TV over the internet and media streaming isn’t the future anymore, it’s here, and trying to figure out how to get all the parts working can be incredibly frustrating. Our TV Anywhere feature in the March issue gets you on the road to connecting all your TV bits together, and we’ve got a monster networking guide planned for later in the year as well as how-to articles to get you up and running.
We’re also finally able to reveal details of the AMD’s new Phenom II – it’s impressive and once the price drops a bit, we reckon it’ll go gangbusters.
We’ve also had a good length of time to finally sort and sift through the features of Windows 7 – we think you’ll love it as much as we have, especially once you check out our pick of the best bits.
With the clean feed looking possible this year, we thought we’d see how well a similar system protects children in the UK, where a clean feed has been up and running since 2004. Discover the disturbing truth only in the March issue.
Last but not least, we got Acer and Altech i7 systems head to head. Acer aims for affordable power, while Altech goes all-out power assault: which one is worth your money? We have the answers.
We’ve had requests for Phenom II vs i7 matchups, and we’re asking manufacturers for systems to make it a reality, so keep a look out for upcoming issues of PC Authority!
• 12 months subscription to PC Tools Desktop Maestro 3
• Pyroblazer demo
• Drakensang demo
• Fedora Linux 12
As you can see from the performance table, Core i7 is still a safe bet in terms of sheer speed, though the case for AMD is not as simple as that.
A highly desirable device that still leads the way for ease of use, even if it isn’t the most rounded phone around
An impressive touchscreen all-in-one PC for an equally impressive price, but the single-core Atom holds it back
Neither fish nor fowl, the N10J nonetheless manages to command both graphics and portability
A fierce protector when it comes to web threats, but merely middling elsewhere
See why this relatively unknown, but simple, efficient and affordable package holds its own against the likes of AVG, Norton, Kaspersky and McAfee.
Respectable performance and a security assistant makes the Belkin N1 Vision a good contender for a small office.
Although the basics of this router are somewhat low spec (no 802.11n or Gigabit Ethernet), the extras do make it interesting.
An older router missing a couple of key features, but worth considering for a small office equipped with older and slower Wi-Fi and Ethernet equipment.
Although its design is no more exciting than a grilled cheese sandwich, the Billion BiPac 7300N is functional and easy to set up.
The especially full feature set of the 7404VNOX makes it stand out from the crowd.
A comprehensive package, but not the most usable or effective
A do-it-all package that detects an exceptional range of malware
The DIR-855 is among the fastest wireless routers in our tests and would be particularly attractive to all-Windows networks.
Breathtakingly lightweight, but detection rates could be better.
A credible contender, but F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is neither the lightest nor the most effective security suite for your PC
Durable and laden with features, but let down by average
performance and poor battery life
Slim, sleek, powerful and good value, but poor battery life rules this phone out of the running
Sumptuous design, a fantastic screen and a high-quality feel. Not as easy to use as an iPhone, but far more powerful
A powerful phone with a superb keyboard, but it’s simply too costly to win an award
Our former champion loses its crown but remains a strong contender.
Although it’s not a screamer at short range, the good long-range performance (at 5GHz at least) makes the Linksys WRT610N an attractive choice
A capable package, but McAfee Total Protection 2009 is conspicuous and expensive.
A good demonstration of the benefits of 802.11n, and a good choice for offices requiring a basic router.
An expensive route, but the Netgear Prosafe SRXN3205 provides the reassurance of of an SSL VPN along with a long warranty.
The DGFV338 is a combination ADSL modem/router packaged in Netgear’s traditional metal case and powered by a particularly large and heavy mains adaptor.
A gorgeous phone with impressive battery life, good features and a very tempting price
A great multimedia phone with surprising business features, but it feels clunky
Lighter than ever, but its all-round performance isn’t quite first class.
A good effort by Palm, but it’s a long way behind the best both ergonomically and functionally
An improvement on last year’s package, but sadly still flawed.
A dreadful performer in almost every regard.
Brilliant ergonomics and admirable ease of use make this a great choice for those who need business email on the move
This phone can do it all, but it’s exceedingly frustrating to use, and that counts it out
Fifteen security packages go head to head in our labs test, including Kaspersky, Norton, ZoneAlarm, McAfee, F-Secure and AVG. Find out which will keep you safe and which could let you down.
Jonathan Bray and Alex Bradner put 12 high-end handsets through our gruelling tests to find the best one for you.
Costly and fiddly to use, despite a decent keyboard and high-resolution screen.
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.
Investigator turns its attention to a rather tricky issue with a Nokia mobile phone - water ingress - and how this can occur
Not a great performer in testing, but a firmware update that delivers the performance we saw with the TL-WR841ND would make it great value.
A broad and likeable package, but needs better malware detection.
From watching iView on your mobile to live Australian TV while overseas, to Freeview, Foxtel IQ2 and TiVo, Stuart Andrews and Zara Baxter perfect the menu for takeaway TV.
A solid, usable package with online backup to boot.
An irritating package without a future.
A suite with some nice features but slow startup times made us disappointed with ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009
