While applications such as CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator grab all the headlines, they are rather expensive and are aimed at the professional end of the market.  Not everybody can afford the price or needs the multitude of features available from such products.

Acer has recently added the C200 series to its range of TravelMate family. Unlike the other models in this range, which adopts the traditional style of notebook, the C200 series is a Tablet PC. While the general shape and size (315 x 238 x 35.3mm (W x D x H)) is notebook-like in appearance, this particular series is easily disguisable by its top mounted touch screen.

MP3 players continue to arrive in all shapes and forms, whether of the popular white variety or one of the many competitive offerings, as the means of providing our mobile music.  Generally these devices arrive with a set of headphones which emphasises the personal aspect of these portable music players.  However there are occasions when you might wish to share the music stored on the MP3 with family and/or friends.

Nobody who has been involved in buying a notebook will, no doubt, has been encouraged by the sales person to add a protective bag to their purchase if one is not already included as part of a sales promotion.  The rise in the popularity of notebooks, over desktop systems, has seen an increase in the range of bags designed to both protect and facilitate the transport of the portable computer.

Modern technology is such that there are few areas within the average home that are not considered suitable for an influx of electronic devices.  Even that bastion of food preparation, the kitchen, has opened its culinary doors to numerous devices and not just those involved in the actual food creation process.  For example, Dualit, a company steeped in the manufacture of catering equipment, has produced a DAB radio for the kitchen.

Think of disc burning software and one of the first names to pop into your mind will probably be Nero.  After all this software product has been around for a good many years and it is a popular choice for manufacturers to bundle with their rewritable drives.  Following its brief flirtation with the Matrix theme with Nero 6 Reloaded, the latest version of the software is entitled and arrives in a distinctive flip-top box.

Often when making a decision about a new computer, two components tend to get overlooked. As these items provide the main method for the user to communicate with the computer, it is not surprising that many quickly decide that a replacement keyboard and mouse should be placed at the top of their wish list for future purchases. Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives available.

Patience can sometimes be rewarded as my experiences with this next product proved.  Grabster AV150 comes with the claim of being able to convert VHS tapes to DVD media.  I must admit that my initial attempts to get this product to work were a complete failure.   This is where the patience comes into the picture.  Let me explain.

Although perhaps not the dominant force it once was in the graphics market, the arrival of the latest version of Corel's flagship product is still a worthwhile event.  (either a marketing ploy or a means of avoiding the superstition attached to number 13) is aimed at professional, business and other users who want powerful graphics tools at a reasonable price.

Rumour has it that later this year we are all going to be heavily involved in supporting England's football team in its efforts to make progress towards World Cup glory and the financial rewards it will bring.  No doubt many will be seen wearing the appropriate football shirt and sporting rosettes and the like while waving flags and decorating their cars and homes.

For a long time my main computer display was handled by the original Flatron CRT monitor from LG.  Sad to say that monitor has now departed the scene, taking with it its built-in set of USB ports, after providing many years of excellent service.  Currently acting as a temporary replacement is another Flatron model.  This is the LG Flatron L1732P unit.

A Rip Van Winkle character going to sleep in the 80s and waking up today would immediately notice a big difference with the leading Office applications.  Actually lots of other differences would also be evident but for the purpose of this review lets concentrate on the main Office software.

The arrival of a new printer, for testing purposes, is usually followed by a period of hectic activity as boxes and the like are moved around in the vain hope of creating enough space for the printer and its accompanying packaging.  I must admit that you can become quite skilled at this type of exercise but it does take up time and can increase the frustration level.

Computer TV tuners are getting smaller.  The latest such device to arrive from Pinnacle is slightly larger than a USB memory drive.  Appropriately this tuner goes by the title of PCTV USB Stick.  Measuring 84 x 30 x 13mm (L x W x D), this device is coloured white.  It slots into an available USB 2.0 port and has a connection socket for either a roof-top aerial or the supplied rod antenna.

While the iPod currently rules the mobile music arena with its stylish appearance, storage capacity and a hefty dose of street cred, it is hardly the most convenient way to listen to music in the home.  It hasn't taken long for products to appear that have been designed to help in this respect.  With its long association with Apple, it is not surprising that Kensington is one such company.

I have had the opportunity to try out numerous wireless mice from various companies such as Microsoft and Logitech. In most cases the kit would be made up of the mouse and a receiver unit that attaches via a lengthy lead to a USB port or with a USB flash device style receiver. However there are always exceptions and one such example is the Logitech LX7 Cordless Optical Mouse.