Laptops/PCs/Apple

While the keyboard and mouse provide the main means of communicating with your computer, it is the screen that tends to let the computer communicate with you. As you tend to view the screen constantly, it does help if it can perform to your satisfaction and not be distracting. Read on…..

This is a media storage box, but not a normal one that will only work within the local network. You can access data providing you’re my Ditto box is connected to your router from anywhere in the world securely using a USB key.

The connection between these items is of course no cable as they are both wireless. The first to give a non wireless PC that capability, and the second to enable devices such as a PDA or phone without a keyboard simular.

Hard drives no bigger than a floppy drive (3.5inch version) are now the norm. What to a man of mature years still takes some getting used to is their capacity is hundreds of time the size and the stack of floppy disk would be huge.

Not everybody needs the power and functionality offered by today’s notebooks. For some the lower specifications of a netbook will suffice.

This is a 17.3inch notebook, in fact quite a nice powerful notebook that verges onto a Desktop replacement. With that size of screen it is only really something to be moved for long distances by private transport unless you go to the gym a lot.

I had just installed this on my test system when my own modem/router decided to pop its clogs. So what would have been a ‘test’ suddenly became real life with my day to day communications relaying on the Play Max.

I've been a convert to HomePlug networking for quite some time now - it wins over Wireless in so many ways. Devolo have recently introduced a new range of adaptors adding some useful features.

As more eSATA devices arrive those with eSATA on the motherboard could find this solution from Lindy very useful. The second is another item from Brando in Hong Kong this time a 13 (yes thirteen) port USB switch.

This is a very different mouse from the ones we have all been using since the early 80’s when the first graphic interfaces were produces. This works by protecting the wrist from the dreaded RSI (repetitive strain injury).

For those who don’t want black here I am looking at a subtle shade of red (dark wine) colour that will pass for black in poor light but still offer that something different in decent light, best of all the fingermarks don’t show as they do with shiny black.

Laptops tend to lose their charm quickly when you’re constantly looking for the nearest power outlet to charge up. How do you keep your battery going for as long as possible? Here are 15 easy ways to do so.

This I am told will give you 12 hours of battery life, I never got beyond six hours or so, so I assume there are two battery combinations available. I did test it several times hence the slightly longer than normal review period.

Turn me, twist me, flip me over could well be the theme tune from a new addition to Acer’s Aspire series.

The World Cup has raised the profile and interest in High Definition TV which, in turn, has increased the attraction of monitors with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. The Acer H234H is a quality 24inch monitor that meets this demand as well as giving the user a reasonable degree of future proofing.

With a name like Pogoplug you might just wonder what kind of device this might be. Maybe it could jump up and down or provide power on the go? In fact neither of these possible options comes close to describing the functionality offered by the Pogoplug. Describing itself as “Your Personal Cloud”, the Pogoplug is a multimedia sharing device that allows you to access and share content with others over the Internet.

In fact no larger than a Netbook but do not think of this as an entry level product. It will be both thinner and lighter than any Netbook I know but it is also quite a powerful offering so you have been warned its not cheap.

Everyone thinks of Microsoft and software in the same breath, mainly for the operating system but of course there is Office and other programs such as AutoRoute as well. Here I am looking at two items released recently.

Things do not always arrive that quickly, this is a case in point I saw this unit last summer before Windows 7 was even launched. Finally after much nagging it arrives to be tested after summer time had started in 2010.

Okay so I cannot really see a link between a book ‘62 Projects to make with a dead computer’ and a rather neat small hub/card reader. The first from Workman Publishing and the second from Conceptronic, both however are worth a look.

I first saw this demonstrated early this year, it looked great. However when I tried to do the same, problems occurred, I asked advice and now a later version of the software seems to have solved all the problems that I initially had.

In theory you just connect this External Hard Drive (almost as easy as the USB unit reviewed on Wednesday) install some software and then you have 1TB of external storage, shame it did not happen like that.

First a voice controlled USB powered lamp and then a card reader and USB hub. How does this innovative Hong Kong company keep finding more devices that are available to use from your USB ports?

This is a very thin 500GB portable USB hard drive that displays the free space available even when no power is available (or even connected to a PC). Could this unit be the way that all external hard drives will become?

This has the bold statement on the box ‘Up to 14x faster and up to 6x better range than 802.11g’ Speed is of course useful and range is vital if you are using the wireless option at anywhere near it’s distance capacity.

For someone using even a 17inch display with 1280 x 1024 screen resolution, “upgrading” to a 19 inch wide screen display with 1440 x 900 is unsatisfactory. After all, the lesser vertical resolution is inadequate. Consequently, a reasonable approach is to upgrade to a 22 or 24inch widescreen monitor with 1920×1080 WUXGA resolution and, ideally, to one such as the Viewsonic VX2433wm 24inch which provides both performance and a good degree of future proofing.

A rather different PC in that all you get is a small box not a lot bigger than a video cassette and a wireless keyboard and mouse. This can even be mounted on the back of a panel or a TV so maybe ideal for the occasional user.

Anyone still keen to purchase a Netbook with Windows XP as the operating system could well find this unit one of their last chances. Later this year M&S will launch a different model with Windows 7 installed so don’t delay.

Acer, which claims to hold the number one position in notebook sales in the UK, has announced its new TimelineX range based on the Intel Core series of processors, high quality displays and versatile connectivity. They will start coming onto the market within the next few weeks. The company is offering a number of different series of machines each of which targets a particular sector within the consumer and SMB marketplace.

Having recently looked at a Touchscreen notebook, here, I am looking at an All In One screen that has all the normal connections around the edges including the optical drive with the only external items being wireless mouse and keyboard.