Not pretty, but a technically competent and comprehensive upgrade to the best free office suite around.

Our pick of the low-cost office suites has had a much-needed overhaul, and now battles Microsoft in terms of features, not just price.

A genuine step forward for the laptop, with unbelievable capabilities for the price, plus an ultra-low weight.

This month's winner, the A510 from Targa well and truly trounced the competitors this month, with the exception of Dell who trailed by only three points.

It resembles the excellent MSI Wind, but the inclusion of Linux-based gOS operating system makes this one super-cheap piece of hardware

Despite various attempts at Windows Desktop alternatives, Linux is still best suited to servers, for which Red Hat is by far the most popular choice. With this in mind, it came as no surprise when in May 2002 Red Hat split its product line in two: Linux and Enterprise Linux.

A few usability niggles don’t detract too much from this great-value OCR package.

Acer’s Aspire one makes a splash. A great keyboard, a fine screen and a keen price make for a superb mini-laptop

Useful new features and a total interface overhaul make this the best Office ever.

If you find a scanner bundled with this software, it'll be hard to resist.

If you’re buying a USB key, buy this.

Why does newer and better have to mean ugly too?

Formerly called Redmond Linux, Lycoris is probably the most Windows-like Linux around.

The first OS to make a serious effort at an easy, integrated Linux to rival Windows was the now defunct Corel LinuxOS.

Excellent support for PDF files, an intuitive user interface and a low price make Readiris the best choice for the majority of people.

Useful for the very basics, but it’s early days for Google’s latest venture.

Back in November we wondered just what you could buy for $1500 and Modtech and PC Express showed us two near identical systems (the latter being A-Listed). This month’s submission from PC Market offered few surprises.

Recognising that the Linux desktop market is only going to grow, and that there's money to made in the corporate arena, Sun's Java Desktop 2003 is squarely aimed at companies looking for a cheap, easy, and compatible alternative to Microsoft's (often expensive) dominance.

Dell's 12.1in netbook could have been good, but you'd have to buy one in the US to realise its true potential

We've put both mini-notebooks through their paces, and while Linux fans may disagree, the winner is clear.