A decent performer, but it struggles with small files

Packed with great features and offering decent coverage, the DIR-655 is a winner at this price.

Mediocre value for the features and performance on offer.

Excellent speed, both wired and wireless, but this comes at a hefty price.

Good quality and with a proper li-ion battery, but expensive and bulky compared to the Olympus.

It might look like a DSLR, but it doesn’t handle as well and loses out to others with bigger zooms

A great desktop replacement thanks to the huge screen and dual 200GB hard disks, but its price is too high.

It lacks the frills of others here, but the Toshiba is ideal if you want a 17in screen at the lowest price.

A Blu-ray drive is just about the only justification for the Sony’s high price; it’s poor value overall.

If you’re looking for a well-featured, great-value desktop replacement, the A7S fits the bill

Huge capacity, but not very quiet or good value

An 18x zoom in a compact, well-built body. General handling and image quality are great too.

The Ixus 60 delivers superb image quality and is beautifully designed and built.

Good value and high capacity, but performance is average

Play your video, photo and music files on your TV from a networked PC. We put five network players to the test

Superb performance, quiet running and excellent value for home use, especially if you want to stream media.

While the storage community eagerly awaits Serial ATA disks (see page 39), the latest generations of Ultra ATA disks have emerged, boasting huge capacities and searing performance.

Print 6 x 4in photos from the comfort of your desk. We take a look at five miniature digital darkrooms

Stack your system full of software without paying a penny, with our guide to essential downloads