Still not sure whether it's worth upgrading to Vista? We put XP and Vista through the ultimate face-off.

After the disappointment - perceived or otherwise - of Windows Vista, many are pinning their hopes on a revival with Windows 7. And from our first impressions of the pre-beta code, that's exactly what they can expect.

Our full guide to saving cash-saving secrets is here, from how to get discounts on PCs, to SIM only phone contracts, the best DSLR cameras deals, and discount licensing from Adobe, Microsoft and others.

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

Everything you need to know about maxing-out your broadband connection, including interleaving, fine tuning MTU settings, firmware updates, ADSL filters and splitters,and that old chestnut - electrical noise in your wiring

This feature is for anyone who's finished a working day with the horrible sense of dissatisfaction that things didn't go to plan, that you've been ineffective. That you just didn't do all the things you wanted to.

Plenty of modern phones support email, of course, but what always made BlackBerry special was its push technology. With this, you don't need to dial up to collect your email: just sit back and wait for the messages to come to you. Wherever you are, if an urgent email comes through to any of your email addresses -- and the 7100v supports up to 10 -- you can act on it instantly.

Sony does it again with a Notebook to die for.

So, the last big name has fallen. HP gave out in April 2008, and both Dell and Toshiba's resistance crumbled by the autumn. But it's taken Sony until the middle of 2009 to produce what it confesses to be a netbook, the VAIO Mini W Series.

We like the ambition of producing a low-cost BlackBerry, but until it drops in price there’s too much competition.

Dell has waited several years to release its own PDA, and now committed to Pocket PC, Dell's main weapon is aggressive pricing that's on the verge of insane.

The iPAQ's evolution is almost complete. The first signs came with the H1940, a Pocket PC that finally managed to be good looking, tiny and powerful - and it even included Bluetooth. But the H4150, while looking rather similar, makes the H1940 look almost Stone Age, with HP squeezing WLAN into the package, upping the processor speed to 400MHz and improving the screen still further.

A hugely likeable phone that excels at web browsing and manages to just live up to its ambitious name.

Not the sleekest smartphone, but the screen, keyboard and battery life are all superb.

A new way forward for ultraportables, combining an incredible low weight with unrivalled ergonomic excellence

While many ultraportable laptops, like the Toshiba R200 go all out to get size and weight to an absolute minimum, a great deal of usability is often sacrificed – the X505 is impractically small for constant daily usage while the R200 has limited battery sizes.

Apple’s new wonder notebook saddles up to ultraportable, style specialists Sony. But who wins the first impressions contest?

A striking laptop that’s incredibly portable and has good battery life. But the screen is a big disappointment

When Dell shook the Pocket PC world with the aggressively priced Axim X5 (March 2003, page 41), its rivals could always point out that the X5 was bulkier and uglier than their devices. With its latest Axim, however, Dell has produced a slimmer, more attractive model without compromising on spec, features or price.

This rather optimistic time assumes no use of the backlight, but we found half-brightness to offer the best compromise – and even at this setting, the V35's screen impresses.