Acer TravelMate 8215WLMi
Despite some welcome additions and good components, this Acer notebook is left wanting.
BenQ CP120
Wi-Fi is a great feature, but image quality is lacking.
BenQ Joybook R55U v40
The new model in Benq's V series may just be an evolution, but under the skin there's a power revolution.
Canon EOS 400D
Canon’s SLR fails to make the enormous splash of its predecessors, but it’s still a great camera in its own right.
Canon Ixus 850 IS
A beautiful example of high technology, but we have reservations about the ultimate quality of images.
Canon Pixma MP180
Capable of reproducing good photos, but it’s slow, a bit expensive to run and has a poor scanner.
Compact digital cameras
With huge LCDs, underwater capabilities and high resolutions for under $450, now is the time to buy.
Dell 3400MP
Small, light, quiet, cheap to run and with great image quality, the Dell retains its coveted A-List position.
Epson EMP-1710
This brand-new projector is expensive and rather noisy, but image quality is excellent.
F-Secure Internet Security 2007
An almost perfect security suite, combining simplicity and solid protection with excellent value for money.
Flash MP3 players
Enjoy your music on the move: we try out five of the best flash-based MP3 players on the market.
Flight Simulator X
A marvel of programming, art and science.
Google Docs & Spreadsheets (Beta)
Useful for the very basics, but it’s early days for Google’s latest venture.
Hitachi CPX1
Good colour reproduction at a bargain price.
HP Photosmart C4180
While HP’s strength in photo printing is once again proved, mono prints take too long and the scanner is poor.
HP Photosmart D7360
Good photo quality and a large touchscreen make this the A4 inkjet to buy.
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700
Performance per watt has taken a backward step, but it’s very fast with the right apps.
Lenovo 3000 N100
Great ergonomics are let down by a few mediocre components and limited portability. But some features will tempt many.
Lexmark X5470
Cheap to buy and run, the X5470 is great for mono printing, but less so for photos and images.
McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007
A mixed bag of features, with some fundamentally flawed defaults and too many opaque alerts.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7
Much improved, but IE still lags behind Firefox 2 in terms of innovation, features and security.
Mio DigiWalker A701
Expensive, but the features are packed in. Just note the lack of Wi-Fi and some strong iPaq competition.
Mio DigiWalker C310
Some useful features and cheaper than TomTom’s One. But there are some issues.
Mitsubishi WD2000
The wide range of features and a degree of HD-readiness are welcome, but the DLP rainbow effect can spoil things.
Mozilla Firefox 2
Added features and fixed bugs mean that Firefox remains our browser of choice
Nike+ iPod Sport Kit
A great reason to buy into iPod. It’s good value, though its required accessories can add up.
OCZ 2GB SD Dual card
This flash memory chip includes the full functionality of USB thumb drives. Amazing.
Optoma EP7150
Bright, well featured and cheap to run. But the Dell is better.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2
Image quality is reasonable, but there are far better cameras available for less.
Plus V-339
Interesting technology, but noisy and expensive to run.
RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100
A great piece of hardware, backed up by BlackBerry’s legendary services.
Samsung CLP-300
A bargain printer that’s well worth considering if you only need occasional colour.
Sharp Notevision XR-1S
Too noisy and basic to seriously compete, even at this price.
Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007
A truly silent firewall, reduced system impact and an improved interface finally make Norton attractive.
The truth about Windows Vista
Windows Vista is here, but does Microsoft’s ground-breaking OS live up to its promise? We put Vista through an extensive road test.
Toshiba TDP-P8
The poor remote and menus outweigh its other merits.
Ultraportable projector group test
We test and rate 9 of the best portable presentation devices around.
ViewSonic PJ256D
The pick of the two 1kg units, but still behind the Dell.
Vista: Networking, IPv6 and beyond
Microsoft has started from scratch with Vista’s networking features — but are they any better than those found in XP? We log-in and find out.
Vista: Out of the box
Microsoft has always included a number of bundled applications with Windows, but Vista takes it further than ever. Here’s a look at the main attractions.
Vista: Security and encryption
Will a beefed-up firewall, User Account Control and disk encryption make Vista
a safer choice than XP?
Vista: Under the skin
Is Vista’s suave new interface and menu system window dressing or a radical improvement in usability?
Vista: Versions and requirements
We help you determine whether your current PC can run Vista and which version of the operating system best suits your needs.
What Vista might have been
Jon Honeyball laments the features that got away in the final Vista build.
Zune: First look
Microsoft prepares to take on the portable music player industry's heavyweight: Apple. Would you believe it?