 4K makes HDTV viewing better
feeds in real time. 4K capture is already being used by sports
Sony is throwing broadcasters to provide new viewing
its full weight behind experiences within HD broadcasts. For
UHDTV. It showed an example, broadcast tech developer EVS was
array of 4K-compatible touting its 4K zoom system for replays. This
cameras, displays – allows operators to zoom in on part of the
both consumer TVs and action quicker while maintaining quality.
professional monitors – So, if a goal is scored out of nowhere, the
and back-end hardware operator can go back to a wide shot and
for broadcasters, as zoom in on what happens for the replay
well as 4K footage without it becoming blurry.
from this summer’s The drive to 4K and above stood out
FIFA Confederations for documentary film editor and director
Cup in Brazil in all its Andrew Chastney. “You simply can’t get
eye-popping colour away from how stunning these images can
and glory. be, on the right screen and with the right
The company also subject matter of course,” he said. “I think
announced at IBC that, there will be some careful thinking about film
in partnership with craft, too. You might get the wrong audience
HBS and FIFA, it would reaction if you use too many big close-ups.”
record the World Cup Outside the 4K bubble, advancements
Final 2014 in 4K. were also demonstrated in the field of
The move by FIFA high-dynamic range (HDR) video.
...Encoders and receivers from is a big first step for Similar in premise to HDR photography
Ericsson encoded and decoded UltraHD, said Katsunori – and capable of the same beauty when used
the four feeds in real time Yamanouchi, VP of subtly and garishness when pushed too far –
Sony’s broadcast arm, HDR video records multiple versions of
the same shot at different exposures, re-adjust sharpness and to change the an eagle for a nature film, the INCA
which are then combined to create a shot camera angles and depth of field. system might be used in sports broadcasts
with a much deeper depth of contrast than Fraunhofer was also showing its Dialogue to allow you to lay into the curves with
standard footage. Enhancement technology to allow you to a motorcylist, jump over rises with
We saw two separate methods of individually adjust the volume of dialogue, a mountain biker or ‘run’ past other
extending the dynamic range of a scene music or sound effects within a single competitors in athletics.
from researchers Fraunhofer (a wide-ranging broadcast program. It uses an encoder that
research group best known for its work on provides information to your television set or A fix for rubbish HD
the MP3 encoding format). One was based on set-top box about the different components High-resolution HDR content is wonderful,
a single camera by sampling pixels in carious of the audio, such as a commentator’s voice but it might seem a ridiculous thing to
ways to get differently exposed results. The and the atmosphere of a sports stadium. discuss if you’re currently tolerating some
other used an array of 16 individual cameras On a suitably equipped device, the user of the highly compressed streams currently
with different neutral density filters in front is then able to independently adjust the being passed off as HD by some broadcasters
of the lens, with the signal stitched together volume of the dialogue from the overall and web-based TV/film services.
by an algorithm into a single HDR image. volume. Devices that are not capable of We went in search of better solutions
Fraunhofer also created a buzz by decoding the additional information will for this, and found it in the arcane, acronym-
demonstrating the same 4x4 array of play back the mixed audio signal. If you are strewn world of codec development.
cameras being used to capture footage that put off by grunts and squeals of Women’s Some developers were showing solutions
you could decide where to focus later – in Tennis championships, as the IBC demo was using the accurately named High-Efficiency
essence a video version of the Lytro still showing, this may be just the thing for you. Video Coding (HEVC), which is also known
camera we were hyped about but ultimately Another quirky technology on show as H.265 as it offers half the bitrate of the
disappointed by over the summer. at the conference was INCA, an Android- H.264 standard used by the likes of YouTube
This implementation estimates a depth powered image-processing system built and Apple. In simple terms, this means you
value for every pixel recorded by the into mini cameras that can measure can download twice as many pixels on the
cameras; after the recording is made, the acceleration, temperature and atmospheric same bandwidth, resulting in much better
filmmaker is able to virtually ‘drive’ around a pressure in real time. Demonstrated at quality – or, at least, nowhere near as rubbish
person or an object, to retrospectively IBC in the form of a mounted camera on as what you might have now. J
Apple iMac
All-in-one PC
Apple’s new iMac looks the same as the previous model, but
there are several upgrades under the bonnet. Both 21.5- and
27in models run Intel Haswell processors and Iris Pro graphics
as standard. They also boast next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi
More New Products online: and 50 percent faster PCIe flash storage.
tinyurl.com/gadgetspca From £1,149 inc VAT
apple.com/uk
Dell XPS 13
Ultrabook
Dell’s revised XPS 13 laptop offers a sleek combination
of aluminium and carbon-fibre. Despite its 13in full-HD
IPS screen, the Dell has the form-factor of an 11in laptop.
Various specifications are available, including the
possibility of an Intel fourth-generation Core i7 processor.
Price TBC
dell.co.uk
Tesco Hudl
Tablet
Tablets have become so popular that now even supermarkets are making
their own. Tesco’s tablet is known as the Hudl and comes with a reasonable
specification, given its tiny price. Highlights include a 1440x900 7in IPS screen
and a microSD slot. Clubcard vouchers are worth double their value when used
to purchase the Hudl. See our reviews section for more (page 32).
£119 inc VAT
tesco.com
Sonos Play:1
Wireless speaker
Wireless hi-fi equipment tends to be rather pricey, but the Play:1
is Sonos’ cheapest speaker to date – and the smallest, too. Sound
is provided by a forward-facing tweeter and a mid-range driver,
each with a Class-D amplifier. Buy two to create a stereo pair and
for a limited time Sonos will bundle a free Bridge.
£169 inc VAT
sonos.com
HP Chromebook 11
Laptop
New to the Chrome OS laptop family is HP’s Chromebook 11.
The laptop weighs just over 1kg and charges via a standard
USB charger. Specs include an 11.6in (1366x768) screen and
a dual-core Exynos processor.
£229 inc VAT
hp.com/uk
Roku 3
Media streamer
Making its way to the UK following its
US launch is the Roku 3 media streamer,
compatible with services such as Netflix.
The latest model has a new design,
faster processor and a headphone jack
on the remote for private listening.
£99 inc VAT
roku.com
Whatever your budget, we have a fast, resilient solution to suit your business needs.
Gioteck RC-5
Gaming chair
The RC-5 gaming chair for Gioteck works
with Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. A 2.1 stereo
sound system combined with built-in
rumble feedback provides an immersive
experience. The RC-5 folds up for easier
storage and transportation.
£149 inc VAT
gioteck.com
Benefits
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Sony Xperia Z1 47
42 43 44
ANDREW
HARRISON
I
t was just over a year ago that we first got excited about
the prospect of gigabit-speed wireless networking. And then
had our high hopes quickly dashed after finding the familiar
marketing baloney that overstates wireless speeds.
To recap, router makers print the sync-rate- rather than the
data-transfer speed on the box. There are other technical reasons,
but some would suggest that any company which promises 300Mb/s
throughput via 802.11n 2.4GHz is seriously overdue a visit from
the Trading Standards officer. I couldn’t possibly comment.
As we see in so many other aspects of the PC industry – over
promise, under deliver – the latest 802.11ac protocol is also victim
to the same false advertising. Understand this, and the second
generation of 802.11ac routers we test this issue don’t look so bad.
Some companies have perhaps wisely stopped making ludicrous
claims for ‘gigabit wireless’ and instead reverted to ‘three times Is this because the protocol remains in draft form? Unlikely. After
faster than 802.11n’, which is about right. And let’s just accept that all, that didn’t stop 802.11n, which spent its first five years in draft
around 450Mb/s real-world speed is nice to have – especially when form, achieving widespread use.
that kind of speed can be maintained at a distance where 802.11n The slow rollout of 802.11ac is also because, for most people,
would have us waltzing around the room looking for signal. the current wireless standard is good enough. In the same way that
Yet client devices – all our laptops, mobile phones and tablets, people won’t upgrade ageing PCs that still mostly do what they’re
with the exception of the HTC One and Apple MacBooks – are still told, there’s less compulsion to jump to the next wireless bandwagon.
resolutely stuck at 802.11n, more than a year after the first 802.11ac Read more about what’s possible with today’s best wireless
wireless routers appeared on the high street. routers in our group test on page 66.
TEST CENTRE
Verdict
If you’re looking for a lightweight
tablet, then look elsewhere. Dell’s
XPS 12 is primarily intended as a
powerful working laptop, and its
fourth-generation Haswell processor
provides performance and battery
life that could justify the high price.
Tablet mode isn’t entirely successful,
but it’s a nice bonus that you can
use to relax when you finish work at
the end of the day. J Cliff Joseph
Laptop
Verdict
the Vaio Fit 15 is a powerful and
versatile 15in laptop, but small
details such as the limited
battery life and viewing
angles on the screen mean
that it doesn’t reach the standard
you’d expect for a laptop in this
price range. J Cliff Joseph
LAPTOP
LAPTOP
LAPTOP
LAPTOP
LAPTOP
SMall FORM-FaCTOR PC
TaBleT
£119 inc VAT Tesco Hudl
Contact Tesco has launched the Hudl, Despite the budget price, the The 1.5GHz quad-core a9
n tesco.com which is aimed at anyone who Hudl has a reasonable specification. processor copes well with its job.
Read more doesn’t yet own a tablet. That’s The 7in screen matches that of Navigation around the operating
n tinyurl.com/mxhxvuk one of the reasons it’s priced at the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire, but system is nippy if not lightning fast,
£119, undercutting Google’s Nexus has been designed to be used in while web browsing and gaming is
Specification 7 (tinyurl.com/m9hnr8q) by £30. landscape mode – you can still use reasonable but nothing more.
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean; Clubcard Boost allows Tesco portrait if you wish. The resolution The Hudl scores 1583 in
1.5GHz quad-core A9 Clubcard vouchers to be used is also decent for a low-cost tablet, Geekbench 2, which is a little more
processor; 16GB storage; for double value, so you can get and at 1440x900 is higher than than the original Nexus 7. It’s only
1GB RAM; 7in (1440x900) the tablet even cheaper than its the original iPad mini. Viewing one frame off the considerably more
IPS display; Bluetooth 4.0; already budget price tag. angles are good, too. The display is, expensive Galaxy Note 8 (tinyurl.
193x129x9.9mm; 370g The Hudl feels nice in the hand however, occasionally unresponsive com/nn5yrsd) in GlBenchmark 2.5
and its soft touch plastic casing and in general we needed to set – it managed 17fps. In SunSpider 1.0,
Build:
comes in four colours: black, blue, brightness to the maximum setting. the Hudl scores a middling 1397ms.
Features:
red and purple. It’s a little chunkier The Hudl comes with 16GB RaM, android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean is
Performance: and heavier than the Nexus 7 at however, a microSD card lets you almost vanilla, but Tesco has added
Value: 9.9mm and 370g, but isn’t unwieldy. add up to 32GB more, which is a few of its own applications.
It’s also well built for a cheap tablet, another plus point when compared Preloaded widgets give first time
with a solid construction. to Google’s and amazon’s devices. users a helping hand and other
EDUCATIONAL COMPUTER
things such as Clubcard status at To go with these is a Micro HDMI General battery life will depend
a glance. These can, of course be port to get those films and TV shows on how often you use the device. If
removed if they are of no use to you. on to your TV. Importantly, there’s you pick it up occasionally to check
Alongside the regular navigation full access to Google Play Store, so your Facebook account, then it
buttons, there’s a T button, which the Hudl has one up on Amazon’s will give you a few days’ worth of
is a shortcut to Tesco Kindle Fire range of budget tablets. use. We’d like some kind of power
services including With Jelly Bean onboard, users management, though, so that Wi-Fi
Blinkbox and Clubcard can create multiple accounts, could be automatically switched off
TV. They are meaning the Hudl will suit families with the screen.
both streaming who want to share the tablet. .
services, but Tesco says the Hudl can provide Verdict
Blinkbox offers up to nine hours of video playback, The Tesco Hudl is a budget tablet
up-to-date depending on the settings. During with a nice design and good build
content to buy testing, we set the brightness to quality. Key specifications are
or rent, while maximum and streamed a 30-minute better than the price suggests, and
Clubcard TV BBC iPlayer programme over Wi-Fi. the microSD card slot and Micro
allows free This used just under 10 percent of HDMI port are two reasons to opt
but fewer and the battery, so it will last around five for it over Google’s and Amazon’s
older content. hours if you only watch video. alternatives. J Chris Martin
PRocessoR
PHABLET
SMARTPHoNe
SMARTPHoNe
23in MONITOR
27in MONITOR
£453 inc VAT Philips 272P4
Contact Aimed at professional users, this picture-in-picture and side-by-side and calibrate the display from your
n philips.co.uk 27in ‘Quad-HD’ display from Philips multi-input display. Windows desktop, without having
Read more also incorporates many features that The screen has a matt anti-glare to use the fiddly onscreen menus.
n tinyurl.com/qxx22qc will appeal to home users interested coating, which we found easier to (These can also be accessed via
in graphical arts or photography. work with than glossy displays that a row of invisible touch-sensitive
Specification Featuring a high-quality PLS can cause distracting reflections. controls.) A power switch is located
2560x1440; 16:9; PLS panel; display panel with a 2560x1440- Above the screen sits a 2Mp behind the right side of the monitor.
matt coating; 16.7M million pixel resolution, the 272P4 offers webcam with an integral microphone The PLS technology used in the
colours; white LED consistent colour with wide viewing and, for the paranoid, an LED 272P4 is Samsung’s take on IPS,
backlight; height/pivot/ angles and nearly 78 percent more indicator noting when it’s recording. which features in most of the high-
swivel/tilt; 300cd/m2; pixels than a standard HD monitor. At the bottom of the screen a quality displays currently available.
639x580x242mm; 8.5kg The 272P4 includes a fully ‘people sensor’ detects when you It provides wide 178-degree viewing
height-adjustable stand, which also are present and dims the display angles and consistent colour. The
Build:
pivots 90 degrees. It incorporates as you move away from your desk. latter was borne out in our tests.
Features:
a three-port USB 3.0 hub, a raft The bezel also incorporates a pair of We recorded 99 percent
Performance: of inputs, including a pair of HDMI stereo speakers for multimedia use. coverage of sRGB and a maximum
Value: connectors, DVI Dual-Link and The monitor comes with Philips’ checkerboard contrast ratio of
DisplayPort. You can also connect SmartControl Premium software, 530:1. Screen uniformity is also very
more than one port at a time for which enables you to configure good in terms of both colour and
23.6in MONITOR
colour accuracy is very good, with feature set reflects this. We have
most results in the 48-colour swatch no complaints about picture quality,
test measuring well below 1DeltaE. and its ergonomic features are
This is a bright display, which first-class. There are less-expensive
we tested at up to 264cd/m2 – just 27in displays available with a similar
a little shy of its rated 300cd/m2 level of image quality and pixel
brightness. Nevertheless, power resolution, but much of the price of
consumption remained relatively this display goes toward its extra
low at 37W, reducing to 25W with features and adjustable stand.
the brightness set to 120cd/m2. This
was recorded without any of the Verdict
LG’s power-saving features enabled, The 272P4 is a premium-quality
brightness, with an even response which should reduce the power display with great performance.
measured across the surface of the consumption further still. It’s possible to pay much less for
screen. A small amount of black- Overall, we are impressed with a decent 27in display, but you’ll
light bleed was visible at the very the Philips 272P4. While it’s not miss out on many of its advanced
bottom of the screen, but only exactly the best-looking display features, such as a height-adjustable
when displaying a black image in for home use, it’s aimed more at stand with pivot and built-in USB 3.0
a relatively dimly lit room. Overall professional applications and its connectivity. J Paul Monckton
WIRELESS ROUTER
POWERLINE ADAPTOR
£90 inc VAT Netgear Powerline 500 WiFi Access Point
Contact The Netgear XWNB5201 is a to offering 500Mb/s. You can The third test was performed
n netgear.co.uk powerline adaptor kit rated for realistically expect 40- to 100Mb/s. between two adjacent rooms with
Read more 500Mb/s operation. The two We tested both the Netgear’s no extension cables. Under these
n tinyurl.com/nxzsgon adaptors – one is used near your powerline-to-ethernet and conditions the unit achieved a
router, and the other in a remote powerline-to-Wi-Fi options to get transfer speed of 47Mb/s.
Specification room – are small when compared a good grasp on its performance. These speeds are the slowest
Two units: XWN5001 to units from Devolo and TP-Link, First we tested the powerline we have recorded from a powerline
(remote end) and XAV5201 which means there’s no power space adaptor using an ethernet adaptor rated at 500Mb/s, if only
(router end); HomePlug AV for a passthrough socket. Each unit connection. The first and most around 10Mb/s below the similarly
IEEE 1901; 500Mb/s rating, therefore removes an available challenging setup involved testing slow competition. In terms of raw
10/100 ethernet; 2.4GHz mains power socket from use. the bandwidth of the unit when speed, the Netgear does not deliver
802.11n; 2-year warranty The unit itself is a neutral white connected across the building’s the best performance on the market.
colour. Combined with its small size, wiring between two rooms on the Netgear is clearly aware that the
Build:
the Netgear will be barely noticeable same floor, with a 4m extension speed of HomePlugAV powerline
Features:
in most rooms. The adaptors feel cable used in each room. networking will never approach
Performance: well built, solid and functional. The Netgear achieved 42Mb/s 500Mb/s, given that it has installed
Value: Many adaptors on the market throughput. We tried again with only only 10/100 ethernet ports. Even
follow the HomePlug AV500 one extension cable, which resulted if powerline technology was as
standard, and none is even close in a speed of 50Mb/s. quick as is promised, it would be
POWERLINE ADAPTOR
£60 inc VAT TP-Link AV500+ Gigabit Powerline Adaptor Starter Kit
Contact Wi-Fi has been widely adopted for What
tp-link.com home networking, but ethernet distinguishes
Read more connections still offer better range, these Powerline
tinyurl.com/khplLnv reliability and security. Powerline adaptors from
adaptors offer a slightly different their rivals is their
Specification approach, allowing you to use ease of setup or,
Powerline network kit; your building’s electrical wiring more accurately,
1x gigabit ethernet port; as a circuit for carrying a network lack of setup.
mains power signal. You plug powerline boxes Simply plug the
passthrough; AES-128 into different rooms in the house, units into power
encryption; 126x64x42mm allowing you to extend the range sockets, connect
of your home network. the ethernet
TP-Link rates its twin powerline cables and you’re
adaptors for speeds up to 500Mb/s. done. The devices
The ethernet ports on each unit are quickly take care
gigabit ethernet, which means any of managing the
data bottleneck you’ll experience connection over
will be from the powerline standard the power lines and so to the router directly into the mains. This setup
itself or your electrical wiring. and computer they believe they are saw a data rate of 75Mb/s, matching
A welcome feature that was directly connected via ethernet. the Devolo on performance.
missing from early Powerline units In our first performance test In our final test we plugged
is a passthrough mains socket. This we placed one adaptor next to the in each of the units in adjacent
allows you to plug the adaptor into router, connected via ethernet. A 4m rooms with no extension cords.
a power socket, and continue to extension cable was added between This resulted in a transfer speed
use that plug for other electrical it and the wall socket. The second of 85Mb/s, meaning its best
equipment. If you have a limited adaptor was placed in another room performance was just 17 percent
number of sockets in your home and connected via another 4m of that advertised.
this will be useful. extension cable.
The TP-Link units feature In this setup the TP-Link kit Verdict
a power-saving mode that the recorded a transfer speed of This TP-Link kit can be found for a
Build:
company claims can reduce 63Mb/s. This is faster than the relatively low price of £60, and its
consumption by up to 85 percent. Devolo DLAN 500A powerline kit setup is purely plug and play. It’s a
Features:
In appearance the adaptors are (reviewed at tinyurl.com/kc2r6j2), little faster than the Devolo DLAN
Performance: smart and unobtrusive. Their white which recorded 40Mb/s under the 500AV under identical conditions,
Value: face helps them to blend into the same conditions. if still only a fraction of what
room, while three LEDs provide We then discarded the extension TP-Link advertises for the product.
status information. cable and plugged the second unit J John Taylor
To test the Wi-Fi speed of the unit wall blocks the signal. In this setup
we connected the Netgear directly the Netgear’s bandwidth fell to a
to a router and measured the data miserable 19Mb/s. However, this is
throughput to a laptop placed in on par with other mid-range 2.4GHz
three different locations. Wi-Fi routers we’ve tested in the
In the first test the laptop was 1m same location.
from the router. Here it produced a
data throughput of 93Mb/s. This is Verdict
relatively good compared to many The Netgear Powerline 500 WiFi
2.4GHz 802.11n connections. Access Point is one of the slowest
Next the laptop was placed at 500Mb/s-rated powerline adaptors
5m distance in line of sight from we have tested. Note that its
the adaptor. We recorded a data ethernet ports are rated 10/100 and
impossible to get a transfer speed throughput of 56Mb/s. This is not gigabit. But don’t count it out
higher than 100Mb/s over the by no means fast, but it is an just yet: this underachieving pair
Netgear’s ethernet connection. acceptable figure for 2.4GHz. comprises a complete two-part kit
But, in its favour, this Netgear unit Finally the laptop was placed with a Wi-Fi access point for just
is priced considerably lower than 10m away in an occluded position £90, which is much cheaper than
many of its rivals. around a corner where a concrete rival products. J John Taylor
H
aving a smartphone or a tablet avoid prying eyes – friends or otherwise. You
is like carrying around a portable simply install the free Android app, set up a
computer and, as such, they are at passcode, then toggle on or off the sliders in
risk from security threats. With millions of the list of installed apps. AppLock can also
users around the world, it’s no wonder these prevent others from installing or uninstalling
always-connected device are being targeted. apps, force-stopping the app and answering
Here are some great apps that can keep incoming calls. A premium version of
your device free of malware by preventing AppLock (59p/month or £1.95/year) includes
you from downloading dodgy apps or extra features such as the ability to lock
browsing malicious sites. Some can even apps in a given location or at a certain time,
help out if your lose your precious gadget. set up profiles and more.
eNTeRTAINMeNT APP
Blinkbox
Owned by Tesco, Blinkbox is a film-
and TV streaming service with a
Free difference. Instead of charging a
monthly fee and letting you stream
Contact whatever you like, you pay only
n blinkbox.com for what you watch. You can buy
Read more content to watch as many times
n tinyurl.com/oaeaxdt as you like or rent it instead.
The app is limited to the iPad
System requirements and selected Android tablets, but Blinkbox will collect Tesco customers The iPad app also doesn’t allow
iPad with iOS 5.0 or you can also watch on other devices one Clubcard point. you to purchase content. It is in
later; 32.1MB storage such as games consoles, Smart TVs The selection is good and you’ll essence a video player and only
Android 4.0 or later and set-top boxes. find new releases here before they able to show and play your library.
(selected tablets); Blinkbox is very nicely designed arrive on Netflix and LoveFilm.
7.6MB storage and has an easy-to-use interface You’ll need a Wi-Fi connection to Verdict
for exploring the available content. stream, but you can browse content If it’s available for your device,
Since you’re buying the content using mobile data. Blinkbox is a good-looking and
to keep or rent, the pricing is critical. You can’t download content easy-to-use app that’s well worth
Much of the content is standard- for offline viewing, which is a big the download. However, you can buy
price for rental: £3.49 for a film and omission for purchased content, only standard-definition content,
£1.89 for a TV episode. It is worth but the app does support video the iPad app shows only previously
shopping around, though, as rivals output to a larger display. purchased content, and you can’t
such as Google Play will often offer We find it strange that the app download films and TV programmes
a better deal. doesn’t give the option to purchase for offline viewing. The ability to buy
Buying an entire TV series will HD versions of a TV series or film. or rent content on a pay-as-you-go
cost you close to £20 in standard- However, if you purchase via a basis makes it much easier to shop
definition, and £25 in HD. It’s worth console or PC the HD content will around for the best prices.
noting that every pound spent on show up in your library in the app. J Chris Martin
GAMe
Toca Builders
Toca Builders is aimed at five- to
11-year-olds, and is in essence a
£1.99 (iOS), simpler version of the popular
99p (Android) adult game Minecraft. It’s based
on children’s coloured blocks, of
Contact which you have a limitless supply
n tocaboca.com and can place them anywhere you
Read more like – even in mid-air.
n tinyurl.com/kjoobmw The app is available for iPhone
and iPad, Android and Amazon
System requirements devices. Although it works with both
iOS 5.0 or later; 28.7MB phones and tablets, we found the
storage; Android 4.0.3 or latter’s larger screen less fiddly.
later; 20MB storage The included level gives you
some inspiration for creating your
own design from a blank canvas.
You can place blocks on the grid,
change their colour and paint the
ground. There’s also a crane that
can move blocks from one place to pick up without needing an adult Verdict
another, and some of the builders to show them how. Since there are Available at a reasonable price,
will automatically smash blocks few limitations, most kids will be Toca Builders offers kids the chance
in their path – something our occupied for a good while before to have some fun and get creative
five-year-old tester Annabel found they get bored of the app and start within a charming and colourful
particularly satisfying. looking for something else to do. world. It might be rather basic, but
That’s pretty much all there is to Happily there are no third-party this simple and addictive game for
it but, as with all Toca Boca games, advertising or in-app purchases kids is a no-brainer for the price.
Toca Builders is easy for kids to within the game. J Jim Martin
GAME
Windows 8.1
It’s been nine months since Windows
Free (upgrade) 8 was launched, but the radical
£99 inc VAT redesign remains a source of
frustration for many. Fundamentally,
Contact nothing has changed in 8.1 – there’s
microsoft.com/uk still the desktop and separate
Read more Modern UI, and two versions
tinyurl.com/pb274ep of Internet Explorer. It’s best to
think of the update as a series of
System requirements refinements, rather than any major
1GHz or faster processor, changes, backtracks or retreats.
with support for PAE, NX One feature that will be seen as On the START SCREEN, clicking a desktop program’s shortcut opens it
and SSE2; 1GB (32-bit) or a U-turn is the return of the Start
2GB RAM (64-bit); 16GB button, though, it’s just a shortcut
(32-bit) or 20GB drive to the modern Start screen. Here which contain this phrase, plus web reasons to go to the old Control
space (64-bit); Microsoft you can click on a shortcut to an links and a map. Panel. However, these are still pared
DirectX 9 graphics device application and it will launch on Clicking particular results will down and you’ll probably find that
with WDDM driver the desktop. You could, of course, launch the relevant Modern UI app, the Control Panel is still necessary
do this in Windows 8, but now desktop app or web browser. As the for advanced settings.
the experience can be made less results are provided by Microsoft One addition under the Network
jarring by setting your desktop Bing, it could provide a much- heading is Workplace. When you
wallpaper to be the background needed boost for that search engine. bring your Windows 8 device
on the modern Start screen. The original Photos app was one to work, this will let you join a
There are a couple of subtle of Microsoft’s better creations, but corporate network without the need
changes to the Start screen, too. it lacked one key ingredient: editing. for a separate user account that’s
One is a downward-pointing arrow That’s remedied with a new editor joined to the company ‘domain’.
which, when you swipe down or click that lets you apply quick fixes, Combined with another new feature,
Usability:
on it, displays all your apps. It’s also remove red-eye, crop, rotate and Work Folders, you can sync work
Features: easier to customise groups of icons even more advanced adjustments documents to your laptop or tablet.
Value: on the Start screen, and there are such as colour correction. You can Windows 8.1 also provides more
two new icon sizes: large and small. undo your changes step by step, scope for customisation. You can
Right-click the Start button and and choose whether to save a copy choose from a variety of hues for
you’ll get the ‘power user’ menu that or overwrite the original photo. the Start screen and select a photo
was present in Windows 8. However, We’ve never been tempted to slideshow on your Lock screen. More
a new entry is Shut down, which lets use the built-in Mail app. It looked importantly, there’s a new tab called
you use the old-style menu options clean and fresh, but had extremely Navigation when you right-click on
to power down, restart or put the basic features. Windows 8.1 has a the desktop Taskbar and choose
computer in to sleep mode. bunch of features that should give it Properties. This contains options
Although it was previously a power boost. In the left-hand pane that address some of the biggest
possible to have two apps onscreen are shortcuts to your inbox, a VIP- complaints about Windows 8.
at once, one had to occupy a thin style inbox containing emails from One is the new ability to boot
strip at the side. Microsoft now your favourite contacts, flagged straight to the desktop, bypassing
allows two apps to have half of the messages and other inbox folders. the Start screen. Another lets you
screen each, though, you can drag You’ll be able to manage force the Start screen to show on
the divider line to, say, give one app email from multiple accounts your main display when you have
three quarters of the screen. and Microsoft is working to get more than one monitor. Before,
Search has changed, too. information from Google Calendar the Start screen would appear
Where previously the system-wide as well. Other new features include seemingly on any screen. The final
search facility defaulted to searching options to keep only the most recent option is to show desktop apps
for Apps (and you had to click on version of a newsletter you regularly before Modern UI apps on the Apps
other categories such as Files or receive, and deleting all messages list when sorted by category. It
Settings if you weren’t searching from a particular sender. sounds like a minor feature, but it
for an app), it now sensibly searches Windows Store has been given makes a considerable difference if
everywhere, including the internet. a small facelift, and is all the better you predominantly use the desktop.
The results you see will be for it. Navigation has been improved
dependent on what you search for, by putting the list of categories in Verdict
but searching for Madonna would the app bar (visible when you right- Windows 8.1 is a fast, stable OS that
produce a Wikipedia link, a list of click) instead of forcing you to scroll can be used just like Windows 7
tracks to preview, videos, photos, endlessly through them all. on a PC or laptop. It takes a bit of
news stories, and more. A search for More settings have found their adjustment living without the old
PC Advisor, meanwhile, results in a way into the Modern UI settings Start menu, but little has changed in
list of Word and Excel documents ‘app’, and there are now fewer most other respects. J Jim Martin
PHOTO-EDITING SOFTWARE
MULTIMEDIA SUITE
Trace mode detects what’s installed machine, it found 3.2GB of junk files,
and what changes are made to your a worthwhile reclamation.
system, and can be used when you There’s also a useful option
want to remove a traced program. called Windows tools, which groups
Revo also automatically creates a together all the housekeeping tools
restore point before uninstalling an provided by Microsoft.
application, so if you need to reverse
the process you can do so without Verdict
reinstalling from scratch. Looking at Revo Uninstaller Pro 3 as
Uninstalling isn’t the only thing just a more thorough uninstallation
Revo does. Its Tools menu includes tool is missing the point. It’s more
nine other options, which will help like a clean-up tool with special
Once a program has intelligent enough not to remove you clean up different areas of abilities in uninstallation. It’s easy
been removed revo items such as dlls, that are shared your PC. They include an Autorun to use and from our tests removes
UninStaller Pro with programs that remain installed. Manager that handles startup a lot more than the uninstallers of
3 scans the Registry Revo does a pretty good job of applications, and a Junk Files individual applications do. The other
uninstalling software from cold, Cleaner, which looks for fragments tools are all just as useful and the
but works better if it’s available and temporary files that the system overall suite should help keep your
when you install a new application – should have deleted. On our test PC tidy. J Simon Williams
GAME
Verdict
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs risks
being over-familiar, both in terms of
horror movie staples and similarity
to the last Amnesia game, but deft
use of leftfield scares and sharp,
atmospheric writing and sound
means it accomplishes what it sets
out to do. Which is to destroy your
peace of mind. J Alec Meer
*Line rental at £17 per month applies. An activation fee of £25 may apply depending on which package
you subscribe to. Prices exclude VAT. Terms and conditions apply, please see the website for further details
**Applies when selecting an Unlimited Fibre & Phone Package
B
ehind its bland engineering designation, 802.11ac wireless
networking has the potential for a revolution in computing
technology. Dubbed gigabit Wi-Fi by some marketing
departments, it promises a substantial leap forward in just about
every aspect of wireless data transfers, providing better reliability,
range and faster speeds. Consequently, it should allow more
bandwidth-heavy tasks to be simultaneously carried out at distance,
without having to resort to old-fashioned ethernet cables.
Once fully ratified the 802.11ac specification should deliver
a major boost to key aspects of the previous 802.11n standard.
It will do this with a variety of new techniques, such as an increase
in channel bandwidth from 20- or 40MHz to 80MHz, modulation
(QAM) from 64 to 256, and an increase in the maximum number
of spatial streams from 802.11n’s three to eight.
It works only on the 5GHz frequency band, which is currently
less troubled by interference from other routers and electronic
devices that use the traditional 2.4GHz band. Optional features of
802.11n, such as beamforming, will become standard and should
work more effectively than before, with clients able to direct
wireless streams from the router.
The result can be a mathematical maximum sync rate of 1.3Gb/s.
Real data-transfer speeds will be lower, as best-case coding rate
will be 5/6 of that figure.
But this technology is in the early stages. The 802.11ac
specification is still in draft form, with ratification expected in early
2014. Until then there is no certainty of full compatibility between
devices. And that’s one reason why only a handful of laptops,
smartphones and tablets currently support the standard, despite
802.11ac wireless routers appearing over a year ago.
If you want to get a glimpse of 802.11ac’s potential today, you’ll
need to find a compatible wireless router, and one of the few mobile
devices that support it, such as the Apple MacBook Air or HTC One.
Or you could try a wireless USB dongle, although these will limit
performance – either by limitations with USB 2.0, or even with
USB 3.0 thanks to their single aerial. To get even halfway close
to the ‘gigabit’ speed requires a three-antennae setup.
We’ve tested the routers using Apple kit for the simple reason
that there are precious few Windows PCs with built-in 802.11ac.
As with other transitions in 802.11 wireless standards, 802.11ac
routers should be backward-compatible with older wireless devices
using 802.11n. This is hugely important: there are billions of mobile
devices that rely on the 802.11n wireless protocol.
While you can pick up a perfectly functional 802.11n router for
less than £100, even the cheapest 802.11ac models cost more. In
time, every mobile device will likely incorporate this technology.
We’ve taken six 802.11ac routers sold with a pre-ratification
specification and tested their real-world data-transfer rates, using
both 802.11ac and 802.11n at short- and long range.
Bear in mind that none of these routers here have built-in ADSL
modems, so they are best suited to those with cable broadband.
Otherwise, you’ll need to buy a separate ADSL modem that plugs
into the router’s WAN port.
Build Build
Features Features
Performance Performance
Value Value
Overall Overall
VERDICT: The AirPort Extreme is one of the more expensive routers VERDICT: With record-breaking 802.11ac results and advanced setup
here, although we can swallow Apple’s £169 price, given that 802.11ac options, Asus deserves recommendation for power users. Although
routers are typically more expensive than 802.11n models. The we wouldn’t buy an Asus router just for the AiCloud feature, it’s far
AirPort Extreme offers the best experience in many ways, although from useless, and another string to the bow of the Wireless-AC1900,
the lack of some advanced features might put off power users. an excellent networking product.
Build Build
Features Features
Performance Performance
Value Value
Overall Overall
VERDICT: We were disappointed with the performance of the AirStation VERDICT: The D-Link’s poor 802.11ac test results are disappointing
Extreme in its current form, since it’s otherwise a great router, with because the DIR-868L is otherwise a solid wireless router. We are
some excellent software tools not found on many other products. very keen on the cylindrical design, even ignoring its practical uses,
Buffalo has promised future fixes and firmware updates, so we hope and the router’s performance over 802.11n was one of the best
performance will improve soon. recorded in this group.
Build Build
Features Features
Performance Performance
Value Value
Overall Overall
The PC Advisor mobile site is specially optimised for your mobile phone,
whether it’s a Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony, BlackBerry or iPhone.
mobile.pcadvisor.co.uk
Mobile filler_mj.indd 71 24/10/2013 09:01
Group test: 802.11ac wireless routers
How we test
We test wireless routers through wired to the router under test, and
a combination of performance tests the MacBook as the client. Tests
and evaluation of their features, were performed at close- (1m) and
stability, design and build, and their long range (10m), using channels
ease of use. untrafficked by other networks.
To test 802.11n wireless speed, Several runs were made, from which
we used an Apple MacBook Pro we derived an average speed.
laptop equipped with a best- For 802.11ac testing the server/
specification Broadcom 3x3:3 client units were reversed in order
transmit/receive front end. The that we could use the 2013 Apple
802.11n protocol allows for either iMac’s 802.11ac wireless chipset.
one, two or three spatial streams, Subjective testing included
providing nominal maximum speeds appraising the build quality,
of 150-, 300- and 450Mb/s. materials used, and the style
For measuring real-world and design.
throughput we used the zPerf Ease of use was judged in the
bandwidth tool running on OS X, initial setup procedure and the
with an iMac as the server, ethernet- advanced options.
Model name AirPort Extreme (6th gen) Wireless-AC1900 AirStation Extreme AC 1750
Radio bands 2.4- & 5GHz, simultaneous 2.4- & 5GHz, simultaneous 2.4- & 5GHz, simultaneous
USB 1x USB 2.0 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0
Other Internal power supply, cooling fan TurboQAM, AiCloud Norton Connect Firewall, Torrent client
PERfORMANCE
Power consumption 6W 9W 5W
Conclusion
802.11ac performance comes nowhere near to the claims of NBG6716 wasn’t bad, we became frustrated with its interface.
networking companies. Gigabit Wi-Fi is a misnomer; much less the Buffalo’s AirStation Extreme and D-Link’s DIR-868L fell short of the
claim of 1300Mb/s. You can expect no more than half that in use. mark with some odd test results, although the DIR-868L did provide
Many networking companies are all too eager to splash these the best overall 802.11n performance.
theoretical speeds over product packaging. Some will even add Choosing which 802.11ac router to buy today depends on some
together the 802.11n and 802.11ac speeds and claim their routers key factors. The TP-Link offers great value, but its interface might
can offer 1750Mb/s. This is nonsense. put off anyone who isn’t especially technical.
On the other hand, 802.11ac real-world speeds are substantially For Mac users, the AirPort Extreme is a worthy addition to your
faster than what can be achieved with 802.11n, and the drop-off in home network. It’s powerful, and incredibly easy to administer. The
performance at range is significantly reduced. advanced features it lacks may put off certain buyers, but we suspect
Some routers in our test delivered inconsistent performance, not too many people will need to change their MAC address that
which may be a consequence of the specification remaining in draft regularly, for instance. We did find that the AirPort Utility software,
form, with some aspects not yet fully implemented. We’re hopeful like iTunes, is not as good on Windows as it is on OS X.
that future 802.11ac routers will deliver more reliable performance. The 802.11ac performance champion is the Asus Wireless-AC1900.
It’s important to note that while a router’s 802.11ac performance We loved its powerful interface and full range of features. Its only
is interesting, it is 802.11n that will be in use for some time. caveat is lower 802.11n performance than we expected, although
Three models stood out in our round-up: Apple’s AirPort Extreme, Asus has assured us that a forthcoming firmware update will
Asus’ Wireless AC-1900 and TP-Link’s Archer C7. While Zyxel’s specifically address this area. J
2.4- & 5GHz, simultaneous 2.4- & 5GHz, simultaneous 2.4- & 5GHz, simultaneous
Broadcom BRCM 4708 & BCRM 4360 Qualcomm Atheros QCA9558 & QCA9880 Qualcomm Atheros AR9558
8W 5W 5W
Internet
securIty
suItes
There are dozens of security products out there, so which do you choose?
Simon Williams cherrypicks the six best-performing products to reveal the
ultimate malware protection for your Windows PC in 2014
I
t may not be the most exciting embracing suite, with extras such as online
of subjects, but internet security backup, PC tune-up and identity protection.
software is essential for keeping Running in parallel with this three-tier
your PC secure from online threats. approach is support for devices other than
We use results from German testing PCs, including Android devices. (Apple’s
house AV-Test.org in our security software strict app policy means iOS devices are
reviews. The lab has just released its latest significantly less likely to be targeted
batch of results from 26 antivirus vendors, by malware.) The mobile apps are often
including AhnLab, Avast, AVG (both free available for free. Some suites might
and paid-for versions), Avira, Bitdefender, add Mac antivirus software, too.
BullGuard, Check Point, Comodo, Eset, It’s likely that we’ll continue to see the
F-Secure, G Data, K7TotalSecurity, Kaspersky, extension of internet security products
Kingsoft, McAfee, Microsoft, Microworld, into areas such as online backup. Pairing
Norman, Panda, Qihoo, Symantec, Tencent, malware protection and data backup is
ThreatTrack, Trend Micro and Webroot. sensible, given that an infection can cause
Turn to page 78 to see how well each suite you to lose important files.
performed in AV-Test’s lab. As more and more people own multiple
But it isn’t just about the numbers. computers, three- and five-device licences
We’ve taken the six highest-rated products are becoming commonplace. All the prices
and assessed their feature sets, usability we’ve given here cover three-PC licences,
and system impact to come up with our with the exception of Qihoo’s free suite,
own ratings, looking to find the best overall which offers unlimited licences.
package for keeping your PC safe. It’s handy to be able to buy or renew
Security vendors typically offer three your security cover in a single transaction.
levels of protection for Windows PCs. There Symantec has extended this idea within its
is often a basic antivirus, perhaps with a Norton products, so you can manage your
firewall thrown in, usually available for free. licences online and transfer remaining cover
Then there’s the internet security package, from one device to another. This is useful
which typically adds anti-spam and parental if you upgrade one of your devices and
control. Top of the range will be an all- sell on the old one.
Usability Usability
Features Features
Value Value
Overall Overall
Usability Usability
Features Features
Value Value
Overall Overall
Usability Usability
Features Features
Value N/A Value
Overall Overall
How we test
Antivirus software is first and foremost about preventing malware
infection on your Windows PC. It should also be adept at remedying
existing problems, cleanly removing viruses, Trojans and rootkits
that are already installed.
But it cannot be too trigger-happy and stop legitimate programs
running, nor annoy you unnecessarily with false alarms. And all the
while it’s operating in the background it should not cause noticeable
slowdown of the computer.
To help us evaluate these aspects of the software, we based our
group test of six products on lab-test results from AV-Test.org, which
indicate the antivirus software that may be the most effective at
detecting and preventing Windows infections.
Over the months of July and August 2013, AV-Test evaluated
26 consumer antivirus products, from which we’ve selected the best
six as judged by the lab’s overall scoring system in three categories
of protection, performance and usability. All software detailed in
these pages scored at least 15.5 out of 18 points. Familiar names that
were tested but did not make the grade include Avast, AVG, Avira,
BullGuard, Eset, McAfee, Microsoft, Panda, Trend Micro and Webroot. indicating how it performed only at the time of testing – in this case
AV-Test used a computer running Windows 7 SP1 64-bit to record over a few weeks in summer 2013. As the various antivirus vendors
how well security software defended the PC against existing malware continually update definitions, so their products will return different
through signature matching, and new malware using behavioural results in the same tests, while the test lab’s sample database is
analysis. It also examined how well the software cleaned infections also in continual flux.
after malware has infected Windows.
Speed tests
Blocking of real-world attacks: AV-Test pits each software package System performance impact: Some products can seriously hamper
against live malware samples, and determines whether the software system performance. AV-Test runs each suite through a series of tests
can fully or even partially block each malware example. to discover how much it slows common PC tasks, such as starting
This test is an indicator of how capable a security suite will be at up and shutting down the machine, copying and downloading files,
blocking brand-new malware that hasn’t yet been formally logged. opening files, installing software and opening web pages.
This is also known as zero-day malware – not to be confused with
zero-day exploits, used by government agencies and cybercriminals Scan-speed tests: The scan-speed tests show how quickly a suite can
to remotely access people’s computers through design flaws in check 4.5GB of data for malware. AV-Test checks the performance of
popular operating systems and software. both the ‘on-demand’ scanner (which runs when you manually initiate
The most dangerous and increasingly widespread type of a scan) and the ‘on-access’ scanner that is always running in the
malware is zero-day. This is tried-and-tested malware whose code background, checking every file you open or save.
has just been subtly tweaked by its developer to avoid the traditional
signature-based detection. Design and usability
Once AV-Test has finished its assessment, we install each product to
Malware zoo: Each product faces a collection of thousands of find out how easy it is to use. We take into account each product’s
malware samples from the past four months. This test is an indicator interface, evaluating ease of set up and use through its main control
of how well a security product will be able to block known malware. panel and settings screens.
False positives: AV-Test checks to see whether a security software In addition to AV-Test’s performance test, we also measure the
product mistakenly flags any of 250,000 known safe files as being impact of installed antivirus software on the PC, by copying the
potentially dangerous. same 50GB directory of assorted files on our test PC. We then note
the difference in time between an active scan (on-demand) running;
System disinfection/remediation: This test determines how well background (on-access) scanning; and with no antivirus installed.
antivirus software can detect, disable and fully purge active malware All other aspects of internet security suite software are not
infections on a test PC. independently tested. This includes the efficacy of firewalls,
Remember that the results garnered from evaluating the parental control filters, ‘anti-theft’ protection, spam filtering,
efficacy of all antivirus software is really just a snapshot in time, backup and encryption features.
Conclusion
As always, when choosing a piece of software to install on your PC, if you want malware protection and aren’t too bothered about the
you shouldn’t go just by the performance figures. What appears on extras. It’s pretty quick, thorough and has a delightfully clear and
paper to be the best buy can be less than ideal when you come to simple interface. It’s also free, of course, and bettered both its
use the program in the real world. main free rivals, AVG and Avast, in AV-Test’s benchmarks.
By starting with these six players in the internet security field, But if you want the best in security protection you still need to
judged the best on test in September 2013 by evaluation lab AV-Test, pay for your software. Bitdefender dropped only one point under
we know that the numbers were good on all these candidates. test, contains all the key protection modules, including online
The Recommended winner is perhaps an unusual choice, but storage, tune-up and online banking protection, and does it all
Qihoo 360 Internet Security 4.3 has a huge amount going for it without endless interruption. A worthy winner of our Best Buy. J
AhnLAb AvAst AvG AvG AvirA bit- buLL- CheCk Comodo eset f-seCure G dAtA
(free) (PAid) defender GuArd Point
Protection
1.5 5.5 4.5 5 3.5 6 6 2 6 5 6 6
score (/6)
Performance
3.5 3 4.5 4.5 3.5 5.5 3.5 3 5 2 4.5 4.5
score (/6)
Usability score
5 6 5.5 5.5 5 6 5.5 6 4 6 5.5 5.5
(/6)
Total score
10 14.5 14.5 15 12 17.5 15 11 15 13 16 16
(/18)
AV-Test
certification
No of devices 3 3 3
Antivirus
Anti-malware
Anti-spam
Firewall
Parental control
PC tune-up
Non-Windows support Android, Mac (available separately) Android, Mac (included) Android (included)
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What happens to
data when you die?
Mike Bedford investigates the fate of online assets after their owner passes away
Facebook
I
t might be something that many
of us prefer to keep at the back We asked Facebook what happens to an
of our minds, but there are times online presence when the account holder
when we need to give some thought to what dies and were told two options are available:
happens after we die. Even when we do the account can either be deleted or
consider our mortality, though, the fate of memorialised. Facebook describes the latter
our online property is something that often option as such: “In the memorialised state,
gets overlooked. sensitive information such as status updates
Much of this property has sentimental and contact information is removed from
value – for example, emails, photographs the profile, while privacy settings on the
and documents stored in the cloud, plus our account are changed so that only confirmed,
presence on social-media sites – but it can existing friends can see the profile or locate
also have financial value. Either way, you it in Facebook’s internal search engine. The
probably don’t want it simply to evaporate. wall remains so friends and family – who are
Succession law is somewhat vague about already friends with the profile – can leave
some types of online property. Unless you’ve posts in remembrance. When memorialised,
shared your passwords, your relatives or the no-one can log into the profile.”
beneficiaries of your will may be unable to Deletion or memorialisation of a Facebook
access your online assets. account requires proof of death. This action
Here we look at what the law says, how may be requested only by someone who can
the big companies that administer our online prove that they have the authority to act on
assets interpret that law, and what you can behalf of the deceased.
do to ensure that your wishes are met. Facebook maintains an archive of every
account, which contains a copy of everything
The law that has been uploaded to it. The account
To understand the legal situation we spoke to holder is able to download this archive, but
solicitor Ian Bond (@IanBondTEP), a partner a relative or someone holding a grant of
at Higgs & Sons and member of the Law probate would be denied access since this
Society’s Wills & Equity Committee. According would breach Facebook’s privacy policy.
to English and Welsh law, Bond said: “It is the While Facebook allows verified relatives
duty of a personal representative to collect to memorialise the account, they can see
the real and personal estate of the deceased only the information that the deceased chose
and administer it according to law. If the to share with them. Facebook said it would
deceased had digital assets, the personal not be appropriate for them to download
representatives have a duty to protect those that person’s private messages because no
assets and collect them for the beneficiaries.” permission had been given. The company
Later in this article we’ll see how this would not tell us whether they would respect
applies to online assets that have financial someone’s wishes had they bequeathed their
value but, to start, we’ll look at online online assets in their will.
property that is primarily of sentimental Facebook takes the privacy of deceased
value. Here, things are rarely as simple as account holders very seriously. In a recent
Bond’s initial statement might suggest. high-profile case, the parents of a 15-year-
“Digital assets are mostly stored on old boy who had committed suicide hoped
shared servers; the service providers may that by accessing his Facebook account
be based in a different country to their they would be able to better understand
users, and they may store data on servers why he had taken his life. Facebook fought
in many countries, making it unclear which all attempts to gain access, even after the
country’s laws would apply,” said Bond. parents had obtained a court order.
To clarify, he gave an example: “Just
because a user with a Facebook or Twitter Twitter
account dies in London, it doesn’t mean that In the event of the death of a Twitter user,
English law will apply in dealing with those the social-media firm will work with a person
digital assets. In the absence of clarity on authorised to act on behalf of the estate, or
<< With expert which country’s laws apply, how a digital a verified family member of the deceased,
legal advice from service provider deals with an asset following to have an account deactivated.
Ian Bond, a partner the death of the user becomes a matter for However, Twitter’s policy on providing
at Higgs & Sons the provider’s terms of use. access to an account following the death
“No uniformity exists so, in reality, each of the holder is similar to that of Facebook.
digital service provider sits in final judgment “For privacy reasons we are not able to
when it comes to deciding the fate of the provide access to a deceased user’s account,
digital assets,” added Bond. regardless of a person’s relationship to the
In view of this ambiguous situation, deceased,” it said.
we approached some of the most likely The company was not forthcoming when
companies that you’ll have entrusted we asked whether it would permit access
with your online assets. in the event that provision for someone to
Google
Google offers a plethora of online services,
including Gmail (email), Picasa (photo hosting
and sharing), Google+ (social networking)
and Google Drive (document hosting). Given
that these services are accessed via a single
account, a similar policy applies to all.
The bottom line is that there are no hard
and fast rules; each case is taken on merit,
so there might be scope for an authorised
person to gain access to the online assets of
a deceased account holder.
Google would not respond to our requests
for clarification. As such, it is not possible GOOGLE authorises access to
to judge whether all online material is the online accounts of a deceased
considered to be equally confidential or, for holder on a case-by-case basis
example, Google might grant access to photo
albums, but not to more sensitive information
such as that contained in emails. in paying for a music track you are simply Another problem with passing on your
It’s pertinent to point out that Google obtaining a licence to listen to that audio, passwords now is that you may forget to tell
offers an Inactive Account Manager service, and this licence is not transferable. them when you change that password, having
through which an email notification can be This might sound like a change in policy followed the advice of security experts and
sent to a trusted friend or family member in when compared to music stored on physical doing so on a regular basis.
the event of an account being inactive for a media, such as CDs or LPs, but Apple says A solution to the problem of multiple
certain amount of time. The mail contains a not. In fact, the same rule applies here, and passwords is to use a password-management
link to download certain content, as defined the only difference is that online distribution utility such as KeePass or 1Password, which
by the account holder. provides a means by which the conditions of stores all your passwords in an encrypted file
the licence can be enforced. on your PC, or to list them in an encrypted
Online assets with financial value While we can’t disagree with the legal Word document, making sure you update the
As we turn our attention to online property situation, we’d have to say that the onset document each time you change a password.
with financial value, the legal situation is of online purchasing does seem to have Then, depending on whether you’re happy for
much clearer. “Some assets, for example an ushered in a newfound determination to someone to have access to your passwords
online bank account, can be dealt with in enforce that law. After all, we don’t hear while you’re still alive, you have two options:
the same way as traditionally held assets. a lot about high-profile raids on secondhand either you give someone the password for
Retail websites or gambling sites with an record shops and record fairs. your password utility or Word document, or
outstanding credit in favour of the deceased you provide the information to your solicitor
are also simple to value and administer in Managing your online property with the instruction to make it available to a
accordance with the law,” Bond said. Any expectation that your online property named person in the event of your death.
You might think the same would apply will become available to your family or Dealing with a deceased person’s estate
to property you’ve bought that is stored other beneficiary after your death would can be a lengthy process. Bearing in mind
online. The most obvious examples of such be misplaced unless you take precautions that this will also be a period of considerable
are music tracks and books bought on iTunes beforehand. An obvious solution is to inform distress, handling a relative’s online property
or a similar content store. Unfortunately, your relatives of your various passwords, but is a job that might not be addressed for
according to Apple, such property dies with that opens the possibility that your accounts some considerable time after their death.
the person who bought it. This is because may be accessed while you are still alive. A final aspect to consider, therefore, is how
long someone can wait before their relative’s
accounts, and all their associated data, is
deleted due to lack of activity.
We reasonably expected that this
information would be written into the terms
and conditions of each service; this isn’t
always the case. While Twitter said that
accounts may be deleted after six months
of inactivity, neither Facebook nor Google
would tell us how long a dormant account
would remain active.
iTUNES purchases die with the
account holder, who has in effect So, if you’re sorting out the affairs of
only rented that content a loved one who has passed away, don’t
wait too long before attending to their
online property. J
How Kickstarter is
changing the world
Martyn Casserly explains how crowdfunding sites are bringing amazing
new products to the marketplace
C
rowdfunding is quietly changing the know how unfavourable this approach can be, on the website, while those who invest
world. Websites such as Kickstarter with large percentages of your business being heavily in a film or novel might have
and IndieGoGo are offering taken by the money men. a character named after them in the final
inventors, artists and developers the ability The internet is changing this. Kickstarter version. The best part is that this enables
to fund their projects in a way that up until allows entrepreneurs to go to the general the artists to retain complete ownership
now was almost impossible. public, outline their project in a video, and of the product, while investors still benefit
The secret resides in the simple idea of then ask those interested to invest anything from their own munificence.
giving creators a chance to pitch to their from £5 to £5,000, depending on how much Trust is paramount when it comes to
intended audience rather than to the CEOs they support the idea. money and the internet, so Kickstarter has
of large corporations. Traditionally, if you But this isn’t just a fundraising initiative, instituted a system that protects both the
wanted your product made you needed to as the creators offer various enticements creators and the investors. A project has
raise the capital to build it yourself, usually to their potential patrons. Those who just a set amount of time to raise its funds,
achieved by securing funds from investors. If want to support the project with a small usually around 30 days, and must have
you’ve ever seen ‘Dragons’ Den’ then you’ll donation might receive a public thank you a specific financial target.
Oculus Rift
Virtual-reality headsets have
been around a long time. Some
of us might remember back in
the 90s donning huge, heavy units
and attempting to fly a plane without
toppling headfirst on to the arcade floor.
They didn’t exactly set the world on fire.
The Oculus Rift, however, is another
matter entirely. Designed by Palmer Luckey,
the Rift is a lightweight virtual-reality headset
5 ways to keep
Got a limited data plan? No problem. Sarah Jacobsson Purewal offers
some simple tricks that can help you cut back on data usage
is a lightweight browser that compresses DOWNLOAD OVER WI-FI Settings, Wireless and network, Data usage
websites before sending them to your device. Configure Google Play to and tap the settings button to toggle Auto
download large app updates
If you don’t mind text-only browsing, TextOnly sync data on and off.
only over Wi-Fi
(Android) and Text Browser (iOS) are Another way to limit background data
extremely lightweight browsers: they show usage is to restrict background data for
only the readable text on a web page. connected accounts on services such as
Dropbox, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and
Block ads Twitter. To do so, go to Settings, Accounts
Mobile ads aren’t just annoying, they’re also and tap the account you want to limit. On
data hogs. Each ad you see in an app, game this screen you’ll be able to choose what
or on a web page must download from an to sync (or not to sync) and how often;
external server, which means you’re using for example, you can elect to sync your
data. Thankfully, you have a few different Facebook calendar, contacts or pictures
ways to banish ads from your mobile device. at different intervals.
The simplest way to eliminate ads from an iOS users can combat background data
app or game is to purchase the ‘Pro’ or full usage by turning off push mail and push
version of said app or game. It allows you to notifications. To turn off push mail, or to
support the app developer, while conserving ensure that your mail app isn’t constantly
your data. Another easy way to block ads in checking for new messages, go to Settings,
apps and games is to use the app or game Mail, Contacts, Calendars and tap ‘Fetch New
in Airplane or Flight mode (if possible). Your Data’. Toggle off the Push switch, and set the
phone can’t reach the servers to download Fetch schedule to Manually. This way, apps
ads in the background without a connection. that do not support push notifications will
If you’d rather block ads the traditional fetch updates only when you open them.
way, you’ll have to get a little hands-on. Yes, you really can make a 500MB data
Google no longer allows ad-blocking apps in plan work. You will have to sacrifice some
the Google Play store, and Apple has never convenience to stay within your data plan’s
allowed ad-blocking apps on iOS. But if you’re or you can choose to prevent certain apps limits, but it’s definitely worth the effort.
willing to root your Android device, an app updating their content in the background. Plus, do you really need to see every ‘Like’
such as AdAway can block ads on both apps It’s also worth checking the apps themselves your latest Instagram post gets as soon as it
and websites. Likewise, if you don’t mind for settings that restrict data to Wi-Fi only. happens? We didn’t think so.
jailbreaking your iPhone, AdBlocker stops Dropbox is just one example that lets you Just remember to disable all the stealthy
ads on websites and in games and apps. choose to sync files only a Wi-Fi connection data hogs described above, and download
is available (and you can also prevent uploads everything you can – whether it’s an app,
Ban background data in the background). an email message, or a website – over Wi-Fi.
This may come as a surprise, but your phone Android users can also restrict If you can do that, stretching your data plan
is constantly eating through data, even background data for individual apps: go to will be a cinch. J
when it’s just sitting in your pocket. That’s
because many apps, including email, social
media and cloud-storage apps, are always
‘checking in’ with a remote server to see
whether any email messages, updates or new
files are ready for downloading (via your data
plan). Thus, you can conserve data usage by
limiting the transfer of background data – the
data that powers notifications.
You have a few different ways to reduce
background data usage on your Android
or iOS device. Both Android and iOS users
should avoid downloading too many apps
that require constant updating, such as stock
tickers, weather apps and news updates.
Android users can limit background data from
the Google Play store by restricting how the
store updates apps. Open the Google Play
store and open Settings, Auto-update apps,
then enable either ‘Do not auto-update apps’
or ‘Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only’. Before
iOS 7, users didn’t need to worry about
auto-updating apps, but it’s now an option;
be sure to disable the ‘Use Mobile Data’
setting in Settings, ‘iTunes & App Store’.
Yet another iOS 7 feature that could push Download your operator’s MOBILE APP to keep
a check on how much it’s billing you for data
you over your data limit is Background App
Refresh. This can be toggled on a global level,
Reclaim your
online privacy
Thinking you’re being watched is no longer a simple case of you being
paranoid. David Bayon shows you how to reclaim your online privacy
T
he documents leaked by NSA Click Select File and choose a location
whistleblower Edward Snowden and a file name for your TrueCrypt container
illustrated the startling reach of (don’t use an existing file name or it will be
the world’s largest intelligence agencies. overwritten by the container). Choose your
We learned that the agencies collaborated encryption and hash algorithm – novices can
with technology companies to make it safely stick to the defaults – then choose the
easier to spy on the public. size of your container and a strong password.
It’s no longer safe to assume anything When prompted, randomly move your mouse
about the security of your data – except that around the TrueCrypt window for at least
you’re not the only one who has access to it. 30 seconds – the longer you move, the
Whether or not you’re on their radar, your stronger the encryption.
activity may be indiscriminately sucked up by To access your container, open TrueCrypt,
intelligence services, who have made it their choose any spare drive letter, select your
right to know what you know. container file from the Volume drop-down
One consequence is that average users menu, then click Mount. Enter your password
are increasingly turning to open-source and the volume will appear in Windows
privacy tools. Much more transparent and Explorer. Drag a file on to this and it will be
often independently audited, they can’t be automatically encrypted and added to the
subverted as easily as a proprietary tool, container; open an encrypted file and it will
making them the best means of retaining temporarily be decrypted in your PC’s RAM.
privacy in your online activities. When you’re done with your container, just
click Dismount and it will disappear.
Encryption There’s lots more you can do from there.
We know the NSA and GCHQ have You could create a hidden volume inside
collaborated with technology companies your standard volume, and you can encrypt a
to install backdoors into security products, partition or OS using similar steps to creating
so it’s reasonably safe to assume proprietary a container. It’s all well documented both in
encryption solutions are compromised. the software and on the TrueCrypt website.
That means no more BitLocker, even
though it’s highly convenient as it comes Web browsing
with some versions of Windows. Instead, Tor is a free and open virtual network that
we recommend you use the open-source bounces communications around the world
TrueCrypt to encrypt your data. to prevent sites from learning your physical
It’s a powerful tool, offering volume-, location. It forms the basis of a range of
partition- and drive encryption, plus the security applications, the most common of
ability to set up hidden volumes or an entire which is the increasingly popular Tor browser.
OS. If you’re compelled to reveal your main It’s based on a modified Firefox release, and
encryption password for whatever reason, a if you follow some simple precautions it will
hidden volume will remain safely encrypted grant you a level of anonymity online.
and undetectable inside the visible volume. To set it up, go to torproject.org and
Think of it as a saferoom within a saferoom. download the Tor Browser Bundle. Run
Download TrueCrypt from truecrypt.org the downloaded file, choose an extraction
and install it on your PC. To set up an location, then open the folder and click ‘Start
encrypted area in which to store your most Tor Browser’. The Vidalia Control Panel will
important files, first launch TrueCrypt, then automatically handle the randomised network
click Create Volume and choose ‘Create an setup and, when Tor is ready, the browser will
encrypted file container’. open; close it to disconnect from the network.
You’ll be offered the option of making a It won’t be browsing as usual, as the Tor
hidden volume, but these must be created browser is necessarily stripped of many of
inside an existing volume, so choose Standard. Firefox’s modern trimmings. Plug-ins, such as
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FEATURE
Do you need
a 64-hbit
smartpone?
Apple has raised the bar with the latest iPhone – a 64-bit device. But do you need
64-bit processing, and is a 64-bit smartphone better than a 32-bit device?
Roland Waddilove investigates
O
ne of the headline features of Apple’s iPhone 5s A few years ago, it wasn’t possible to get 8GB of
is its 64-bit A7 chip, but should we care? Does it RAM in a PC or Mac. Now if you have less than 4GB of
make it noticeably better than the 32-bit iPhone RAM, you’ll find that your computer is sometimes slow
5? Is the 5s twice as good? and unresponsive. This is because it’s running short of
It’s easiest to think of the processor as the heart of memory; these days we are running more and more
a smartphone, or the engine that powers it, and there’s applications simultaneously and like to have scores
no doubt that one day you’ll need a 64-bit handset, but of tabs open in our web browsers. They all require
that day hasn’t come. You might therefore ask why memory space, and there isn’t always enough to go
Apple decided to include the A7. The truth is that around.
it’s more than marketing puff. Apple used a 64-bit Smartphones and tablets aren’t yet struggling
processor to improve performance and to prepare for memory in the same way. Android phones and
for the future. Although there’s still life left in 32-bit tablets typically have 1GB or 2GB of memory, and the
processors, the writing is on the wall. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (for details see tinyurl.com/
m4pvz7d) is one of the few devices with 3GB. Apple’s
Memory matters iOS is more memory efficient, and even though the
These days PCs and Macs, Windows and OS X are all iPhone’s memory has doubled from 512MB in the 4
64-bit. The reason for this is that there are limits to the and 4s to 1GB in the 5 and 5s, it’s well below the 4GB
amount of memory a processor can access. A 64-bit limit imposed by 32-bit processors. There’s plenty of
chip can access 264 memory locations – that’s two room for apps and operating systems to grow, and right
multiplied by itself 64 times. A 32-bit device can use a now a 32-bit chip can address all the memory it needs.
maximum of 4GB of memory, which is one reason why However, as apps and mobile operating systems grow,
computers and their OSes are all 64-bit. there’ll come a day when 4GB of memory isn’t enough
Sync iWork
documents
between iOS
& Windows
T
he iWork suite of apps, which decision to give away its iWork apps for wanted to transfer documents between their
comprises Pages, Numbers and free with all new iOS devices. Mac and iOS devices.
Keynote, is available as a free The iWork suite consists of three However, giving away the iWork suite
download for any iOS device running iOS 7 productivity apps: the Pages word processor, for free means many people who have a
bought and activated on or after 1 September Numbers spreadsheet, and Keynote for Windows PC will now have these apps running
2013. That includes the new iPhone 5s and business presentations. The suite was on their iPhones and iPads, too.
5c, as well as any iPad, iPad mini or fifth-gen originally developed for the Mac to provide If you don’t want to subscribe to Office
iPod touch bought after that date. a low-cost alternative to Microsoft Office, 365, or to purchase rival office suites such
The iOS version of Microsoft Office Mobile and iOS versions of the apps were later as QuickOffice for iOS, then the iWork apps
didn’t get rave reviews when it was released, released costing £6.99 each. could provide a useful option for sharing
especially as it’s available only to those who The iWork apps for iOS are typically documents between your PC and iOS devices.
have an existing subscription to Office 365. slick Apple products, but in the past they’ve The benefit for Apple, of course, is that this is
And we have a sneaking suspicion that this primarily been of interest to Mac users who yet another way of luring Windows users into
might have been one reason behind Apple’s also owned the Mac version of iWork and the Apple ecosystem.
From iOS to PC
Double-click on any document listed in the
Document Manager and it will open in the Once your files have been uploaded they
online version of the relevant app, allowing
you to edit it online. Again, bear in mind that
will appear within the Document Manager
window, and will also be automatically
iPhoto & iMovie
the online apps are still in beta. downloaded on to your iPhone or iPad ready As well as the main iWork suite,
Right-click on a document and you’ll see to use within Pages, Numbers or Keynote. Apple is also making freely available
a pop-up menu that allows you to download This isn’t the ideal way of doing things – its iPhoto and iMovie apps, which
the file to your PC, delete the file altogether, having to log into the iCloud website every provide basic photo- and video-
or email it to a friend or colleague. time you want to transfer a file to or from editing features. The iCloud software
When you download a file, iCloud also your PC is clumsy compared to the automatic for Windows includes a feature called
gives you the option of converting it into synching that takes place on the Mac. One Photo Stream that uses a Wi-Fi
a PDF file or into a suitable Microsoft Office possibility that immediately comes to mind is connection to automatically transfer
format, such as .doc, .xls or .ppt. This allows that you could use other cloud services, such photos taken on an iOS device to the
you to open your iWork files using Microsoft as Dropbox or SkyDrive, to automatically Pictures library on your PC.
Office on your PC and carry on working as transfer files from your PC to your iPhone or If you edit a photo in iPhoto you
you would normally do so. iPad. But, if you edited those files on your iOS can save the edited version and
It’s a similar process when you need to device, you’d still need to log into the iCloud add that to your Photo Stream, too.
transfer files the other way – from your PC to website to download the latest versions back However, Photo Stream doesn’t work
your iOS device. Log into the iCloud website, to your Windows PC. with videos files: Apple provides
then click on Pages, Numbers or Keynote The ideal solution would be for Apple no easy way to transfer original or
to upload word processor documents, to release a Windows version of iWork that edited videos to your PC.
spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations. could sync all your documents for you. That’s As an alternative, iMovie provides
There are two options here: you can not likely to happen, though. If you already options for uploading individual files
use the Upload menu within your web subscribe to Office 365 then it makes sense to Facebook, YouTube and other
browser to select the files you want; or, to continue using Office Mobile on your iOS sites. You can also transfer multiple
if you’ve installed the aforementioned devices. But if you’re still happily using an iMovie video projects on to your PC
iCloud for Internet Explorer plug-in, you older version of Office then the ability to by plugging in your iOS device via
can simply drag and drop files from the edit your documents on your iPad or iPhone USB and then using the Windows
Windows desktop on to your Internet Explorer with Pages, Numbers or Keynote will be Autoplay option to import the files.
browser window to upload them. a very welcome bonus. J
output power and therefore You’ll then be able to shoot using the
need to be carefully matched camera as normal and then connect it to the
to the speakers to ensure that tablet to transfer the images via the cable.
they aren’t overloaded. Alternatively, you may find it easier to
buy a microSD card (with a full-size SD card
TRANSFER PHOTOS adaptor), which you can use in your camera,
LanGuaGe PRefeRenceS
SEARCH THE
DELETE THUMBS.DB FILES PC ADVISOR FREE
ONLINE HELPROOM
will launch the Local Group Policy Editor. SYNCING MOVIES
Navigate to the above policy entry and
double-click it.
Set it to Enabled and click OK. Windows
Q How can I transfer videos from
my iPhone to my Windows laptop?
Photo Stream only syncs photos.
The PC Advisor online Helproom
contains an indispensable
database of answers to common
will stop using thumbs.db files to cache If you use iCloud to back up your iPhone or questions regarding all aspects
thumbnail data. Thumbnails will, however, iPad, videos will be backed up. However, of PC problems. This ranges
still cache correctly, as the thumbs.db there’s no way to access those videos from general Windows issues to
method is there to retain compatibility directly – they are merely restored if you problems with specific apps, and
with some old programs which needed it. ever need to call on the backup. covers all types of PC hardware
If you encounter any problems, you can Photo Stream contains photos, but not and software, including system
re-enable the thumbs.db files by reversing videos. You can either connect your iPhone components and peripherals.
the process above. to your computer with a USB cable, then use Alternatively, you can ask
If disabling the thumbs.db files causes Windows Explorer to browse through the for help from the experts on
incompatibilities for you, then enter the DCIM folder, copying all the videos manually. our online forums. Sign up to
Folder Options from the Appearance and However, you can automate the process be a registered user – which is
Personalization section of the Control with the Dropbox iOS app (free, tinyurl.com/ free – and then browse to one
Panel. In here, select the View tab and turn cel9cre) to upload photos and videos to of the discussion forums. In the
off the option marked ‘Display file icon your Dropbox account. These will then be Helproom your first stop should
on thumbnails’. Click OK and this should synced to your laptop, assuming you’ve be the searchable database of
enable you to delete the folder and any installed Dropbox on that too. Sign up for frequently asked and previously
thumbs.db file within. a free 2GB account at dropbox.com. J answered queries. With more
than 1.5 million forum posts,
you’ll almost certainly find your
CONTACT US answer in this archive of queries
– just enter a few keywords.
If our online database can’t
Email your Helproom questions to limitations of this type of advice, we solve your problem, try posting
[email protected]. Please can’t guarantee what we say will work a question in the Helproom
use ’Helproom’ as the subject header and we can’t accept responsibility for forum, where more than 200
and give your full name, the operating any damage arising as a result. queries are answered every day.
system you’re using and other product Always back up your system before The forum is manned by our
details. We will let you know by email you make any changes, including team of Helproom Angels, who
if your query has been selected for software installations. are ready and willing to lend a
inclusion in these pages. If your query is Please note that we are unable hand with anything from system
urgent, you may find it useful to visit our to respond to letters or telephone crashes to virus alerts.
forum at pcadvisor.co.uk/helproom. requests, but we will endeavour to
Helproom aims to give you the best answer queries submitted by email [email protected]
assistance possible. But, given the or via our Helproom forum. pcadvisor.co.uk/helproom
In the Start menu (or on Windows 8’s start screen), type You might see a message like the one above, showing that
Defender. Windows Defender should appear in the list. Click
2 Defender is turned off and isn’t protecting your computer.
on it to launch the program. If it’s already running and you If so, search for Action Center in the Start menu (or screen if you
see the main window, skip to Step 5. are using Windows 8) and run that.
In Action Center, click the Security tab to check which Once the program has uninstalled, you’ll need to type
3 program is handling spyware and unwanted software
4 Defender again in the Start menu and, if it’s turned off,
protection. To enable Defender in place of another suite such the above message will appear along with a link to turn it on.
as McAfee, use the Control Panel to uninstall that first. Click this to switch on Windows Defender.
Assuming your computer isn’t protected, the Windows When that’s done, you should see a nice green bar showing
5 Defender main window will open on the desktop. Chances
6 that Defender is up to date and protecting your computer.
are, the spyware definitions will be out of date, so now’s the time
to update them. Click the Check for updates now button.
Click the Tools link at the top, and then on Real-time protection As mentioned at the beginning, in versions of Windows prior
7 in the left pane. Check that it’s enabled and then choose
8 to 8, Windows Defender does not scan for viruses, so ensure
options for scanning downloads, attachments and programs that that your computer has some antivirus software installed. Check
run on the computer. We advise enabling all the options here. our antivirus reviews at pcadvisor.co.uk for recommendations. J
Windows’ Disk
Management
Type diskmgmt.msc
into the search box
in Vista or Windows
7 and then click on
Scratch diSk the only result that
appears in the menu
above, with the same
InItIalIse dIsk
Webcam self-portraits
Take photos using your laptop or
desktop PC’s built-in webcam. Jim Martin
explains how to capture and share fun
pictures for free
Most smartphones, tablets and laptops come with a built-in
webcam, but these aren’t useful only for conducting video
chats over Skype or other VoIP services. You can also use
a webcam to take a quick snap – perhaps a self-portrait to
update your Facebook, Twitter or Google+ avatar.
Your laptop might have been preinstalled with software that
is able to use the webcam as a stills camera (search the Start
menu for camera, webcam or the manufacturer’s name to find We’re using Google Chrome here, but you can use any web
an appropriate utility), but you can also use a handy online browser to access Webcam Toy. In your browser of choice
service. In the following workshop we’ll show you how to use head to webcamtoy.com and click the pink ‘Ready? Smile’
webcamtoy.com to take self-portraits from your webcam. button to get started.
Click the ‘Use my camera’ button to grant permission for the You’ll see a live preview from your webcam. Click the cog to
2 site to access your camera. No photos are saved or stored
3 choose options. By default there’s a countdown timer after
online unless you choose to share them. You might see another you click the shutter button.
button asking for permission in your browser’s top or bottom bar.
Using the arrows in the middle you can scroll through Click the camera button to take the photo and, if you like the
4 the available effects, including the obligatory set of
5 shot, click the Save button to immediately download it to your
Instagram-style filters, distortion and mirror effects. PC. Alternatively click any of the social buttons to share the photo.
Internet Explorer
Open Internet Explorer. Click the cog wheel at the top-right and
select Manage add-ons. By default the Toolbars and Extensions tab
is displayed; locate the unwanted toolbar and click the trash icon.
Opera
Open Opera. Click the Opera icon in the top-left corner, then select
Extensions, Manage Extensions. Find and delete any toolbars you
don’t want to use. Be sure to restart the browser for the changes to
take effect.
Babylon makes lots of legitimate translation-software programs, • Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer:
including Babylon 9, as well as language-learning programs. There’s tinyurl.com/k8hezqt
nothing wrong with these programs, but unless you overtly select not
to install the Babylon Search toolbar it will install itself. • Change the default search engine in Firefox: tinyurl.com/d3zo9az
That’s easy to avoid, but Babylon doesn’t stop there. In fact
Babylon’s chief distribution mechanism is via free third-party • Change the default search engine in Google Chrome:
software installs. Whenever you install any software, particularly free tinyurl.com/m4L4nmw
software, closely check
the permissions. You Clear out your
may be giving Babylon cookies
or another search Next you need to
provider such as Delta clear your browser’s
the opportunity to cookies to stop
bury itself deep into Babylon creeping
your PC or laptop. back in. You’ll find
They do this for the this option under the
advertising revenue security settings of
generated via search: each browser.
Google is the world’s biggest seller of advertising,
and other software makers want a slice. Run a virus scan
We’d also suggest running your antivirus software at this stage,
How do I get rid of it? perhaps even installing MalwareBytes AntiMalware to run a
There are several steps to removing Babylon Search, because it secondary scan (it’s free and works well with other security software).
insinuates itself so deeply into Windows. In essence you need to
uninstall the program itself, then remove the plug-in from every Restart your PC
browser you have installed. Finally, you need to change your browser Finally, restart your PC. If, on restart, you find that Babylon Search
settings to remove any changes Babylon Search has made, and then re-emerges, go through all the steps above and then delete and
remove all cookies so that it doesn’t come back. It will take a while. reinstall the browsers. J
We’ll try to cover all browsers and provide general Windows
advice, but you may find some minor differences in your install.
No matter, you should be okay if you follow the basic procedure
outlined above: uninstall the software, remove from browsers,
change browser settings, delete cookies.
Wired
The simplest way to connect your device to your TV or monitor is
with a cable. Some Android tablets have a video output, typically
micro-HDMI, although a cable is rarely included.
If there isn’t an HDMI port you might be able to buy an adaptor.
Many Android devices support HDMI output with a MHL adaptor.
These don’t cost much, but note that the connection is not universal –
make sure the adaptor is compatible with your device.
In a similar way, Apple sells HDMI and VGA adaptors for the
iPhone and iPad in both Lightning and older 30-pin varieties.
You’ll need a separate HDMI or VGA cable and the appropriate
connection on your TV or monitor.
Device compatibility
An ongoing problem with many of the streaming apps is device
compatibility. Sky Go is a prime example: only a handful of Android
devices are supported and the process of adding more is very slow.
On iPhone and iPad things are much simpler as these devices are
prioritised by app developers (one reason it’s worth paying the Apple
premium). If there’s no specific iPad version of an app, for example
Sky Sports Mobile TV, you can always install the iPhone version and
use it zoomed in to fill the screen.
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TEST CENTRE
PC Advisor’s charts rank and rate the best products every month. If you’re looking
to buy the latest and greatest kit, look no further than our 100-plus reviews
All-in-one PCs Business PCs Family PCs Mini PCs Blu-ray drives
Ultraportable
laptops 1
Apple MacBook Air 13in
2 3
Apple MacBook Pro 13in Retina Apple MacBook Air 11in
4
Sony Vaio Pro
5
Samsung Series 7 Ultra
Price £949 inc VAT £1,449 inc VAT £849 inc VAT £1,039 inc VAT £1,000 inc VAT
Website Apple.com/uk Apple.com/uk Apple.com/uk Sony.co.uk Samsung.com/uk
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 1.3GHz Intel Core i5-4250U 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-3230M 1.3GHz Intel Core i3-5250U 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-4500U 1.8GHz Intel i5-3337U
RAM 4GB DDR3L 8GB DDR3L 4GB LPDDR3 4GB DDR3 6GB DDR3
Storage 128GB SSD 256GB SSD 128GB SSD 128GB SSD 128GB SSD
Screen size 13.3in glossy (anti-glare) 13.3in glossy (anti-glare) 11.6in glossy (anti-glare) 13.3in glossy touchscreen 13.3in glossy touch
Screen resolution 1440x900 2560x1600 1366x768 1920x1080 1920x1080
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 5000 Intel HD Graphics 4000 Intel HD Graphics 5000 Intel HD Graphics 4400 AMD Radeon HD 8750M
Video memory N/A N/A N/A N/A 1GB
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 802.11a/b/g/n 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 802.11b/g/n 802.11a/b/g/n
Ethernet Optional Gigabit with adaptor Optional None Gigabit
Bluetooth
USB 2x USB 3.0 2x USB 3.0 2x USB 3.0 2x USB 3.0 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
FireWire
Thunderbolt (2)
DisplayPort
HDMI
DVI
VGA
eSATA
Media card slot
Audio Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic
Optical drive N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Operating system Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit
Bundled software iLife 11 iLife 11 iLife 11 None None
Fear (Max detail) Not tested 29fps Not tested Not tested Not tested
Battery 54Wh lithium-polymer 74Wh lithium-ion 38Wh lithium-polymer Not specified 57Wh lithium-ion
Battery life 12 hrs 57 mins 8 hrs 44 mins 8 hrs 56 mins 6 hrs 20 mins 5 hrs
PC Mark 7 score 4602 4596 4080 4575 4889
Dimensions 325x227x4-17.5mm 313x219x19mm 300x192x17mm 322x216x17.2mm 324x224x19mm
Weight 1.35kg 1.64kg 1.08kg 1.06kg 1.65kg
Warranty 1-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base 2-year return-to-base 2-year return-to-base
Verdict • Haswell processor • Big price cut and • Elegant lightweight design • Strong Haswell processor • Attractive design
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi support slightly more speed • Good performance • Significantly lighter than • Twin-GPUs deliver
• Stunning battery life • Strong performance • Strong on games the MacBook Air impeccable performance
• Unsurpassed build • Fantastic battery life • 11.6in screen rather small • Wi-Fi dongle turns it into • Battery life poor compared
• Good performance • Limited future expansion • Very decent battery life a five-device hotspot to latest Macs
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/KNXWZW3 TINYURL.COM/BQBSHQC TINYURL.COM/K64ZPKB TINYURL.COM/ORTTEBA TINYURL.COM/NV6TOQD
>> Buying advice Ultraportable laptops All Ultrabooks run Intel CPUs Ports are limited due to space
Apple’s MacBook Air sets the (AMD variants are known as constraints, but look for built-in
standard for thin-and-light Sleekbooks), often a low-power ethernet or dongles that allow
laptops, which are usually version identifiable by its U suffix. full-size ports to be connected.
referred to as Ultrabooks or The 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U is a A smaller chassis means a
ultraportable laptops. popular example. smaller, often non-removable
Most run fast and silent SSDs Beware of cheap glossy panels battery. Expect six-plus hours of life.
for storage, which can partly with poor contrast and colour There’s no room for an optical
explain their higher retail price, gamut and, if possible, judge in drive, but you can always connect
but some manufacturers are person the screen quality and an external USB version.
now fitting slim 7mm hard disks. viewing angles before you buy. READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/CEAHEZK
Sub-£500
laptops 1
Dell Inspiron 14z
2
Lenovo Z580
3
HP Pavilion 14
4
Compaq CQ58-300sa
5
Acer Aspire V3-571
Price £459 inc VAT £490 inc VAT £350 inc VAT £250 inc VAT £465 inc VAT
Website Dell.co.uk Saveonlaptops.co.uk Saveonlaptops.co.uk Saveonlaptops.co.uk Acer.co.uk
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 1.9GHz Intel Core i3-3227U 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-3230M 1.8GHz Intel Core i3-3217U 1.4GHz AMD E1-1200 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-3210M
RAM 4GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 4GB DDR3 2GB DDR3 8GB DDR3
Storage 500GB HDD + 8GB SSD 1TB HDD 320GB HDD + 32GB SSD 320GB HDD 750GB HDD
Screen size 14in glossy 15.6in glossy 14in glossy 15.6in glossy 15.6in glossy
Screen resolution 1366x768 1366x768 1366x768 1366x768 1366x768
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 4000 Intel HD 4000/GT 635M Intel HD Graphics 4000 AMD Radeon HD 7310 Intel HD Graphics 3000
Video memory N/A 2GB N/A N/A N/A
Wireless 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11a/b/g/n
Ethernet 10/100 10/100 10/100 10/100 Gigabit
Bluetooth
USB 2x USB 3.0 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 3x USB 3.0 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
FireWire
Thunderbolt
DisplayPort
HDMI
DVI
VGA
eSATA
Media card slot
Audio Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic
Optical drive 8x DVDRW 8x DVDRW N/A 8x DVDRW 8x DVDRW
Operating system Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 7 Home Prem 64-bit
Bundled software None None None None Microsoft Office Starter
Stalker (720p) 22fps 56fps 23fps 9fps Not tested
Battery 44Wh lithium-ion 48Wh lithium-ion 37Wh lithium-ion 47Wh lithium-ion 48Wh lithium-ion
Battery life 5 hrs 10 mins 4 hrs 45 mins 4 hrs 4 hrs 45 mins 5 hrs 18 mins
PCMark 7 score 3486 2765 2547 1094 123 WorldBench 6 points
Dimensions 347x240x21mm 376x250x33mm 347x238x21mm 376x247x33mm 380x253x33mm
Weight 1.9kg 2.65kg 1.8kg 2.3kg 2.6kg
Warranty 1-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base 1-year collect-and-return
Verdict • Clear 14in screen • Attractive design, and good • Good performance • Extremely low price • Strong general performance
• Portable, despite DVD drive choice of colours • 32GB SSD • Modest performance • Excellent trackpad, keyboard
• Solid build, firm keyboard • Comfortable keyboard • Modest gaming capabilities • Poor for gaming • Reflective screen
• Trackpad a little small • Good performance • Sharp 14in screen • Keyboard firm, but rattles • Decent battery life
• Good battery life • Screen could be brighter • Decent speakers • Respectable battery life • Supplies starting to dwindle
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/LV5BLHU TINYURL.COM/MAYG5MS TINYURL.COM/L4TSYE7 TINYURL.COM/MT67W8X TINYURL.COM/CQKL4PD
>> Buying advice Sub-£500 laptops Windows 7 and 8 run on 2GB of bendy frames and faux-metal paint
Budget laptops are quick enough RAM, but 4GB or more is useful. jobs. Keyboards and trackpads are
for most people, but economies Hard disks are the norm at this also likely to feel cheap and erratic.
are often made in build quality. price, with 250GB enough for most Gloss screens hide inferior
At the top end of the category people. If you’re a video hoarder image quality. Colours are vivid,
you should find a highly capable look for 500GB or more. but the contrast may be poor.
Intel Core i-series processor. This Wi-Fi is standard, but Bluetooth Check the visibility at an angle.
will probably be a second-gen is not a given at the price. Some laptop manufacturers
Sandy Bridge chip (ix-2xxx part The bodywork and display are scrimp on the battery. Look for
number), but look out for a newer the main areas in which costs are a rating of 48Wh or more.
Ivy Bridge model (ix-3xxx). cut. Expect creaky plastic bodies, READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/CA9EXZ6
£501-£1,000
laptops 1
Chillblast Genesis Mini
2
MSI CX61
3
Scan 3XS LG155
4
PC Specialist Optimus V
5
Lenovo IdeaPad Z500 Touch
Price £699 inc VAT £675 inc VAT £909 inc VAT £879 inc VAT £800 inc VAT
Website Chillblast.com Saveonlaptops.co.uk 3xs.scan.co.uk Pcspecialist.co.uk Lenovo.com/uk
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-3230M 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-4702MQ 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-3632QM
RAM 8GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 8GB DDR3
Storage 1TB hybrid HDD 1TB HDD 1TB HDD hybrid 1TB hard drive + 120GB SSD 1TB HDD
Screen size 11.6in matt 15.6in matt 15.6in 17.3in 15.6in glossy touchscreen
Screen resolution 1366x768 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080 1366x768
Graphics GT 650M/Intel HD 4000 GT 740M/Intel HD 4600 GTX 765M/Intel HD 4600 GTX 765M/Intel HD 4600 Intel HD 4000/GT 740M
Video memory 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n
Ethernet Gigabit Gigabit Gigabit Gigabit 10/100
Bluetooth
USB 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
FireWire
Thunderbolt
DisplayPort
HDMI
DVI
VGA
eSATA
Media card slot
Audio Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic
Optical drive N/A BD-ROM 8x DVDRW 4x BD-ROM 8x DVDRW
Operating system Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit
Bundled software None None None None None
Stalker scores Not tested 58/39fps 68/62fps Not tested Not tested
Battery 48Wh lithium-ion 49Wh lithium-ion 77Wh lithium-ion 76.9Wh lithium-ion 48Wh lithium-ion
Battery life 4 hrs 45 mins 3 hrs 5 mins 4 hrs 3 hrs 29 mins 4 hrs
PCMark 7 score 4557 3241 4700 6099 3011
Dimensions 287x207x37mm 383x249x38mm 374x250x43mm 413x278x44mm 370x255x30mm
Weight 1.8kg 2.4kg 2.7kg 3.2kg 2.7kg
Warranty 2-year collect-and-return 1-year return-to-base 2-year return-to-base 3-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base
Verdict • Not quite an Ultrabook • Haswell processor • Strong gaming performance • Decent spec for the price • Ordinary overall speed
• Small but good-quality screen • Low price • Good all-round speed • Fast • Decent gaming potential
• Decent gaming speed • 15.6in matt screen is • Comfortable keyboard • Proficient at gaming • Touchscreen
• Hybrid HDD/SSD particularly good • Decent battery life • Not the most portable • Display not full-HD
• No optical drive • Blu-ray drive • A little hefty and inelegant • Battery life lacking • Not the lightest 15in laptop
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/C8E6MTK TINYURL.COM/NXLB4E7 TINYURL.COM/KYSYQGK TINYURL.COM/Q5QRFJ2 TINYURL.COM/NXRQO2Q
>> Buying advice £501-£1,000 laptops images. Look for anti-glare matt Expect at least one USB 3.0
If you’re prepared to pay more panels rather than glossy screens. port, which allows for faster
than £500, you can get a laptop Intel introduced its third-gen data transfer with compatible
with a better selection of internal Core chips in 2012, aka Ivy Bridge, peripherals. Gigabit ethernet is
components, a higher-quality which offer integrated GPUs now standard, and you may find
build, and faster performance. capable of half-decent gameplay. even faster ports such as eSATA
Most laptops at this price have You’ll also find 2011’s Sandy Bridge or Thunderbolt at this price.
15.6in widescreen displays, but chips, identifiable by a leading 2 Look for 8GB of RAM, and an
beware of budget panels with a rather than 3 on the part number. SSD if you don’t mind offloading
coarse resolution – 1366x768 pixels Battery life can stretch to six media files to external storage.
is wide, but creates fuzzy text and hours, but don’t take it as a given. READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/BUHSEAR
£1,001+ laptops 1
Apple MacBook Pro Retina
2 3
Chillblast Messiah 17 GTX780M Dell Precision M4700
4
Chillblast Genesis 8970
5
Samsung Series 7 Chronos
Price £1,799 inc VAT £1,799 inc VAT £3,542 inc VAT £1,259 inc VAT £1,050 inc VAT
Website Apple.com/uk Chillblast.com Dell.co.uk Chillblast.com Samsung.com/uk
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-4800MQ 2.9GHz Intel Core i7-3920XM 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-4800QM 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3635QM
RAM 8GB DDR3L 16GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 8GB DDR3
Storage 256GB SSD 1TB + 250GB SSD 512GB SSD Hybrid 1TB HDD/8GB SSD 1TB HDD
Screen size 15.4in gloss 17.3in matt 15.6in matt 15.6in gloss 15.6in glossy touchscreen
Screen resolution 2880x1800 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080
Graphics nVidia 650M, Intel HD 4000 nVidia GeForce GTX 780M AMD FirePro M4000 AMD Radeon HD 8970M AMD Radeon HD 8870M
Video memory 1GB 4GB 1GB 2GB 2GB
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n 802.11b/g/n, WiDi 802.11a/b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11a/b/g/n
Ethernet Via adaptor only Gigabit Gigabit Gigabit Gigabit
Bluetooth
USB 2x USB 3.0 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
FireWire
Thunderbolt (2)
DisplayPort
HDMI
DVI
VGA
eSATA
Media card slot
Audio Headphone jack, Toslink out Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic Headphone jack, mic
Optical drive N/A BD-RE N/A 6x BD-ROM/DVDRW N/A
Operating system Mac OS X 10.7.4 Lion Windows 8 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Windows 7 Home Prem 64-bit Windows 8 64-bit
Bundled software iLife 11 None None None None
Stalker scores Not tested 64.3/63.8fps 93.4fps/not tested Not tested 71/59fps
Battery 99Wh lithium-polymer 77Wh lithium-ion 97Wh lithium-ion 76.9Wh lithium-ion 91Wh lithium-ion
Battery life Not tested 4 hrs 15 mins 6 hours Not tested 7 hrs 10 mins
PCMark7 score Not tested 6316 5300 Not tested 4742
Dimensions 359x247x18mm 412x276x55mm 376x256x36.5mm 376x256x43mm 376x250x23mm
Weight 2kg 3.9kg 2.87kg 3.3kg 2.5kg
Warranty 1-year return-to-base 2-year collect-and-return 3-year NBD 2-year collect-and-return 1-year return-to-base
Verdict • Gorgeous super-resolution • Stunning gaming and • Incredibly powerful • Slightly higher price • New range, but old CPU
Retina display general performance • Heavy-duty graphics covers upgrade to Haswell • Decent overall performance,
• Outstanding build quality • Capacious RAM, storage • Stunning performance processor, 8970M graphics, and good for games
• Wonderfully light and slim • Not too heavy for its size • Expensive and a 1TB hard drive • Good battery life
• Effortless to use • Blu-ray writer is included • Large and heavy • Strong overall performance • No optical drive
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/7YGC3KJ TINYURL.COM/PCJP94Q TINYURL.COM/KC4UNLQ TINYURL.COM/9WTG6MP TINYURL.COM/KL2HENN
>> Buying advice £1,001+ laptops high-powered workstation. Workstation laptops will have
Invest £1,000 or more in a laptop, Whatever your need, accept no faster – often quad-core – CPUs
and you can be reasonably sure compromises in build quality. and a mobile graphics processor.
of getting a high-quality PC. The best laptops should offer Rugged laptops are engineered
Sometimes that money will be very good screens. Beware of for strength, at the expense of
spent on getting a thin-and-light glossy shiny panels that allow light weight and sleek design. Look
laptop, with good performance distracting reflections in certain out for milspec standard ratings,
to boot. Alternatively, you may lighting conditions. such as MIL-STD-810G.
prefer a rugged laptop that’s able Ultraportables may have 256GB You’ll find a wide range of ports,
to withstand wear and tear on the or more of solid-state storage, but high-grade components and extras.
road, or a performance-first won’t have an optical drive or GPU. READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/CC3KBMM
Tablets 1
Apple iPad 4
2
Google Nexus 7 (2013)
3
Apple iPad mini
4
Amazon Kindle Fire HD
5
Google Nexus 10 by Samsung
Price £399 inc VAT £199 inc VAT £269 inc VAT £119 inc VAT £319 inc VAT
Website Apple.com/uk Play.google.com Apple.com/uk Amazon.co.uk Play.google.com
Overall rating
Platform Apple iOS 7 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Apple iOS 7 Amazon (based on Android 4.0) Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Screen size/resolution 9.7in/2048x1536 7in/1280x800 7.9in/1024x768 7in/1280x800 10.1in/2560x1600
Storage/media card slot 16GB/none 16GB/none 16GB/none 16GB/none 16GB/none
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4, NFC
Processor 1.39GHz Apple A6X 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro 1GHz Apple A5 1.2GHz TI Omap 4460 1.7GHz Cortex A-15
RAM 1GB 2GB 512MB 752MB 2GB
Claimed battery life 10 hrs 9 hrs 10 hrs 8 hrs 9 hrs
Cameras (front/rear) 1.2/5Mp 1.2/5Mp 1.2/5Mp 1.3Mp/none 1.9/5Mp
Dimensions 241x186x9.4mm 114x200x8.7mm 135x200x7.2mm 137x193x10.3mm 264x178x8.9mm
Weight 652g 299g 308g 395g 603g
Warranty 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year
Verdict • Twice as fast as iPad 3 • Pricier than original • 7.9in screen large for a mini • Slick, intuitive OS • Fastest tablet overall
• Superb graphics • Best screen of any 7in tablet • Vibrant but not Retina screen • Vast content available • Highest screen resolution
• Breathtaking display • Slimmer and lighter • Decent performance • Exceptional value at £119 • Excellent value
• Supports 4G where available • Fast and slick • Very good cameras • 8.9in version costs £229 • Can’t match iPad on build
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/CRSTDSK TINYURL.COM/QYUDY5C TINYURL.COM/CLJWUVS TINYURL.COM/CH6CLNZ TINYURL.COM/ARL2KDG
Smartphones 1
LG G2
2
Sony Xperia Z1
3
Apple iPhone 5s
4
HTC One
5
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Price £399 inc VAT £599 inc VAT £549 inc VAT £490 inc VAT £550 inc VAT
Website Lg.com/uk Sonymobile.com Apple.com/uk Htc.com/uk Samsung.com/uk
Overall rating
Platform Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Apple iOS 7 Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Processor 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 1.3GHz Apple A7 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 2.3GHz Snapdragon
Storage/media card 16GB/none 16GB/microSDXC 16GB/none 32GB/none 32GB/microSDXC
Screen size/resolution 5.2in/1920x1080 5in/1920x1080 4in/640x1136 4.7in/1920x1080 5.7in/1920x1080
Input method Capacitive multitouch Capacitive multitouch Capacitive multitouch Capacitive multitouch Capacitive multitouch
Connectivity 4G, HSPA+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 4G, HSPA+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 4G, HSPA+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 4G, HSPA+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 4G, HSPA+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Battery life (talk/standby) Not specified 14 hrs/880 hrs 10 hrs/250 hrs Not specified 21 hrs/420 hrs
Camera 13Mp, 1080p video 20.7Mp, 1080p video 8Mp, 1080p video 4Mp, 1080p video 13Mp, 1080p video
GPS A-GPS A-GPS A-GPS, Glonass GPS, Glonass A-GPS, Glonass
Dimensions, Weight 71x139x9.4mm, 143g 144x74x8.5mm, 169g 59x124x7.6mm, 112g 68x9.3x137mm, 143g 151x79x8.3mm, 168g
Warranty 1 year 1 year 1 year 2 years 1 year
Verdict • Excellent value • Powerful specification • Very fast performance • Fastest smartphone yet • Lots of extra features
• High-end specification • Larger and heavier • Superb 4in screen • 468ppi full-HD screen • S Pen stylus
• Impressive design than original Xperia Z • Beautifully balanced weight • UltraPixel camera • Very good 5.7in screen
• No microSD slot • Expensive • Fingerprint reader • Great sound quality • Excellent performance
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/PAFK4SZ TINYURL.COM/NJPM4DE TINYURL.COM/MZ8JHLF TINYURL.COM/CE76X3T TINYURL.COM/QAKOLZY
Gaming PCs 1
Chillblast Fusion Uzi
2
Wired2Fire Diablo Predator
3
PC Specialist Vanquish GT1
4
Computer Planet ND 3000
5
Mesh Elite Gamer PCA
Price £1,249 inc VAT £1,699 inc VAT £1,279 inc VAT £1,100 inc VAT £1,499 inc VAT
Website Chillblast.com Wired2fire.co.uk Pcspecialist.co.uk Computerplanet.co.uk Meshcomputers.com
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-4670K 3.5GHz Intel Core i7-4770K
3.4GHz Intel Core i5-4670K
(OC 4.4GHz) (OC 4.4GHz) (OC 4.2GHz) (OC 4.6GHz)
CPU cooler
Corsair H55 Liquid Cooler Corsair H100 Liquid Cooler Corsair H60 Liquid Cooler Corsair H60 Liquid Cooler Corsair H60 Liquid Cooler
Memory 16GB DDR3 16GB DDR3 16GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 16GB DDR3
Storage 120GB SSD + 2TB HDD 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD 120GB SSD + 2TB HDD 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD 250GB SSD + 2TB HDD
Power supply 750W Corsair 650W Corsair 650W Corsair 650W Corsair 850W X-Viper
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z87N-Wi-Fi Gigabyte GA-Z87-D3HP Asus Z87-K Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H MSI GA-Z87-GD65 Gaming
Operating system Windows 8 64bit Windows 8 64bit Windows 8 64bit Windows 8 64bit Windows 8 64bit
Screen
23.6in Iiyama X2377HDS 24in AOC G2460PQU 23.6in AOC i2369vm IPS 23in AOC 24in Iiyama ProLite E2473HS
Graphics MSI nVidia GeForce GTX 770, nVidia GeForce GTX 780, Palit nVidia GeForce GTX 770, Gainward nVidia GeForce MSI nVidia GeForce GTX
2GB VRAM 3GB VRAM 2GB VRAM GTX 770, 2GB VRAM 770 Ti, 2GB VRAM
Sound Onboard Onboard Asus Xonar DG Onboard Onboard
Connectivity 2x Gigabit ethernet,
Gigabit ethernet Gigabit ethernet Gigabit ethernet Killer Ethernet 2200
802.11n Wi-Fi
Ports
6x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 8x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0,
3x USB 3.0, 6x USB 2.0 3x USB 3.0, 5x USB 2.0
S/PDIF 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort card reader
Optical drive Pioneer BD-ROM/DVDRW DVDRW Lite-On DVDRW Samsung 24x DVDRW Pioneer BD-RE/DVDRW
Case BitFenix Prodigy Blue Corsair C70 Black InWin GT1 Cooler Master K-350 Fractal Design Define R4 Black
Keyboard Gigabyte M6800 Gigabyte K3 Roccat Isku Logitech MK260 MS Bluetrack Desktop 3000
Mouse Force K3 Gigabyte M6980X Roccat Kova As above As above
Other Optional family pack Extra fans None Splinter Cell: Blacklist None
PC Mark 7 7045 6974 6763 6550 6899
Alien vs Predator 118/64 165/87 120/65 122/66 121/65
Final Fantasy XIV 70 (1080p) 209/96 117/73 186/68 162/69
Sniper Elite V2 300/143/37 315/180/44 307/145/37 284/146/37 291/140/38
Power consumption 52W/310W 60W/403W 70W/315W 46W/250W 73W/325W
Warranty 3-year return-to-base 3-year 'Gold
2-year collect-and-return 3-year collect-and-return 1-year collect-and-return
(2-year parts, 3-year labour) (2-year parts, 3-year labour)
Verdict • Stunning performance • Sizzling performance • Good all-round performance • Solid performance • Quite expensive
in general use • Best for gaming power • Nicely priced • None of the components • Best processor in the chart
• Also pretty strong on games • Reasonably expensive • Strong drive options are overclocked • Gaming scores not as
• Small-form-factor PC great • Smooth flat-panel • Dedicated sound card • Low power output dominant as we’d like
for portability • No Blu-ray drive • Keyboard and mouse ideal • Motherboard a little cheap for the price
• Cool in running for gamers • Only a one-year warranty • Keyboard and mouse not
• Slightly bouncy case best suited to games
>> Buying advice Gaming PCs Cooling is essential for stability. a price. Cheaper solutions include
Gaming PCs put performance Liquid-cooling systems, dust filters, the GeForce GTX 660 and 670.
and upgradability before subtlety fan-speed controls and good Look for wired peripherals and
and quiet operation. Many run cable-management can aid airflow. a headset. Good warranty terms
overclocked CPUs to eke out Most important of all is the are crucial for overclocked PCs.
every bit of available speed. graphics card; vendors will often Changes in exchange rates and
Intel’s Core i5-3570K is a skimp on storage, networking and component supply issues mean we
popular choice of CPU, but will other features and throw all their can’t guarantee PCs listed here will
require a decent cooler and beefy budget at the graphics card. be available as specified. All our
PSU. The HyperThreaded i7-3770K nVidia’s GTX 680 delivers prices include delivery charges.
is slightly faster, but dearer. unparalleled performance – but at READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/CZXH443
All-in-one PCs 1
Dell XPS 2720
2
Apple iMac 27in
3
Medion Akoya P2002
4
Chillblast Fusion AIO Ultima
5
MSI Wind Top AE2712G
Price £1,749 inc VAT £1,599 inc VAT £449 inc VAT £1,199 inc VAT £1199 inc VAT
Website Dell.co.uk Apple.com/uk Medion.com/gb Chillblast.com Uk.msi.com
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 3.1GHz Intel Core i7-4770S 3.2GHz Intel Core i5 3.3GHz Intel Core i3-3220 3.1GHz Intel Core i7-3770S 2.9GHz Intel Core i5-3470S
RAM 16GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 4GB DDR3 16GB DDR3 4GB DDR3
Storage capacity 2TB HDD + 32GB SSD 1TB HDD 1TB HDD 1TB HDD + 120GB SSD 1TB HDD
Screen 27in IPS touchscreen 27in IPS 23.6in TN 21.5in IPS touchscreen 27in TN touchscreen
Screen resolution 2560x1440 2560x1440 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080
Graphics card nVidia GeForce GT 750M nVidia GeForce GTX 755M Intel HD Graphics 2500 Intel HD Graphics 4000 nVidia GeForce GT 630M
Video memory 2GB 1GB N/A N/A 2GB
Wireless 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n 802.11b/g/n
Ethernet
Bluetooth
USB 6x USB 3.0 4x USB 3.0 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0 4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0
FireWire
Thunderbolt (x2)
HDMI
Media card slot
Max disc speeds BD-ROM/DVDRW None DVDR BD-ROM/DVDRW BD-ROM/DVDRW
Extras 2.1Mp webcam, wireless 1.3Mp webcam, wireless Wireless keyboard and mouse, Webcam, Microsoft Wireless 2Mp webcam, DVB-T TV tuner,
keyboard and mouse keyboard and mouse CyberLink software Desktop 3000 Wireless keyboard and mouse
Operating system Windows 8 Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Windows 8 Windows 8 Windows 8
Power consumption 54W (idle), 220W (load) 53W (idle), 243W (load) 34W (idle), 92W (load) 32W (idle), 119W (load) 44W (idle), 110W (load)
Sniper 2 Elite (High) 6fps 12fps 5fps 5fps 5fps
Sniper 2 Elite (Low) 94fps 197fps 16fps 28fps 17fps
PCMark 7 score 6091 4141 3298 5195 3138
Dimensions 492x664x72mm 650x203x516mm 580x196x430-460mm 338x541x61mm 672x483x66mm
Weight 16kg 9.5kg 10.3kg 9kg 13kg
Warranty 1-year next-day in-home 1-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base 2-year collect-and-return 2-year collect-and-return
Verdict • Screen offers stunning • Still svelte and cool-looking • Low price • Good-looking and well built • Low price for a 27in
array of colours • Decent performance • Decent performance for • Blistering Windows all-in-one PC
• Great general performance • Class-leading gaming the money performance • Fully featured all-in-one with
• Solid, but not amazing • Stunning display • Built-in TV tuner • Disappointing gaming TV tuner and Blu-ray
• Lacks SSD and Blu-ray • Lacklustre gaming
gaming framerates • No touchscreen • No touchscreen • IPS panel offers inferior • Disappointing performance
• Quite heavy colour fidelity to iMac
• Next-day in-home support and Dell
• Many of the ports are
difficult to reach
>> Buying advice All-in-one PCs find integrated or laptop graphics it’s sufficiently responsive to touch.
All-in-one PCs build into a large processors and mobile CPUs inside. The quality of the supplied
(21- to 27in) monitor all the All-in-ones aren’t usually keyboard and mouse (usually
components they require to run, easy to upgrade, but many are wireless) is critical. TV tuners and
making them an excellent and pre-packed with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI ports are welcome additions.
stylish solution for saving space. speakers and even Blu-ray players. Changes in exchange rates and
However, with limited internal Touchscreen displays are likely component supply issues mean we
space for cooling, all-in-one to become more desirable once can’t guarantee PCs listed here will
machines tend to include less Windows 8 is released. If you buy be available as specified. All our
powerful components than one now, ensure the image quality prices include delivery charges.
traditional desktops. Expect to hasn’t been compromised and that READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/87VW5KJ
£799
120GB Samsung 840 series SSD
2000GB SATA III 7200rpm Hard Disk
24x DVD-RW Drive
inc VAT
Corsair 750watt CIT PSU
Onboard High Definition Audio
Windows 8 64 bit or Windows 7 HP 64 bit
23” Iiyama X2377HDS TFT Monitor
Gigabyte Gaming Keyboard and mouse
* Chillblast won more awards in the leading IT press publications PC Pro, PC Advisor and Computer Shopper combined than any other retailer 2010-2012
** World`s fastest PC as tested by PC Pro Magazine - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/desktops/371152/chillblast-fusion-photo-oc-iv
Terms and conditions are on the website. All trademarks are acknowledged. Pictures are for illustration only. Prices are correct at time of going to press (21-10-13) E&OE
Business PCs 1
Aria Gladiator N200-3220M
2
Chillblast Fusion Opal
3 4
Wired2Fire Business Accelerate Dino PC Synergy 4430
5
Eclipse Precision A856F85
Price £509 inc VAT £549 inc VAT £689 inc VAT £569 inc VAT £519 inc VAT
1-year return-to-base, 2-year collect-and-return, 2-year return-to-base, 3-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base,
Warranty
phone support phone support phone support (2-year parts), phone support phone support
Verdict • Exceptional value for money • Haswell processor • Expensive Haswell • Not the fastest system here • Sluggish performance
• Sticks with older Ivy Bridge • Impressive Iiyama processor technology, but • No SSD, but hard drive has • 1TB hard drive, but no SSD
processor technology IPS flat-panel the fastest PC here a generous 1TB capacity • Pleasing AOC monitor with
• Not the best performance • No SSD • 120GB SSD • High-quality Iiyama excellent IPS technology
• SSD, Wi-Fi connectivity • No cable management • Logitech keyboard IPS flat-panel
and memory card included under the lid flamboyant for office • Detailed warranty • Gamer case inappropriate
• Only a one-year return- • Warranty is collect-and- use, but comfortable • Windows 7 ideal for for office environments
to-base warranty return rather than return- • Two flat-panels included business use • Warranty just one year
to-base for improved productivity • No cable management
– could save money by under the lid
specifying just one
>> Buying advice Business PCs there will be storage available on one or two PCs, Windows 7 Home
Provided you have sufficient RAM the LAN, so you’re unlikely to need Premium is cheaper but can’t
(at least 2GB, preferably 4GB), a large hard drive. A 500GB drive connect to servers. The Pro edition
any modern CPU will provide should be ample. is a better option for businesses,
enough power for low-level admin Wireless keyboards and mice especially if you need compatibility
tasks. Intel’s Core i3 provides can cause issues in the workplace with older software.
ample performance for general use due to interference between Changes in exchange rates and
and come with integrated graphics, adjacent workstations. A decent component supply issues mean we
saving you the cost of buying wired kit is ideal, while quiet-typing can’t guarantee PCs listed here will
an additional card. In a typical keyboards can be less distracting. be available as specified. All our
networked business environment For small businesses with just prices include delivery charges.
Family PCs 1
Chillblast Fusion Commando
2 3
Quiet PC Serenity Home Value Dino PC Raging Lizard
4 5
CyberPower Ultra Scylla SE III Computer Planet F2000 Family
Price £799 inc VAT £696 inc VAT £899 inc VAT £699 inc VAT £930 inc VAT
Website Chillblast.com Quietpc.com Dinopc.com Cyberpowersystem.co.uk Computerplanet.co.uk
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 3.2GHz Intel Core i5-4570 2.9GHz Intel Core i5-3475S 3.2GHz Intel Core i5-4570 4.2GHz AMD FX 4350 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570
RAM 16GB DDR3 16GB DDR3 16GB DDR3 8GB DDR3 8GB DDR3
Storage capacity 1TB HDD + 120GB SSD 500GB HDD hybrid 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD 2TB HDD 2TB HDD + 120GB SSD
Motherboard Asus B85M-G Gigabyte GA-H61M-USB3V Gigabyte GA-Z87M-HD3 Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 Gigabyte B75M-D3H
CPU cooler Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Standard Intel cooler Standard Intel cooler Standard AMD cooler Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
Power supply CiT 600W Zalman ZM450-GS 450W Corsair VS450 450W Cooler Master 500W Cooler Master 600W
Screen 23in Iiyama X2377 Not supplied 23in AOC i2369Vm 24in BenQ GL2450E 23.6in Iiyama X2377
Screen resolution 1920x1080 N/A 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080
Graphics card Zotac nVidia GeForce Intel HD Graphics 4000 Gigabyte nVidia GeForce MSI AMD Radeon HD 7770 Gainward nVidia GeForce
GTX 650 Ti GTX 650 Ti GTX 660
Wireless 802.11b/g/n, gigabit ethernet 802.11b/g/n, gigabit ethernet 802.11b/g/n, gigabit ethernet 802.11b/g/n, gigabit ethernet 802.11b/g/n, gigabit ethernet
USB 3x USB 3.0, 6x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 6x USB 2.0 6x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 6x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 7x USB 2.0
Media card slot
Sound card Onboard Onboard Onboard Onboard Onboard
Speakers 2x Logitech LS220 None None None None
Case Cooler Master Force 500 Zalman ZM-T1 Xigmatek Asgard 382 Cooler Master Elite 430 Cooler Master Elite 335U
Keyboard Logitech MK260 Gigabyte GK-KM7580 Logitech MK260 Logitech MK330 Logitech MK260
wireless combo wireless combo wireless combo wireless combo wireless combo
>> Buying advice Family PCs If you’re not itching to play the Consider 4GB of RAM and a
Changes in exchange rates and latest games, opt for integrated 500GB hard drive as the minimum;
component supply issues mean we rather than dedicated graphics. both are easy to upgrade later.
can’t guarantee PCs listed here will AMD processors are more adept in Screen quality is crucial, with
be available as specified. All our this regard, while Intel CPUs offer the best displays using IPS tech.
prices include delivery charges. faster application performance. A Blu-ray drive will help make the
A family PC needs to offer Intel’s Core i5-3570K will form most of a 23.6in full-HD monitor.
decent performance in every area, the core of a powerful home PC, For Skyping, watching films and
able to cater for the needs of each although the older Core i5-2500K listening to music, decent speakers
individual – but there are some may be offered at lower cost and and a webcam are essential.
areas where you can cut costs. supports easy overclocking. READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/BL4UREB
Mini PCs 1
Zotac Nano XS AD13 Plus
2
Apple Mac mini
3
Sapphire Edge VS8
4
Chillblast Fusion NUC
5
Tinygreen PC Intense PC Pro
Price £300 inc VAT £959 inc VAT £277 inc VAT £549 inc VAT £791 inc VAT
Website Zotac.com Apple.com/uk Sapphiretech.com Chillblast.com Tinygreenpc.com
Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
Processor 1.7GHz AMD E2-1800 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-3270QM 1.6GHz AMD A8-4555M 1.8GHz Intel Core i3-3217U 1.7GHz Intel Core i7-3517UE
CPU cooler Custom heatsink and fan Custom fan Custom heatsink and fan Custom Intel semi-active Passive heatsink
RAM 2GB DDR3 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 8GB 1600MHz DDR3
Storage capacity 64GB mSATA SSD 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD 500GB 5400rpm HDD 128GB Intel 525 Series SSD 500GB 5400rpm HDD
Motherboard AMD Hudson-1, AMD K14 Custom Intel HM77 AMD Hudson-3, AMD K15.1 Intel QS77 Express chipset Intel QM77 chipset
Operating system None OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion None Windows 8 64-bit Windows 7 Professional
Graphics AMD Radeon HD 7340 Intel HD Graphics 4000 AMD Radeon HD 7600G Intel HD Graphics 4000 Intel HD Graphics 4000
Connectivity 802.11b/g/n USB adaptor, 802.11a/b/g/n, gigabit 802.11b/g/n, gigabit ethernet, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 802.11b/g/n, 2x gigabit
gigabit ethernet ethernet, Bluetooth Bluetooth ethernet, Bluetooth
Ports 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0, 3x USB 2.0, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0, 2x
eSATA/USB 2.0, HDMI, Thunderbolt, FireWire 800, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Thunderbolt eSATA, HDMI, DisplayPort,
S/PDIF, mic line-in/out S/PDIF, line-in/out S/PDIF, ultra-mini RS232
Card reader SD SDXC SD None None
Other Remote control, Vesa mount Apple iLife, HDMI-to-DVI HDMI, S/PDIF cables, HDMI- Chillblast Free Software pack, None
adaptor, IR to-DVI adaptor, Vesa mount Vesa mount
Dimensions 106x106x37mm 197x197x26mm 183x198x32mm 117x112x39mm 190x160x40mm
Warranty 2-year return-to-base 1-year return-to-base 2-year return-to-base 2-year collect-and-return 2-year return-to-base
Verdict • Tiny size • Superlative build • Low price • 128GB SSD drive is • Fanless design means
• Good performance and quality • Sluggish general blisteringly fast, but quiet operation
for the dimensions • Strong speed performance, but very low in capacity • Good performance
• Generous number of • Plenty of storage fast at games • Stunning overall speed • Interchangeable expansion
ports and connectors • Fairly power hungry • No operating system • No USB 3.0, ethernet modules
• Only 64GB of storage preinstalled or card reader • Not cheap
>> Buying advice Mini PCs other upgrades and expansion will connector on your mini PC.
Mini PCs look good, fit into the usually be achieved externally. Mini PCs typically ship without
smallest of spaces, and usually With this in mind, pay particular a keyboard or mouse, and often
offer cooler, quieter operation and attention to the connectivity come without an OS. Remember to
lower power consumption than options. If you want to hook up factor in the cost of these items.
their desktop counterparts. external storage, look for USB 3.0 Changes in exchange rates and
However, there are a few ports. For connecting the PC to component supply issues mean we
down sides. For example, a mini a standard LCD monitor you can can’t guarantee PCs listed here will
PC doesn’t have enough internal use HDMI. If you have an external be available as specified. All our
space for a discrete graphics card music system with digital inputs prices include delivery charges.
or a desktop (3.5in) hard drive. All you may also want an S/PDIF READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/D29YONN
Blu-ray drives 1
Pioneer BDR-208EBK Retail
2
Pioneer BDR-208DBK OEM
3
LG BH16NS40
4
LG BP40NS20
5
Lite-On IHES112-115
Price £66 inc VAT £64 inc VAT £74 inc VAT £90 inc VAT £54 inc VAT
Website Pioneer.eu/uk Pioneer.eu/uk Uk.lge.com Uk.lge.com Liteonit.eu
Overall rating
Blu-ray speeds 15x -R, 14x -R DL, 2x -RE, 15x -R, 14x -R DL, 2x -RE, 16x -R, 12x -R DL, 6x -R, 6x -R DL,
12x -ROM
12x -ROM 12x -ROM 12x -RE, 12x -ROM 2x -RE, 6x -ROM
DVD speeds 16x R, 8x R DL, 6x -RW, 16x R, 8x R DL, 6x -RW, 16x R, 8x R DL, 6x -RW, 8x R, 6x R DL, 6x -RW, 8x R, 8x R DL, 6x -RW,
8x +RW, 16x -ROM 8x +RW, 16x -ROM 8x +RW, 12x -RAM, 16x -ROM 8x +RW, 5x -RAM, 8x -ROM 8x +RW, 8x -ROM
Max storage 128GB 50GB 50GB 100GB 8.5GB
Interface type SATA (internal) SATA (internal) SATA (internal) USB 2.0 (external) SATA (internal)
Label technology None None LightScribe None None
Software ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme None CyberLink Blu-ray Suite PowerDVD, PowerProducer None
Dimensions 148x180x42mm 148x180x42mm 146x170x41mm 160x153x22mm 158x145x22mm
Weight 740g 740g 749g 380g 700g
Warranty 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year 2 years
Verdict • Retail pack includes software • OEM only – no software • Pioneer offers faster BD-R • Attractive external model • Playback only
• Supports 128GB BD-XL media • Great performance on BD-R • Good RE speed • Maxes out at 6x BD-R • No software included
• Very well priced • Doesn’t support BD-XL • Doesn’t support BD-XL (most media is only 6x) with many bundles
• Matches 208DBK on speed • 208EBK offers better value • Comes with software • Supports triple-layer BD-R • Pioneers offer better value
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/LD47X7K TINYURL.COM/LD47X7K TINYURL.COM/8YTUJEF TINYURL.COM/BS8UAFF TINYURL.COM/8SYECMW
Antivirus
software
Norton AntiVirus Bitdefender Antivirus Pro G Data AntiVirus Kaspersky Anti-Virus Trend Micro Titanium AV+
Annual price £39 inc VAT £24 inc VAT £34 inc VAT £39 inc VAT £39 inc VAT
Licence terms 3 PCs, 1 year 3 PCs, 1 year 3 PCs, 1 year 3 PCs, 1 year 3 PCs, 1 year
Overall rating
On-demand scan speed 121 secs 126 secs 111 secs 103 secs 187 secs
On-access scan speed 272 secs 327 secs 336 secs 310 secs 249 secs
Interface design Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good
Verdict • Smooth user interface • Very good performance • Strong malware detection, • Well-designed interface • Set-it-and-forget-it security
• Large ‘Fix Now’ button for malware removal blocking and removal • Easy to use • Cloud-based protection
• Moderate impact • Average scan speeds • Good user interface, but • On-demand single-file scans • Requires web connection
on system performance • Three interface tiers poorly translated • Impacts PC performance • Good performance
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/4P5YCXP TINYURL.COM/66SK77U TINYURL.COM/6BFXWCS TINYURL.COM/6HQA2WB TINYURL.COM/4HUORV3
>> Buying advice Blu-ray drives between PCs, but they will cost you You should be able to get 16-speed
A single Blu-ray Disc holds the considerably more than internal DVD writing, but it’s not worth
equivalent of 35 CDs or five DVDs. models, and may not be as quick. paying more to save seconds.
It might look like a DVD, but its If you opt for an internal drive, You may find that the Blu-ray
shorter wavelength and narrow ensure you have enough space media currently on the market isn’t
blue laser beam allow it to hold inside your PC. Most internal drives fast enough to enjoy your chosen
greater capacity. It’s the storage use the SATA interface, so check drive’s maximum write speeds.
method of choice for HD and 3D you’ve got a compatible port. Six-/eight-speed BD-R capabilities
video content. Look for a drive that also are standard, but even six-speed
External drives are easier to supports several DVD formats, but BD-R media is still rare.
install, portable, and can be shared don’t obsess about write speeds. READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/7OEPYL6
Sub-£150
printers 1
Samsung ML-2955DW
2
Oki C110
3
Pantum P2050
4
HP Photosmart 7520
5
Canon Pixma MX525
Price £108 inc VAT £126 inc VAT £49 inc VAT £129 inc VAT £80 inc VAT
Website Samsung.com/uk Oki.co.uk Pantum.com Hp.com/uk Canon.co.uk
Overall rating
Technology Mono laser Colour laser Mono laser Colour inkjet Colour inkjet
Max print resolution 1200x1200 1200x600 1200x600 9600x2400 4800x1200
Actual print speed B=22.2ppm B=15.8ppm C=2.5ppm B=15.8ppm B=17.6ppm C=7.9ppm B=11ppm C=5.5ppm
Scan/fax facilities None None None 1200x2400 scans 1200x2400 scans, fax
Supported interfaces USB 2.0, 802.11b/g/n, ethernet USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0, 802.11b/g/n, HP ePrint USB 2.0, 802.11b/g/n, ethernet
Cost per page B=2.7p B=3.6p C=5p B=2.4p B=2.4p C=4.8p B=3.5p C=5.5p
Media card/auto duplex
Input capacity 251 sheets 100 sheets 150 sheets + manual 125 sheets + 20 tray + 25 ADF 100 sheets + 30 ADF
Dimensions 348x338x197mm 396x380x275mm 380x260x236mm 454x551x220mm 458x385x200mm
Weight 7.2kg 14.4kg 6.1kg 8.6kg 8.7kg
Warranty 1 year 3 years 1 year 1 year 1 year
Verdict • Speedy for the price • Good-value colour laser • Now available for just £49 • Nice 4.3in touchscreen • Above-average photo quality
• Slim but well-defined text • Performs better than • Decent design • Separate photo/ADF trays • Decent running costs
• Reasonable running costs an equivalent inkjet • No fancy features • Good speed for an Inkjet • Includes fax, ethernet, Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi/wired network support • No duplex mode • Solid running costs • Competitive running costs • Stylish looks
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/CCLSZDM TINYURL.COM/YLNO5RV TINYURL.COM/C764SZ2 TINYURL.COM/98G9XTE TINYURL.COM/ON28THH
£151+ printers 1
Kyocera Mita FS-1320D
2
HP OfficeJet Pro X551dw
3
Canon i-Sensys LBP7780Cx
4
Lomond EvoJet 2 Office
5
Xerox ColorQube 8700
Price £170 inc VAT £460 inc VAT £440 inc VAT £50-£150 per month £1,650 inc VAT
Website Kyoceramita.co.uk Hp.com/uk Canon.co.uk Lomond.com Xerox.co.uk
Overall rating
Technology Mono laser Colour inkjet Colour laser Colour laser Colour laser
Max print resolution 1200x1200 2400x2400 9600x600 1600x1600 600x600
Actual print speed B=26.1ppm B=42.9ppm C=15.8ppm B=23.2pp C=16.7ppm B=41.4ppm C=23.1ppm B=30ppm C=30ppm
Scan/fax facilities None None None None 600dpi scans
Supported interfaces USB 2.0 USB 2.0, ethernet, 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0, ethernet USB 2.0, ethernet USB 2.0, gigabit ethernet
Cost per page B=1.4p B=1p C=4.3p B=1.3p C=7.5p Variable B=1.4p C=8p
Media card/auto duplex
Input capacity 250 sheets 500 + 50 sheet 500 + 100 sheets 250 + 20 sheets 525 + 100 sheets
Dimensions 375x393x250mm 517x399x414mm 517x530x401mm 542x455x265mm 605x595x615mm
Weight 12kg 17.1kg 31kg 12.8kg 46.5kg
Warranty 2 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year
Verdict • No frills business laser • Capable of immense speed • Immense 1100-sheet capacity • Monthly payment plans rather • High price tag
• Lacks Wi-Fi and ethernet • Potential 1050 sheets input • Auto-duplex at 19.9ppm than outright purchase • Good running costs
• Modest running costs • Very cheap running costs • Excellent colour depth • Stunning speed • Extensive paper handling
• Auto-duplex support • Text not the darkest • Secure Print • No auto-duplex • Large model weighs 46.5kg
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/6GG9UKV TINYURL.COM/CZO5P65 TINYURL.COM/CCAPAJF TINYURL.COM/CLQAQ5V TINYURL.COM/ARCLM4J
GLOSSARY: • B: mono • C: colour • ppm: pages per minute
External
hard drives 1
Axtremex Micro SSD
2 3
WD My Passport Edge for Mac G-Technology G-Drive Pro
4
G-Tech G-Raid Thunderbolt
5
Toshiba Stor.E Basics
Price £130 inc VAT £70 inc VAT £250 inc VAT £599 inc VAT £100 inc VAT
Website Axtremex.com Wdc.com/en G-technology.com G-technology.com Toshiba.co.uk
Overall rating
Capacity tested 32GB 500GB 4TB 8TB 2TB
Capacity range 32GB to 256GB 500GB 2TB to 4TB 4TB to 8TB 320GB to 2TB
Disk size 2.5in 2.5in 3.5in 3.5in 2.5in
Spin speed N/A 5400rpm 7200rpm 7200rpm 5400rpm
Transfer speed 400GB/s 94MB/s (USB 3.0) N/A 329MB/s 94Mb/s (USB 3.0)
Encryption None Password protection None None None
Other interfaces None None FireWire 800 None none
Software Axtremex utilities WD utilities None None None
Dimensions 73x38x10mm 112x83x11mm 235x130x46mm 235x130x85mm 119x79x21mm
Weight 58g 164g 1.35kg 2.3kg 215g
Warranty 1 year 3 years 3 years 3 years 1 year
Verdict • Stunning performance • Not just for Macs • 120Mb/s average • Fast Thunderbolt interface • Good value for money
• Requires USAP-enabled • Password protection real-world performance • Real-world speed can • Unashamedly simple
USB 3.0 ports for the • Faultless build quality • Clearly audible exceed 200MB/s • No backup or encryption
best performance • Great value • Suits both PCs and Macs • Pricey, but huge capacity • Slow speed
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/KTRDXUH TINYURL.COM/BMG7SW9 TINYURL.COM/NV7F32F TINYURL.COM/CXEF6MH TINYURL.COM/LBHC8EL
NAS drives 1
Synology DS413j
2
Synology DS413
3
Synology DS412+
4
Qnap TS-1079 Pro
5
Zyxel NSA325
Price £265 inc VAT (diskless) £415 inc VAT (diskless) £455 inc VAT (diskless) £2,265 inc VAT (diskless) £85 inc VAT (diskless)
Website Synology.com Synology.com Synology.com Qnap.com Zyxel.co.uk
Overall rating
Drive bays 4 4 4 10 2
Processor 1.6GHz Marvell mv6282 1067MHz Freescale P1022 dc 2.13GHz Intel Atom D2700 3.3GHz Intel Core i3-2120 1.6GHz processor
Memory 512MB DDR3 1GB DDR3 1GB DDR3 2GB DDR3 512MB DDR2
Remote access
eSATA
USB port 2x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0 2x USB 2.0
Raid options 0/1/5/6/10/JBOD 0/1/5/5+s/6/10/JBOD 0/1/5/5+s/6/10/JBOD 0/1/5/5+hs/6/6+hs/10/10+hs/JBOD 0/1/JBOD
Software DSM 4.1 DSM 4.1 DSM 4.1 Qnap QBack, MyCloudNAS zPilot
Dimensions 184x168x230mm 165x203x233mm 165x203x233mm 218x327x321mm 108x205x147mm
Weight 2kg 2kg 2kg 9.8kg 1.8kg
Warranty 2 years 2 years 2 years 2 years 1 year
Verdict • Much cheaper than DS413 • More powerful than DS413j, • Brilliant read/write • Up to 10 bays • Cheapest drive here
• Aimed at small-office but less so than DS412+ performance eclipses • Very powerful processor • Decent performance and
and home users • Versatile, friendly interface the DS413 models • Fast performance features for the money
• No USB 3.0 or eSATA • Cloud Station indispensable • Attractive and intuitive • Strong specifications • Complex interface
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/PL8XM8S TINYURL.COM/B562XW3 TINYURL.COM/6UUL4DE TINYURL.COM/PAAYD4Y TINYURL.COM/7B9EPW8
Projectors 1
Epson EB-1945W
2
BenQ W1070
3
ViewSonic PJD7820HD
4
Vivitek Qumi Q2
5
Dell M900HD
Price £1,310 inc VAT £650 inc VAT £670 inc VAT £350 inc VAT £754 inc VAT
Website Epson.co.uk Benq.co.uk Viewsoniceurope.com/uk Vivitek.co.uk Dell.co.uk
Overall rating
Projection technology 3LCD DLP DLP DLP DLP
Resolution (pixels) 1280x800 1920x1080 1920x1080 1280x800 1280x800
Brightness1, Contrast 4200, 3000:1 2000, 10000:1 3000, 15000:1 300, 2500:1 900, 700:1
Image size 280in 235in 300in 30-90in 80in
Supported aspect ratios 16:10, 16:9, 4:3 16:9 16:9, 4:3 16:10, 16:9, 4:3 16:10, 16:9, 4:3
Noise levels (dB) 37 (29 eco) 33 (30 eco) 35 (29 eco) 32 (28 eco) 38 (34 eco)
Connections VGA, HDMI, DP, CM, USB, ET VGA, HDMI, CM, USB VGA, HDMI, CM, USB VGA, HDMI, USB HDMI, USB, WiDI
Lamp/lamp life Not supplied/2500 hrs 240W/6000 hrs Not supplied/5000 hrs LED/30000 hrs LED/30000 hrs
Dimensions 377x271x108mm 312x244x109mm 268x221x84mm 162x102x32mm 232x164x43mm
Weight 3.9kg 2.65kg 2.1kg 635g 1.59kg
Warranty 5 years 2 years 3 years 3 years 1 year
Verdict • Incredibly easy to find • Good home cinema output • 3000 ANSI lumens • Now fantastic value • Wonderfully petite, portable
optimum image quality • Short-throw lens creates • Short-throw lens • Lightest model here • WiDi and Miracast for
• Strong spec and quality big picture • Good colour depth • DLP-Link enables 3D display wireless/portable devices
• Not particularly portable • Very good SmartEco option • 3D option • Exceptional lamp life rating • Will struggle in light offices
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/CP95P7G TINYURL.COM/LXADR7Q TINYURL.COM/D2HO4CV TINYURL.COM/3TXMWPK TINYURL.COM/MAXQRG3
1Ansi lumens GLOSSARY: • CM: component • CP: composite • ET: ethernet • SV: S-Video
Solid-state
drives 1
Samsung 840 EVO
2
Plextor M5 Pro
3
Crucial M500
4
Samsung 840 Pro
5
Corsair Neutron GTX
Price £380 inc VAT £174 inc VAT £275 inc VAT £367 inc VAT £190 inc VAT
Website samsung.com/uk Plextor.com Crucial.com/uk Samsung.com/uk Corsair.com
Overall rating
Capacity tested 750GB 256GB 480GB 512GB 240GB
Price per GB 51p 68p 57p 72p 79p
Memory cache 1GB LPDDR2 512MB DDR3 512MB DDR3 512MB LPDDR2 256MB DDR2
Controller Samsung MEX (3-core ARM) Marvell 88SS9187 Marvell 88SS9187 Samsung MDX (3-core ARM) Link_A_Media LM87800
Encryption AES 256-bit AES 256-bit AES 256-bit AES 256-bit None
Flash Samsung 19nm Toggle NAND Toshiba Toggle NAND Micron 20nm MLC NAND Samsung 21nm Toggle NAND Samsung/Tosh Toggle NAND
Firmware updated via SSD Magician for Windows ISO boot disc ISO boot disc SSD Magician for Windows SSD Toolbox for Windows
ATTO peak sequential R: 554MB/s; W: 537MB/s R: 547MB/s; W: 457MB/s R: 539MB/s; W: 433MB/s R: 562MB/s; W: 519MB/s R: 557MB/s; W: 511MB/s
CDM peak IOPS 104k (read) 103.3k (read) 89.8k (read) 103.8k (read) 92.8k (read)
AS SSD (points) 1141 1124 1038 1094 1057
Warranty 5 years 5 years 3 years 5 years 5 years
Verdict • Lightning performance • High performance figures • Best value of all SSDs here • Impressive speed • Strong write performance
• 840 Pro is slightly faster • Nowhere near the value • Good security • Three-core ARM processor • Nice weight and warranty
• Great value for money per gigabyte of the EVO • Decent speed • Limited platform support • Choice of models available
• Good longevity • Very durable • Multiple OS support • Bluetooth issues on test • Unusual choice of controller
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/L5EDQOY TINYURL.COM/PTYGG27 TINYURL.COM/M2NCSMJ TINYURL.COM/OU4LEJG TINYURL.COM/KV954FC
Sub-£150
graphics cards 1
MSI GTX 650 Ti OC Boost
2
Sapphire HD 7770
3
HIS HD 7790
4
MSI GeForce GTX 650
5
Sapphire Radeon HD 7750
Price £140 inc VAT £90 inc VAT £105 inc VAT £85 inc VAT £80 inc VAT
Website Uk.msi.com Sapphiretech.com Hisdigital.com Uk.msi.com Sapphiretech.com
Overall rating
Graphics processor nVidia GTX 650 Ti Boost AMD Radeon HD 7770 AMD Radeon HD 7790 nVidia GeForce GTX 650 AMD Radeon HD 7750
Installed RAM 2GB GDDR5 1GB GDDR5 1GB GDDR5 1GB GDDR5 1GB GDDR5
Memory interface 192-bit 128-bit 128-bit 128-bit 128-bit
Core/memory clock 1033MHz/1502MHz 1GHz/1125MHz 1075GHz/1.6GHz 1071MHz/1250MHz 800MHz/1125MHz
Ramdac 400MHz 400MHz 400MHz 400MHz 400MHz
Stream processors 768 640 896 384 512
Power connectors 1x 6-pin 1x 6-pin 1x 6-pin 1x 6-pin None
Interface PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express
DirectX 11 11.1 11 11 11
Digital interface 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort DVI, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort 2x DVI, Mini HDMI DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort
Warranty 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 2 years
Verdict • Fantastic performance • Faster than 650 and 7750 • 650 Ti Boost much faster • Marginally slower than 7770 • Cheapest card in the chart
• 192-bit memory interface • Decent value for money • Becoming better value • Superb overclocking • Low specs include
• Boost clock to 1098MHz • Plenty of stream processors • Only 128-bit memory • Very different to 650 Ti 800MHz core clock
• Fairly quiet for the power • Low sound levels • Low noise • MSI version has second fan • Lacks power in some games
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/DYE3OW8 TINYURL.COM/BWJ7BL9 TINYURL.COM/BPRUYS5 TINYURL.COM/AKT2XOM TINYURL.COM/7ZB5OE3
£151+
graphics cards 1
MSI GeForce GTX 760 OC
2
MSI GTX 660 Ti
3
Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB
4
XFX 7970 3GB GDDR5
5
Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB
Price £200 inc VAT £175 inc VAT £340 inc VAT £270 inc VAT £570 inc VAT
Website Uk.msi.com Uk.msi.com Uk.asus.com Xfxforce.com Uk.asus.com
Overall rating
Graphics processor nVidia GeForce GTX 760 nVidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti nVidia GeForce GTX 770 AMD Radeon HD 7970 nVidia GeForce GTX 780
Installed RAM 2GB GDDR5 2GB GDDR5 2GB GDDR5 3GB GDDR5 3GB GDDR5
Memory interface 256-bit 192-bit 256-bit 284-bit 384-bit
Core/memory clock 1006MHz/1502MHz 941MHz/6008MHz 1058MHz/1752MHz 925MHz/1375MHz 863MHz/1502MHz
Ramdac 400MHz 400MHz 400MHz 400MHz 400MHz
Stream processors 1152 1344 1536 2048 2304
Power connectors 1x 6-pin, 1x 8-pin 2x 6-pin 1x 6-pin, 1x 8-pin 1x 6-pin, 1x 8-pin 1x 6-pin, 1x 8-pin
Interface PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express
DirectX 11 11 11 11.1 11
Digital interface 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort DVI, HDMI, 2x Mini DisplayPort 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort
Warranty 2 years 2 years 3 years 2 years 3 years
Verdict • Performance in a different • Sub-£175 price pushes • 660 Ti and 760 offer better • Performance barely • Removes the Titan’s
league to sub-£250 cards it back into the competition value for money superior to cheaper 760 Compute capabilities
• Not many stream • Can’t compete with 760, but • Good price/performance • 3GB of RAM • Very expensive
processors or texture units quieter and uses less power • Vast 22GB/s memory • Look out for price drops • Best choice for gaming
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/OPSNB5K TINYURL.COM/D5BV2NG TINYURL.COM/OAG6277 TINYURL.COM/6UZRVXC TINYURL.COM/PN43VTL
>> Buying advice Graphics cards video memory. Look for GDDR5 clock speed should produce the
The key feature of a graphics card rather than GDDR3 RAM. This in best performance.
is its GPU. Produced by AMD or effect quadruples the clock speed DirectX 11.x support is required
nVidia, this determines the quality (GDDR3 merely doubles it). for advanced, modern games;
of images displayed and their The memory interface (or bus) cheaper cards lack the firepower
refresh speed. The more powerful governs how much data can be to do such titles justice, however.
the GPU the better, but you can get sent at once, so a 256-bit interface Check that a card will fit inside
away with a lesser card by turning lets through twice as much data your PC and you have sufficient
down a game’s detail levels. as a 128-bit interface. Graphics connections from the power supply
Even those on a budget should cards with the best combination unit before you buy.
be able to get at least 1GB of DDR of memory interface size and READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/7BPUHQE
Sub-£200
flat-panels 1
Dell S2440L
2
ViewSonic VP2365-LED
3
BenQ GW2750HM
4
Hanns-G HL249DPB
5
ViewSonic VX2460H-LED
Price £198 inc VAT £172 inc VAT £200 inc VAT £116 inc VAT £157 inc VAT
Website Dell.co.uk Viewsoniceurope.com/uk Benq.co.uk Hannsg.com Viewsoniceurope.com/uk
Overall rating
Screen size 24in 23in 27in 23.6in 23.6in
Panel type Vertical alignment In-plane switching Vertical alignment Twisted nematic Twisted nematic
Native resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080 1920x1080
Pixel pitch 0.28mm 0.27mm 0.31mm 0.27mm 0.27mm
Brightness 239cd/m2 238cd/m2 313cd/m2 247cd/m2 250cd/m2
Static contrast ratio 1200:1 681:1 1530:1 740:1 710:1
Response time 6ms 6ms 6ms 5ms 5ms
Ports HDMI, VGA DVI HDMI, DVI, VGA DVI 2x HDMI
Dimensions 568x191x418mm 548x433x250mm 654x489x191mm 563x211x403mm 581x447x194mm
Weight 3.6kg 5.4kg 5.6kg 3.8kg 3.5kg
Warranty 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years
Verdict • Recent price drop • Can’t match Dell’s quality • Price up as supplies fall • Low price • Slim and stylish looks
• Premium build quality • Still strong value • Massive 27in screen • Pleasing image quality • Good range of inputs
• Very good VA panel • Good viewing angles • VA panel is excellent • Low power consumption • One of the better examples
• Calibrate for best results • DVI port only • Colour accuracy not perfect • Only a TN panel of TN technology
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/CXWJJLM TINYURL.COM/5WMJLR9 TINYURL.COM/BQKT65S TINYURL.COM/C95859A TINYURL.COM/CSQ2H7P
£200+
flat-panels 1
BenQ GW2760HS
2
LG 29EA93
3
Asus PA248Q
4
ViewSonic VP2765-LED
5
AOC I2757Fm
Price £220 inc VAT £370 inc VAT £315 inc VAT £273 inc VAT £230 inc VAT
Website Benq.co.uk Uk.lge.com Asus.com/uk Viewsoniceurope.com/uk Aoc.co.uk
Overall rating
Screen size 27in 29in 24in 27in 27in
Panel type A-MCA In-plane switching In-plane switching Advanced MVA In-plane switching
Native resolution 1920x1080 2560x1080 1920x1200 1920x1080 1920x1080
Pixel pitch 0.31mm 0.26mm 0.27mm 0.31mm 0.31mm
Brightness 300cd/m2 300cd/m2 201cd/m2 1,200cd/m2 237cd/m2
Static contrast ratio 950:1 560:1 630:1 378:1 660:1
Response time 4ms 5ms 6ms 25ms 5ms
Ports HDMI, DVI, VGA 3x USB 3.0, 2x HDMI, DVI, DP 4x USB, HDMI, DVI, DP, VGA DVI, DP 2x HDMI, VGA
Dimensions 472x191x623mm 700x209x387mm 557x416x235mm 642x365x474-608mm 622x449x130mm
Weight 4.5kg 5.2kg 6.4kg 8.5kg 5.7kg
Warranty 2 years 2 years 3 years 3 years 3 years
Verdict • Stunning value for a 27in • 21:9 ultra widescreen • For graphics professionals • Now at a great price • Nice 27in IPS panel
screen this good • Very accurate colours • Good control over image • Large 27in display • Versatile viewing angles
• Almost true 1,000:1 contrast • Hardware calibration support • Very accurate colour • Low resolution for size • MHL Android hook-up
• Just becoming available • Three-port USB 3.0 hub • 16:10 display ratio • Slow response for games • Last few remaining
FULL REVIEW TINYURL.COM/NF3WVFY TINYURL.COM/CTR7AAW TINYURL.COM/CPYX7MQ TINYURL.COM/86T3PFM TINYURL.COM/C53K8KP
>> Buying advice Flat-panel displays least one digital interface (DVI, better viewing angles and higher
You’ll spend most of your working HDMI or DisplayPort). VGA (or contrast ratios than TN, but slower
day staring at the screen, so it D-Sub) is an analogue interface, response times. Advanced MVA
makes sense to choose one that’s and won’t provide as clean a signal. screens are more responsive.
comfortable to view. The panel technology is In-plane switching (IPS) panels
The panel size will largely important. Twisted nematic (TN) offer excellent viewing angles,
depend on your budget and is the budget option, offering fast contrast and colour accuracy, but
amount of desk space, but those response times but limited viewing they can be rather pricey.
measuring 22in and above tend to angles. Multiple vertical alignment Get a matt rather than gloss
offer a full-HD resolution. All bar (MVA) and patterned vertical coating for fewer reflections.
the cheapest models also have at alignment (PVA) screens offer READ MORE: TINYURL.COM/6RMBVR6
MATT EGAN
Next issue
ISSUE 223 ON SALE 4 DECEMBER 2013
W
e review products based on performance,
design and build, then consider value the iPhone 5s, LG G2, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and
before offering an objective verdict Sony Xperia Z1.
and star rating. That doesn’t stop readers
accusing us of bias. Such is life in the TEST Monitors
post-web world. One particular gripe Looking for a second display or to upgrade
is a perceived bias toward Apple. CENTRE your old monitor? Don’t miss our round-up
Where other PC makers use of premium screens from 23- to 27 inches.
the components available to build
products that give users what they How to make music on your PC
want, Apple conceives of products it We explain all you need to know about creating
thinks people will love. It never uses great-sounding tracks.
focus groups, seeking to intuitively
provide the public with things they never knew they wanted. Managing your digital footprint
As Henry Ford said: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they How to find out what the internet knows about
would have said faster horses.” Apple doesn’t do faster horses. you and prevent it damaging your future.
This adds a premium to Apple prices. The company makes a
consistent profit on every product, based on the cost of components
and a healthy margin. It’s fair, if a little steep. But when considering, say,
the Macbook Air against every other Ultrabook, it makes sense to plump
for Apple. The same is no longer true in the mobile world. The iPhone
and the iPad were for a long time ahead of all smartphones and tablets.
Android was a mess, with hardware only ever on a par with Apple,
costing more. That’s just not the case these days.
A look at our smartphone chart (page 132) shows that handsets from
Sony, LG and Samsung are all capable of duking it out with the iPhone
5s, and all cost less. (And that’s before the Nexus 5 launches.) Yes, the
iPhone 5s remains unsurpassed in terms of the responsiveness of the
touchscreen and the beauty of the build, but with Android you have
a choice of music and movie stores, and most high-end Androids are
sufficiently sturdy as to not require a case.
You don’t have to choose an inferior product to avoid paying the
Apple premium. And that is even more the case in the world of tablets.
While basic Android tablets from no-name makers tend to be poor value,
manufacturers such as Google, Amazon and Barnes & Noble subsidise
their products to sell them cheaper than competing Apple iPads, for a
variety of reasons. And now Tesco has entered the fray. The Tesco Hudl
(see reviews, page 32) is a well-designed and -built tablet that offers full
access to Google Play. And it costs less than half the iPad mini.
Tesco knows it can shift a load of these tablets this Christmas,
and it has included Tesco shopping and Club Card apps to encourage
further purchases. It uses the Hudl to promote other services such as
Blinkbox, but like the Nexus and Nook devices you aren’t locked to the
manufacturer’s own services.
For the first time in a long time the choice in the tablet- and
visor and
smartphone space is not pay Apple’s premium or get an inferior product.
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