by Stuart Davidson | 08/05/2013
The ZOTAC ZBOX ID89 Plus contains the usual selection of 2.5in hard drive, wireless-n wi-fi and the like but manages to include support for dual channel memory and arrives kitted out with a Core i5 CPU. All in a chassis not much bigger than most external drive enclosures.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/04/2013
Today Futuremark are releasing, for free, a version of 3DMark which runs on Android (3.0 and above). This is their next step in allowing us to compare the latest mobile devices to each other with iOS support to follow soon. We have had some time with the new Android edition of 3DMark and today we have a selection of benchmark results from various devices as well as some information on the software itself.
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by Stuart Davidson | 13/03/2013
As with a number of manufacturers who produce networking products Edimax offer a wide range of devices, not just the standard router and adapter configuration most people need. For those who have a more unique requirement Edimax offer devices such as their N300 Universal Wi-Fi Extender and Wi-Fi personal hotspot (or travel router as it could be known). Today we have one of each to review.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/02/2013
The latest hardware and software is ready from Blackberry in the shape of the Z10 and Q10 handsets. Both run the new Blackberry 10 mobile operating system and we have the former to review today.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/02/2013
Sennheiser have updated their range with the PC 363D, a revision of the award winning PC 360 which adds a USB soundcard and virtual 7.1 audio. Today we have a sample of the PC 363D on our test bench so read on to find out if Sennheisers latest gaming headset is as good as its predecessor.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/01/2013
So we know the concept of a tablet with keyboard dock has potential but mobile operating systems are not necessarily the perfect solution. Well, until Windows 8 and Windows RT began offering a different experience with the release of the Microsoft Surface recently. Now Dell are looking to take on the Surface, and existing tablets with the XPS 10 running Windows RT and we have one to test today.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/12/2012
USB 3G dongles have been around for a while, allowing those of us on the move to connect to mobile networks with our laptops, or acting as a backup to a wired connection at home. This is all very well when there is one PC but what if we have more devices that need access to the connection? For those sort of scenarios Vodafone have the R205 adapter which takes its 3G connection and acts as a mini-router, sharing it with multiple devices via Wi-Fi.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/11/2012
As part of a flurry in the tablet market which saw the refresh of the Nexus 7, release of iPad Mini and debut of Microsofts Surface Amazon return to the marketplace with a follow up to their Kindle Fire, the Kindle Fire HD. Today we have one on our test bench to find out how it stacks up against the competition.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/11/2012
One of the aspects of Windows 8 Pro that really stands out when using it is that the operating system feels very much like it is designed for new, touch based hardware. For that reason one of the devices that should offer a great experience is Surface, Microsofts own tablet which runs a streamlined version of Windows 8, Windows RT. Today we take a look at the Surface to see if the new Windows experience finds an ideal home on the new hardware and if the tablet itself can compete in the high end of the mobile market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/11/2012
There is an argument that the 7ā€¯ form factor tablets from the likes of Google and Amazon dont eat directly into the iPad sales but it clearly isnt a risk worth taking for Apple and so today sees the launch of the iPad Mini. Priced at a more affordable level than the full size model can it offer something to combat sales of similar sized Android devices? We have one to test and find out.
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by Stuart Kerley | 18/10/2012
The Vulcan Pro is a follow up to the Vulcan ANC, the first active noise cancelling pro gaming headset from ASUS which we previously covered. With updated specifications including hardware sound processing in the form of RoG Spitfire, can it improve on the strong foundations of the original?
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/10/2012
With a completely new styling and specifications in excess of Wireless-N the new NETGEAR R6300 is one of the most advanced routers available. Today we review a pair of them giving us Wireless-ac (802.11ac) connectivity at either end of the transmission.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/10/2012
Containing 2GB of memory and one of the fastest quad core CPUs around... along with an even bigger screen today we have a Note 2 on our test bench to find out whether Samsung have come down on the right side of the size line.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/10/2012
Can the new A10 series of APUs from AMD match, or even exceed Intels range of low/mid range CPUs? We find out now in a selection of real world gaming, multimedia, overclocking and productivity tests while also taking a look at how the APU can perform with a mid range GPU... and of course there are the standard memory, USB 3.0, SATA and PCIe tests to round things off.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/08/2012
With their new tablet Archos aim to take a chunk of the productivity tablet market with a device aimed very much at those interested in the Transformer Pad... so with several generations of tablet development behind them and a lower RRP than ASUS, can they succeed?
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/08/2012
Clearly the success of the Galaxy Note as a brand inspired Samsung and despite having a well-established Tab range (of Android Tablets) their latest device goes with the alternative title which helps identify its key feature, a high functionality stylus. Today we have the Galaxy Note 10.1 on our test bench and will establish whether it has what it takes to compete with the likes of ASUS Transformer Pad, the alternative productivity tablet.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/08/2012
One of the latest systems to be released in the Ultrabook category is Lenovo's U410 which has a hefty advertising campaign behind it and GeForce GPU inside. Today we have one on our test bench and will see how it compares to the last generation system to see what the Lenovo offers in real world use.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/08/2012
Today we have the Nexus 7 on our test bench to see if it offers a desirable, and workable, alternative to the more expensive larger tablets which are currently available.
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/08/2012
With a 1.6GHz Tegra 3 processor inside, aluminium body and 1920x1200 resolution display the Transformer Pad Infinity is ASUS highest specification tablet to date; but is it their best?
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by Stuart Davidson | 20/07/2012
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Samsung has recently been discounted across a wide range of retailers and so today we take a look back at what the device offers and whether it is worth considering for those looking to maximise their value when grabbing a tablet.
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by Stuart Davidson | 07/07/2012
On our test bench today is the latest product from the ASUS RoG brand, their Maximus V Formula motherboard. We will be comparing it to another Z77 board in a selection of real world and synthetic tests to find out how ASUS look to improve on the base design and how far they have pushed the enthusiast feature set... watercooled heatsinks anyone?
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by Stuart Davidson | 01/06/2012
Recently AMD set us the challenge of building a low cost APU system to see if it would be possible to build a decent media/productivity/gaming PC on a minimal budget. It's something different to a review which is always a nice change so we set about looking at what could be done when pretty much every component has to cost £60 or less.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/05/2012
Following the success of the Prime ASUS have designed a new tablet which sits somewhere between the original Transformer and its follow up. Taking specifications from the newer model and a functionality from both that model is the Transformer Pad 300 and today we have it on our test bench.
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by Niall Coleman | 30/03/2012
Today we have the Galaxy Nexus on our test bench and will take a look at what it offers in today's smartphone market, focusing of course on aspects such as the OS which is still quite unique in the Android world.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/03/2012
The Palit GTX 680 JetStream is a factory overclocked 3 slot, triple fan cooled card which aims to show the competition how a GTX 680 should be done. We will be putting it through a selection of real world gaming tests including Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim as well as overclocking it to the limit...
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/03/2012
Capcom have been one of the big supporters of downloadable classics with games such as Street Fighter 3 Online Edition making their way to the home consoles. Now they are taking eight titles of varying styles and combining them on one disc, calling it the Capcom Digital Collection. Fancy a bit of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo: HD Remix followed by Flock, or 1942 Joint Strike followed by Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2 for a value price... look no further.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/03/2012
We have already taken a look at single GPU performance and now it is time to update that article with a look at SLI, featuring ZOTAC's version of the GTX 680 in titles such as Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 with single screen and surround gaming as well as Stereoscopic 3D testing.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/03/2012
Take one ASUS GTX 680 2GB, overclock it to its limit... add one MSI R7970 Lightning, the highest spec AMD card around and overclock it to breaking point. Thrown in comparisons at 1920x1080 and 5760x1080 mixing with the latest games such as Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 and SW: The Old Republic. Check cards are piping hot before completion and you have todays review.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/03/2012
Today we take a detailed look at gaming performance of the GTX 680 in titles such as Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 with single screen and surround gaming as well as Stereoscopic 3D testing. Added to that is GPU computing and media playback performance along with thermal, power, noise and overclocking results. Want to see how the GTX 680 does against the 7970 at its maximum overclock, or the GTX 580 OC 3GB we have that sorted too...
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by Stuart Davidson | 20/03/2012
What if one device solved the need to have a separate 3/4G enabled tablet, or laptop in addition to a phone? Well that is what Samsung aim to achieve with the Galaxy Note. Sitting very much above the phone space, yet below a full blown tablet, with its 5.3" screen it could be the answer... then again it could also be too big to be a phone or too small to be functional for other tasks. Today we find out which way our experience went.
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/03/2012
With today's launch of "The new iPad"... though many are calling it the iPad 3, we have a device which follows a similar design ethic to the iPhone 4S. Make most of the changes internal and otherwise stick as close to the previous design as possible. We have the new iPad on our test bench and today will be putting it through our review process, read on to find out what we think of it.
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by Niall Coleman | 07/03/2012
When we first heard about the best name ever for a tablet PC, or possibly any component, we had visions of a robotic looking blue and red case... sadly, well kind of, this proved not to be and instead Asus released a sleek looking update to the original Transformer that we reviewed last year. The Prime is one of the world's first Android tablets with a quad-core processor and is running Android 4.0 and today we have one on our test bench for review.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/03/2012
Today we take a look at the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, how to install it, what the basic OS experience is and how it performs, compared to Windows 7 on AMDs latest FX CPU and Radeon 7700 series GPU.
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by Stuart Davidson | 13/02/2012
The true successor to the PSP, the PlayStation Vita, launches next week in Europe and the USA and today we will take a detailed look at our console covering the new hardware, operating system and a selection of launch day titles which include the latest Uncharted game, Golden Abyss along with WipeOut 2048 and a number of more casual games including Little Deviants which makes full use of the unique PS Vita touch controls.
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by Niall Coleman | 01/02/2012
Archos are back with an updated "Gen 9" version of the 101 Android tablet. Featuring Android 3.2.1 and updated specifications can it offer something worthwhile in an ever more crowded market?
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/01/2012
Looking to capitalise on their ever growing experience with Android and the success of those older V3 and Pebl products Motorola announced the new Razr (or Droid Razr) towards the end of 2011. This new device in the Razr family features unique high quality styling with some impressive specifications and aims to sit at the top of the smartphone market. Today we take a look at one in detail to see if it can compete in that area.
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by Niall Coleman | 05/01/2012
Boxee is marketed as "a new way to think about TV" and is essentially an interface that combines with hardware to create a fully functional, standalone media player/streamer. Today we will be reviewing the Boxee Box (DSM-380) by D-Link which is a set-top box developed in co-operation with D-Link.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/12/2011
This article documents the process of choosing components for the new Windows Home Server 2011 box, from the low wattage Intel CPU, through the motherboard, PSU, memory and drives before looking at the setup process and how the OS looks and works in day to day use.
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by Niall Coleman | 23/11/2011
As a first for AC Ryan the Veolo uses Android 2.2 (Froyo) as the OS, bringing an enhanced experience for apps on a TV, including casual games and social media and we have one on our test bench today to find out if the Veolo lives up to the high standards of previous AC Ryan models.
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by Niall Coleman | 02/11/2011
Today we are taking our first look, an overview, of OnLive which is an on-demand service that streams games to your computer, TV or tablet PC. Requiring no discs, no hard-drive space, no downloads and no high-end components.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/10/2011
The XPS 14z takes its style from the 15z we reviewed back in July and packs as much of it into the smaller chassis as is possible, giving us some extra performance over the Inspiron 14" model.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/10/2011
The Inspiron 14z as it is known features a second gen Core i5 CPU and some good on paper specifications. Today we have one on our test bench to find out what this model has to offer for those who don't need a 15"+ system.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/10/2011
The Slider, like the Transformer, is an attempt by ASUS to offer an attractive tablet which offers something different to the competition. With a built-in, slide out keyboard, the Slider is clearly aimed at those who love their hardware keyboards on mobile phones bringing the technology to the tablet arena. We have one of the early samples on our test bench today to find out if it lives up to the quality of the Transformer.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/10/2011
Today we take a look at the first mainstream Chromebook, from Samsung, to find out what it offers, how the operating system works and who it might appeal to.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/10/2011
The G74Sx is a 17.3" enthusiast machine featuring Core i7 CPU and GTX 500 Series graphics along with a long list of other impressive features. Today we have a sample on our test bench to find out whether ASUS can compete in this area of the market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/09/2011
Today we take a look at the Sony Tablet S, an Android Honeycomb (3.2) capable tablet which has impressive specifications and a design that sets it apart from the competition. Let's find out how Sony aim to change what we feel a tablet should be like with our in depth review.
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by Niall Coleman | 09/09/2011
The HANNSpad has many of the same features and specifications as the ASUS Transformer but at a bargain £150 price. Let's find out if it is a worthwhile purchase and whether it is a tablet which is open to user customisation (Honeycomb on a £150 device anyone???).
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by Niall Coleman | 08/08/2011
A manufacturer who is keen to get a decent slice of the high end Android market is ASUS and their Transformer tablet which is reminiscent of a faux-leather couture handbag is a slim, lightweight Android tablet that doubles as a capable laptop thanks to a matching keyboard dock. Today we will be taking a detailed look at the Transformer to find out if ASUS can back up the high quality styling with some substance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 13/05/2011
Today on our test bench we have the LG Optimus 2X (G2x for our American readers) which is the world's first dual core phone, containing NVIDIA Tegra 2 technology for advanced graphics with high end performance and features. Is it a leap forward in mobile communications or does it signal a switch to phones becoming "just a small tablet"...
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/04/2011
Today we have one of the B3 revision motherboards on our test bench, a mini-ITX model from Gigabyte, which packs a whole load of features into a tiny PCB. We'll be putting that model through its paces, along with the low energy 2100/2500T CPUs, in a selection of synthetic and real world tests to find out how they perform with a mini-ITX Fusion system included as a performance baseline.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/02/2011
Recently AC Ryan announced their next generation players and today we take a look at the Playon!HD Mini 2 which as well as featuring improved specifications also gets the new GUI and some extra features such as social media integration.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/02/2011
One company who are known for their quality mobile devices are Archos and a couple of months back they announced their own up to date range of Android tablets, the 70 and 101. These devices are based on Android 2.2 (currently) and aim to provide a better quality of product than the cheaper tablets while aiming to get close to the performance of the Tab.
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by Stuart Davidson | 28/10/2010
With Novatech's background we always have to take note when they release a new product and yesterday at an event in London they presented the nTablet to journalists. We attended the launch event where the overall feeling towards the nTablet was positive however more importantly we have had the opportunity for the last week to use one of the first sample of the system in day to day use, let's take a look at the product and how it performs...
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by Nathan Marks | 09/12/2008
We see all sorts of mice on the market now, many targeted at specific sectors and audiences. Today were going to look at the HandshoeMouse, an ergonomic mouse which aims to allow the users hand to relax and reduce muscular tension in the hands and arms.
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