Computer Shopper - July 2016 UK

3D printing our past and future

Reviews • Advice • Projects • Opinion • News

Richard III’s skeleton to a robot lawnmower… What’s next? p110

p98

Cut your printing costs NOW!

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printers tested with costs from 0.8p per page p82

WELCOME PAGE

Welcome!

WE LIVE IN a throwaway culture. Long gone are the days when you’d buy anything – a house, a car, a washing machine, a lawnmower – and expect it to last a lifetime. Now items are made to last for a lifetime, as long as you’re a gerbil. New-build flats get erected and within weeks repair works begin; owners of old bangers are coerced into upgrading to newer cars by punitive road tax and insurance fees; consumer electronics advance so quickly that you’ve just about set up your latest TV when the next HD/3D/4K/Ultra HD version comes along and you just have to go out and buy a replacement, not least because your current one goes on the blink after a few years. And don’t even think about taking your broken-down item to be fixed, as the cost of repairs are generally almost as much, or more, as buying a new – and better – one. But here at Shopper we’re taking a stand. We think you should be able to buy the latest computer or electronics kit and use it for as long as you want to. So for those of you faced with a PC that has slowed down over

the years, don’t consign it to the EUresponsible-waste-recycling bin just yet. Instead, turn to our comprehensive guide to the 21 things killing your PC on page 98. Carry out these steps to breathe new life into your computer, from digging out hidden malware lurking in the depths of your machine, to slimming down your Windows OS and giving the parts a spring clean. But sometimes it is worthwhile taking the plunge and going for an upgrade. Printers are the oft-forgotten item in home computing or office environments, churning out page after page with little thought given to efficiency. We’ve put 12 of the best head to head on page 82, so now your PC is running like new, it’s time to take a look at your printer’s per-page running costs and see if one of the latest crop offers an overall better package. Mel Croucher has also taken a delve into the past to see how 3D printing can bring back lost treasures on page 110, and we’ve put digital assistants Siri, Cortana and Google Now through their paces on page 116. Enjoy!

Madeline Bennett, Editor [email protected]

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

The Arch of Palmyra and Richard III’s skeleton have been 3D-printed. What would you 3D-print? Madeline Bennett

MEET THE TEAM

David Ludlow

A FIFA World Cup trophy – it’s the only way England will get one in my lifetime

A life-sized Martin Freeman. It would be a better actor and more human

Seth Barton

Katharine Byrne

A kitchen extension for my house – it’s got to be quicker than my builders

Richard Easton

A car to show the Motion Picture Association who’s boss

David Neal

Wings and legs so that it could, if it wanted, fly off

Lee Bell

A house, because I’m never going to afford one at this rate

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

Some tables and chairs for my new house – they might not be comfy, but at least they’re cheap!

James Archer

CONTACT US Editor Madeline Bennett [email protected] Reviews Editor James Archer [email protected] News Editor David Neal [email protected] Contributing Editor Seth Barton [email protected] Contributing Editor Katharine Byrne [email protected] Senior Staff Writer Richard Easton [email protected] DESIGN & PRODUCTION Art Editor Colin Mackleworth Production Editor Steve Haines CONTRIBUTORS Bill Bagnall, Lee Bell, Barry Collins, Mel Croucher, Kay Ewbank, Chris Finnamore, Simon Handby, Gordon Holmes, Chris Merriman, Ben Pitt, David Robinson, Clive Webster ADVERTISING Email [email protected] Group Advertising Manager Andrea Mason 020 7907 6662 Advertising Manager Charlotte Milligan 020 7907 6642 COVER GIFT CONTACT Chris Wiles [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel 0844 844 0031 / 01795 592905 Web www.subsinfo.co.uk UK £44.99, Europe £70, Rest of world £90 PHOTOGRAPHY Adrian Volcinschi, Natalie Tkachuk, Svetlana Bardarska LICENSING AND SYNDICATION Ryan Chambers 020 7907 6132 [email protected] Anj Dosaj-Halai 0207 907 6132 [email protected] MANAGEMENT Tel 020 7907 6000 Group Editor David Ludlow [email protected] Group Managing Director Ian Westwood Managing Director John Garewal Group Advertising Director Julian Lloyd-Evans Newstrade Director David Barker Finance Director Brett Reynolds Group Finance Director Ian Leggett Chief Executive James Tye Company Founder Felix Dennis PRINTING Printed by Polestar, Bicester, Oxon Distributors Seymour 020 7429 4000 LIABILITY While every care was taken preparing this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information or any consequence arising from it. All judgements are based on equipment available to Computer Shopper at the time of review. ‘Value for money’ comments are based on UK prices at time of review. All prices include VAT unless otherwise stated. Computer Shopper takes no responsibility for the content of external websites whose addresses are published in the magazine. COMPUTER SHOPPER INCORPORATES UPGRADE SHOPPER, GAMES SHOPPER, INTERNET SHOPPER, MOBILE SHOPPER, PC SHOPPER, PORTABLE SHOPPER AND SOFTWARE SHOPPER

A DENNIS PUBLICATION Computer Shopper is published by Dennis Publishing Ltd, 30 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD. Company registered in England. All material © Dennis Publishing Limited licensed by Felden 2016, and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the consent of the publishers. ISSN 0955-8578 © Copyright Dennis Publishing Limited

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE

A full set of bionic appendages, just in case

Chris Merriman

A 3D printer printer, so I can print cheap 3D printers on a 3D printer and sell them on eBay

CALL 0844 844 0031 OR SEE PAGE 122 3

Issue 341 July 2016

Contents p110

p98

p82

Learn 124 Business Help

Our expert answers your software queries

Regulars 6 Letters

Your regular monthly missives of wit and wisdom, tips and tricks

10 Under Development

We may be living in the Age of Austerity, but fortunately for David Robinson the government is still prepared to fund an upgrade to his internet connection

12 Cybercop

If you’ve been a victim of cybercrime, currently your bank will reimburse you. But the country’s top policeman has signalled that this policy may be about to change, much to Gordon Holmes’s dismay

14 Rants & Raves

We’ve a special message for phone scammers from International Goat Rescue, plus we revive the lost art of letter-writing while waiting for our superfast broadband

138 Zygote

Think your smartphone is secure because it has a fingerprint sensor? Think again, says Zygote. It only takes a scanner, an inkjet printer and about 30 minutes to create a fake print

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News 16 Newsfile

Our round-up of all the latest news, views and previews from the tech world, including a special report from the Gadget Show Live 2016 in Birmingham

22 In Depth

Microsoft’s annual Build developers’ conference provided plenty of glimpses of where the company is headed –and it’s all about AI, VR and Xbox integration

126 Helpfile

Your hardware and Windows problems solved

128 How to…

Choose an SD card

129 Multimedia Expert

Photographing children can test the patience of a saint. Ben Pitt offers some tips for making kids’ portraits memorable for the right reasons

134 Advanced Projects

If you can’t – or don’t want to – upgrade to Windows 10, Clive Webster has the solution

Features 98 The 21 things killing your PC

Time to get rid of that old, slow computer sitting in a dusty corner and buy a spanking new one? Don’t bin it just yet – follow our spring-cleaning tips and you can deal with all the malware, adware, bloatware and dust that’s slowly killing your PC

110 3D printing

It may not be a new idea, but 3D printing is now mainstream, capable of reproducing everything from the Arch of Palmyra to a foetus. Mel Croucher looks at the past, present and future of the technology

116 Digital assistants shoot-out

We’ve all got our own PAs these days, in the shape of Siri, Cortana and Google Now. But which one is the most helpful? We ask them some tough questions to find out

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CONTENTS

p110

p116

p98

Reviews

Group Tests 82 Printers

24 This month’s hot product

Apple has made its best tablet yet with the new 9.7in iPad Pro, bringing the extreme power and brilliant screen of the original 12.9in iPad Pro to a smaller, more portable design

26 PCs and laptops

Dell makes a rare misstep with the XPS 12 (p29), a 4K-equipped but deeply flawed 2-in-1 that has too many shortcomings to ignore

33 Handhelds

It may be cheaper than its flagship cousins, but the iPhone SE’s build and performance are premium-quality

39 Photography

Panasonic’s TZ100 (p40) packs a huge sensor and zoom into a tiny top-notch compact

42 Displays

The Acer Predator XB271HK and Asus ROG Swift PG27AQ (p44) battle for 4K G-Sync supremacy

46 Home cinema

Superb picture quality and full catch-up service integration make the Samsung UE48JS8500 a curvy success

47 Audio

The Lindy BNX-60 Bluetooth headphones offer active noise cancelling and decent sound quality on a budget

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

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Upgrading your printer could save you a fortune in running costs – and with inkjets available from just £40 and lasers from an incredible £70, there’s never been a better time to buy

50 Networks

IOT meets IFTTT in the Smappee smart home energy monitor – just prepare for some faff

52 Storage

The Kingston KC400’s wobbly performance is redeemed by a decent set of bonus features

53 Components

Mediocre overclocking capabilities aside, the Gigabyte GA-990FX-Gaming is a fine motherboard for high-end rigs

54 Software

Nuance goes mobile with its highly capable Dragon Anywhere speech-recognition software

56 Games

The Division is a genre-blending, entertaining action-RPG excursion into a ravaged and weirdly empty New York

76 Your software* Bring some order to your digital photo collection with PhotoDirector 6, the complete tool for editing, organising and sharing your snaps

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58 Best buys

FULL PACKAGES

74 How We Test

* FREE SOFTWARE

Looking for the best kit we’ve reviewed recently? It’s all in our Best Buys section

Our tests, ratings and awards explained

EDITION ONLY EDIT

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LETTERS

Letters

Everyone’s getting a pasting this month: Microsoft for Windows 10, Cybercop for his views on privacy, and us for our advice on, er, pasting CONTACT LETTERS

[email protected]

ARDUINO THAN YOU THINK

Many thanks for another great issue. In the excellent, very welcome Advanced Projects on using the Arduino, IDE is interpreted as ‘independent development environment’. I believe it is more usually and usefully interpreted as ‘Integrated DE’. Thank you for continuing to help people learn about Arduinos, alongside the Raspberry Pi articles. I’m a recent convert to the Pi, due in part to your recent article, and in part to its successful maturing. Both are good things, both have a place in our world. They address different wants and needs. It is easy to confuse them in our minds: small, inexpensive, have GIO pins, but they are very different and not just alternative ways to do the same thing. I hope articles on both of them will continue to appear in your excellent magazine, so multiple audiences will be served. TK Boyd After some consideration we think you’re right: it is ‘integrated development environment’. We’ll make sure everyone in the office knows it. And we hope you enjoy trying out our Raspberry Pi projects with your new purchase.

CUT THE PASTE

How horrified I was to read on page 97 of Shopper 339 the wrong advice being given when applying thermal paste to a CPU: “Use a thin bit of card to spread the thermal paste evenly across the top of the processor”. This is incorrect and will only encourage pockets of insulating air to be trapped, not what we are trying to achieve.

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See Intel’s ‘How to Apply TIM’ page at tinyurl.com/341letters. Neil Dave

And yes, you can take a desktop as carry-on luggage. John Hibell

Thank you, Neil. We’ll consider our own options based on that, which advises that when the processor is operating, the heat spreads the paste across the top of the processor’s integrated heat spreader and the bottom of the fan heatsink.

Happy return from your travels. It looks like we were too late to help you out, but we’re glad to hear that you had satisfaction and hope our advice proves useful for other readers. We also thank you for the information about taking a desktop on board as flight luggage. Though most of us hope to never have to use it.

DESKTOP TO DECKCHAIR

I have just returned from a month in Madeira and among the pile of post was Computer Shopper 340. Turning to the Helpfile page, I was surprised to read my query about taking a desktop Palicomp Mini as carry-on luggage. I did get a ‘Yes’ answer a little sooner, after a friend, who lives about half a mile from Southend Airport, suggested we could ask the security people there. In Madeira, I bought an HP 24in IPS monitor, which has an attractive aluminium frame and a good picture, with a 20% discount. Food is cheap but capital goods are expensive there, so the discount was welcome. Everything connected together easily and worked first time. I am amazed at the startup speed of the Palicomp Mini. With Windows 10, from pressing the startup button to a loaded screen takes on average about 50 seconds, with a 35-second best time. The model I ordered was a little different from the one you reviewed – I had a double boot with Windows 7 and Windows 10, because my wife found Windows 10 difficult and I was used to Windows 7 too. However, I have found my way through its blind alleys and use it as a preference now.

ROUTER MASTER

I’ve been a subscriber to Shopper for many years, and find the reviews and advice particularly helpful. What would be even more helpful would be a cumulative index so I could find articles that I vaguely remember, but cannot find in my stack of back numbers. A few months ago you reviewed the ‘free modems’ provided by ISPs and compared them with commercial products. I am currently considering switching my ISP. Reliability has been poor recently, and I pay a lot every month for TV channels I don’t watch, and a TIVO recorder that gives poorer definition than the Freeview tuner built into my new UHD/4K TV. However, the broadband speed is excellent (probably more than I need), and the 5GHz Wi-Fi link to my TV gives superb pictures on BBC iPlayer, so I am nervous about switching to another provider. David Fanshawe You must have read our minds, as we’re investigating producing an interactive back issues CD for just this kind of purpose; details to follow soon. In the meantime, we’re here to help and can confirm the article you’re

⬆ If you’re looking for a new router, TP-Link’s Archer C9 is our choice

referring to was in Shopper 331. Our recommendation is the TP-Link Archer C9 router, which was the only product to achieve an award in the group test, with a Best Buy. You can get this from Currys for £99. Of the free ISP modems, TalkTalk performed best for broadband speeds.

GOOD CYBERCOP, BAD CYBERCOP

In Cybercop (Shopper 340), Gordon Holmes asks for readers’ views on his comments on national security. His argument is fine within its boundaries but fails to look at the wider picture. This is a common problem. We can look at history and we can look at the present day. The basic problem is: do we allow people to have privacy or not? In a modern democratic society, it’s easy to argue that people shouldn’t have privacy because it is detrimental to the enforcement of security and would aid criminals and terrorists. The major unseen assumption here is that the government and security services are benign, law abiding

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LETTERS

and supportive of freedom of speech and democracy. We especially tend to take this for granted in the UK, even though we know that even some police officers have been found to be corrupt. However, you don’t have to look far in terms of history or geography to find some problems with this approach. By their very nature, governments tend to be strongly supportive of their own views and critical of anyone who disagrees with them. There is a strong tendency to see anyone who disagrees as a terrorist. You will note that around the world there are a number of governments that spend a lot of time arresting, torturing and executing people who don’t support them. There is a fine line between an opposition party supporter and a terrorist. You might think it obvious but if you look at world politics, you may see that it isn’t that clear a distinction. You could argue that by preventing privacy you are either destroying democracy or preventing terrorism, but the

boundary between the two is very fine. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. A backdoor is simply an open door and an invitation to criminals. How do you ensure that it’s closed to the criminal community? I suggest this is impossible and therefore shouldn’t be an option. At the end of the day, a door is a door and has no way of seeing the difference between a benign and responsible security authority, and a criminal or violent and despotic government. There seems to be a law that if you allow the balance of power to move too much in favour of the state and against the individual, at some point the state will become authoritarian. This has been happening in the UK for at least a decade and is continuing. One way of destroying a democracy is to gradually force it to turn into an authoritarian state and it effectively destroys itself. Apart from that, I enjoy reading Cybercop. Just remember that law and order on its own is no good without freedom of

Can you beat this Shopper collection?

speech, privacy and human rights. It isn’t an end in itself. Stan

DO YOU HAVE ISSUES?

I think my line manager has a Computer Shopper addiction (see photo, above). These date back to 2007. James Mills Wow, thank you James. Your line manager is our kind of man. We wonder if any other readers can beat this haul. Anyone sitting on a total collection?

AVAST CONSPIRACY

There are few cases of genuinely free software.

But for some, companies that offer us ‘free’ versions of their products and then force us to purchase additional software to fully uninstall features that we didn’t even ask in the first place for is akin to receiving a free sandwich followed by a kick in the stomach. For example, the very popular free version of Avast Antivirus also installs the company’s ‘SafeZone Browser’ on your system. This is a product I didn’t want nor was able to deselect during the update of the antivirus. I couldn’t find an uninstall feature and, when removed by a third-party software uninstaller, Avast told

Star letter ★ WINDOWS 10 IS A DOG

I have listened to the hype about Windows 10 and must respectfully disagree. It is a dog. Not perhaps an Italian mastiff like Windows 8, but certainly a demanding, high-maintenance springer spaniel. For most office users, Windows 7 is a much superior operating system. First, despite the fact that Microsoft has killed the intrusive Charms bar and reinstated the Start menu, it’s still clear that Windows 10 desperately wants you to have a touchscreen and believes you are mentally defective if you don’t have one. I don’t have any touchscreen devices (not even a phone) as I am way too ham-fisted. Microsoft appears to hold the view that I should immediately throw my existing hardware away and get with the program, and then the software will be fine. I use my computer at work and at home for (gasp!) typing and calculating. I don’t need it to play music or take photos; a touchscreen is an irrelevance. Neither do I need or want the cloud. I have no use for it as I don’t access my work documents at home or my home documents at work. If I am at neither place, I don’t need any documents.

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

As far as I can tell, while you can disable the cloud service, you can’t remove it as it is embedded as a file destination. Occasionally, by accident I click on the cloud (which comes up as the default save destination) and the computer stops while it tries really hard to discover why the cloud isn’t there. (As an aside, why would all these commercial organisations try so hard to persuade me I should keep my data on their servers anyway? I am trying so hard not to be a conspiracy theorist. Perhaps I am doing them an injustice; maybe they are really only being philanthropic.) Then there is the amount of talking to the web Windows 10 and the current Office suite insist is necessary. I was running through my download limit on my internet contract while hardly using the web. I solved that problem by telling my firewall to refuse all the various modules and gizmos access to the internet. And yes… Windows Update still worked fine. I found Microsoft Edge really hard to use, and I soon reverted to Opera. As far as I can tell, Edge can’t be deleted. I can’t work out what Cortana is for and why I need it. The point is that Windows 10 is a solution to a problem most desktop computer users do

not have. It may be great for people who take their tablet with them everywhere and need instant access to their documents wherever they are but for me, all my colleagues and in fact everyone I know, it is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. In the end, after divorce levels of frustration, I used FDisk (remember DOS?), wiped the drive and booted from my original Windows 7 CD. Karma is restored. You may be thinking I’m some old stick in the mud. Old I am: I built a Spectrum and had an Amstrad with 16-colour VGA graphics and a 36MB hard disk. I do, however, keep up with technology. I just hold the (I accept radical) view that technology should serve the man – not the other way round. Howard Shelley Windows 10 has divided users and will probably continue to do so. We applaud your thorough investigation of the new OS; you deserve the star letter, and probably a better operating system.

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LETTERS

me that there were “60 residual files left from uninstall… [leaving] behind 128.22MB files after being uninstalled”. I was then offered the chance to ‘Optimise my PC’, and on clicking the button I was taken – yes, you guessed it – to the Avast shop to pay for the service. I have been able to delete these unwanted files using other free software, but the whole experience has left a sour taste in my mouth, notwithstanding an otherwise great anti-virus program. Great magazine, by the way. Aki Turan These are the sorts of things that engage and then enrage computer users. Some of these solutions are good and

important; it’s a shame if they lose their impact through their mishandled marketing efforts.

STAYING UP TO DATE WITH OLDER DEVICES

I read with interest Tony Sparkes’ letter in Helpfile 340 regarding the lack of updates for older devices as newer devices are released. Your answer seemed rather lacking in my opinion. There is a strong community of third-party developers who support and enhance both old and new hardware. I would in some instances say the firmwares provided are better than the originals in that they can provide both optimisations and enhancements, as well as removing the ‘bloatware’ and

⬆ You can get a lot more than you bargained for when you install free software

⬆ The XDA developers’ site is a great place to look for updates for older devices

customisations that some hardware manufacturers bundle with their devices (some of which can slow a device down and drain the battery). I also find the idea that there is a security risk somewhat overstated. There is a risk, of course, but not as large as some seem to believe. Any security risk would be picked up by users and the community and revealed quickly. To many, the benefits far outweigh those risks. The biggest risk is from a bad flash, which can result in bricking a device. However, even that can be recovered from a lot of the time with failsafes built into most devices that allow a reflash. There’s still an active community of developers working on Android updates and enhancements for the Asus EeePad T101 at xda-developers. com, which includes the latest Android Marshmallow – see tinyurl.com/341eeepad.

❱ COOL CUSTOMER

We investigate the latest advances in cooling techniques, from the liquid-cooling technology used in data centres to help big business go green, down to practical guidance for PC users on how you can best keep your PC cool.

❱ WINDOWS 10 UPDATE

t ne 16

Despite falling sales, desktop PCs are still the machine of choice for millions, and there are some real bargains to be had. We test a batch of £500 PCs to see who’s offering the best deal.

Thanks Darrin, for that very useful advice there for Tony and for other readers.

om N O LEnts fre SAwsageh Jun

❱ PCs ON TEST

in

NEXT MONTH

The Motorola Xoom has less development (I couldn’t see anything past Android 4, but I only looked briefly), but Tony may still find something of use at tinyurl.com/341xdaxoom. As always, it’s best to read through the various FAQs and understand that it is at the user’s own risk when they flash a third-party firmware. Despite this, I have yet to have a bad flash and any issues I have encountered I have always been able to fix with the help of the community. I hope this helps Tony. Darrin Maunders

Microsoft’s most popular operating system since the much-loved XP, Windows 10 is about to hit its first birthday. We round up the best Windows 10 tips, and find out what changes for the OS are on the horizon.

❱ ROAMING CHARGES

The summer holidays are fast approaching, and if you’re travelling to foreign climes, you’ll want to read our round-up of the best mobile packages for using your phone abroad.

WRITE IN AND WIN

Do you wish your computer was faster when booting and loading applications? Thanks to Crucial, you can achieve your dream of a faster PC or laptop with the BX200 SSD. The writer of our Star Letter will be awarded one of these solid-state devices, which can be installed in a desktop PC or a laptop. This fast SSD is 15 times faster than a hard disk, and will make your computer boot incredibly quickly and make applications load faster. With 480GB of storage, there’s plenty of room for Windows and all your apps, too. STAR PRIZE 480GB SSD

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UNDER DEVELOPMENT

Fibre pass After years of battling with an unreliable internet connection, David Robinson finally makes the move to fibre – and is delighted to find it’s been funded by the taxpayer

DAVID ROBINSON

Software and systems developer [email protected]

I COULD BEGIN this month with a series of bad puns related to precipitation, but I’ll resist the temptation. Which should be a clue for regular readers that I’m about to revisit the topic of Repetitive Electrical Impulse Noise (REIN). (For a detailed explanation of REIN and its associated terrors SHINE and PEIN, see tinyurl.com/ud-rein.) REIN is a pain. You may remember from issue 326 that it disabled my home ADSL – sometimes for only an hour or so but, on occasions, for days on end. When quizzed about a fix, the best the ISP’s ‘technical support’ could come up with was “dunno”. They finally suggested dropping our contracted nominal rate of 12Mbit/s to a miserable 4Mbit/s, which improved general reliability but didn’t eliminate the line drop. And they didn’t drop the price. Very frustrating. Last November I received a phone call from an ISP sales rep offering to upgrade our ADSL line to a speedier setting. At a price. I wasn’t best pleased, but managed to restrain my response

I smelt a rat but, to mix a metaphor, didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth to a small sub-set of Effin’ Jeff’s best vocabulary. I told him I was seriously thinking of changing to a different provider altogether. Thinking seriously turned out to be a good strategy as, later in the day, I received a call from Harry, who also works for the ISP. His job title indicated that his role is to ‘sweet talk’ customers who are likely to jump ship. “Why not upgrade to fibre?” suggested Harry. “Can I do that?” It seemed unlikely, as there’s no fibre backbone near our village. “What’s your postcode?” Hmm – Harry hasn’t done his homework. So I told him, he

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checked and, indeed, fibre wasn’t an option. If it was, we’d have done it months ago. “Pity you can’t designate the line as one used for business,” said Harry. He really hadn’t done his homework. The tariff we subscribe to is called Teleworker and paid for by my company as it’s often used for out-of-hours support. “You could pay for fibre to be installed to your building,” suggested Harry. “How much would that be?” He said he’d check, but I doubt there would be enough arms and legs to meet the bill. Harry then called back with “good news”. There’s a government scheme where the taxpayer contributes £3,000 towards laying new fibre links to businesses. “How much will this cost?” Well, would you Adam and Eve it, exactly £3,000. I smelt a rat but, to thoroughly mix a metaphor, didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Send me the paperwork, I tell him. Surely it can’t be that simple?

BOX CLEVER

Six weeks later and an engineer from the ISP comes to do a survey, which reveals there’s a small box on the wall of our front porch and a manhole cover on the pavement at the end of the drive, both belonging to the ISP. And both already indicated on his street plan. Seemed a waste of time to me. Two weeks later I find a man in hi-viz gear poking about near the porch. He’s trying to connect the box to a port in the manhole but can’t get the cable through the duct. He has to send for another man (presumed expertise, duct unbunging) before he can complete the connection. We never saw the unbunger but a week later Mr Hi-Viz returned to finish off. Then the ISP Planning Department (oh, the irony) phoned to make an appointment for another engineer to come and connect the new cable in the porch box to

the inside of the house and install a new router. Two weeks later, he turns up and runs another cable from the porch box to a place next to the old ADSL router. Installation involved removing the new router (a nice Zyxel one with dual-band Wi-Fi) from its box and plugging it into the mains. Hmm, says the man – it won’t connect to the internet. Yet another man comes to investigate. He proclaims that the problem is simple. Nobody remembered to connect the manhole to the fibre backbone. Where’s that? “Dunno.”

REEF ENCOUNTER

In the short term, it was no great inconvenience as I was off on holiday to Australia, to dive the Great Barrier Reef before I get too old. I emailed the router engineer to see if he would need access to the inside of the house when they’d finally connected the manhole to goodness knows where. He replied: “No – if the red light on the interior end of the fibre line goes green then it’s all ready to go and you can start using it.” Fortunately, in the interim, the old, slow ADSL router was still connected. Returning home from Oz was a shock, moving from 34˚C in Cairns to 34˚F in Yorkshire. I was nithered. But the indicator light had turned from red to green and, whoopee, we now have mega-fast internet. Three weeks on and, so far, we haven’t had a single dropout. The Zyxel Wi-Fi seems effective, although the range is still limited. That’s what you get for living in a 200-yearold house with thick walls. Initially I thought £3,000 was a ridiculous cost. If there was fibre near enough to make it worthwhile for the ISP to install, it shouldn’t cost that for an extra connection. And if the backbone wasn’t near enough, then £3,000 doesn’t sound nearly enough. But what do I know? At least I’m not footing the bill.

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| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

CYBERCOP

Who pays for fraud? Banks should put their own houses in order before considering changing their policies on reimbursing the victims of cybercrime, says Gordon Holmes

GORDON HOLMES

With more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, our retired cop gives a police officer’s perspective on the sticky subject of cybercrime [email protected]

PICKING UP THE paper the other day, I was not surprised to see headlines quoting my old boss Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police (no, I won’t tell you what we used to call him; suffice to say his nickname was hyphenated as well). Sir Bernard, never one to court publicity for its own sake, was quoted as saying that banks shouldn’t reimburse customers who become victims of cyberfraud unless they can demonstrate they’ve taken reasonable steps to protect themselves. He went on to say that customers must keep passwords safe, have up-to-date anti-virus and that the present policy of banks refunding all fraud victims is tantamount to rewarding bad practice. Well, that’s one way of looking at it, I suppose, but I can’t help but think that this is a very simplistic standpoint and that Sir Bernard should have been better briefed before coming out with such a statement. It’s true that a few high-street banks have a clause in their

Most banks know if the device connecting to their server is infected by malware and, if it is, they never let the customer know terms and conditions stating that when a customer signs up to online banking, they agree to keep all software updated and deploy up-to-date anti-virus products. If a fraud occurs that is a direct result of the customer not updating software or anti-virus then that omission could breach the terms and conditions, resulting in the bank not having to reimburse the loss. The banks choose not to implement this clause for a couple of reasons. First, if the customer was to query a decision

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not to reimburse, a full forensic examination would have to take place to determine whether software was correctly updated. Who would bear the cost of that examination? Second, it would be commercial suicide for any bank to break ranks and implement this policy, as losses to internet fraud are relatively low and customers would leave in droves once this change was announced.

POLICY OFFICER

Perhaps the commissioner knows all this, and the reason he came out with this statement was to herald a policy change from the banks, in the same way that government trails bad news from unlikely sources to soften us up before implementing an unpopular measure. I would hope not, as he has always struck me as a person of principle and this would be a very political move. I would prefer to think that he hasn’t been briefed very well. Of course, if you run a business and transact online, you will be aware that banks don’t reimburse business account holders that fall victim to online banking fraud at all. The onus for cybersecurity is thrust exactly where the commissioner wants personal banking to be: squarely on a business’s shoulders. It is odd that we haven’t heard much from the banks in response to the commissioner’s remarks. I suspect that has a lot to do with a topic we’ve discussed before: most high-street banks know if the device connecting to the online banking server is infected by malware and if it is, they never let the customer know. In other words, the online fraud engine used at the server end can determine if your computer is infected and then often makes the decision as to allow the transaction to go ahead anyway. The banks are accepting the risk that the transaction could be fraudulent, and that’s why they reimburse you if it is.

Having worked closely with the banks in the past, I can say that they do an awful lot to mitigate cyberattacks against their customers and are at the forefront in the collation and sharing of actionable e-crime intelligence. They employ teams of very proficient online fraud banking staff who do their level best to frustrate cybercriminals and, to a large extent, are very successful in their efforts.

MALPRACTICE

The problem of banking malware will never be fully addressed by the enforcement of anti-virus software or good password management alone, despite this being good practice. The internet has become much more than a platform for individuals to express their opinions; it is now a critical part of the national infrastructure, and as such deserves to be actively policed. At the very least, proper enforcement of existing terms and conditions could knock out a large number of criminal registrations of different parts of the internet’s infrastructure. For example, I have seen reports of a rise in anonymous registration of domain names ending .om – the top-level domain belonging to Oman – together with names that are typo-squatting some well-known financial institutions. Stand by for floods of malicious spam containing links pointing to spoof and malicious banking sites with the sole purpose of relieving you of your login credentials. Why do we allow such registrations? The commissioner’s words are well meant. We should all take responsibility for our online security. But in my view, the banking industry should also wake up and realise that it has a duty of care to you and I as users, and stop turning a blind eye to online criminals by the robust enforcement of its own rules.

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

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Writing a letter and talking on a landline may seem old-fashioned, but they’re our only ways of communicating with the world while we wait for our internet connection

David Neal

Working from home can be a solitary business, but having fun at the e phone scammers’ expense helps relieve the loneliness MY RAVE MAY come as a surprise to some people because I suspect it is mostly the cause of rants. I’m referring to the Microsoft support services call – that unwelcome intrusion which I, and a great whack of the population, receive on a regular basis. They’re a terrible thing, a money-sucking trick from a criminal underworld that wants to steal from you, confuse you and probably ruin your computer. They don’t care if you’re a policeman or a pensioner. As long as you might fall for their confidence trick, you are just their kind of person. I am not likely to fall for their confidence trick, I have some time on my hands, and the call doesn’t cost me anything, so I have taken to see it as something of a daily, or bi-daily, treat. I work at home in what a lot of people would call the sticks. I am married, my wife works – not at home – and I spend a great deal of my time not talking to anyone except the dog and my laptop.

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The laptop is the worst of the pair to talk to, but it has never upped and walked away while I discussed my day with it, and it has never leapt up and started barking at the car park or a passing neighbour. My laptop has also never begun to wash itself during a chat, nor has it ever farted in the way that only a dog can while in the confines of my small, packed office. However, I can take the dog out and she is usually good for some interaction. Home-based interaction is low, though, so I pretty much look forward to the interruption of the shrill landline ringtone. Not just because of the scam-baiting, but also because sometimes my wife will ring, or my parents. Whoever’s calling, I always rush to that phone. Early disappointments – caused by non-mum or wife calls, but sub-continental enquiries into my Microsoft PC – rather took the shine off these calls and for a while I stopped answering the home phone. This worked well until I missed a very important

call – not quite a ‘phone a friend’ on Millionaire, but important nonetheless. So over time I have honed my telephone answering skills. If I’m not expecting a call, having already spoken to my mother or wife that day, and the phone rings, I quickly check my list of made-up companies with which to answer the phone, take a deep breath and give them my best response. A quick burst of “International Goat Rescue. What is the nature of your goat emergency?”, a blast of “Microsoft Support Services: Criminal Investigation Division”, or something like “David Neal’s Linux Emporium and Microsoft Vacuum” will usually cool off the caller and send down the handset. It’s fun for me, and probably annoying for them. The important thing to remember is that it keeps me amused, and that Microsoft would never, ever, ever, ever call you up about a problem with your computer. It is far more likely to avoid wanting to talk about it.

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

RANTS & RAVES

r Mel Crouche

No wonder letter writing is becoming a lost art – have you seen how much a book of stamps costs these days? AT THE BACK of the cupboard, in an old cigar box, are letters that my parents sent to one another in the first flush of love in 1946. They are a handful of the eight billion personal letters entrusted to the Royal Mail that year, and I cannot throw them away. I suppose if they were courting today, my parents would lob emoticons at one another and drivel Snapchat into oblivion. But of course, nobody could read their words 70 years later. As for me, I haven’t received a proper letter through the post for a long time. I mean a letter written by another human being for me. Neither have I written one. That’s because, like you, I use email. Compare the eight billion letters posted in 1946 to the eight billion emails that will wing their way around the world during the next hour. Delivery will be instant, and cost will be negligible. Some of them will even be worth reading. Of course I miss the detuned

whistle of the postman on his rounds, but thanks to email I can be bombarded day and night by unwanted communications from pedants, crooks, bores and lunatics, and I can send off abuse and indiscretions to the wrong mailing list at the touch of a button. A couple of months ago, Ray Tomlinson snuffed it, having invented email and changed the way the world communicates. And all hail to him. He changed it for the better in 1971, when he wrote a simple program that allowed one person with access to a server to send a message to another person with access to a different server. Nonetheless, the death of Ray Tomlinson triggered something in me. I resolved to write a short, hand-crafted love letter to each one of my living relatives while I can still hold a pen, and they can still open an envelope. And just maybe they would want to keep it and put it in an old cigar box

at the back of the cupboard, where someone from the 22nd century might stumble across it and think fondly for a moment about the author and the recipient. It took me the best part of the weekend to write my love letters, mostly because I seem to have forgotten how to do joined-up writing, or even sign my own name. Not to mention the time it took to find their sodding postal addresses. But on Monday I popped along to my local Post Office to buy 24 stamps. Unfortunately it was now an Oxfam shop. A passing scavenger told me I could buy stamps at the Co-op a few doors down, and sure enough they were willing to sell me two dozen stamps for £15.36. Fifteen quid! That’s nine bottles of Fursty Ferret on special offer in the very same Co-op! I bought the beer of course, scanned my letters and sent them by email. I hope they get printed out. I suspect they won’t.

nnett Madeline Be

Superfast broadband is finally available even in the furthest outposts ts of the country. Sadly, getting ISPs to connect you to it is another matter I’M LUCKY TO be the happy new owner of a house in Cornwall; Falmouth to be precise. Lucky because I’m a complete Kernow-phile, and a huge fan of everything from pasties and cream teas to walks along the coastal path and roaring log fires in a cosy pub. As well as traditional Cornish delights, Falmouth is blessed with some newer attractions: the National Maritime Museum, its very own hipster bar-cum-bookshop, Beerwolf, and ultra high-speed broadband. Yes, even in the darkest depths of the South-West, you can now get speeds up to 300Mbit/s with fibre to the premises (FTTP), and BT has just increased the maximum theoretical speeds of its cheapest Infinity fibre broadband package to 52Mbit/s.

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

The problem is the waiting time to get the thing installed. Even though broadband speeds have far surpassed expectations across the whole of Cornwall – clearly more than a few BT execs must have holiday homes in the region – you still face the long, arduous wait to start taking advantage. I completed on the house on 24th March. I contacted both the previous broadband provider, Plusnet, and BT to try to get an early appointment secured to get my superfast speeds hooked up from day one. But due to the unfathomable internet changeover process, nothing could be done until the previous owner’s Plusnet contract had run out on 15th April, almost a month after purchase. This was despite the vendor

assuring us they’d made calls to Plusnet to try to get things moving sooner. In the end, Plusnet simply cut off the broadband on 28th March, so nobody got to use the last three weeks of paid-for service. BT informed me that there was also nothing it could do until the old contract had run its course. To give credit to BT, it did come and do the initial site survey on the earliest possible date, 15th April, and an engineer came to switch on the 52Mbit/s broadband at the house on 29th April. So full marks to the Superfast Cornwall consortium and BT for providing such speedy infrastructure, but operators should get together and find a way of speeding up the handover process for new customers.

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NEWS

From the floor of The Gadget Show Live 2016 From picture frames to control a smart home to vintage pub F games, there was plenty of fascinating tech on show in Brum g

T

he Gadget Show Live has become a highlight of the tech calendar, mostly because it’s often a chance for the great British public to get their hands on the toys that thus far have only been the stuff of foreign shows such as CES and MWC. This year, in spite of being disappointed by the absence of a lot of big names, and horrified by the catering (£6.95 for a sandwich?

EYEJUSTERS

www.eyejusters.com, from £69 EYEJUSTERS ARE off-theshelf glasses with a difference. Thanks to two handy little dials, you can actually adjust the lenses to fix your prescription – ideal if you’ve got a particular blind spot when you’re zapping aliens for extended periods. They’re not a replacement for proper eye care from an optician, especially if you’re long-sighted rather than short-sighted, but if you want something to boost your eyes at work, or to cause less tiredness during an extended gaming session, they could be just what you’re after. Designed and manufactured in the UK, Eyejusters are available in a variety of frames and materials, which manage to look cool rather than hideously prosaic, as with similar products we’ve seen.

YALE KEYLESS CONNECTED SMART LOCK www.yale.co.uk, from £79

WE’RE SO ACCUSTOMED to using keys that it’s easy to forget there might be an alternative. After all, locks have been traced back to as early as 25BC. Yale has been forthcoming in taking forward the concept into the Internet of Things era and has launched a range of Z-Wave locks. These state-of-the-art locks not only unlock without a key, but can talk to other smart home items, making them an active part of the security system. We’ve been using combinations for safes and swipe cards for hotels for years, so why are we so nervous about doing the same for our homes? Rather than deciding what’s going to succeed the key, Yale has given us a

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Really?) there was plenty to see and do, whether you wanted to try out a cutting-edge connected home or just trawl around the glorified market stalls. Chris Merriman packed his sandwiches and a flask of lukewarm Vimto and headed to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre for a look at some of the more weird and wonderful offerings.

bunch of options in a single lock, which include a PIN code, key card, key tag, remote fob or smartphone app. This means that although it’s all just as secure, you can keep tabs on who’s going in and out, perhaps giving a cleaner access for a set period in the week, and if you get locked out, someone else can arrange to let you in without them having to rush home from work. There’s even a failsafe that, if the power goes out, a hidden recess lets you plug in a 9V battery for long enough to type in your PIN.

GAME TIME 60 TABLETOP ARCADE MACHINE www.bespoke-arcades.co.uk, from £995

BACK IN THE 1970s, the pride e of place in the local pub might be Space pace Invaders or Pac-Man built into nto a cocktail cabinet, so you could play and still have a flat surface e for your drinks. As games got more complicated they fell out of favour, and are now prized collectors’ items, prone to breakdown. If you don’t fancy paying over a grand for one game, these reproduction ones were going down a storm with the youngsters at The Gadget Show, as well as the people who remember them from first time around. Offering 60 games from the era – including Frogger, Donkey Kong and Arkanoid, among others, as well as the ones we’ve already mentioned – these are full-sized reproductions with two sets of play controls, and the option for a coin mechanism if you want to turn it into an investment. Or a money-box. As each one is custom built, you can even have your own logo on the home screen. With not much change from a thousand pounds, you won’t have much money left to go in it, but you only have to be in their presence for a few minutes to want one more than anything in the world. Yes, including oxygen.

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

NEWS

BOOSTY SPEED BOOSTER

www.boosty.com, £69 + £39 per following year

FIBARO SWIPE www.fibarouk.co.uk, £130

REMEMBER FIVE YEARS ago, when electronic picture frames were all the rage? That got old fast. But here’s a new twist on the idea from Polish smart home stalwarts Fibaro. The Swipe is a regular picture frame with hidden depths. It responds to swipes and can control a myriad of household items with a gesture. It’s a Z-Wave device so it’s compatible with a range of devices from different manufacturers. Thankfully, given that it’s going to take a fair beating, it’s scratch and shockproof, and it comes with its own stand. The Swipe can also be used to control audio devices, so you can change volume, skip tracks and play/pause with different combinations of touch, all of which you choose. Once you’re feeling confident you can combine actions into a scene and using a single swipe tell the house you’re going to bed and that it’s time to turn off the lights, lock the doors, close the blinds and turn on the electric blanket. With so many devices relying on our phones to work properly these days, it’s good to have a backup plan, and something more attractive than yet another remote has got to be a good thing.

iFIT DUO

www.ifit.com, from £199

BOOSTY, WE ARE told, is the answer to a question that shouldn’t need raising, but does. For most of us, even in big cities, our broadband connection is too slow. Not all the time, but for those crucial moments such as trying to bag those Glastonbury tickets, or win an end of level challenge in an online game. Boosty solves all that by using the untapped potential of the other internet connection we have ave at home: our mobile data. The Boosty box connects to your router ter and communicates with an app on your phone when n you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi connection. Then, hen, and only when absolutely necessary, it will syphon off your mobile data either to speed eed up your connection, boost your bandwidth andwidth or fend off a blackout. If you have more than one mobile device, Boosty willll poll for the one with the best reception at that moment, but more importantly, rtantly, if it can avoid using your data plan, it will, or you can cap it in the settings. It’s not a one-size-fits all plan, and if you’ve got a 76Mbit/s fibre bre connection you’re not going to notice ce much difference. But if you’ve got a bottleneck of 2Mbit/s then en it can make things such as streaming a video significantly smoother. ther. Read our full Boosty review in Shopper 342, on sale 16th June.

NVIDIA VR SHOWCASE NOT A PRODUCT as such, but a chance for visitors – most of whom won’t have been able to play around with virtual reality – to get up close with the best in the biz. Nvidia has been very vocal about putting its stock into virtual reality of late, and shortly after the show gave the first demonstrations of virtual visits to the top of Everest and the surface of Mars. Nvidia GPUs power both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift VR devices. Events such as this are important for everyone who has a stake in VR because the computing power required to have a device in our homes is in excess of what Joe Public already has. As such, this is a chance to impress them enough to buy that superfast computer. What’s almost as much fun as the virtual reality, however, is watching people standing in black boxes interacting with thin air.

WITH THE RIDICULOUS number of fitness devices on the market now, most of which are fairly mediocre, companies have got to find some message seems to be high-end way of making a mark. For iFit, the mes metrics for runners. build quality and extremely specific me We were already excited when we saw the iFit gorgeous, if hefty, analogue fitness watch. Classic, a gorgeou then we were shown this little But th marvel, due to arrive in late May, and marvel likely to turn the fitness tracker market on its head. Literally. See the pretty luxury watch? Isn’t it lovely? So shiny. But what if you want more information than the dial wan offers? No problem. Release a catch offers flip the whole watch over in its and fl housing and it becomes a digital readout, housin taking on a workout. There’s no ideal for takin that manufacturers are going to question tha more and more desperate to impress, become mo and that can lead to gimmicks. This isn’t a it’s absolutely lovely. gimmick, it’

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

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NEWS

LG SmartThinQ brings smart tech to your dumb appliances LG’S LATEST SMART home product is designed to turn your dumb old appliances into smart appliances. The aggravatingly named SmartThinQ system consists of a hub and a number of sensors. The sensors can be placed on or in existing devices in order to bring smart features to older appliances. For example, you can place a SmartThinQ sensor on your existing washing machine and it will detect the vibrations given off by the machine and then inform you, via a smartphone app, when the cycle ends. It can also be used as a door sensor, so you can see when people are coming or going, or even press it into service as a makeshift security sensor. The sensor includes an infrared (IR) blaster that can be used to communicate with a wide range of devices that accept IR signals, such as air conditioners. It’s a neat idea, allowing you to make a start on a smart home without replacing all your devices straight from the off. However, until we try it out it’s impossible to know how well it will work compared to native smart devices. The SmartThinQ system is natively built into many of LG’s more recent devices, allowing for communication with your smartphone, or the hub detailed next, without additional sensors.

LG hopes its SmartThinQ system will make smart home owners of us all

The SmartThinQ Hub is reminiscent of Amazon’s Echo device and can communicate with both its matching sensor and other compatible smart home devices. It supports the AllJoyn Alliance standard, which has been led by Qualcomm and has numerous big-name partners, so compatibility shouldn’t be a major issue for most devices.

It supports Wi-Fi, ZigBee and Bluetooth communications. “The LG SmartThinQ Hub is just another example of the open approach we believe is the future of the smart home,” said Jo Seong-Jin, president and CEO of the LG Electronics home appliance company. “Openness and strong partnerships with industry leaders is what will make smart home technology more accessible and more convenient to consumers. And at the end of the day, that is what our smart home strategy is all about.” The Hub also has a built-in speaker to both provide spoken alerts from devices and reminders from synced personal calendars. It can also play music, stream internet radio and provide spoken weather reports if desired. A tilted LCD screen on the top lets you look at information and access the various settings across various devices. The hub is available in two colours, Champagne Gold and Black.

Let it stream: the Beatles hit Spotify

Facebook captions photos for blind people

FOR THE FIRST time ever, songs by the Beatles have been appearing on Spotify. According to the streaming service, the band kept the fans bobbing steadily through the first 100 days of availability. “The Beatles appeared on Spotify on Christmas Eve, to the delight of everyone from hard-core Beatles fans to casual listeners,” said Spotify as it counted down the mop-tops’ top streams for the period. “Approximately 6.5 million people have listened to The Beatles on Spotify – 67 percent under the age of 35, and 65 percent male. Spotify has streamed 2,793 years of the Beatles and has 4.2 million playlists with their music.” That is a lot of Beatles, an infestation maybe. Still Spotify will not be breaking out the exterminators, particularly as it doesn’t have exclusive rights to the Fab Four, and shares streams with other firms including Apple and Google. Spotify’s findings also revealed that the most popular day for listening to Beatles’ songs is a Thursday, and the most commonly streamed number is Here Comes the Sun. The most listened to album is the greatest hits compilation 1, followed by Abbey Road in second place and the album known as the White Album I’m only streaming: the Fab Four are on Spotify in third position.

FACEBOOK CAN NOW describe photos to blind people, using a tool called Automatic Alternative Text to provide audio captions for pictures. The tool uses text-to-speech engines that rely on object-recognition technology to identify a photo’s features, such as cars, food types and even people’s facial expressions and appearances. It then reads a description out to the blind user. Machine learning, rather than metadata, underpins the technology, and Facebook has fed it millions of pictures, and input billions of parameters, in an effort to ensure it describes photos accurately. Facebook’s head of accessibility, Jeffrey Wieland, and one of its software engineers, Shaomei Wu, said: “With more than 39 million people who are blind, and over 246 million who have a severe visual impairment, many people may ⬆ Facebook can feel excluded from the conversation around determine what’s photos on Facebook. We want to build technology in your photos that helps the blind community experience Facebook the same way others enjoy it.” Facebook’s previous service to blind users simply said the word ‘photo’ when a friend had uploaded a picture. Previous features aimed at the visually impaired included closed captioning for videos and options for increasing font size on the iOS platform. Facebook claimed that its object-detection algorithm can retrieve at least one concept for more than half of people’s photos.

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Google opens up Nik Collection to photo fans everywhere to retouching and GOOGLE IS OFFERING creative effects, to image photographers of all sharpening that brings skills and styles free out all the hidden details, access to its Nik to the ability to make Collection of editing adjustments to the colour tools for the desktop. and tonality of images,” Google said that this said the firm, as it made should appeal to all these once professionalphoto enthusiasts and Boost your photos with Google’s only tools available to all. provide them with a level professional image-editing tools The Nik Collection playing field of tools that will includes colour-conversion help them compose their and noise-reduction tools including Analog shots and improve their results. Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, “The Nik Collection comprises seven Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro and desktop plug-ins that provide a powerful Dfine. Google is promising a full refund to any range of photo-editing capabilities, from filter users who have bought the collection in 2016. applications that improve colour correction,

New Vivaldi web browser aims to hit the right note STALWART BROWSER SOFTWARE people who used to work at Opera have released version 1.0 of their Chromechallenging Vivaldi browser after lengthy testing with early adopters. “After more than a year of public development, we’re honoured to share Vivaldi 1.0 with you. You’re the reason we’ve made it this far,” said Jon von Tetzchner, co-founder and CEO at the new browser firm. “When we started building a browser, we wanted to do it on our terms and for our users. So far, we’ve kept that promise. Vivaldi isn’t like any other browser. We’re not trying to make it simple in an effort to appeal to every user. We’re introducing features and customisations that browsers today don’t have. We’re making it for you, and you deserve more from your browser.” Tetzchner said that Vivaldi will start offering users the chance to customise right from the download process. The browser includes a wide range of personalised settings and bookmark functions.

Vivaldi was developed by the same group of engineers who produced the Opera browser

“That focus is very important. Vivaldi should adapt to you. It shouldn’t feel like a browser for everyone. Because it isn’t. It’s for you,” he added. For those keen to try a new browsing experience, Vivaldi also offers tab stacks, so you can drop tabs on top of each other to create a stack and reduce clutter; Speed Dial, which lets you access favourite sites and bookmarks from any blank tab; and Web Panels, which let you view websites in the Vivaldi sidebar.

HP unveils the world’s thinnest laptop HP HAS UPPED the ultra-thin laptop stakes by releasing the brand-new Spectre, a device so thin that people will probably say that you could shave with it, although hopefully no-one will ever try to do so. At just 10.4 mm thick, the device is a serious beast in a small package. HP calls it a premium PC experience and was keen to stress the “exceptional” engineering when discussing its design. The suggestion is that this is a laptop to be proud of, to avoid dropping, and to be envied. HP is over the moon with it and what went into it. “The HP Spectre is the thinnest notebook in the world and, unlike the majority of other super-thin PCs on the market, this laptop doesn’t compromise on power or features,” said Kevin Frost, vice-president and general manager, consumer personal systems, at HP. “A beautiful Full HD edge-to-edge display, Intel Core i processors coupled with Bang & Olufsen sound, and a sexy and thin design, HP’s amazing engineers set a new standard with the all-new Spectre.” ‘Sexy’ may be in the eye of the beholder, but the Spectre is undoubtedly a nice-looking machine. It boasts a CNC-machined aluminium chassis of just 10.4 mm, a choice of Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors, a Full HD 13.3in diagonal edge-to-edge display, Thunderbolt connections, a 4K screen option, 512GB storage and 8GB of memory, along with Bang & Olufsen speakers and HPsound technology. It’s light, too, thanks to a carbon fibre bottom, weighing in at 1.1kg. Battery life is said to be in the nine-hour range. There are no pricing or availability details yet, but you can expect its price to be as spooky as its name.

WordPress extends free HTTPS to all domains POPULAR BLOGGING PLATFORM WordPress is to make the security feature used on standard WordPress internet addresses the de facto option across all sites. This should make for a more secure blogging experience. “We are excited to announce free HTTPS for all custom domains hosted on WordPress.com,” said the company. “This brings the security and performance of modern encryption to every blog and website we host. Best of all, the changes are automatic – you won’t need to do a thing. “Strong encryption protects our users in various ways, including defending against surveillance of

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content and communications, cookie theft, account hijacking and other web security flaws,” it explained. WordPress has supported this level of encryption for sites such as https://barry.wordpress.com since 2014, but will now allow the same service for https://barry.com, for example. “Our latest efforts now expand encryption to the million-plus custom domains hosted on WordPress.com,” the company said. “For you, the users, that means you’ll see secure encryption automatically deployed on every new site within minutes. We are closing the door to unencrypted web traffic (HTTP) at every opportunity.”

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NEWS

Microsoft gets tough on Adobe Flash

REPEATEDLY BASHED SOFTWARE Adobe Flash is getting the Windows cold shoulder from Microsoft and will be automatically frozen on the Edge browser unless the user specifies otherwise. “One of our top priorities in building Edge has been that the web should be a dependably safe, performant and reliable place for our customers,” said John Hazen, principal program manager lead for Microsoft Edge. “To that end, we’re introducing a change to give users more control over the power and resources consumed by Flash. “With the Anniversary Update to Windows 10, Microsoft Edge will intelligently autopause content that is not central to the web page. Windows Insiders can preview this feature starting with Windows 10 build 14316.” Important Flash functions – if they’re central to a games site, for example – won’t be paused, but otherwise the grinding impact of slow-to-load Flash adverts or animations will be history for Edge users.

Microsoft isn’t the first to suggest that Flash should be put on leave, and the Edge team knows it. “Flash has been an integral part of the web for decades, enabling rich content and animations in browsers since before HTML5 was introduced. In modern browsers, web standards pioneered by Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Apple, Mozilla and many others are now enabling sites to exceed those experiences without Flash and with improved performance and security,” added Hazen, as he explained that if it is good enough for them, it is good enough, or should that be bad enough, for Microsoft to worry about. Adobe Flash has been the subject of numerous security attacks and weaknesses, which other browser providers are not willing to put up with any more. Google had already warned that as of January 2017, it will no longer run any Flash adverts, pushing developers to the newer and less buggy HTML5.

“This transition to modern web standards has benefited users and developers alike,” Hazen said. “Users experience improved battery life when sites use efficient web standards, lowering both memory and CPU demands. Developers benefit as they are able to create sites that work across all browsers and devices, including mobile devices where Flash may not be available. “We’re aligned with other browsers in this transition from Flash towards a modern standards-based web. Over time, we will provide users additional control over the use of Flash (including content central to the page) and monitor the prevalence of Flash on the web.”

IT professionals’ password security is ‘open invitation to hackers’ OVER HALF OF IT professionals – 55% – make their users change their passwords more regularly than they change the administrative credentials that they are responsible for, according to a new survey. The research, carried out by Lieberman Software, found that 10% never change their administrative credentials at all. Meanwhile, 74% change administrative passwords on only a monthly or less frequent basis. The survey of 200 IT professionals at the recent RSA security conference also revealed that, according to 36% of people, there are

IT professionals don’t practise what they preach when it comes to password security, according to a new study

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cases where the same passwords are shared among a number of IT staff. More worrying, perhaps, is the revelation that a further 15% of respondents thought that if they left their current companies, they could still gain remote access with their admin credentials. Lieberman’s research also found that 77% of those questioned believe passwords are failing as an IT security method and 53% think modern hacking tools could easily break passwords within their organisations. Nearly half of respondents – 45% – said that despite all the IT security technology

their organisation has deployed, they are unprepared to defend against a cyberattack. Lieberman says the least a company can do is make sure that it has its administration passwords in check and that they’re secure. “Administrative passwords are the most powerful credentials in an organisation – the keys to the IT kingdom,” said Philip Lieberman, president and CEO of Lieberman Software. “The fact that 10% of IT professionals admit they never change these credentials is astounding. It’s almost like an open invitation to hackers to come in and stay a while. In the meantime, the intruders are nosing their way around the network. They can anonymously help themselves to information and remain undetected until it’s too late.” He added that shared passwords is a practice that needs ending. “Given that insider threats are one of the biggest concerns for chief information security officers, knowing that more than a third of IT professionals share privileged passwords is ludicrous,” Lieberman continued. “The same can be said about so many ex-employees who can still access administrative credentials. Automated privileged access management solutions can prevent these types of cyber-threats related to unsecure credentials.”

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NEWS

Console yourself, the game is afoot All the movers and shakers from the world of gaming

BAFTA lauds Fallout 4 with best game title POST APOCALYPSE STROLL-A-THON Fallout 4 won the award for best overall game at the 2016 BAFTA awards, giving the developers Bethesda their first gong for the title after six previous nominations. That, though, was the sole prize given to Fallout 4, and it was a mix of independent and British firms that did the best out of the ceremony. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, another slow-moving, whathappened-to-everyone game that takes place in a small English village, won three BAFTAs: Audio Achievement, Performer for Merle Dandridge as Kate Collins, and Music for the score by Jessica Curry. Hey Story, a novel mystery-style approach to gaming, won in the Debut Game, Game Innovation, and Mobile and Handheld categories. Though these excellent games are all made in the UK, it was Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham Knight that won the award for Best British Game, adding another gong to an already laden awards shelf for the company and its batty series. Rocket League, the speedy spin on football that lit up the PlayStation 4 and is now available for Xbox One, won three awards, picking up trophies for Best Family, Multiplayer and Sport Game.

We’re all Doomed PREPARE FOR MAYHEM. Doom, the original shoot and smash game, is spinning towards consoles in a multiplayer version that could knock a lot more than the socks off the other players in the MPG arenas. Bethesda announced the rebirth in 2015 and immediately people began buzzing about the buzzsaw and the infamous BFG. No-one quite as much as the companies behind it, though. “Doom returns as a brutally fun and challenging modern-day shooter experience. Relentless demons, impossibly destructive guns, and fast, fluid movement provide the foundation for intense, firstperson combat – whether you’re obliterating demon hordes through the depths of Hell in the single-player campaign, or competing against your friends in numerous multiplayer modes,” says the developer. There are futuristic guns, upgrades and melee attacks for stomping, slashing and crushing your puny opposition. “Dominate your opponents in Doom’s signature, fast-paced arena-style combat,” is the offer. “In both classic and all-new game modes, annihilate your enemies using your personal blend of skill, powerful weapons, vertical movement and unique power-ups that allow you to play as a demon.” Doom is out in May.

All the colours of the Spectrum Fallout 4 picked up the game of the year award at the BAFTAs

The Commodore C64 is back YOU SHOULD NEED no introduction to the Commodore 64, but just in case we’ll give you one anyway. It’s a home computing marvel, and was only recently still the UK’s biggest-selling computer. You might have had a Spectrum, but one of your mates might have had the Commodore 64, which led you into a world of similar but very different games. Maybe. They’re murky memories now, and the passing of time has moved things like centipede techniques out of your mind and replaced them with tricks for dealing with slugs in an actual garden. The good news is that you can get that whole nostalgic feeling back with the crowdsourced The 64. The 64 comes in two forms, one where the machine is represented as the old-fashioned keyboard and a more gamer friendly option that looks like it fell off the back of Nintendo. It costs $150 (around £103) for the handset, and a bit more for the keyboard option and joystick.

IT WOULD BE amiss to mention the rebirth of the Commodore 64 without talking about its chief bedroom rival, the Spectrum 48. Fortunately the Speccie is back and it is back in two forms, at least one of which has the backing of no less than Sir Clive Sinclair. That model, the Spectrum Vega Plus console, looks least like a Spectrum and more like the sort of handheld that you could lock yourself into on a train journey. It was even designed with the aid of Rick Dickinson, who aided the build of the original models, and comes brimming with 1,000 games – many of which you may still remember the cheat codes for. The rival option doesn’t have the backing of a knighted personality, but it does have games on its side. Initially put on Kickstarter with Jet Set Willy livery, the Elite Systems Recreated ZX Spectrum really does look like a ZX Spectrum, except the kind you would keep in an iPhone case, and is likely to take the bulk of the retro attention because of this. It has also managed to score the rights to a couple off key Spectrum titles, including ng Jet Set Willy and Chuckie e Egg as exclusives. Which is nice. Of course, the Sinclair Vega alternative does not need a television to play y it.

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IN DEPTH

Microsoft builds on Windows ties with Xbox integration, AI and VR David Neal rounds up the key announcements from the annual developers’ event PLAY BUILD

Microsoft kicked off its Build 2016 show in San Francisco with a focus on the Xbox and developers, explaining that soon the console would be more hackable and open to change. Head of the Xbox division, Phil Spencer, took the honours at the show, introducing the exciting developer features for both the gaming console and Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system. He introduced the Xbox Dev Mode, which he said could be used to turn any console into a full developer kit. This is out in preview now, with a wider release expected later. Microsoft suggested that one does not merely walk into developing for the Xbox One, explaining that perhaps those with the most experience should move first. Still on the Xbox, and closer ties between it and Windows 10 are forthcoming following the release of the desktop software’s anniversary edition. When this happens, the separate Xbox and PC stores will merge, creating a new market for developers and a new marketplace for players. “The best of the Xbox Store comes together with the best of the Windows Store beginning this summer with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update,” said the firm. “The store will work across all devices in the ecosystem and provide developers more choice in how and where they deliver their content and monetise their customers. “New support will include features that game developers have come to expect and require from Xbox One into the Windows Store, including support for bundles, season passes, pre-orders and more.” Cortana, once limited to Halo but now almost omnipresent, is also heading for your

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella kicked off the Build 2016 developers’ conference

Xbox, according to Spencer, along with background music features for people who like to groove while they update games and perform other admin tasks on their Xbox. Build 2016 was not all games and fun, though, and Microsoft had a lot to say about the desktop part of its business, not to mention its plans for virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

10 TIMES 27 MILLION

It was no surprise that sales figures for Windows 10 were announced. “With Windows 10 now running on over 270 million active devices, we’re celebrating with our fans by delivering the Windows 10 Anniversary Update,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice-president of Windows and devices group. “This significant update will help you interact with your Windows 10 devices as naturally as

you interact with the world around you – using your pen, presence and voice.” Key Windows 10 updates include Windows Hello adding biometric security to apps and Microsoft Edge, and Windows Ink, which lets users write on their device as they do on paper.

IT’S ALL IN THE EYES

Build gave Microsoft a good chance to show off its go at the world of virtual reality (VR) headsets with a demonstration of HoloLens and the promise that it would soon be in developer hands. Microsoft HoloLens, which looks like cycling glasses as opposed to diving goggles, is described as being a natural way of interacting with the virtual space around you. It’s not cheap, though, at a reported $3,000. Mind you, you do get a thing called a clicker that appears to be a virtual mouse and a fancy pouch, plus developer kit and tools.

WHAT WAS BIG AT BUILD 2016 BOT BUTLERS A digital Jeeves to order your pizza

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FACE HUGGING

The HoloLens, a virtualreality challenger

NEVER MIND THE QUALITY Windows 10 has shipped 270 million copies

TEENAGE TEARAWAY TAY Teaching AI to be a teen is tricky

JULY 2016

FORWARD CORTANA

Microsoft’s voice assistant is heading to the Xbox

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IN DEPTH

Latest Windows 10 Mobile insider preview build reveals raft of new features Gabe Aul, corporate vice-president for the Windows engineering systems team, announced the latest Windows 10 Mobile insider preview build just after Build ended, and promised developers a raft of updates, new features and tools. Windows insiders and developers will get a boat full of new features. There is a lot to the release, and updated elements include more support for emoji, which will be big news to some, and updates to problematic old dictionaries that may have affected users and their text messages. Better options from the lock screen are included, as are more refined camera tools.

PEOPLE? SCHMEOPLE!

It would be fair to say that the non-human parts of modern day computing got most of the spotlight at Build, what with Cortana breezing her way on the Xbox and the HoloLens taking people out of the real world. Capping this was a concerted lurch in the direction of human-like language and interaction for machines. “As an industry, we are on the cusp of a new frontier that pairs the power of natural human language with advanced machine intelligence,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, as the firm showed off updates to Cortana and other bots. “At Microsoft, we call this Conversations as a Platform, and it builds on and extends the power of the Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and Windows platforms to empower developers everywhere.” Unfortunately, experiments in this area are not going well, and a teenage-like bot called Tay has proved to be a bit of a problem for Microsoft. So much so that the firm was forced to apologise after the AI turned racist and sexist and started talking about drugs after going live on Twitter and being led astray by teens.

There are also a number of visual changes – to the way that screens look, for example – and some less obvious behind-the-scenes changes, such as a better copy and paste tool.

many people and often in public forums. We must enter each one with great caution and ultimately learn and improve, step by step, and to do this without offending people in the process.”

BABY BOTS

Bots were everywhere at Build, even those that could order a pizza. Cortana might ask if you want to order a takeaway and pop up the Just Eat bot or the Domino’s bot to take your order, depending on what she already knows about your eating habits. Behind the scenes, the Domino’s bot will be using Microsoft’s Cognitive Services APIs to understand what you’re saying, typing or talking about. This should help the bot understand that ‘send a pizza to my crib’ means ‘deliver a pizza to my house’. You could end up with a terrible pizza if this goes badly.

CRASH, BASH, WALLOP

In a surprise announcement, far removed from pizzas and bots, Kevin Gallo, CVP for Windows, unveiled a full Bash shell implementation for

“We are on the cusp of a new frontier that pairs the power of natural human language with advanced machine intelligence” “As many of you know by now, we launched a chatbot called Tay. We are deeply sorry for the unintended offensive and hurtful tweets from Tay, which do not represent who we are or what we stand for, nor how we designed Tay,” said Peter Lee, corporate vice-president for research. “Tay is now offline and we’ll look to bring Tay back only when we are confident we can better anticipate malicious intent that conflicts with our principles and values. Looking ahead, we face some difficult – and yet exciting – research challenges in AI design. AI systems feed off of both positive and negative interactions with people. To do AI right, one needs to iterate with

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Windows that has been developed in partnership with Canonical and brings the full Linux command line to the Windows experience. Hosted in a new Windows subsystem, it runs native Ubuntu commands and applications, and developers can access familiar command-line tooling with support for a VT100-style terminal. This finally allows editors such as GNU Emacs to run on Windows, along with bringing SSH connections to remote hosts, something Gallo described as offering “the power of open-source command-line tools to Windows”. Developers will be able to download the Bash shell from the Windows Store.

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REVIEWS YOUR TRUSTED GUIDE TO WHAT’S NEW

PREMIUM iOS 9 TABLET

APPLE iPad Pro 9.7in ★★★★★

£499 • From www.apple.com/uk

VERDICT

Apple’s best-ever tablet is the perfect work companion, but it doesn’t come cheap THE IPAD PRO was something of a revelation when Apple released it last year, successfully proving that tablets could be used for creating, rather than just consuming. With its excellent Pencil, the iPad Pro was more than just a laptop replacement, too, taking over as a way for artists to draw and for everyone else to take notes in a more natural way. However, as good as the iPad Pro is, it’s not the ultimate device for portability, which is why Apple has decided to revamp the iPad Air 2 into Pro status, creating the 9.7in iPad Pro. Taking the much-loved iPad Air 2 as a starting point has given Apple many advantages: first, the metal case is gorgeous and it’s this iPad, more than any other, that stands out as the premium tablet. Apple has clearly done some strengthening work as well: tapping the back of the iPad Air 2 sent ripples through the LCD screen, but the new iPad Pro doesn’t suffer from that problem at all.

ON REFLECTION

On the face of things, the display hasn’t changed that much. It’s the same size and resolution (2,048x1,536) as before, with the high pixel density of 264ppi still making text and images look super sharp. However, Apple has boosted image quality for the 9.7in Pro, as it has a new low-reflective surface to make it easier to see under any lighting conditions. Picture quality has improved, too. We measured the 9.7in iPad Pro at a maximum brightness of 495cd/m2, giving colours plenty of punch, and its contrast ratio of 1,122:1 provides lots of fine detail. Likewise, with the screen able to cover 97.4% of the sRGB colour spectrum, it’s easily one of the most accurate LCD screens we’ve seen on a tablet. In fact, it actually goes way past that when it comes to supporting the DCI-P3 wide colour depth, which was introduced with the 5K Retina iMac. This produces more colours than before, which means images can be encoded

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with subtler details. In comparison, the iPad Air 2 managed a brightness of 390cd/m2 and only 90.1% of the sRGB colour gamut, proving the new iPad is a definite step up in quality.

TRUE STORY

Apple has also introduced an ambient light sensor for its new True Tone mode. This measures the ambient light and adjusts the colour temperature of the screen so that whites always look pure, making for a more natural viewing experience regardless of the surrounding lighting conditions. The screen has also been upgraded so it works with the Apple Pencil, which is an optional £79 extra. Our resident artist found the smaller size of this iPad better for writing notes on, as it’s closer to a notepad in size, but not quite as handy for drawing or painting. Apple has also released a Smart Keyboard Cover for its new iPad Pro, a smaller version of the one that was available for the original. It’s a little expensive at £129, but well worth it, providing plenty of feedback (haptic and audible) that makes it a pleasure to type on.

The main keys are more compact than the original Pro’s keyboard, and some of the punctuation keys are tiny, but this doesn’t make much difference during everyday use. The one thing it’s missing is a button to bring up the onscreen keyboard. That might sound a bit superfluous, but if you use two fingers on the onscreen keyboard it turns into a giant touchpad, which makes moving the cursor a lot easier than it is using the arrow keys. Still, even without that, the 9.7in iPad Pro’s keyboard remains one of the best tablet keyboards around.

MULTITASK MASTER

The tablet ships with iOS 9.3, which contains some multitasking modes that make the iPad that bit better for work use: Slide Over, which lets you peek at a compatible app by sliding in from the right-hand edge of the screen; and Split View, which lets you run two compatible apps side by side. In landscape mode, there’s enough room to do this comfortably, although the screen is a little more cramped than on the larger 12.9in iPad Pro.

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p28 Chillblast Fusion 3

p30 Acer Cloudbook 14

Apple has fitted its new tablet with four speakers (as it did with the original iPad Pro), with two at the top and two at the bottom. These have a wider frequency range than the old iPad and give much better stereo separation. In fact, we could comfortably watch a film and didn’t feel the need to switch over to a set of headphones. It’s a big improvement on the old system and makes this tablet a better all-rounder. As with the larger model, the 9.7in iPad Pro has Apple’s dual-core A9X processor. Scoring 5,417 in Peacekeeper – around the same as the original iPad Pro – the 9.7in iPad Pro is one of the quickest mobile devices for browsing, and it managed a huge 5,221 in Geekbench 3’s multicore test as well. Unsurprisingly, iOS 9.3 is perfectly designed for the tablet and runs exceptionally smoothly. Games won’t pose a problem, either: the iPad scored a massive 3,170 in the GFXBench offscreen Manhattan 3.0 test, showing that this tablet can easily cope with the most graphically demanding mobile games. The only area where this model loses out to the bigger 12.9in iPad Pro is RAM; the latter has 4GB, while the 9.7in model has only 2GB.

SIZE MATTERS

The 7,306mAh battery is slightly smaller than the 7,340mAh battery in the iPad Air 2. As a result, this new iPad lasted just over 30 minutes less in our video playback test with the screen set to our standard brightness level of 170cd/m2, running for a total of 8h 56m. That’s not brilliant compared to other top-end Android tablets, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, which lasted 12h 9m under the same conditions, but it’s still enough for a full day’s use, and it charges quickly via the Lightning port on the rear.

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p44 Asus ROG Swift PG27AQ

p46 Samsung UE48JS8500

⬅ The new Smart Keyboard Cover and Apple Pencil are optional extras, but are both well worth it

taking a selfie. It uses similar technology to the True Tone flash for more natural images.

MONEY TROUBLES

Touch ID is included, so you can quickly unlock your tablet with a fingerprint. It integrates with Apple Pay, too, so you can authorise in-app payments quickly, but as there’s no NFC you can’t use Apple Pay in store. Given the size of the tablet, though, doing so would be rather awkward. The 9.7in iPad Pro is equipped with the same 12-megapixel camera as the iPhone 6s, including the True Tone LED flash. This means the f/2.2 lens protrudes from the rear of the case by a few millimetres, but this isn’t too irritating, particularly as the trade-off is excellent photos. Apple’s cameras are some of the best in the business, ably coping with any lighting conditions to give well-balanced photos with plenty of dynamic range. Getting this quality on an iPad is a novelty, albeit an enjoyable one: using the large screen as a viewfinder makes taking shots very easy. The results are fantastic, too, with perfect exposure in outdoor shots and natural-looking indoor shots courtesy of the True Tone flash. Noise can be an issue in low lighting, but this is a problem for most mobile devices. At the front is a 5-megapixel FaceTime HD camera. This borrows the iPhone 6s’s Retina Flash: the screen flares up its brightness to make sure that you’re perfectly lit when

This is easily one of the most accurate LCD screens we’ve seen on a tablet It’s only something you tend to notice while working on larger files or switching between apps, though, when the new iPad Pro isn’t quite as snappy as the larger model.

p33 Apple iPhone SE

Apple has upped the ante with storage for the 9.7in iPad Pro, as the top-end model is fitted with a whopping 256GB for £739. The entry-level 32GB model (£499) or 128GB model (£619) might be better value for some, but it depends on how you intend to use it: if it really is your main computer, 256GB of storage may come in handy. These prices are for the Wi-Fi-only versions; if you want the cellular version, you’ll have to pay £100 more per model. There’s no getting around the fact that this is an expensive product. If you buy the 32GB model, the Pencil and keyboard cover, you’re looking at £707, while the top-end model with cellular and the peripherals would set you back more than £1,000. As a result, we can’t give the 9.7in iPad Pro five stars, but that doesn’t stop it being the best tablet Apple has made, as well as a pretty strong contender for the best tablet you can currently buy. As a traditional iPad, its power, screen quality, speakers and camera simply have no competition at this price range, and the optional Pencil and Smart Keyboard Cover can also turn it into a fully fledged and powerful computer – one that’s brilliantly small and light, perfect for moving between meetings or working while travelling. David Ludlow

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Dual-core 2.16GHz Apple A9X • SCREEN SIZE 9.7in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,048x1,536 • REAR CAMERA 12 megapixels • STORAGE 32/128/256GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G (cellular version) • DIMENSIONS 240x170x6.1mm • WEIGHT 437g • OPERATING SYSTEM iOS 9.3 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.apple.com/uk • PART CODE 9.7-inch iPad Pro

8h 56m

Battery life 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

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GAMING PC

BOX Cube Republic

★★★★★

£1,600 • From www.box.co.uk

VERDICT

There’s lots to love about this fast, cool and quiet gaming system, but you can get more PC for less APPROPRIATELY FOR A system with both ‘Box’ and ‘Cube’ in its name, this premium gaming PC is small, square and squat. It has a conventional form factor and internal layout, but is definitely at the smaller end of the mid-tower spectrum, which gives it a far more unassuming look than most £1,000+ gaming rigs, while improving portability to boot. It’s far from cramped on the inside; in fact, it’s beautifully tidy, with plenty of room for airflow. It also benefits from a hinge-mounted transparent side door that’s easier to get out of the way than the usual screwed-in panels. Sadly, compact cases usually come with drawbacks as well, and in the Cube Republic’s case, the main cost is upgradability. The microATX motherboard, an Asus ROG Z170 Maximus VIII Gene, includes four RAM slots (two of which are free) and two PCI-E x16 slots (one of which is free), but there’s room for only one additional PCI-E x4 expansion, and even the remaining PCI-E x16 input is only barely accessible thanks to the bulk of the Asus GeForce GTX 980 STRIX graphics card.

BAY WATCH

There’s also nowhere in the case to securely mount an optical drive, and while there’s a neat little row of 2½in bays, they’re inaccessible via the hinged door; you’ll need to unscrew the other side panel to get to them. To be fair, the Cube Republic is already equipped with an extremely respectable combination of a 256GB Samsung 950 Pro

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SSD – mounted on the motherboard’s M.2 slot – and a huge 2TB hard disk drive. There are also five spare SATA and two spare SATA Express sockets; again they’re a tad obscured by the graphics card, but if you can reach them you’ll have few issues with adding SSDs. It also compensates for its modest internal capabilities with a wealth of external ports. The Cube Republic has a USB3.1 and USB Type-C connector, five USB3 ports, one USB2 port, an S/PDIF socket for audiophiles, rear speaker and C-Sub ports (in addition to the standard mic in, line in and line out ports), four DisplayPorts, two HDMI connectors, dual-link DVI-I, Gigabit Ethernet and a legacy PS/2 socket. And that’s just on the rear – there are two additional USB3 ports at the front, as well as extra headset and microphone inputs.

CORE CONSIDERATION

Box hasn’t skimped on power, either – though we’d expect nothing less for £1,600. The Intel Core i7-6700K is a fine quad-core chip out of the box, but here it’s been overclocked to an imposing 4.6GHz per core, and the Asus GPU is a dual-fan variant of one of Nvidia’s high-end 4GB enthusiast cards. Even the 16GB of DDR4 RAM runs at 3,000MHz, higher than what we’re used to seeing in gaming systems. It put up a very strong fight in our intensive 4K benchmarking test, where it scored 158 for image editing, 172 for video editing, 191 for multitasking and 179 overall – great scores all round, ultimately beating the £1,500 systems we reviewed in Shopper 340, the Falcon Predator Pro SLI and the Yoyotech Warbird RS12. However, in our gaming tests, the pricier Cube Republic actually performed a little worse than those two PCs. In Dirt Showdown, for instance, it managed 124fps at 1,920x1,080 resolution and 52fps at 4K, both at Ultra settings; the Falcon and Yoyotech machines, on the other hand, scored 77fps and 71fps respectively at 4K. It’s a similar story with the tough Metro: Last Light Redux test, where at the maximum settings Box’s effort scored 54fps at 1,920x1,080 and just 13fps at 4K. Under the same conditions, the Predator Pro SLI achieved

85fps at 1080p and 22fps at 4K, while the Warbird RS12 managed 72fps and 19fps. It should be said that the Cube Republic’s scores are still seriously good, and well within expectations for a system of its calibre. We could even get an enjoyable 38fps from Metro at 4K, by dropping texture quality from Very High to High, turning off SSAA, turning down texture filtering to AF 4X and switching from Very High tessellation to High; a compromise that still allowed for good-looking gameplay. It’s a fairly quiet system as well: it faintly hums under heavy load, rather than roaring, and the GPU fans don’t even spin while performing low-demand tasks like browsing the web. The CPU watercooler is appreciably hushed, too, resulting in a lovely balance of high performance and low volume that makes the high price tag much easier to swallow. It’s just that for the same money – less, in fact – you could get a PC that’s both easier to upgrade and, even without further tinkering, capable of superior gaming performance. The Cube Republic’s marginally better Windows and multitasking performance don’t quite make up for this disparity. James Archer

SPECIFICATIONS

• RAM • FRONT USB PORTS 2x USB3 • REAR USB PORTS 1x USB3.1, 5x USB3, 1x USB2, 1x USB Type-C • TOTAL STORAGE 256GB SSD, 1TB hard disk • DISPLAY None • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.box.co.uk •

PROCESSOR Quad-core 4.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700K 16GB DDR4

PART CODE CU-I7REB16GBW10

179

Windows overall Multitasking

191

Dirt Showdown

124fps

Metro: Last Light

54fps 0%

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

WINDOWS 10 WORKSTATION

CHILLBLAST Fusion Projection 3 ★★★★★

£1,367 • From www.chillblast.com

VERDICT

Fast, quiet and superbly equipped, this is an outstanding choice for anyone doing design and editing work UNLIKE MOST OF the (usually gamingfocused) PCs that grace these pages, Chillblast’s Fusion Projection 3 is a machine for getting serious work done – particularly of the computer-aided design (CAD) variety. It’s brimming with all the hardware a professional 3D designer might need. Chief among these is the 4GB Nvidia Quadro K2200 graphics card, which unlike the more popular GeForce line is optimised for 3D modelling and graphic design. There’s also a quad-core Intel Core i5-6600K – this normally runs at 3.5GHz, but here is overclockable to 4.4GHz – 16GB of speedy 2,133MHz RAM and even a versatile optical card reader. This supports almost every card imaginable, from SD and microSD to CompactFlash and Sony’s M2.

DISPLAY TIME

On the workstation’s rear, there are enough display outputs to cope with all but the most ludicrous of multi-monitor setups. There’s one HDMI, one dual-link DVI-D and one VGA on the motherboard panel, plus a dual-link DVI-I and two DisplayPorts on the graphics card: a very good mix. The same goes for the rest of the connectivity options, with a grand total of five USB2 ports, three USB3 ports, one USB3.1 and one USB Type-C socket apiece, five audio inputs, an Ethernet port and two good old-fashioned PS/2 connectors for anyone still attached to their vintage keyboard. All these places to plug in peripherals won’t mean much if the Fusion Projection 3 fails to hold up as a high-performance workstation. Fortunately, it achieved some

28

respectable – and remarkably consistent – scores in our benchmark tests: 139 for image editing, 135 for video editing, 135 for multitasking and 135 overall. The M.2-mounted Samsung SM951 SSD (a 256GB variant, our review unit’s sole upgrade on the most basic configuration, which includes a 128GB drive) also did well in the AS SSD test, where it managed an extremely high overall score of 1,512. We also ran our gaming benchmarks, where the Fusion Projection 3’s CAD focus became apparent. Despite its high scores in our Windows benchmarks, it could squeeze out only 42fps in Dirt Showdown (on Ultra settings and at 1,920x1,080), as well as just 16fps in Metro: Last Light Redux (at Very High settings and the same resolution). This wasn’t much of a surprise, as Nvidia’s Quadro cards aren’t nearly as well optimised for games as the GeForce series.

TOP MODEL

When running the software it was actually designed for, on the other hand, the Fusion Projection 3 feels excellent. Blender runs like a dream, and we could happily tinker away with 3D models without so much as a hint of slowdown. We were particularly impressed with how much responsiveness was maintained when viewing models in Blender’s Rendered view – on lesser systems, this tends to slow the application to a crawl. If such effective fulfilment of its core purpose wasn’t enough, the Fusion Projection 3 is also one of the best-equipped mid-tower PCs we’ve seen. Besides that optical card reader, the hinged front panel also hides a DVD-R/W drive, something that never seems essential until you inevitably find yourself needing one, and four of the aforementioned USB ports (two USB2 and two USB3) are located at the very front of the case for easy access. Inside, there’s plenty of scope for future upgrades. A massive rack provides seven spare 3½in drive bays, in addition to the one already occupied by a 1TB hard disk, and a further two 2½in bays can be accessed behind the right side panel. On the motherboard, there is one free PCI-E x16 slot (the other is taken by the GPU), two empty PCI-E x1 slots and two

legacy PCI slots. While it lacks fancy cable management systems and partitions, the case is nicely tidy; installing a discrete sound card, for example, won’t be an issue in the slightest. The case has also been fitted with sound-insulating foam linings, making it wonderfully quiet even under load. We weren’t sure about how the basic air cooler on the CPU would cope with demanding modelling work, but the whole system manages to stay near-silent even under load. The caveat is that you’ll need to make sure the side panel thumbscrews are nice and tight, as the spinning of the case fans can cause the inside of the case to vibrate slightly, which produces a faint whine if one of the panels is loose. When the most annoying thing about a PC is an easily fixable noise issue, though, you know you’re on to a winner – especially when it comes with an exceptional five-year warranty. The Chillblast Fusion Projection 3 is a powerful, robust and competitively priced desktop for professional use, and a deserving recipient of a Best Buy award. James Archer

SPECIFICATIONS

• RAM 16GB • FRONT USB PORTS 2x USB2, 2x USB3 • REAR USB PORTS 2x USB2, 1x USB3, 1x USB3.1, 1x USB Type-C • TOTAL STORAGE 256GB SSD, 1TB hard disk • DISPLAY None • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home •

PROCESSOR Quad-core Intel Core i5-6600K DDR4

WARRANTY Five years RTB including two years collect

and return

• DETAILS www.chillblast.com •

PART CODE Fusion Projection 3

135

Windows overall Multitasking

135 42fps

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16fps 0%

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

2-IN-1 CONVERTIBLE

DELL XPS 12 ★★★★★

£1,149 • From www.dell.co.uk

VERDICT

Dell’s 4K 2-in-1 has a fantastic screen but its design and battery performance are hugely flawed SHEDDING THE PREVIOUS model’s rotating hinge in favour of a more standard 2-in-1 design, the new XPS 12 is just 8mm thick and weighs 790g. It’s a bit cumbersome to hold in one hand, but not impossible, and the 12.5in display gives you plenty of screen to work on. As this is a hybrid 2-in-1, you can transform the XPS 12 into a laptop by connecting its separate mobility base keyboard. Dell gives you a choice of two: the XPS 12 Premier Keyboard with Magnetic Folio, or an XPS 12 Slim Keyboard, which knocks £9.60 off the overall price. We tried the former, but quickly noticed that the folio cover doesn’t cover the entirety of the base, leaving an area exposed at the front where it doesn’t reach all the way. An even bigger concern is the weak magnetic dock; it’s very easy for the tablet to wobble around or even fall out completely. These magnets disengage when the tablet and keyboard are closed together, clamshellstyle, but sometimes fail to re-engage when opening up again. The keyboard groove isn’t adjustable either, so the tablet is propped up at a fixed angle of 110˚ when docked, providing no flexibility whatsoever. Keep in mind, though, that these issues are only inherent to the Premier Keyboard. The Slim Keyboard has a kickstand, which does let you tilt the screen back further, but we haven’t been able to test it yet to see if it’s any more comfortable. At least typing on the

Premier Keyboard is pleasant; the keys are backlit with a respectable amount of travel and feedback, and the Precisioncertified touchpad is smooth and responsive.

lighter, everyday use, the XPS 12 is responsive enough, as it didn’t miss a step when opening up a number of tabs and editing documents throughout the day.

4K OK

DRAIN WRECK

The XPS 12’s impracticalities are a shame, as its display is gorgeous. If you opt for anything but the most basic configuration, which runs at 1,920x1,080, you get a 3,840x2,160 (4K) resolution, which is the first of its kind for a 2-in-1 device. On a 12.5in display, this equates to a phenomenal 352 pixels per inch (ppi). It’s an IGZO IPS panel, which covered an incredible 100% of the sRGB colour gamut in our calibration tests, and its contrast ratio of 1,283:1 is excellent. Blacks of 0.32cd/m2 aren’t the deepest, but there’s no denying that everything looks incredibly sharp and crisp. Colours are vibrant and well saturated, and it’s also ludicrously bright at 418cd/m2. We tested the mid-range, Intel Core m5-6Y57 model of the XPS 12. This dual-core chip has a base clock speed of 1.1GHz but can Turbo Boost to a much more impressive 2.8GHz, and is paired with 8GB of RAM in this configuration. In our 4K tests, it managed an overall score of 21, which is two points shy of the HP Spectre X2 (Shopper 339). This is disappointing, as the X2 only had a dual-core 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor. Heat is an issue, as the back of the XPS 12 becomes very warm to the touch when under load. It’s simply not efficient when it comes to dissipating its heat production, and it’s this that is likely causing it to throttle. In

However, battery life is very disappointing. In our standard video playback test, it lasted an incredibly poor 3h 13m. General use will extend this somewhat, as video playback is one of the more draining tasks you can do, but even then you’re still a far cry from all-day battery life. The XPS 12’s charger is, at least, reasonably small and light; you’re definitely going to need to carry it around with you. In keeping with the current XPS range, the XPS 12 includes two USB Type-C ports, both running at USB3.1 Gen 2 speeds. Thoughtfully, a USB Type-C to USB-Type A adaptor comes in the box, so you can use your standard, full-size USB devices. You’ll need to buy an optional USB Type-C to HDMI/VGA/Ethernet/ USB3 adaptor if you want those connections, though, which costs an additional £80. A microSD card reader is hidden behind a plastic flap, but we found it so hard to prise open that we bent it out of shape. Below that you’ll also find a 3.5mm headset jack. After the Best Buy-winning XPS 13 and XPS 15 (Shopper 337 and 338), the XPS 12 is a real misstep from Dell. There’s no doubting the quality of its gorgeous screen, but its shortcomings are hard to ignore. Its inferior performance and battery life mean there are very few reasons to recommend the XPS 12 over its competitors. Richard Easton

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Dual-core 1.1GHz Intel Core m5-6Y57 291mm

RAM 8GB DIMENSIONS 193x291x8mm (tablet); 198x291x25mm (laptop) WEIGHT 790g (tablet); 1.27kg (laptop) SCREEN SIZE 12.5in SCREEN RESOLUTION 3,840x2,160 GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Intel HD Graphics 515

198mm

TOTAL STORAGE 256GB SSD

1.27kg

OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home PARTS AND LABOUR WARRANTY One year collect and return DETAILS www.dell.co.uk PART NUMBER XPS 12 9250

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

12.5in

| JULY 2016

25mm closed

Windows overall

21

Multitasking

3

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3h 13m 0%

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BUDGET LAPTOP

ACER Aspire One Cloudbook 14 ★★★★★

£180 • From www.pcworld.co.uk

VERDICT

A great Windows 10 laptop that can match its Chromebook rivals for value GOOGLE’S CHROMEBOOKS HAVE helped create a whole new type of entry-level, budget-friendly laptop. With their focus on web-based tasks and storing files in the cloud, Chromebooks have become a great low-cost option for anyone who spends most of their computing time inside an internet browser. However, affordable laptops aren’t just limited to Chromebooks; there have been lots of Windows-based alternatives popping up lately as well, including Acer’s Aspire One Cloudbook 14. This 14.1in laptop costs just £180, and manages to tick all the right boxes. Admittedly, the Aspire One Cloudbook 14’s rather bland, utilitarian design is hardly going to get your pulse racing. While the outer lid’s textured, perforated finish feels great to the touch, it lacks the bright, vibrant colours of other models. At least it’s fairly portable, though: the whole laptop weighs only 1.6kg and measures 17.9mm thick. The 14.1in form factor also allows for a decent-sized keyboard,

of eMMC storage, of which just 10GB is left once you’ve taken Windows 10 and Acer’s pre-installed software into account.

continuous video playback in our battery life test, so you should be able to get even more battery life out of the Cloudbook 14 under more general use.

KEEPING STORE

Of course, the focus is on cloud storage rather than storing files locally, so it comes with 1TB of free OneDrive storage as well as a year’s subscription to Office 365 Personal, which normally costs £60. This makes the Cloudbook 14 even more of a bargain, but it’s still useful to have the SD card reader on hand if you need to add extra capacity. The Cloudbook 14 is powered by an Intel Celeron processor rather than a more powerful Core model. The dual-core 1.6GHz

The Cloudbook 14 offers decent build quality and great battery life for a device at such a low price though shallow keys and a loud action mean it’s not particularly comfortable to type on. The touchpad, on the other hand, is surprisingly good. It’s generously sized and very responsive, with the applied coating allowing your swipes and gestures to glide effortlessly over its surface. The integrated mouse buttons have a distinct click action, too, making them very easy to use. There’s a decent set of ports, too, including one USB3 and one USB2 port plus a full-sized HDMI output and a headset jack. More importantly, it has an SD card reader, which is vital when the device has just 32GB

Intel Celeron N3050 is paired with 2GB of RAM and performance is as we’d expect for such a low-end specification. If all you’ll be using it for is basic low-intensity tasks such as editing documents and browsing the web, the Cloudbook 14 will do just fine. Anything more taxing, however, and it will start to struggle. It wasn’t able to complete our 4K benchmarks, but when we re-ran the tests using 1080p video instead, it only managed an overall score of 30, a distinctly average result. Thankfully, the Cloudbook 14 more than makes up for its performance shortfall with its excellent battery life. It managed 11h 20m of

STRAIGHT AND NARROW

The 14.1in display has a 1,366x768 resolution, which again is pretty standard for budget laptops. It’s perfectly usable, but viewing angles are rather narrow, especially on the horizontal plane, and its sRGB colour gamut coverage of just 61.8% means it isn’t ideal for colour sensitive work such as photo editing. Combined with its low contrast ratio of 423:1 and mediocre black levels of 0.56cd/m2, everything ends up looking a little washed out and uninspiring. This won’t be a problem if you’re going to spend the day looking at text documents, but it nevertheless leaves something to be desired. It’s also not particularly bright, reaching just 241.2cd/m2 on its maximum settings. Still, you need to make some allowances when you’re only spending £180, and the Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14 certainly puts forward a compelling case. The Cloudbook 14 offers decent build quality and great battery life for a device at such a low price, and the year’s free subscription to Office 365 Personal and 1TB of OneDrive storage add extra value. It may not be particularly fast or have the best display, but as long as you can work within the Cloudbook 14’s limitations, this is as good as you’re going to get for under £200. It wins a Recommended award. Richard Easton

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3050 339mm

RAM 2GB DIMENSIONS 235x339x17.9mm WEIGHT 1.6kg

Windows overall Fail

SCREEN SIZE 14.1in SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,366x768 GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Intel HD Graphics

235mm

TOTAL STORAGE 32GB eMMC

1.6kg

OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home PARTS AND LABOUR WARRANTY One year RTB DETAILS www.acer.co.uk PART NUMBER AO1-431-C2Q8

30

Multitasking Fail

14.1in

17.9mm closed

Dirt Showdown Fail Battery life

11h 20m 0%

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Chillblast [email protected] 01202 068 333

ULTRA-SLIM LAPTOP

ASUS ZenBook UX305CA ★★★★★

£650 • From www.johnlewis.com

VERDICT

A stylish and well-built ultra-portable, but its battery life could be better

Chillblast SAMURAI 15.6” PROCESSOR: DISPLAY: MEMORY: GRAPHICS: OS DRIVE: HARD DRIVE: DIMENSIONS: SYSTEM:

INTEL CORE i7-6700HQ 15.6" LED FULL HD (1920x1080) 16GB DDR4 2133MHZ NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 970M 3GB 256GB SAMSUNG M.2 PCIe SSD 1TB SSHD HYBRID DRIVE 390MM x 266MM x 19.9MM WINDOWS 10 HOME 64-BIT

PRICE FROM

£1499.99

www.chillblast.com

FUSION CENTURION PROCESSOR: CASE: CPU COOLER: MOTHERBOARD: MEMORY: GRAPHICS CARD: OS DRIVE: HARD DISK: OPTICAL DRIVE: POWER SUPPLY: SYSTEM:

INTEL CORE i5-6600K ZALMAN Z3 PLUS CASE - BLACK CENTURION DIRECT CONTACT ASUS Z170-K 8GB DDR4 2133MHZ NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 750Ti 2GB 128GB SAMSUNG M.2 PCIe SSD 1TB SEAGATE 7200RPM 24x DVD-RW AEROCOOL 80 PLUS 500W WINDOWS 10 HOME 64-BIT

PRICE FROM

£739.99

5 YEAR WARRANTY WITH

2 YEARS COLLECT AND RETURN

WITH ALL PURCHASES Terms and conditions are on the website. All trademarks are acknowledged. Pictures are for illustration only. Prices are correct at time of going to press (31-03-16) E&OE

32

2015’S ZENBOOK UX305 (Shopper 328) was the first Asus ZenBook to use Intel’s new Core M processors, and gave Windows-based laptops a suitable rival to Apple’s latest MacBook, which also opted for the same processor family. A year on, and Intel has upgraded its Core M range to the Skylake generation, providing modest clock speed increases. The Core m3-6Y30 inside the UX305CA has had a base clock speed increase to 0.9GHz, up from 0.8GHz. Such slow clock speeds may make you think you’ve stepped into the past, but it makes more sense when you realise Intel’s Core M processors are designed to Turbo Boost to far nippier speeds. The UX305CA’s processor has a Turbo speed of 2.2GHz, 0.2GHz quicker than the older model.

LIGHT SHOW

Even with its sturdy aluminium chassis, the UX305CA is as delightfully light and svelte as its predecessor. It weighs 1.2kg with a thickness of 12.3mm, marginally thinner but slightly heavier than the MacBook. This gives you all-day portability without being a burden. It’s classy-looking, too, but it’s a shame the chiclet-style keyboard isn’t backlit. It is, at least, comfortable to type on, with a respectable amount of travel to the key action. Keys are well spaced and there are no puzzling key placements to throw your fingers into flux. The hinge rounds over and under when the lid is opened, propping the keyboard up by a few millimetres. This angles the keyboard slightly, making for more comfortable typing. There are three USB3 ports, one of which is powered even with the laptop turned off so you can charge other devices. There’s also an SD card reader and a headset jack. There’s no USB Type-C, but that seems to be standard for laptops around this price. Micro HDMI is available for outputting to an external display. In terms of networking, there’s 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. Despite the updated processor, the UX305CA performed slightly worse than its predecessor. It managed an overall score of 19, which is a point less than last year’s model. Still, this was in our tough 4K-based benchmarks, so it will have enough power for general everyday computing. Expecting more demanding tasks from a laptop of this size and weight is unrealistic, especially with the integrated Intel HD Graphics 515. Battery performance during our video playback test was a little underwhelming at 6h 4m. This was with the screen set to 170cd/m2, our standard indoor-use brightness at which we test all displays. Under more general everyday use you will probably be just about able to eke out all-day battery life of eight hours with more general tasks.

The blame for this laptop’s lack of longevity can largely be pinned on its high-resolution screen. The UX305 had a comparatively bog-standard, but perfectly acceptable, 1,920x1,080 resolution display; the new model maintains the 13.3in screen size, but there’s now a 3,200x1,800 resolution panel option, which is what we reviewed. The extra resolution makes everything appear incredibly crisp, though you’ll probably need to tweak Windows 10’s scaling to get text and icons up to a viewable level.

BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

It’s also incredibly bright. Asus states it has a brightness of 300cd/m2, but the model we tested had white levels of a stunning 409cd/m2. This had an adverse effect on black levels, which were very high at 0.77cd/m2. A contrast ratio of 513:1 sounds a little low, but isn’t bad for a matte panel. Under more superficial scrutiny, the panel appears vibrant with bold colours. The panel’s sRGB coverage of 90.2% is certainly very respectable for a laptop at this price, and its Delta-E average of 2.79 is fine provided you’re not looking for a colour-accurate screen. Viewing angles are slightly acute but the ridiculous brightness makes it seem worse than it is. The ZenBook UX305CA’s build quality and design are excellent, and the high-resolution screen is equally great. It’s a shame, then, that the new model’s performance has taken a step backwards and its battery life is a little disappointing. Still, considering it remains around the same price as its predecessor, it’s worthy of recommendation for those looking for a thin, light and extremely portable laptop, especially for those not wanting to stretch to the pricier Apple MacBook. Richard Easton

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Dual-core 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30 • RAM 8GB • DIMENSIONS 324x226x12.3mm • WEIGHT 1.2kg • SCREEN SIZE 13.3in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 3,200x1,200 • GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Intel HD Graphics 515 • TOTAL STORAGE 128GB SSD • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home • PARTS AND LABOUR WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.asus.com/uk • PART CODE UX305CA

19

Windows overall Multitasking 3 Dirt Showdown Fail

6h 04m

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4in iOS 9 SMARTPHONE

APPLE iPhone SE ★★★★★

£359 • From www.apple.com/uk

VERDICT

Well built and with a top camera and great battery life, the iPhone SE is the small phone to buy THERE WERE PLENTY of iPhone users that missed having a 4in phone when Apple went bigger with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. The old iPhone 5c remained an option but looked plastic and slow next to the flagship models. By contrast, Apple seems to have nailed everything with the iPhone SE: it has the build quality, the processing power and the camera, all packed into a neat metal chassis. Weighing 113g and 7.6mm thick, the iPhone SE is exactly the same size as the 5s and is compatible with the same range of cases and covers. While the SE is the lightest iPhone currently available, it’s actually the thickest. This, however, makes the handset easier to grip, and it means the camera sits flush with the rear of the case. Besides, overall the iPhone SE is comparatively tiny by today’s standards, slipping easily into any pocket.

cost-saving omission isn’t a deal breaker; we could still use iOS 9 perfectly well. Apple has fitted a 12-megapixel camera in the iPhone SE, the same as the iPhone 6s. It’s a great all-rounder, ably adapting to most situations to produce well-exposed shots with plenty of detail. The HDR mode captures a particularly excellent dynamic range, without overprocessing the final shots. There’s also a True Tone LED flash, which measures ambient light then fires the flash at the same colour temperature, reducing the tell-tale signs of a regular flash. You also get all the shooting modes that the iPhone 6s has, including panoramic shots and 4K video. Performance is excellent, thanks to the iPhone SE having the same 1.8GHz A9 processor and 2GB of RAM as the 6s line-up. In Geekbench, the iPhone SE scored 2,550 in

As with all Apple phones, the combination of the processor, iOS and Safari makes web browsing super-smooth Apple has re-used the iPhone 5s’ 1,136x640 resolution on the 4in screen. This is one of the lowest-resolution phones available, but the pixel density of 326ppi actually matches that of the iPhone 6s, which has a resolution of 1,334x750. Both phones are definitely sharp enough, and text is clear and easy to read.

GETTING BETTER

Display quality isn’t quite as good as Apple’s pricier iPhones, but the iPhone SE’s screen performs better than stated: Apple claims maximum brightness of 500cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 800:1, but we measured it at 577cd/m2 with a contrast ratio of 892:1. While this contrast ratio still isn’t great, its colour accuracy coverage of 94.6% of the sRGB gamut goes some way to make up for it. Sadly, the SE doesn’t have the fancy 3D Touch features of the iPhone 6s, but this

the single-core test, the same as the iPhone 6s and faster than the 2,115 scored by the Samsung Galaxy S7. In the multicore test, the S7 takes the lead with a score of 6,437, but that’s a quad-core device: the iPhone SE has a dual-core processor and still scored 4,444. As with all Apple phones, the combination of the processor, iOS and Safari makes web browsing a super-smooth experience: the Peacekeeper browser test score of 4,761 is one of the best we’ve seen on a smartphone.

POWER TRICK

The iPhone SE delivers on battery life, too. Its 1,624mAh battery might sound pretty tiny compared to the 3,000mAh+ batteries found in Android phones, but its smaller screen requires a lot less power. As a result, it lasted an incredible 16h 46m at a brightness of 170cd/m2 in our battery test. This is just shy of the Galaxy S7’s time, and 1h 48m longer than the iPhone 6s lasted. The iPhone SE also benefits from the new features of iOS 9.3, the latest

version of Apple’s mobile OS. These include Night Shift, which tones down the blue in the display at night to aid sleep, and passwordprotected Notes, which you can unlock with Touch ID. The iPhone SE uses an older fingerprint sensor than the iPhone 6s, so it’s a bit more error-prone than the flagship, but this wasn’t too much of an irritation. It can still be used with Apple Pay as well. There are only two models of the iPhone SE: 16GB (£359) or 64GB (£439). By today’s standards, 16GB is really too small and we would have preferred a 32GB entry-level model. As such, we recommend buying the 64GB model. It’s still excellent value, as a 64GB iPhone 6s costs £619 by comparison. Besides the lack of a 32GB model, the iPhone SE surpasses our expectations. The only thing it really lacks compared to the iPhone 6s is 3D Touch. If you hanker after a powerful 4in smartphone, it’s a great choice. David Ludlow

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Dual-core 1.8GHz Apple A9 • SCREEN SIZE 4in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,136x640 • REAR CAMERA 12 megapixels • STORAGE 16GB/64GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 124x59x7.6mm • WEIGHT 112g • OPERATING SYSTEM iOS 9.3 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.apple.com/uk • PART CODE iPhone SE

Battery life

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33

ANDROID 5.1 SMARTPHONE

SAMSUNG Galaxy J5 ★★★★★

£150 • From www.johnlewis.com

VERDICT

With its incredible battery life and beautiful display, this is Samsung’s best budget phone yet THIS IS A bit embarrassing. The Galaxy J5, one of Samsung’s new budget handsets, has beaten the flagship Galaxy S7 we reviewed in Shopper 340 in our battery-life test – only by two minutes, but it goes to show you don’t necessarily need to pay hundreds of pounds for a smartphone with plenty of stamina. With the screen brightness set to our standard measurement of 170cd/m2, the J5 lasted an incredible 17h 50m in our continuous video playback test, just edging out the S7. That’s amazing for a smartphone that only costs £150 SIM-free or £13.50 per month on contract, and it blows other budget smartphones such as the Motorola Moto G 3rd Gen (Shopper 334) out of the water. However, Galaxy S7 owners needn’t be too worried, as the J5 makes other compromises in order to help keep the price as low as possible. Its plastic frame, for example, doesn’t protect against water damage, and its glossy finish can’t help but look and feel a little tacky after the beautifully sculpted metal frames on Samsung’s mid-range A series. Still, when the latest version of the A5 is almost double the price of the J5, a plastic chassis is fairly forgivable, and the latter still feels well made overall.

BLACK OPS

Where the J5 leaps ahead of the Moto G is in its 5in, 1,280x720 Super AMOLED display, which makes other budget LCD-based displays look positively insipid. Its 100% sRGB colour gamut coverage, perfect 0.00cd/m2 blacks and ultra-high contrast ratio mean images on the J5 look absolutely stunning, and we’ve yet to see an LCD screen at this kind of price that can beat it. The downside of AMOLED screens is that they’re nowhere near as bright as LCD. However, the J5’s peak brightness of 357.72cd/m2 is still pretty respectable, and should be more than enough for most lighting conditions. Only in bright sunshine will you need to have it on maximum. Admittedly, it’s not the fastest handset around, as its quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor and 1.5GB of RAM

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put its day-to-day performance on a par with almost every other budget smartphone. In Geekbench 3, the J5 scored 459 in the single-core test and 1,343 in the multicore test, putting it just behind the Moto G. That said, Samsung’s Android 5.1.1-based TouchWiz interface still feels relatively smooth and responsive, and apps don’t take an age to open either. The Moto G proved quicker at loading games, but web browsing was more or less a level playing field, as evidenced by the J5’s Peacekeeper score of 634, which is only around 100 points short of the Moto G. Scrolling was a little jerky in places, and browsing could be rather stop-start when pages were still loading, but otherwise surfing the web was pretty hassle-free. The J5 isn’t really capable of playing the latest games, as it managed only 113 frames

anything else in this price range, and it’s certainly got enough speed to get you through most of your daily smartphone tasks. The only other slight downside is that it’s unlikely to receive an upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which is something new Moto G 3rd Gen owners can download without delay. Even the Galaxy S6 has only just been updated Android 6.0, and Samsung traditionally drags its feet bringing software updates to its lower-end smartphones, so

Images on the J5 look absolutely stunning, and we’ve yet to see an LCD screen at this kind of price that can beat it (or 1.8fps) in the offscreen Manhattan 3.0 test in GFXBench GL. This is to be expected on a budget smartphone, so Hearthstone fanatics should look elsewhere. However, we were able to play simple games such as Threes! without any trouble.

UNLUCKY NUMBER

Like a lot of recent budget smartphones, the J5 is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera. More pixels doesn’t necessarily mean better photos, though, and we found the J5 could be quite temperamental depending on the lighting conditions; a problem compounded by the lack of an HDR mode. In bright sunshine, for instance, the J5 struggled to expose the sky correctly, often blowing out its whites to create large halos of light around anything else in the frame. However, point the camera at a well-lit object when the sun’s behind you, and pictures look sharp and crisp with accurate colours. Inconsistent camera aside, the J5 is great value. Its excellent screen and amazing battery life far exceed

you may wish to consider the Moto G if you want all the latest Android features. If this doesn’t bother you, the Samsung Galaxy J5 is a fine choice. The Moto G is still the phone to beat in our eyes, with Android 6.0, a better camera and more stylish design. However, the J5’s amazing screen and battery life make it a fine choice as well, especially if you’re switching from another Samsung handset. It wins a Recommended award. Katharine Byrne

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 • SCREEN SIZE 5in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,280x720 • REAR CAMERA 13 megapixels • STORAGE (FREE) 8GB (4.6GB) • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 142x72x7.9mm • WEIGHT 146g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5.1.1 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.samsung.com/ uk • PART CODE SM-J500FN

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

MODULAR ANDROID 6.0 SMARTPHONE

LG G5

★★★★★ £500 • From www.carphonewarehouse.com

VERDICT

The modular G5 is an incredible handset that stands shoulder to shoulder with the Samsung Galaxy S7 THEY SAID IT couldn’t be done. There was no way you could have a smartphone with a full metal unibody and an interchangeable battery, yet not only has the LG G5 managed it, but its removable lower section also allows for an unusual modular configuration. LG has only announced two modules for the G5 so far – the £80 Cam Plus, a camera grip that adds physical buttons and a zoom wheel; and the £150 Hi-Fi Plus, a Bang & Olufsen-made portable hi-fi player that supports 32-bit 384kHz high-definition audio and B&O Play – but more are sure to follow. LG hasn’t provided us with final units yet, but we tried them both at this year’s Mobile World Congress, and were impressed with the Hi-Fi Plus’s lack of bulk, and the traditional

test and a massive 5,422 in the multicore test. The latter isn’t quite as high as the S7’s score of 6,437, but the G5’s single-core score is almost 200 points faster. In GFXBench GL’s offscreen Manhattan 3.0 test, the G5 produced 2,844 frames, which translates to a smooth 46fps. This is significantly higher than both the S7 and S7 Edge, which managed only around 37fps in the same test. In practice, it handled complex games such as Hearthstone beautifully, and with a Peacekeeper score of 1,514, the same goes for web browsing. The G5’s screen matches the S7’s, too, as its 5.3in, 2,560x1,440 Quantum IPS display has

The G5’s screen has a built-in always-on feature, which can show you the time, date and notification icons camera controls and huge 1,200mAh battery upgrade afforded by the Cam Plus. Even without the latter, the ability to easily swap out batteries makes the G5 a compelling alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S7. In our video playback test, for instance, the G5’s 2,800mAh battery lasted 11h 10m when we set the screen brightness to 170cd/m2. While not fantastic compared to the S7’s 17h 48m, anyone with another G5 battery module could theoretically extend that to 22h 20m, providing more than enough juice to get you through the day and long into the next.

CORE WORKOUT

The G5 is the first smartphone we’ve seen with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chip. Paired with 4GB of RAM, the G5 scored an impressive 2,325 in Geekbench 3’s single-core

a built-in always-on feature. This can show the time, date and notification icons, though you can’t interact with these notifications. The screen looks superb thanks to LG’s Quantum IPS panel. Its sRGB gamut coverage of 97.1% means images look stunning, as colours are both rich and vibrant without looking too oversaturated. Black levels are also super low for an IPS display, measuring just 0.19cd/m2. Combine this with an excellent contrast ratio of 1,621:1, and the G5 definitely has one of the best IPS displays you can currently buy. The only slight niggle is brightness levels, as our colour calibrator recorded a maximum brightness of just 354.05cd/m2. This is below average for an IPS screen, and is more akin to what we’d expect to see from an AMOLED panel, such as those found on the Galaxy S7.

SEEING DOUBLE

LG has made some pretty great smartphone goes one step cameras in the past, but the G5 g further with a dual-sensor setup. One is a the other is a large 16-megapixel sensor, and th sensor. wide-angle 135˚ 8-megapixel se Sadly, the quality of our wide-angle test shots wasn’t Colours were great. Colou accurate and it coped well with capturing a decent amount of and cloud sky an detail without

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making darker objects too dingy, but images were often a bit soft and lacking in detail. The 16-megapixel camera, by contrast, is excellent. Detail levels are extremely high and while images were perhaps a little dark in places when shooting in bright sunshine, things improved immeasurably when we switched on HDR mode, as this produces wonderfully exposed images with plenty of bright, rich colours as well as lots of contrast and shadow detail. Indoor shots are even better, with minimal visible noise. The only slightly worrying thing about the G5 is LG’s new UX 5.0 interface for Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It’s lacking the apps tray, and while this can be brought back by switching to LG’s Easy Home-style interface, this makes fonts and icons much bigger. UI flaws aside, the G5 is an impressively ambitious device. For most people, the convenience of a long battery life on the S7 will trump the replaceable battery of the G5, but the latter is a good bet in the long term since the S7’s sealed battery will inevitably fade with time. This, plus the wide-angle camera, superior gaming performance and the potential of those interchangeable modules, makes the LG G5 just as much of a Best Buy as its Samsung counterpart. Katharine Byrne

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 • SCREEN SIZE 5.3in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,560x1,440 • REAR CAMERA 16 + 8 megapixels • STORAGE (FREE) 32GB (23.5GB) • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 149x74x7.7mm • WEIGHT 159g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 6.0.1 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.lg.com/uk • PART CODE LG-H850

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BROADEN YOUR PERSPECTIVE

ProLite XUB3490WQSU 34” IPS ultra-wide screen with a height adjustable stand. ProLite XUB3490WQSU is a 34” LED monitor featuring UWQHD (Ultra Wide QHD) resolution and offering 21:9 viewable area. Broaden your perspective by using side-by-side applications or watch a movie shot in widescreen format.

34’’

www.iiyama.com

ULTRA WIDE

HUB

WINDOWS 10 TABLET

SAMSUNG Galaxy TabPro S ★★★★★

£849 • From www.very.co.uk

VERDICT

A decent first attempt at a 2-in-1 hybrid from Samsung, but it’s not without its flaws MICROSOFT SURFACE RIVALS are becoming a dime-a-dozen, and now Samsung has entered the ring with the Galaxy TabPro S. That’s not to say a bit of competition isn’t a good thing, as the Galaxy TabPro S offers far more than your typical two-in-one hybrid. First, there’s a 12in, 2,160x1,440 Super AMOLED display. It’s the same type of panel as the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones, and its rich, vibrant colours jump out of the screen. The 4:3 aspect ratio is unorthodox, but the extra vertical screen space does make web browsing and editing documents more pleasurable. A 16:9 aspect ration is still better for watching films, though, as a 4:3 screen will have thicker black bars along the edges. The Super AMOLED technology means the TabPro S has top-notch image quality,

and the whole assembly is worryingly prone to toppling backwards on your lap. While the keys are full-size and include dedicated Function keys, the keyboard feels cramped, and we don’t like the Backspace key being uncharacteristically the same width as the Enter key below. At least the touchpad is pretty good; it’s Precision-certified and feels swift and responsive in use, handling multitouch gestures without much fuss.

Super AMOLED means the TabPro S has top-notch image quality, including pure blacks and perfect contrast ratio including pure 0.00cd/m2 blacks and perfect 1:1 contrast ratio. Its colour accuracy is almost perfect, too, with 99.5% sRGB colour gamut coverage and Delta-E of 1.75. Brightness is high at 363.4cd/m2, and its 2,160x1,440 resolution leaves images and text looking sharp. As a result, the TabPro S has one of the most beautiful tablet screens you’ll see today.

TIGHT ANGLE

The screen’s only major problem is the limited viewing angle adjustment of the keyboard cover. The display is propped up at one of three fixed angles – either 115˚ or two almost-flat angles – which gives it two more positions than the XPS 12, but pales in comparison to the Surface Pro 4’s fully adjustable kickstand. The magnetic clamp is strong, but the undocking process is fiddly

Again, the limited space does mean it can feel a bit confined, but it doesn’t suffer as a result. As far as the tablet component goes, the TabPro S is svelte at just 6.3mm, which is thinner than any of its rivals. It weighs just 693g, too, but this jumps to 1.09kg with the keyboard attached. It’s still travel-friendly, however, and the tablet feels well balanced. It’s lacking in ports, though, with just one lone USB-C connection. This is used for both charging and data transfer. Worse, there’s no USB-C to USB-A cable in the box, so if you have USB flash drives or any peripherals you want to connect to the TabPro S, you’re out of luck until you buy an adaptor. Those looking to take notes using a stylus will also be disappointed, as you’ll need to purchase Samsung’s optional Bluetooth C pen. The stylus comes as standard with the Surface Pro 4, although the TabPro S’s keyboard cover is included in the box. The sole specification includes the same processor as the entry-level Surface Pro

4 – a dual-core 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30 CPU that can Turbo Boost to 2.2GHz – plus 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. The fanless m3-6Y30 proves a capable performer for basic Windows tasks but, as evidenced by its score of 32 in our difficult 4K-based benchmarks, it’s going to strain under anything more taxing. Its integrated Intel HD Graphics 515 will get you by with some light gaming, but you’ll need to make sacrifices where it comes to image quality to get playable frame rates.

SERVICE CHARGE

As for battery life, the Galaxy TabPro S managed to last 6h 53m when the screen brightness was set to our usual figure of 170cd/m2. It’s quick to charge, too, capable of going from flat to 100% in just 2h 30m. Samsung has had a decent crack with the Galaxy TabPro S. Its beautiful display comes top of its class, it has decent battery life, and its superior performance came as a very welcome surprise. As an inaugural 2-in-1, Samsung has got off to an impressive start. However, it’s difficult to overlook some of its shortcomings, such as the disappointing keyboard cover, the lack of ports and wobbly docking mechanism. As a Windows-based tablet, it’s wonderful; as a laptop replacement, you’re better off with a Surface Pro 4. Richard Easton

SPECIFICATIONS PROCESSOR Dual-core 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30 • RAM 4GB • DIMENSIONS 290.3x198.6x6.3mm • WEIGHT 693g (tablet), 1.09kg (laptop) • SCREEN SIZE 12in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,160x1,440 • GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Intel HD Graphics 515 • STORAGE 128GB SSD • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Pro • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE SM-WE700XZKABTU

Battery life 6h 53m 0%

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

ULTRA-ZOOM COMPACT CAMERA

CANON SX720 HS ★★★★★

£299 • From www.jessops.com

VERDICT

A 40x zoom in a compact body is an outlandish concept, but the Canon SX720 HS serves a purpose CANON’S SX720 HS is a compact camera with a 40x zoom lens, smashing the record of 30x held by Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony. This is great if you like to shoot distant subjects but don’t want to lug a bulky camera around. However, this extra zoom extension is only useful if the camera can produce sharp photos at the full zoom extension; it’s a challenge not just for the lens optics but also for stabilisation and noise handling. Zooming in also shrinks the maximum aperture; in this case from f/3.3 for wide-angle to f/6.9 for telephoto, or a quarter the amount of light. Thus the SX720 HS has its work cut out if it wants to impress. It makes a good first impression, with a smart appearance in a choice of gunmetal grey or dusky red finishes. The layout of the buttons is geared towards point-and-shoot users, but it’s good to see an exposure mode dial and a rear wheel for quick adjustment of settings. There’s not much of a handgrip, but the rubber texture and position of the mode dial means it feels secure in the hand. We found the optical stabilisation was just as useful when composing shots as when taking them. Tracking moving subjects at the full 960mm (equivalent) zoom is almost impossible, but there’s a button that quickly zooms out to help find the subject. Releasing the button zooms back in again. The same button can be used to make the camera zoom automatically to frame a person’s face or body.

NEED FOR SPEED

Big zooms are useful for sports and wildlife photography, but require fast performance. The SX720 HS fared reasonably well in this respect, taking around half a second to focus and 0.9 seconds on average between shots. Flash photography was less impressive, taking 8.5 seconds to recharge at full flash power.

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

Continuous mode ran at 6fps till the card was full. Enabling continuous autofocus delivered 2.8fps shooting, but we saw little evidence of it successfully tracking moving subjects. Autofocus options are frustratingly limited. There’s a choice of multi with face detection, centre or tracking, but no option to position the autofocus point anywhere in the frame. Most compact cameras don’t really need this but focus becomes more critical for telephoto shots where there’s a narrow depth of field. We selected the Centre AF mode and regularly had to focus on the subject, reframe it off-centre and then take the shot.

telephoto shots was often slightly off the mark, and sometimes completely off.

SHAKE IT OFF

Overall exposure levels were expertly judged, but the camera sometimes chose odd shutter and ISO speeds. This appears to be down to the camera attempting to raise the shutter speed to avoid motion blur in moving subjects. Sometimes this worked well, but on other occasions it appeared to be confused by camera shake just before taking a picture. The ISO speed also rarely ventured beyond 800, which sometimes meant excessively slow

We’re not convinced the 40x zoom is a big asset compared to the 30x and smaller zooms in other ultra-zoom cameras Video mode can be a pocket ultra-zoom camera’s secret weapon, as the smaller 2-megapixel resolution of 1080p video is more forgiving of lens sharpness and sensor noise issues. We certainly appreciated the 40x zoom when shooting wildlife videos, and video stabilisation worked well, although the results were invariably better when we had something solid to prop our arms against. Video quality was good rather than great, with a slight coarseness to details. Shooting in low light resulted in a fair amount of noise but noise reduction kept it under control. It’s disappointing that there’s no option to control the video exposure manually, though. The SX720 HS punched well above its weight in photo quality. Colours were vibrant and flattering, although even in bright conditions there was some evidence of noise, particularly in skin tones, and dense foliage and grass lacked clarity. These problems are hard to avoid with a small 1/2.3in sensor. Focus was pretty good through most of the zoom range, but telephoto shots weren’t so impressive, with a distinct haziness to details. We also found that the autofocus in

shutter speeds, particularly for telephoto shots. Raising the ISO speed to its maximum 3200 setting resulted in heavy, detail-smudging noise reduction, but the results were still on the right side of acceptable. We’re not convinced the 40x zoom is a big asset compared to the 30x and smaller zooms in other pocket ultra-zoom cameras. We did manage to capture a few telephoto shots when everything came together, but its best photos are taken at more modest zoom positions. The extra bit of zoom is there when you really need it, but don’t expect pixel-perfect shots. Ben Pitt

SPECIFICATIONS

• SENSOR SIZE / in • VIEWFINDER None • LCD SCREEN 3in (922,000 pixels) •

SENSOR RESOLUTION 20 megapixels

1

2.3

OPTICAL ZOOM (35mm-EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTHS)

• 35mm-EQUIVALENT APERTURE • WEIGHT 258g • DIMENSIONS 66x110x38mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk 40x (24-960mm)

f/18.4-38

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PREMIUM COMPACT CAMERA

PANASONIC TZ100 ★★★★★

£549 • From www.wexphotographic.com

VERDICT

It’s far from amazing, but the TZ100 does a lot of things right for such a small camera THERE’S A SAYING that goes: children, a tidy house, your sanity – choose two. It’s not unlike the choice people have to make when buying a camera. You can have a big zoom, high image quality and a pocket-sized design, but only two of these in the same camera. The TZ100 attempts to disprove that theory. First, it uses a 1in sensor, which has five times the surface area of conventional compact cameras’ sensors. Second, it has a 10x optical zoom, which can’t compete with the 30x and 40x zooms gracing other pocket ultra-zooms but is more versatile than the 4x and 5x zooms on other premium compacts. Third, it weights 310g and measures 48mm thick, which isn’t tiny but is just about small enough to fit into most pockets. The compromise is the lens aperture, which is f/2.8 for wide-angle shots and f/5.9 for telephoto. The Sony RX10 II’s constant

ability to move the autofocus point using the touchscreen while composing shots with the viewfinder. It doesn’t work so well for people who use their left eye, though. The viewfinder window is only a few millimetres proud of the screen, so you may accidentally move the autofocus point with the tip of your nose. The Post Focus feature captures a scene by sweeping through the focus range and saving it as a 4K video file. It’s then possible to save individual frames by tapping the part of the frame you want in focus, the downside

This camera is an impressive technical achievement, but we must admit we weren’t bowled over by it in use f/2.8 aperture means it matches the TZ100 for wide-angle shots but is over four times brighter for telephoto shots. What this means in practice is that the TZ100 excels in low light for wide-angle shots but isn’t so good at the long end of the zoom. Still, it’s significantly better than the pocket ultra-zoom cameras that use 1/2.3in sensors and f/3.3-6.9 lenses.

BACK INTO FOCUS

A pop-up flash is included but there’s no hot shoe for flashguns or wireless triggers. Panasonic has managed to squeeze in an electronic viewfinder, but magnification is only 0.46x (equivalent). We preferred to use the 3in LCD touchscreen, although we like the

40

being that it takes 10 seconds between shots. The 4K Photo function is similar but without the variable focus, and is useful for capturing subjects with split-second timing. The camera records a 4K video file and then lets you choose which 8-megapixel frames you want to save as JPEGs after the event. In normal use, the TZ100 takes 0.6 seconds between shots, while Continuous mode ran at 10fps for 85 JPEGs or 14 Raw frames before slowing. Enabling continuous autofocus, it managed an impressive 5.9fps. It took around two seconds to switch on, though. Switching on, zooming in and taking a shot took five seconds. The TZ100 is an outstanding video camera. 4K capture uses an 8-megapixel crop of the 20-megapixel sensor, which means the 25-250mm lens for photos becomes a 37-370mm lens for 4K video. This extra telephoto extension is particularly welcome for shooting wildlife or people without invading their personal space. Footage quality is top notch as well, with pin-sharp details and little evidence of noise except in very low light. Slow-motion 1080p recording is also available,

recorded at 100fps and played back at 25fps. Details aren’t quite as sharp as in the normal-speed recordings as lower-quality anti-aliasing is used, but it’s a minor criticism. In our image-quality test, focus was generally excellent, and while it deteriorated towards the edges of the frame at certain focal lengths, this was rarely significant. Automatic settings used conservative ISO speeds, seldom breaking ISO 1600. When we increased it to ISO 6400, quality was still good enough to share online at modest sizes.

JACK OF ALL TRADES

This camera is an impressive technical achievement, but we must admit we weren’t bowled over by it in use. It manages to deliver on three key fronts – a decent zoom range, high image quality and a pocket-sized design – but it doesn’t truly excel in any of them. You’ll need more zoom for shooting sports and wildlife, and the image quality doesn’t have the wow factor of a camera with a significantly bigger sensor or wider aperture. This, then, isn’t a camera for enthusiasts. It’s competent, but keen photographers will prefer the extra zoom range of the Panasonic FZ1000 or the luscious image quality of the Fujifilm X70. However, it’s ideal for casual users who want a pocket-sized camera that can take dependable photos and excellent videos in a wide range of conditions. It might be a tad too expensive for that market, but if the concept appeals, so too will the camera. Ben Pitt

SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR RESOLUTION 20 megapixels

• SENSOR SIZE 1in • • LCD SCREEN 3in

VIEWFINDER Electronic (1,166,000 dots)

• OPTICAL ZOOM (35mm-EQUIVALENT • 35mm-EQUIVALENT APERTURE f/7.7-16 • WEIGHT 310g • DIMENSIONS 65x114x48mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS

(1,040,000 dots)

FOCAL LENGTHS) 10x (25-250mm)

www.panasonic.com/uk

300 shots

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

4K G-SYNC MONITOR

ACER Predator XB271HK ★★★★★

£590 • From www.overclockers.co.uk

VERDICT

Excellent image quality and Nvidia G-Sync make smooth 4K gaming a reality WE LOVED THE Acer Predator XB270HU – a 2,560x1,440, G-Sync-enabled 144Hz gaming monitor reviewed in Shopper 332 – so we were excited to see the new XB271HK. This 27in IPS G-Sync screen has a lower 60Hz refresh rate but, by way of compensation, a huge 3,840x2,160 resolution. It’s similar to the Asus PG27AQ in capabilities, but is £60 cheaper. Predator branding and a sharp-angled, red and black stand make this unashamedly a gaming monitor. Still, we like the design; the stand is rock-solid and the screen is easy to adjust for height, tilt and rotation from left to right and from landscape to portrait. The stand may be stable, but it’s also a substantial 445mm wide and 235mm deep, so make sure your desk has enough space, though the tiny bezels would make it easy to have a near-seamless desktop with two of these screens side by side. There are HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, a headphone output and a USB3 hub with two ports on the bottom of the monitor and two on the left. Five buttons on the bottom bring up the onscreen menus. As with most displays (the Asus ROG Swift PG27AQ on page 44 excepted), these are tricky to navigate until you get used to the control system. The options are, at least, arranged anged in logical categories. You can select lect from Acer’s Movie, Graphics and d Eco presets, or tweak colours, contrast trast and brightness yourself. There are some special functions such as Dark Boost, which lightens darker areas reas to give you the edge in gloomy games mes at the expense of contrast. You can an also reduce the amount of blue lightt the monitor gives off, to avoid disrupting pting sleep patterns. Knocking the blue lue light down to 50% made the monitor more pleasant to use when working. orking.

AIM HIGH

There are some gamer-specific functions as well, including three e ‘game mode’ presets, where you can save custom monitor settings gs to recall at the touch of a button n– though we’re not sure how these hese differ from standard monitor presets. You can also toggle a crosshair in the middle of the screen for shooting from the hip, but this feels old-schooll and can spoil immersion.

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The screen has a pixel overdrive (OD) function. This is designed to reduce ghosting, where pixels cannot keep up with the action onscreen, resulting in blurred images. However, ghosting is more of a problem at refresh rates higher than 60Hz, and we didn’t

was covering 100% of the sRGB colour gamut with a low Delta E colour deviation of 0.54. Results after calibration were similar, but the calibration program brought the screen much closer to the ideal colour temperature of 6500K, with 6539K compared to 6727K

The XB271HK is an excellent 4K gaming monitor, and should be on the shortlist of anyone with a powerful Nvidia card see much improvement using the tests at testufo.com/ghosting. Setting OD to Extreme also added significant artefacts to the image. G-Sync, however, is fantastic. This is designed to sync the frame output rate of your Nvidia graphics card with the refresh rate of your monitor, to avoid both tearing (when the graphics card outputs more frames per second than the screen can display) and stutter (when the graphics card lags behind, so the sscreen has to show the same frame more than once). most impressive when a G-Sync is at its m game is running at less than the standard refresh rate of the monitor, when it can make frame rates around 35fps look far smoother. This monitor’s resolution is a challenge for 4K resolu graphics card, so G-Sync is any graph particularly useful. In Dirt Rally, particula running at 3,840x2,160 with Ultra runnin detail and G-Sync off, we saw a regular 35-40fps and significant regula stuttering, but with G-Sync stutte turned on the game was perfectly smooth: even once we perfec turned down the detail and turned on V-Sync to lock the game to 60fps, we could barely gam tell tthe difference between the lower and higher frame rates. The screen acquitted itself well in our image-quality tests. Before calibration, it

pre-calibration. Image quality is still great out of the box, with a high contrast ratio of 1,018:1 helping our test photos shine.

LET IT BLEED

There was one significant problem, and that was visible backlight bleed at the bottom-left of the screen. This was confirmed by our colour calibrator: in the middle of the screen it recorded a black level of 0.272cd/m2, but at the bottom-left this rose to 0.555cd/m2, which in turn reduced the contrast ratio to 401:1. It’s a shame, but won’t affect most users. The Acer Predator XB271HK is an excellent 4K gaming monitor, and it should be on the shortlist of anyone with a powerful Nvidia graphics card who fancies a bit of stutter-free 4K gaming. Those into twitchy shooters may find the 60Hz refresh rate isn’t enough, however, so should consider the 144Hz XB270HU instead. Chris Finnamore

SPECIFICATIONS SCREEN SIZE 27in • RESOLUTION 3,840x2,160 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY IPS • REFRESH RATE 60Hz • VIDEO INPUTS HDMI, DisplayPort • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.acer.co.uk • PART CODE XB271HK

CONNECTION PORTS

HDMI

JULY 2016

DisplayPort

USB3 x4

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

4K G-SYNC MONITOR

ASUS ROG Swift PG27AQ ★★★★★

£650 • From www.overclockers.co.uk

VERDICT

The design is lovely and G-Sync remains impressive, but cheaper rivals have better image quality LIKE THE ACER Predator XB271HK (page 42), the ROG Swift PG27AQ is a 4K monitor with Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, which is designed to sync your Nvidia graphics card with your monitor’s refresh rate to reduce stuttering and tearing in games – providing smoother motion – at both high and low frame rates. If you have an Nvidia graphics card, G-Sync is an absolute joy, particularly when the frame rate dips below the monitor’s standard refresh rate; the elimination of stutter makes games appear to be running at a higher frame rate than they actually are. On a screen such as this, with a 60Hz, 3,840x2,160 panel, it’s likely you’ll dip below 60fps, so G-Sync is ideal. In Dirt Rally, at the monitor’s native resolution and with Ultra detail levels, we saw between 35-40fps. As with the Acer Predator

menu system that’s easy to use. There’s a tiny clickable joystick on the rear-right of the monitor, which makes navigating the menus a breeze. A button next to a gamepad icon also brings up gaming-specific functions: an FPS meter, a game timer and a crosshair option. The FPS meter displays your screen’s current refresh rate, so only shows a game’s frame rate if you have G-Sync enabled. The Timer sets a countdown for 30, 40, 50, 60 or

One impressive aspect is that Asus has designed an onscreen menu system that’s easy to use XB271HK, the game stuttered with G-Sync off, but with G-Sync turned on it looked almost as smooth as if it were running at 60fps. Although casual gamers will be generally happy with sub-60fps frame rates as long as the game looks smooth, more serious players and competitive types would be better off with a lower-resolution, 144Hz screen – such as the Acer Predator XB270HU – to ensure the best frames-per-second possible.

PLUG AND PLAY

For a gaming device, the ROG Swift PG27AQ has a rather subtle e design; you can even switch off the red lights ghts in its base. The stand feels sturdy, the screen een is height-adjustable and can rotate and tilt and turn 90˚ clockwise into portrait mode.. On the back, you get DisplayPort and HDMI MI inputs, a headphone sockett and two USB3 ports; while these are fine for your keyboard and mouse, we missed having a couple on the side of the screen reen for flash drives and external hard disks. One impressive aspect is that Asuss has designed an onscreen en

44

90 minutes, so you can keep an eye on how long you’ve gone without food, water or social contact. The crosshair slaps a large gunsight in the middle of your screen, to help with hip-firing in shooters; it’s a little ugly, but the crosshairs are more visible than Acer’s version. There’s also a pixel overdrive option, which is meant to remove ghosting at high frame rates. Ghosting is less of a problem at 60Hz than at 144Hz, and in the Testufo test we saw only mild improvements using overdrive, with the disadvantage of added image artefacts.

PALETTE CLEANSER PA

The ‘G’ button brings up the ‘GameVisual’ menu. This has six modes: Thi Scenery, Racing, Cinema, Sce RTS/RPG, FPS and sRGB. RTS These have varying effects The on the image; Scenery enhances greens and blues, enhanc Racing reduces input lag, Cinema enhances contrast and saturation, RTS/RPG jacks colour satur saturation and contrast, while up saturatio enhances contrast to help FPS enhan spot enemies in dark you sp places. Finally, sRGB is for places displaying photos. displa

After a reset, the screen appears to default to Racing mode. Profiling this mode with an i1 Display Pro colour calibrator, the screen was displaying 99.3% of the sRGB colour gamut, with a colour temperature of 6976K versus the ideal 6500K. This is good, but the Predator XB271HK had 100% and 6727K out of the box. The FPS and RTS presets were similar, while Scenery boosted blues and greens at the expense of reds, bringing its sRGB coverage down to 92.4%. Cinema had a freezing colour temperature of 10702K, making everything rather blue, while sRGB mode had a nearperfect colour temperature of 6512K, but knocked brightness down to a dingy 112cd/m2 and locked out the brightness controls. In fact, the range of image adjustments is rather limited; depending on the selected GameVisual mode, you can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation and colour temperature, but not individual colour levels. There’s also significant backlight bleed at the bottom-left of the screen, which is a problem common to Acer’s 4K G-Sync monitor. There’s a great deal to like about Asus’s ROG Swift PG27AQ, from its well-made stand, to its excellent menu system and smooth 4K gameplay with G-Sync. However, Acer’s Predator XB271HK has the same advantages and better overall image quality. It’s also £60 cheaper, so remains our 4K G-Sync choice. Chris Finnamore

SPECIFICATIONS SCREEN SIZE 27in • RESOLUTION 3,840x2,160 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY IPS • REFRESH RATE 60Hz • VIDEO INPUTS HDMI, DisplayPort • WARRANTY Three years collect and return • DETAILS www.asus.com/uk • PART CODE PG27AQ

CONNECTION PORTS

HDMI

DisplayPort

USB3 x2

3.5mm headphone

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

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CURVED 4K TV

SAMSUNG UE48JS8500

★★★★★ £999 • From www.johnlewis.com

VERDICT

With excellent picture quality and a full lineup of catch-up services, this is a great choice SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2015, the Samsung UE48JS8500 has enjoyed a hefty £550 price cut. It’s the entry-level set in Samsung’s premium SUHD series, so you get a quantumdot display instead of regular LCD as well as High Dynamic Range (HDR) support, giving it some much-needed futureproofing for the influx of 4K HDR content – including Ultra HD Blu-rays – about to hit the market. While the UE48JS8500 has to make do with one of Samsung’s One Connect Mini boxes to provide the bulk of its ports, between this and the ports on the TV itself you’ve got all the modern connections you’ll need. This includes four HDCP 2.2-compatible HDMI 2.0 inputs, an optical S/PDIF output and two USB2 ports, plus component and composite inputs, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an Ethernet port, ports for your aerial and satellite and a single USB3 port. It’s a shame the USB3 port isn’t on the Connect box, but it’s a pretty minor quibble overall.

PRECEDING HAIRLINE

The TV itself looks stunning. Available in 48in (the model we tested), 55in and 65in screen sizes, its curved base and slim bezels have a hairline metallic finish, and the recessed stand that sticks out at the back almost makes it look like the TV is floating. Minimal branding and a subtle, 3,000mm curvature radius only add to its elegant design. The ‘quantum-dot’ panel can supposedly produce much brighter, more vibrant colours than standard LCD. CD. This certainly seemed to be the case in our calibration tests, as the default Movie settings produced an incredible e black level of 0.05cd/m2 and its sRGB colour gamut coverage hit a full 100%. %. Admittedly, Movie mode can’t hit the same brightness levels as other Samsung picture presets, such as Standard or Dynamic, but it definitely had the most accurate colours. With the backlight turned up to maximum, the UE48JS8500 achieved a respectable 258.53cd/m2 in Movie mode, but this also increased the black level to 0.11cd/m2. Still, its contrast ratio of 2,434:1 is incredibly impressive, and this his superb picture quality translates into some brilliant-looking film footage. The UE48JS8500’s 120Hz panel also handles fast-moving objects

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incredibly well, showing few signs of any obvious judder. However, for those who like their camera pans to be silky smooth, then Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus settings do an excellent job of eliminating any jerky movement. While it has a couple of preset modes available, the best option is Custom, which allows you to set the blur and judder reduction manually. With a native resolution of 3,840x2,160, the UE48JS8500 looks best when viewing 4K

definition channels, but this is pretty standard practice on all modern, big-screen TVs.

PLAYING CATCH-UP

Aside from its excellent picture quality, the other reason to consider the UE48JS8500 is its superb line-up of catch-up services. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Demand 5, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, TalkTalk TV (formerly Blinkbox), Wuaki, Plex, Vimeo, YouTube, Dailymotion and TuneIn radio are all included

The Samsung UE48JS8500 is a stunning TV. Its picture quality is superb and its excellent suite of catch-up apps means you’ve always got something to watch content. Even though the just-released Ultra HD Blu-ray players will give the ultimate picture quality, our test clips looked as lovely as ever, and HDR clips provided a noticeable boost in brightness, making everything feel all the more impressive and immersive. impres The only slight hitch is that the curved panel’s viewing angles tend to peter out view when you don’t sit slap-bang in the slightly whe Viewing from the sides, colours centre. View definitely llose some of their vibrancy, might not be ideal if you’re which mig planning to put it in a large living room. downward-firing 40W speakers The do leave something to be desired, as also leav voices in particular seemed to be rather muffled ccompared to the rest of our film soundtracks. They’re fine for general TV, soundtrac you’ll probably want to consider a but you’l sound bar or dedicated sound system. thing you don’t need to worry One th about is the UE48JS8500’s upscaling capabilities. Blu-ray discs looked great capabilit on its 4K panel, and HD TV channels surprisingly good level of detail had a sur present, too. You’ll probably need presen to enable the MPEG noise reduction and Digital Clean View settings for standard-

as individual apps, as are BFI Player and TED. The only noticeable omission is Sky’s Now TV, but when a separate Now TV box costs just £15, it’s a small sacrifice. Samsung’s Tizen interface is a pleasure to use, as well. The Samsung UE48JS8500 is a stunning TV. Its picture quality is superb and its excellent suite of catch-up apps means you’ve always got something to watch. We’re not convinced its curved screen adds anything to your overall viewing experience – in which case, you might want to opt for the flat but otherwise identical JS8000 model – but if you’re after a great-looking 4K TV for under £1,000, the UE48JS8500 is a great choice. It wins a Recommended award. Katharine Byrne

SPECIFICATIONS

•

•

SCREEN SIZE 48in NATIVE RESOLUTION 3,840x2,160 VIDEO INPUTS 4x HDMI, component, composite TUNER Freeview HD, Freesat HD DIMENSIONS 308x1,083x689mm WARRANTY Five years RTB DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk PART CODE UE48JS8500

• •

•

•

•

CONNECTION PORTS

HDMI x4

JULY 2016

Component

Composite

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

GAMING HEADSET

ASTRO GAMING A40 + MixAmp M80 ★★★★★

£135 • From www.argos.co.uk

VERDICT

A great set of cans for Xbox One owners, but anyone nearby will hear your games too THE A40 + MIXAMP M80 combo has been designed with Xbox One owners in mind. It can be used with other consoles thanks to the 3.5mm audio cable, but only Xbox One users can take advantage of its M80 MixAmp attachment, which slots into the Xbox One controller’s accessory port. This gives access to the headset’s volume controls, three EQ modes and two buttons to adjust the volume of in-game audio and voice chat conversations. Setup is easy: plug them in, mute the TV’s sound and start gaming. The wired connection means you don’t have to charge them first. The MixAmp is better than Microsoft’s dedicated Xbox One audio controls, as the buttons have a great touch action, and the

SPECIFICATIONS

• PLUG TYPE 3.5mm • WEIGHT 324g • CABLE LENGTH 1m • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.astrogaming. co.uk • PART CODE A40-M80-GEN2

HEADPHONES SUBTYPE Over-ear headset jack plug

small LED bars give useful feedback on which EQ mode you’re currently using and how high the volume is. The extra bulk of the MixAmp may seem obsolete now that Microsoft has released an Xbox One controller with a proper 3.5mm audio jack, but it doesn’t get in the way of your fingers while you’re gaming, and it’s much better than having to dive into Microsoft’s onscreen settings menu every time you want to adjust the volume. The foam head band is comfortable for the most part, but it can feel like it’s pressing on your head after prolonged use. The ear cushions are comfier, their large enclosure preventing any pressure on the ears. Sound quality is excellent. Everything from rustling grass to sweeping battle themes is crystal clear on the A40s, and they provide a more immersive experience than our standard TV speakers. The middle EQ setting provides the best balance between its bass and treble performance, particularly if a game has an orchestral soundtrack, but the third mode’s emphasis on bass certainly helps give explosions and vehicle sections a welcome sense of extra grunt without becoming too muddy. The first mode, however, sounds

very tinny across all games, so we would recommend sticking to modes two and three. Voice chat is equally clear in multiplayer games, and those who like to focus on the task at hand will appreciate the Game/Voice equaliser buttons; turning this all the way down to the Voice end of the spectrum will filter out all in-game sound entirely. The only real downside is terrible sound isolation. The use of an open-back rather than a closed-back system means some of your game audio, particularly high-pitched sounds, will still be audible from across the room even at normal volume levels. This is a problem with pretty much all open-back headphones, though, so if you’re keen to spare the ears of your friends and family, you’ll be better off looking for a closed-back system. Katharine Byrne

pairing mode. You can also hold the track skipping buttons to adjust the volume on your device, but making small volume changes is fiddly. A 3.5mm jack lets you use the included airline adaptor as well, which is handy if you want to use the headphones with in-flight entertainment. A 3.5mm to 6.3mm adaptor is also included. On the right earcup, there’s a toggle switch to turn on active noise cancelling as well as a retro volume adjustment wheel. To avoid this slightly clunky control, we typically left our smartphones set to maximum volume and adjusted the volume on the headphones. Battery life is rated at up to 30 hours for ANC and 15 hours for Bluetooth. In testing, we didn’t have to charge them more than once a week. Charging is done over Micro USB. The ANC isn’t as pronounced as on rival headsets, and we’d estimate that it reduced about 80-85% of the ambient sound. There’s quite a pronounced effect on sound production when you have ANC turned on,

too. With it off, the sound is rather muddy and the volume decreases. Turn it on, and the mids and trebles become more prominent, aided by the reduction in ambient noise and the filtering out of low-frequency drone. The tuning of the 40mm neodymium drivers doesn’t seem to change whether you switch between having the noise cancelling on or off. You still get a decent presence in the lower frequencies, although at times it was a little too boomy on certain hip hop test tracks. As the battery life for ANC exceeds that of Bluetooth, we can’t see many occasions when you’d want to turn off the noise cancelling. As such, it’s irritating that you have to remember to turn off the noise cancelling manually. Control quirks aside, the BNX-60 are a good value pair of ANC headphones. They sound decent and, while its noise cancelling isn’t the best, it’s still good enough to cut out a substantial amount of ambient noise. Richard Easton

NOISE-CANCELLING BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES

LINDY BNX-60 ★★★★★

£90 • From www.amazon.co.uk

VERDICT

A respectable and budget-friendly pair of wireless, active noise-cancelling headphones THE LINDY BNX-60 offer a comparatively budget-friendly pair of active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones. The ear cups have a soft-touch plastic backing and there’s a generous amount of padding that sits around your ears. There’s ample padding on the headband, too, allowing for a comfortable fit. The BNX-60 support Bluetooth wireless and the aptX codec, which has better compression than standard Bluetooth. This is a pleasant surprise considering the cost. The left earcup has media playback controls for skipping and pausing tracks, and the play/pause button is used to turn the headphones on and put them in Bluetooth

SPECIFICATIONS

• PLUG TYPE • WEIGHT 998g • CABLE LENGTH 1.5m • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.lindy.co.uk • HEADPHONES SUBTYPE Over-ear headset 3.5mm jack plug

PART CODE BNX-60

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

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PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

AUDIO PRO Addon n T3 ★★★★★

.co.uk £165 • From www.superfi.co.uk

VERDICT

A Bluetooth speaker with a delightful design esign and the sound quality to match WE WERE RATHER fond of the colourful, great-sounding Audio Pro Addon T10 speaker peaker when it arrived in the offices last year (see ent Shopper 327), so it was with some excitement that we approached the smaller, batteryoperated Addon T3. It doesn’t look that different to its larger sibling, maintaining a similar speaker arrangement that gives it a ion, slightly aghast anthropomorphic expression, but it lacks the IR receiver that made the T10 look as if it had a beauty mark on its cheek. ek. Like the T10, the T3 comes in various colour finishes, including green, white, black and orange, and all models include a useful leather handle on top. Since there’s a built-in battery, the handle makes more sense than on the heavier, bulkier mains-powered T10, as you’re more likely to be moving it around. It’s still not something you’ll want to throw in a backpack to take on the road, though, as

On the top of the speaker, you’ll find a row of control buttons finished in an attractive, metallic rose gold. We feel it could do with fewer buttons, though, as there’s not only a dedicated button for pairing the speaker with your phone, but also separate buttons for switching to Bluetooth and the speaker’s auxiliary connection. The latter two could easily be combined into one button, for example, and the pairing button seems excessive and superfluous when so many other Bluetooth speakers can enter

The T3 delivers a sound that is confident and powerful for a speaker of this size and price it weighs a hefty 2kg. However, as a speaker you can move freely around the house or take down the end of the garden, it’s a comfortable weight. Measuring 215x135x115mm, it’s not overly large, either, and takes up less space on a shelf or sideboard than the T10. The T3’s solid cabinet gives it a reassuring, premium feel which helps with its weighty, confident acoustic delivery. It’s very well finished, with nicely rounded corners and edges, and there are two short feet on the front which angle the front of the speaker upwards, giving it some clearance to help disperse the sound.

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pairing mode simply by holding down the Bluetooth button. What’s slightly aggrieving is that, even with all these buttons, there aren’t any media playback controls, so you can’t pause or skip tracks on your Bluetoothconnected device.

A SMALL CHARGE

Control niggles aside, it does have a handy USB port on the back of the speaker which you can use to charge your smartphone. However, it only outputs at 5V/1A, so it won’t charge the unit particularly quickly, and you can’t use it for playing tracks off a USB stick either,, w which is a shame. That said, you could use it to neatly power a Chromecast Audio, letting you cast your tunes to the speaker without an additional power adaptor. Inside, the T3 has a Digital Class D amplifier that delivers 2x5W to the two 2.75in textile dome tweeters and 15W to the 3.5in woofer. A bass reflex port is found on the back of the cabinet, and the speaker has a frequency range of 60-20,000Hz.

The T3 delivers a sound that is confident and powerful for a speaker of this size and price. However, it’s not the most detail-driven speaker, as its low frequencies arguably become a little boomy on certain tracks. On First Aid Kit’s My Silver Lining, some of the violins became a bit lost amidst the other instruments, but otherwise there wasn’t a lot to complain about, especially considering the speaker’s reasonably low price. Its audio quality has a rather warm sound to it, which some people might find preferable, but we prefer our songs with a slightly more transparent sound. Still, there’s certainly a lot to like about the T3’s sound signature, and the well-weighted cabinet keeps what could have otherwise been some rather unruly bass in check without any reverberation. There’s no hint of any distortion, either.

PARTY TRICK

Battery life is rated at an excellent 30 hours on medium volume, or 12 hours with music blaring at full volume, so it should have more than enough longevity to get you through a party or barbecue. Mind you, the speaker isn’t water resistant in any way, so bring it indoors if the great British weather strikes and your next garden party becomes a washout. Overall, the Addon T3 is a capable, affordable and good-looking device for blaring out music at home. It has the same charming design heritage of the equally impressive T10, and the inclusion of a battery makes it more versatile than the T10. Likewise, its sound quality is more than respectable for the price, and its battery life is excellent. It’s a top-notch all-round Bluetooth speaker, one that’s fully deserving of a Recommended award. Richard Easton

SPECIFICATIONS

• RMS POWER OUTPUT 25W • DOCK • WIRELESS Bluetooth (SBC) • DIMENSIONS 215x135x115mm • WEIGHT 2kg • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.audiopro.com • PART CODE Addon T3 SPEAKERS 2

CONNECTOR None

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

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RECOMMENDED

SMART ENERGY MONITOR

SMAPPEE IOT Energy Monitor ★★★★★

Starting at £169 • From www.smappee.com/uk

VERDICT

Complex setup and expensive initial outlay are the only negatives in a great hybrid of energy monitor and home control via IFTTT THERE’S ONLY SO much you can say about a regular energy monitor. Fortunately, Smappee is far more than that and can actually use the data it collects to control your home and make intelligent decisions based on the behaviour of your appliances. Although the original device has been available for around 18 months, we felt this was a great time to look at it because it has just extended its reach from monitoring electricity to cover gas and water as well. It also now offers a dedicated monitor for solar, which reads the yield of your solar panels as well as the drain, and an option for businesses offers even more enhanced data. We tested the £169 Energy Monitor with the new £99 Gas and Water add-on. What makes Smappee so unique is that, as well as monitoring your supply as a whole, it is able to see the individual “signatures” of each appliance that draws power. It then uses this, with your help, to create a complete profile of every appliance in your house. By doing this, as well as showing you where the main power drains are, it can be programmed to take action using the popular IFTTT platform. We managed to get it to turn the beside lamp on when it detected we had turned the main bedroom light off, and set up the TV to turn off completely after two hours in standby. We then used a Flic Bluetooth button to allow it to be turned on again when we were ready.

This control requires the use of smart plugs and, in the case of Smappee, they are proprietary Comfort Plugs. These will set you back £35 for three plugs, although a free one comes included with the Energy Monitor and the £259 Solar Energy Monitor. Alternatively you can use any other smart plugs that support IFTTT. Comfort Plugs can also be controlled using a provided remote.

METER MADE

The Smappee connects to your electricity meter’s main cable via a clamp over the incoming wire. This means it’s incredibly easy and safe to fit. Even the basic model offers three clamps for three-phase provision, so you can detect the main supply, a secondary supply such as Economy 7 and solar. The Smappee requires a power supply to be within cable distance of the meter, but we found it interfered with the Wi-Fi connection if the meter, plug and device were too close together, so a bit of experimenting is needed. Gas and water monitoring are provided by an add-on device, which uses either a direct connection to a socket in your meter, or an optical sensor that reads the numbers on the screen, even if it’s a rotary dial. Theoretically, there are two sensor points, but if your water meter and gas meter are too far away from each other, you’ll need to buy one for each. Smappee claims the savings in electricity alone will pay for the device in two years if

used properly, but the initial outlay is huge. The £259 solar edition of the base unit, six Comfort Plugs and separate attachments for water and gas will set you back over £500. Initial setup is also a faff. You only have to do it once, but it involves going around to every single appliance you own and turning it off and on again, sometimes several times, so that Smappee can read what has been added to and removed from your power profile. Once this is done, you can use the comprehensive app for web, iOS and Android to create rules and trigger alerts, or add in the IFTTT channel to interact with other smart devices. This makes it particularly versatile for if you are leaving the house empty. Combining sudden light activation with a security sensor could make a very accurate alarm system.

SMART DECISION

Once the initial setup is completed, Smappee is an incredibly elegant and versatile addition to any smart home. The app offers you rewards for lowering your power consumption and the interaction with a wide range of other apps offers options for controlling your smart home that no other device to date can do without tearing large chunks of wall out. We’d describe this as a project. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re looking for something that just works, this isn’t for you. And although the £500 we mentioned sounds a lot, that’s cheaper than purchasing equivalent Z-Wave or ZigBee kit. If you’re willing to invest the time and money, the long-term benefits are huge, both for your energy bills and the planet. We found that energy-saving becomes quite compulsive, and there’s a little thrill when the app tells you about a 3% reduction in your ‘always-on’ usage as a result of your awareness. Chris Merriman

SPECIFICATIONS WIRELESS STANDARD Proprietary but with IFTTT • INCLUDED SENSORS Electricity, solar, with options for gas and water • SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEMS Android, iOS, Web • WARRANTY Not given but payback period estimated at one year of savings • PART CODE 118344

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JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

BUSINESS SSD

KINGSTON KC400 256GB ★★★★★

£78 • From www.pcworldbusiness.co.uk

VERDICT

A low price and souped-up error protection help compensate for disappointing speeds WITH ITS HYPERX division holding down the fort as far as enthusiast-targeted storage is concerned, Kingston’s own focus has turned to business buyers and intensive home users, producing the modestly named but highly specced KC400 SATA SSD. Available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB varieties (we tested the 256GB model), it can serve – depending on your choice – as either a main drive or as part of a multidrive setup, with the operating system and some key software saved on the KC400 and everything else on a larger 1TB or 2TB drive. Much of the KC400’S business credibility comes from its controller, a quad-core Phison PS3110-S10, which offers a few key features aimed at safeguarding saved data from errors. One of these is SmartECC, which provides automatic data reconstruction via a fourth level of NAND RAID redundancy – a handy backup plan for when the NAND memory’s standard error-correcting code (ECC) can’t fix an issue itself.

CLEANUP CREW

Another new feature is SmartRefresh. This attempts to reduce the effects of NAND wear over time by having a controller scan individual blocks for performance issues and refreshing them if required. For even more security, any data transferred between the controller and the flash itself is verified by a cyclic redundancy check. Between these failsafes and a stated lifespan of 300TB worth of data writes, this is very much an investment to last a good few years; indeed, it would be a good fit for smaller businesses disinclined to drop the cash on repeated hardware purchases. The impressively lengthy five-year warranty is a nice little bonus as well. Our review unit arrived on its lonesome, without any brackets, screws or SATA cables to set it up, but all these are included in an optional ‘upgrade bundle’, which includes the KC400 itself. We found this for about £10 more than the base unit, so it’s definitely worth picking up if you’re adding it to an SSD-less PC, but you won’t need to pay extra if you’re replacing an existing drive and thus have all the necessary kit ready. Aimed as it is at professionals and power users, you’d expect some top-notch performance from the KC400, and this appears to be reflected in its advertised read

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and write speeds: up to 550MB/s and 540MB/s respectively. However, in our file-transfer benchmarks, its occasional haste was marred by some of the most inconsistent scores we have on record for an SSD.

speed. Our file-transfer test results were backed up by a run through the AS SSD rather benchmark, which granted the KC400 rath uninspiring – not bad, but not brilliant – scores of 143 read, 130 write and 354 overall. Fortunately, it does have some other things going for it, including the formidable anti-error protection mentioned above. It’s seriously affordable; we found this 256GB

You’d expect top-notch performance from the KC400, but in our file-transfer tests its occasional haste was marred by some of the most inconsistent scores we’ve seen on an SSD For instance, when writing a single 2.5GB audio file, it achieved an excellent speed of 573.5MB/s – it’s hard to beat that without getting into much pricier NVMe territory. Sadly, it only averaged 244.3MB/s when reading the same file, less than half of what we were roughly expecting.

TRANSFERRED MALICE

It’s even worse at moving a group of smaller but still large files, only managing 193.4MB/s write and 129.2MB/s read speeds; again, you can get double or triple that from other SATA SSDs. At this point we were becoming concerned that perhaps something was amiss, and repeated the tests using different SATA3 ports on our PC’s motherboard, but received similar results each time, confirming the KC400’s sluggishness with large files. That said, the KC400 did much better when moving small files, which is both commendable and surprising considering this is where most storage drives slip up. It scored a particularly good 162.6MB/s write speed, plus 102.6MB/s read speed. That’s still a big drop off from its best possible performance, but to put it in perspective, the KC400’s read/ write speeds in this small files test average out to 132.6MB/s; most SATA SSDs we’ve tested hover around the low 90s. Overall this is not a dependably fast enough SSD to compete with its rivals – both business-class and consumer – purely on

model for £78, which works out at a very reasonable 30.4p per GB. That’s less than most consumer SSDs, let alone one with data protection that can benefit enterprise and home users alike. That value certainly dulls the sting of its wildly mixed speeds, and even the added expense of the upgrade bundle only pushes it up to 34p per GB, which remains an extremely reasonable sum. It’s up to you whether the KC400’s affordability and bonus features outweigh its performance issues; if you save a lot of valuable or sensitive data, rather than just music and pictures of kittens, this might just be the SSD for you. Everyone else, on the other hand, won’t struggle to find speedier hardware with enough ECC protection for everyday use. James Archer

SPECIFICATIONS CAPACITY 256GB (238GB formatted) • COST PER GIGABYTE £0.30 • INTERFACE SATA3 • CLAIMED READ 550MB/s • CLAIMED WRITE 540MB/s • WARRANTY Five years RTB • DETAILS www.kingston.com • PART CODE SKC400S37/256G

408.9MB/s

Huge files

161.3MB/s

Large files

132.6MB/s

Small files 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

AMD AM3+ MOTHERBOARD

GIGABYTE GA-990FX-Gaming ★★★★★

£118 • From www.ebuyer.com

VERDICT

A plethora of connectivity and expansion slots makes up for limited overclocking potential YES, IT’S ANOTHER red and black gaming motherboard. In fact, the Dennis the Menace colour scheme and metal-plated PCI-E x16 slots may seem particularly familiar, as it was only recently (see Shopper 339) we reviewed the GA-990FX-Gaming’s similar-looking Intel-based counterpart, the Z170-Gaming K3. This is an AMD board designed for the most recent AM3+ socket, though as is the standard, it’s compatible with AM3 chips as well. We tested it with our usual reference PC, but swapped out the Intel Core i5-4670K CPU for the AMD FX-8350, an AM3+ processor which achieved comparable (if slightly lower) scores in our Windows benchmark tests. The Gigabyte board’s scores were about what we expected: 86 for image editing, 87 for video editing, 83 for multitasking and 85

slots. Be warned that one of the PCI-E x16 sockets actually runs at a slower x4 speed, but it’s the lowest one on the board, leaving the faster two available for a dual-GPU configuration. You also get an ultra-fast M.2 slot, for a smaller 20GB/s SSD. The rear panel is lacking any display connectors, such as HDMI or DisplayPort, but since this is a gaming-focused board intended for PCs with a dedicated graphics card, we’ll let this omission slide. What you do get is a plentiful six USB2, two USB3, one USB3.1 and even a USB Type-C port, which has USB3.1 support. The panel also includes an S/PDIF output for high-end audio gear and, if your PC case allows it, there’s the capability to add a further six USB2 ports and two USB3 ports via the internal headers.

In terms of features, ports and expansion possibilities, the GA-990FX-Gaming justifies its price – in particular, the added USB3.1 ports make it a compelling alternative overall. The setup also managed 52fps in Dirt Showdown at 720p, which is actually on a par with more expensive Intel boards such as the MSI Z170A Gaming M5. If the other scores seem low, don’t worry – that’s more the fault of the AMD processor, as while motherboards are essentially a PC’s central nervous system, the CPU and GPU are much bigger factors in how many frames per second you can squeeze out of a game or how smooth your system will be when performing intensive design work. It’s a motherboard’s features that are most important and, luckily for the GA-990FXGaming, Gigabyte hasn’t skimped here.

BUILDING BLOCKS

For instance, there are all the expansion slots you could want, including four RAM sockets (supporting up to 32GB of DDR3 memory in total), three PCI-E x16 slots and three PCI-E x1

It would be an understatement, then, to say that all the basics are covered, but the GA-990FX-Gaming has even more handy features. One of the best is dual BIOS chips, which provides a reassuring redundancy in case one fails. On the design front, the PCI-E x16 slots have been reinforced with steel, reducing the risk of heavy graphics cards stressing the plastic sockets, and we like the look of the thin, winding strip of red lighting that runs up the left edge. Gigabyte’s BIOS is sensibly laid out, and allowed us to overclock the FX-8350 easily by upping the CPU clock multiplier. Sadly, actual post-overclocking performance was disappointing; for a base 4GHz chip such as the FX-8350, we try to aim for a boost up to 4.7GHz, but at speeds of 4.5GHz and above our testing machine simply shut down at the desktop. At 4.4GHz, it managed to complete our Dirt Showdown benchmark, but dropped

slightly to 50fps and subsequently crashed again during the image-encoding section of our own benchmark software. It bears repeating that there’s only so much a motherboard can do for performance, and we were testing with some fairly old AMD silicon. At the risk of stating the obvious, you’d probably have better luck overclocking with a newer chip and perhaps a water cooler instead of the air cooler we were using, an Arctic Freezer A30. Still, we only really felt comfortable with a modest overclock to 4.2GHz, which yielded just a five-point increase in the Windows overall benchmarking score – to 90 – and produced the exact same 52fps in Dirt Showdown as when the CPU was running at its base speed.

STOCK BROKER

All that said, there are worse issues to have than underwhelming overclocking performance, especially when such an issue can be avoided simply by choosing parts with sufficiently speedy stock specs in the first place. In terms of features, ports and expansion possibilities, the GA-990FX-Gaming justifies its price – in particular, the added USB3.1 ports, including USB Type-C, make it a compelling alternative to its more generic cousin, the GA-990FXA-UD3. For PC builds based on an AM3+ CPU, you could get away with the £51 MSI 97OA-G43 (see Shopper 338) if you’re building a budget-minded, single-GPU rig, but those willing to dip their toes in the high end will get plenty of value out of the GA-990FX-Gaming. James Archer

SPECIFICATIONS

• DIMENSIONS 305x244mm • CHIPSET AMD 990FX (Northbridge), AMD SB950 (Southbridge) • MEMORY SLOTS 4 • PCI-E x16 SLOTS 3 • PCI-E x1 SLOTS 3 • PCI SLOTS 0 • USB PORTS 6x USB2, 2x USB3, 1x USB3.1, 1x USB Type-C • VIDEO OUTPUTS None • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.gigabyte. com • PART CODE GA-990FX-Gaming PROCESSOR SOCKET AM3+

Shopper overall

85

Multitasking

83 52fps

Dirt Showdown 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

53

VOICE-RECOGNITION APP

NUANCE Dragon Anywhere

★★★★★

£14.99 per month, £149.99 per year, free one-week trial • From shop.nuance.co.uk

VERDICT

Not the full Dragon experience, but a good mobile companion with lots of promise NUANCE DRAGON ANYWHERE is the mobile companion to Dragon Naturally Speaking, generally recognised as ‘the daddy’ when it comes to speech recognition. It’s worth pointing out that this is an entirely new product, not related to the existing Dragon Go app, which uses the mobile device as a remote Bluetooth microphone for Dragon Naturally Speaking. Rather, this is a new dictation app in its own right, which allows you to create documents using just your voice. We tested the Android version, which you can download from the Play Store, but an iOS edition from the Apple App Store is also available.

VOICE SQUAD

Setup is easy, but unfortunately that’s partly because there’s no way of fine-tuning your voice as in the desktop version. Instead, it relies on the Google voice-recognition engine. That’s no bad thing, as any Android user will know it’s pretty good. But it’s not as good as Nuance’s after you’ve read aloud to it for half an hour and let it read your documents to learn your vocabulary and writing style. Nevertheless, we were able to dictate this review more than passably well enough to create a document for quick editing. If there’s

something you want dictated in a certain way, you can create rules to treat, say, a percentage as ‘per cent’ rather than a symbol. The command syntax is shared with other Dragon products, so regular users will be able to dive straight in to terms for adding punctuation, correcting mistakes and formatting the text. Commands such as “Scratch that”, “Insert after” and “Transfer text” as well as our favourite “Go to sleep” will be familiar to previous users and generally, its contextual understanding means it does treat them as commands rather than simply adding them as text. If you get stuck you can always say, “I need help” or “What can I say?” to bring up a list of commands. At the moment the options are limited, but the fact that there is an option for “specialty” suggests that others will come, such as the facility to transcribe an interview or conference straight to text. Although Dragon Anywhere’s speech recognition doesn’t learn beyond the capacity of the Google engine, it can spot accents and adjust to them.

TRANSFER WINDOW

There are plenty of ways to share your finished dictation

54

Once you’ve got your working document, you can transfer it in a variety of ways. If you want to continue working in Android, a dedicated button transfers the text to the clipboard. If you want to move to the big screen, there’s full compatibility with Evernote, which opens up a lot of possibilities. You can also send it to yourself as a word-processing document, selecting the format from .docx .doc and .odf. The biggest hurdle we came across was syncing to Dragon Naturally Speaking as the username we were assigned was too long for the window on the desktop. Otherwise, syncing is quick and painless and allows you to carry on working seamlessly on the same document with the benefit of Dragon’s speech engine. Our biggest criticism of Dragon Anywhere is that as a subscription service it doesn’t add the level of value that we would expect. It would be virtually impossible to have the full Dragon experience on a phone, but with that comes a question as to whether the rather high fees are justified.

Asking the program “What can I say?” brings up a list of commands

Dragon can already accept dictation from a recording in its full version, so the need to do the same on the go is reserved for fairly specific uses, and given that Naturally Speaking is a one-off purchase, we’re not convinced that a rolling contract for Dragon Anywhere is justified.

SLEEK MOVES

That said, the layout is sleek, the results are above and beyond anything we’ve previously seen in dictation software for Android, and the integration with Office, Evernote and Dragon itself are extremely nice touches, though we’d love to see even more. As such, we feel the best is yet to come from this software. It had been in beta for some time before release, but even at this stage there’s more to do to justify its costs. The end game for dictation software, especially on a mobile, is to be able to reliably dictate an article, transcribe a lecture, interview or conference and if necessary be able to send it off in its current form for time-critical cases. In that sense, Dragon Anywhere isn’t quite there yet. Even so, it’s the best game in town, and we’re expecting big things from it over time. We would be looking at something more in the region of a one-off cost of a tenner though, rather than £14.99 a month. Chris Merriman

SPECIFICATIONS OS SUPPORT iOS 8.1+/Android 4.4+

• DISK SPACE •

(ANDROID EDITION) 13.79MB plus data and cache

REQUIREMENTS Access to contacts, microphone, phone, storage and Wi-Fi

JULY 2016

• DETAILS www.nuance.co.uk

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

OPEN-WORLD ACTION RPG

UBISOFT The Division

★★★★★ £40 • From www.amazon.co.uk

VERDICT

Brilliant co-operative shooting, but The Division fails to make the most of its setting THE DIVISION BLENDS genres like a video-game smoothie. It’s a third-person shooter with a prevalence for cover mechanics, but also mixes in RPG and both co-operative and PVP multiplayer elements. Part Gears of War, part Borderlands, part Destiny, it’s radical yet familiar. It’s also not without some curious design choices. For starters, while The Division is an RPG on many recognisable levels – from its XP-based skills and perks system to the abundance of lootable gear – it bucks genre convention by having no fleshed-out ‘quest-giver’ characters populating the world. Yes, there are characters stuck in your headquarters who give you mission orders over your radio, but they don’t come out into New York themselves. Instead, any missions appear on your (incredibly well-conceived and hugely fancy) heads-up display. Even the denizens of safe houses strewn across post-apolocalyptic New York will only place a bunch of small icons on your map for minor quests. Each of these safe house desk jockeys do have their own personality quirks, which make for some amusing radio chatter, but these aren’t their own personal missions, and they don’t involve recognisable characters who have identifiable problems. In fact, all the missions in The Division suffer from a lack of personality, a lack of heart, and a lack of character – or, indeed,

Your mission is to save New York, but it looks like you might be too late

characters. Most missions simply boil down to ‘go somewhere and kill something’.

BOOM TOWN

As an agent of the titular Division, you’re here to save New York, but frankly it looks long past saving. The population has been reduced to a handful, with as many gun-toting lunatics as survivors on the streets, and there’s a strict line drawn between them. Civilians can’t be robbed or shot for any effect, and they never come to your aid or attack you if threatened. The only grey area is stray dogs, as you can shoot them for experience points or let them wander on their way.

Hopefully, you’ll have friends to play with, but the game can also match you with other suitable players at safe houses or at the start point of each major mission. What you won’t find is other agents wandering the streets of New York; you’re on your own unless you choose otherwise, which makes the world seem even emptier for those playing solo.

DISTRUST EXERCISE

All that changes in the Dark Zone, which runs down the centre of The Division’s Manhattan. Here, every player is fair game. You can shoot allies in the back and then scoot with their loot, but you must still exit the zone via a

The Division requires an appreciation for looting and shooting, plus an openness to playing nicely with others Even the big missions and the big bad guys don’t have cut scenes to introduce them, and they don’t die with any particular visual flourish. They chatter at you, they die, and you move on to the next firefight. There are some grander locations, such as the brilliant visual spectacle of a department store on fire, but they can’t make up for a lack of character. However, though The Division may revel in its grim-but-thin narrative, the core gameplay is great fun. Playing alone at lower levels, it’s pretty straightforward stuff: stay in cover, use your abilities to heal yourself or hurl out a sentry gun to distract your enemies and occasionally make a quick dash to flank your opponents or dodge an incoming grenade. It’s not the most varied experience, even with the range of skills and weapons on offer, but it’s tightly designed and gunning down enemy after enemy is strangely compelling. You can switch out your skills and weapons on the fly, so you can go from sniping and healing to getting stuck in with a shotgun and riot shield in an instant. There’s excellent variation between the different weapons, too. As you rise in levels, enemy AI gets smarter and fights get tougher, and you’ll need to act quickly to survive the more elite opponents. Eventually, enlisting an ally or two becomes near essential.

chopper extraction in order to make use of the gear you’ve stockpiled. It’s not all dog eat dog, though. That loot has to come from somewhere, and the Dark Zone is populated by tougher AI enemies who must go down before you can claim your prize. Players are thus forced into uneasy alliances, working together to take down a greater foe, then trying to get out before getting killed by rogue agents. Enjoying The Division does require a pre-existing appreciation for looting and shooting, plus at least an openness to playing nicely with others, but despite this and a few oddities it remains a great game and, technically speaking, a fantastic piece of software engineering. Just don’t think for a second that you’re going to do anything that recognisably resembles saving New York. Seth Barton

SPECIFICATIONS

• OS SUPPORT • MINIMUM CPU Intel

AVAILABLE FORMATS Xbox One, PS4, PC Window 7, 8.1 and 10 (64-bit only)

• MINIMUM GPU Nvidia GeForce • MINIMUM RAM 6GB • HARD DISK SPACE 40GB • DETAILS tomclancy-thedivision.ubi.com/game/en-gb/home • Core i5 or AMD FX-6100

GTX 560 or AMD Radeon HD 7770 with 2GB

PRODUCT CODE B00BT9DURQ

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing a... PC system 01

A basic PC costing around £350 will be able to run everyday office, multimedia and education software and will easily cope with surfing the internet. It might even be able to run some modern games. Many PCs can be sold either with or without a monitor. If you don’t like the display that the manufacturer is offering, you can always use your current one, or buy another one separately.

02

If you want to play games, you’ll have to upgrade the graphics card. Budget cards such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 950 will cope well with many 3D games, but to play the latest 3D games smoothly (and enjoy the best-quality graphics) it’s worth upgrading to a more powerful card such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 970.

03

All modern PCs come with at least a dual-core processor and are capable of most tasks. Anyone who regularly undertakes demanding tasks such as video editing and encoding should consider a quad-core or even a hex-core processor.

04

There are plenty of good reasons to upgrade the PC’s memory or hard disk. If you’ll use your PC for gaming, video editing or other demanding tasks, you’ll need at least 8GB of RAM and a large hard disk; 1TB should suffice. Many new PCs have an SSD, which speeds up the time it takes for your PC to boot and programs to load.

05

Having plenty of USB ports is always useful, as most computer

peripherals attach to these ports. Most new PCs come with the latest USB3 ports, which provide faster data transfers when used with supported devices than the older USB2 standard.

06

Most new PCs now come with Windows 10 pre-installed. Don’t be too easily swayed by the inclusion of other software, though, as it may be that you’ll never use it.

07

While most PCs come in cases of a similar size, some have more compact mini tower or mini PC cases. These smaller PCs will fit under your TV or on your desk more easily, but bear in mind that they’re significantly harder to upgrade than full-size machines.

PCs

LENOVO Ideacentre 700 ★★★★★ £700

•

www.pcworld.co.uk

NEW ENTRY

This all-in-one combines a fast processor, a massive 2TB hark disk, depthsensing Intel RealSense camera and a huge range of connectivity ports, all for far less cash than a comparable iMac.

★★★★★ £640

• www.yoyotech.co.uk

If you’re after the complete package, Yoyotech has managed to squeeze in everything you’ll need for a gaming PC, including a powerful quad-core CPU, mid-range graphics and a decent monitor. Yoyotech has also updated the chassis and motherboard since our review.

6400 • RAM 8GB • SIDE USB PORTS 2x USB3 • PROCESSOR Quad-core 2.7GHz Intel Core i5-6400 REAR USB PORTS 2x USB2, 2x USB3 • TOTAL STORAGE 2TB hard disk • GRAPHICS CARD 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 930A • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.lenovo.com/uk • PART CODE F0BE001FUK • FULL REVIEW May 2016

PROCESSOR Quad-core 4.4GHz Intel Core i5-6600K (overclocked) • RAM 8GB • FRONT USB PORTS 2x USB3 • REAR USB PORTS 6x USB3 • TOTAL STORAGE 1TB hard disk • GRAPHICS CARD 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 • DISPLAY 22in Iiyama ProLite E2283HS • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home • WARRANTY Three year (one year parts & labour RTB, two years labour RTB) • DETAILS www.yoyotech.co.uk • PART CODE ER0815WRS10 FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

SCAN 3XS Z170 Performance GTK6

APPLE 27in iMac with 5K Retina Display

★★★★★ £1,031

58

YOYOTECH Warbird RS10

• www.scan.co.uk/3xs

★★★★★ £1,599

• www.apple.com/uk

An incredibly powerful Skylake system that can cope with just about any desktop task, and can handle gaming at 2,560x1,440. The Z170 motherboard is future-proof too, with USB 3.1 and an M.2 slot for PCI-Express storage.

It’s not often Apple represents best-in-class value, but the 5K iMac is an exception. It has the best screen we’ve seen on an all-in-one, along with the best processor performance and some handy graphics capabilities.

PROCESSOR Quad-core 4.6GHz Intel Core i5-6600K (overclocked) • RAM 8GB • FRONT USB PORTS 4x USB3 • REAR USB PORTS 2x USB3.1, 1x USB Type-C, 2x USB2 • TOTAL STORAGE 256GB SSD, 1TB hard disk • GRAPHICS CARD 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home • WARRANTY Three years parts cover: first year onsite, years two and three RTB • DETAILS www.scan.co.uk/3xs • PART CODE Performance Z170 GTK6 • FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

PROCESSOR Quad-core 3.2GHz Intel Core i5-6500 • RAM 8GB • FRONT USB PORTS 0 • REAR USB PORTS 4x USB3 • TOTAL STORAGE 1TB fusion drive • GRAPHICS CARD AMD Radeon R9 M390 • DISPLAY Apple 27in integrated • OPERATING SYSTEM Apple OS X 10.11 El Capitan • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.apple.com/uk • PART CODE 27-inch iMac • FULL REVIEW Feb 2016

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing a... Laptop 01

A basic laptop costing around £300 will run everyday office, multimedia and education software, but it won’t be suitable for 3D gaming or processor-intensive tasks such as video editing. Many laptops at this price have a 15.4in screen and weigh around 2.4kg, so they’re best used around the house and for occasional journeys.

02

If you want to play modern games, you’ll need a laptop with a dedicated graphics chip such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M. Good gaming laptops tend to have large 17in screens and weigh around 3kg, so they’re best suited to use at home.

03

If you want a laptop that you can take everywhere, look for a model

that weighs less than 2kg. For the best portability, buy one that has an 11in or 13in screen. In general, the smaller and lighter the laptop, the more expensive it is, especially if it has plenty of processing power.

will do the job, but if you want better performance, you should look for an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 model instead. We recommend a minimum of 4GB of RAM, although 8GB is better for multitasking.

04

06

05

07

Battery life is extremely important for a laptop, particularly if you’ll be carrying it around. We’d expect all but the biggest and heaviest to last for at least five hours on a single charge, but for an ultraportable that you carry everywhere, eight hours and above is more desirable. Laptops use mobile versions of processors to conserve power, and these lag behind desktop chips when it comes to performance. For a budget Windows laptop, an Intel Core i3 processor

Most budget and mid-range laptops use a mechanical hard disk for storage. You’ll want at least 500GB, but 1TB or more is better. Solid-state drives (SSDs) have faster performance, making your computer quicker to boot and more responsive. They have lower capacities, though. You’ll need at least 128GB. Netbooks are a type of small, low-cost ultra-portable laptop. They’re fine for light use, but avoid them if you want to do complicated tasks.

LAPTOPS

MICROSOFT Surface Book

★★★★★ £2,249

•

www.johnlewis.com

DELL XPS 15 ★★★★★ £1,599

• www.dell.co.uk

Microsoft’s first laptop combines a superb display and powerful components to create one of our favourite Windows laptops in some time. The eye-watering price is a sticking point, but is worth it if you opt for the discrete Nvidia GPU.

The new Dell XPS 15 is the ultimate Windows 10 laptop. From its superbly vibrant and accurate InfintyEdge touchscreen display to its top-notch performance, it’s the new laptop to beat and even puts Apple’s 15in MacBook Pro to shame.

PROCESSOR Dual-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6600U • RAM 16GB • DIMENSIONS 312x232x23mm • WEIGHT 1.6kg • SCREEN SIZE 13.5in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 3,000x2,000 • GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Unspecified Nvidia GeForce GPU • TOTAL STORAGE 512GB SSD • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Pro • PARTS AND LABOUR WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.microsoft.com/surface • PART NUMBER Surface Book • FULL REVIEW May 2016

PROCESSOR Quad-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ • RAM 16GB • DIMENSIONS 357x235x17mm • WEIGHT 2kg • SCREEN SIZE 15.6in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 3,840x2,160 • GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M • TOTAL STORAGE 512GB SSD • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home • PARTS AND LABOUR WARRANTY One year next business day • DETAILS www.dell.co.uk • PART NUMBER BNX5515 • FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

ACER Chromebook R 11

MSI GE72 6QF Apache Pro ★★★★★

• www.saveonlaptops.co.uk

★★★★★

£1,170

£230

The Acer Chromebook R 11 is the most attractive and practical budget Chromebook you can buy, with exceptional build quality, top processing and a lovely display.

The MSI GE72 6QF Apache Pro is an eminently powerful gaming laptop with top specifications, including the latest Intel Skylake processor. There’s a top-notch Nvidia GeForce 970M graphics card, which can tackle even the most taxing games.

PROCESSOR Dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3050 • RAM 2GB • DIMENSIONS 20x295x203mm • WEIGHT 1.2kg • SCREEN SIZE 11.6in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,366x768 • GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Intel HD Graphics • TOTAL STORAGE 16GB eMMC • OPERATING SYSTEM Chrome OS • PARTS AND LABOUR WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.acer.co.uk • PART NUMBER ND.20411.07Q • FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

PROCESSOR Quad-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ • RAM 16GB • DIMENSIONS 383x260x27mm • WEIGHT 2.7kg • SCREEN SIZE 17.3in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1.920x1,080 • GRAPHICS ADAPTOR Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M • TOTAL STORAGE 128GB SSD, 1TB hard disk • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 Home • PARTS AND LABOUR WARRANTY Two years collect & return • DETAILS uk.msi.com • PART CODE GE72 6QF-014UK • FULL REVIEW Feb 2016

• www.currys.co.uk

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

59

Choosing a... Smartphone 01

A smartphone’s operating system (OS) dictates its basic features and which third-party software you can install. There are three main contenders: Apple’s iOS, which is found on the iPhone, Google’s Android, which is used by various handset manufacturers, and Windows Phone, which is mainly used on Lumia phones. Apple iOS and Google Android have the most apps available but Windows Phone is slowly catching up.

02

All smartphones have colour screens, but their resolutions vary. Basic models have 800x480 pixels, but text can be indistinct. Look for a display that has at least 1,280x720 pixels so it’s easy to browse web

pages. Don’t worry too much about built-in media players or Office document editors; you can always install apps to replace these with better versions later. The image quality of smartphone cameras has improved tremendously in recent years, and resolutions have increased to as high as 20 megapixels.

03

Very few modern smartphones have a physical keyboard for entering text; they almost exclusively use touchscreens now. Physical keyboards can aid heavy emailing, but today’s touchscreen keyboards work just as well. Android smartphones and iPhones running iOS 8 or 9 allow you to install a

variety of custom onscreen keyboards so you can find one that suits you.

04

Be careful when choosing a contract. Look for one that includes a large data allowance if you want to use the internet regularly or you’ve set your phone to synchronise your contacts, calendar and email through online services. Built-in Wi-Fi can help you avoid high data charges by connecting to the internet through wireless hotspots when you’re out, or your router when you’re at home. Android and iPhone handsets can operate as wireless hotspots, letting you connect your laptop to the web over your mobile data connection. There may be an extra charge for this.

SMARTPHONES

SONY Xperia Z5 Compact

SAMSUNG Galaxy S7

£380 SIM-free; free on £24-per-month contract www.johnlewis.com (SIM-free); store.virginmedia.com (contract)

£569 SIM-free; free on £40-per-month contract www.carphonewarehouse.com

★★★★★

★★★★★

•

PROCESSOR Octa-core 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 • SCREEN SIZE 4.6in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,280x720 • REAR CAMERA 23 megapixels • STORAGE 32GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 127x65x8.9mm • WEIGHT 138g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5.1 DETAILS www.sonymobile.com • PART CODE E5823 • FULL REVIEW May 2016

•

★★★★★

•

ONEPLUS 2 ★★★★★

£249 (SIM-free only)

• oneplus.net/uk

Now cheaper than ever, the OnePlus 2 is a fantastic flagship smartphone at a rock-bottom price. You won’t find anything faster for less, and its camera is superb.

PROCESSOR Octa-core 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 • SCREEN SIZE 5.5in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,920x1,080 • REAR CAMERA 13 megapixels • STORAGE 64GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 152x75x9.9mm • WEIGHT 175g • OPERATING SYSTEM OxygenOS (Android 5.1) • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS oneplus.net/uk • PART CODE OnePlus 2 • FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

60

•

£300 SIM-free; free on £25-per-month contract www.carphonewarehouse (SIM-free), www.idmobile.co.uk (contract) It might not be the prettiest phone around, but the Nexus 5X is quick, has a great camera and comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

With its incredible shatterproof display, you need never worry about dropping BEST BUY your phone ever again with the Moto X Force. It also has great battery life and a super-fast processor. PROCESSOR Octa-core 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 • SCREEN SIZE 5.4in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,560x1,440 • REAR CAMERA 21 megapixels • STORAGE 32GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 150x78x7.6mm • WEIGHT 169g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5.1 DETAILS www.motorola.co.uk • PART CODE XT1580 • FULL REVIEW Mar 2016

PROCESSOR Quad-core 2.3GHz Samsung Exynos 8890 • SCREEN SIZE 5.1in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,560x1,440 • REAR CAMERA 12 megapixels • STORAGE 32GB/64GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 142x70x7.9mm • WEIGHT 152g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 6.0 • WARRANTY One-year RTB • DETAILS wwww.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE SM-G930F • FULL REVIEW Jun 2016

GOOGLE Nexus 5X

MOTOROLA Moto X Force £480 SIM-free; free on £31.50-per-month contract www.carphonewarehouse.com (SIM-free), www.idmobile.co.uk (contract)

•

Samsung’s latest flagship is the best Android smartphone money can buy. It’s not cheap, but you get superb build quality, an excellent display, top-tier performance and outstanding battery life.

With its excellent screen, superb performance, long battery life and great camera, the Z5 Compact is the complete pint-sized package.

★★★★★

NEW ENTRY

•

PROCESSOR Hexa-core 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 • SCREEN SIZE 5.2in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,920x1,080 • REAR CAMERA 12.3 megapixels • STORAGE 16GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 147x73x7.9mm • WEIGHT 136g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 6.0 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.google.com/nexus/5x • PART CODE Nexus 5X • FULL REVIEW Feb 2016

MOTOROLA Moto G (3rd Gen) ★★★★★

£132 SIM-free; free on £13.50-per-month contract www.amazon.co.uk (SIM-free), www.carphonewarehouse.com (contract)

•

The 3rd Gen Moto G has an improved camera, longer battery life and an all-new design, making it our go-to budget smartphone. PROCESSOR Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 • SCREEN SIZE 5in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,280x720 • REAR CAMERA 13 megapixels • STORAGE 8GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G • DIMENSIONS 142x72x6.1mm • WEIGHT 155g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5.1.1 • DETAILS www.motorola.co.uk • PART CODE XT1541 • FULL REVIEW Dec 2015

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing a... Tablet 01

All tablets rely on an operating system (OS) to run apps. You have three main choices: Apple’s iOS, which runs on the iPad, Android, which Google licenses to various manufacturers, and Windows 10, which is slowly becoming more common in hybrid tablets and convertibles. If you own an Apple or Google smartphone, you can download your apps, music and so on to a tablet that runs the same OS, so it makes sense to stick with a compatible device.

02

It’s important to pick a tablet that has a good-quality high-resolution screen. Many budget tablets have 1,280x800resolution displays, but better tablets have Full HD 1,920x1,080 panels, and we’re

starting to see tablets that have even higher screen resolutions. Some are as high as 2,560x1,600 or even 4K. Entry-level tablets typically use TN panels, which don’t have particularly good viewing angles. The viewing angles of IPS panels are much better.

03

If you want to listen to music, watch films and play games, make sure your tablet has plenty of storage. Many tablets come with 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, although some budget models have less. You’ll typically pay more for a higher storage capacity. Many tablets also have microSD slots that let you add extra storage, although you won’t find one on an iPad. This is a cheap way of boosting storage capacity.

04

Tablets rarely include a SIM card slot. This means you’ll have to rely on Wi-Fi to get online, although some tablets let you access the internet through your smartphone. If you want mobile access to the internet, look for 3G- and 4G-ready devices. These almost always cost more than Wi-Fi-only models but they’re great if you use your tablet while commuting or travelling.

05

Your choice of tablet determines the apps you can use on it. You may find that some of the apps you want are available on iOS but not Android and vice versa. Windows 10, meanwhile, runs traditional desktop applications.

TABLETS

SONY Xperia Z4 Tablet

NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1

★★★★★

★★★★★

It’s expensive, but the Z4 Tablet is a stunning bit of kit. It’s lighter than the iPad Air 2, has a super-highresolution screen with the most acccurate colours we’ve seen from an LCD panel, runs Android 5 beautifully and has the longest battery life of any tablet we’ve tested.

ful An immensely powerful Nvidia Tegra K1 processor makes this 8in device not just the best tablet for serious gaming, but one of the best sub-£200 slates on the market. Battery life is surprisingly good, too.

PROCESSOR Octa-core 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 • SCREEN SIZE 10.1in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,560x1,600 • REAR CAMERA 8.1 megapixels • STORAGE 32GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G (optional) • DIMENSIONS 167x254x6.1mm • WEIGHT 389g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.sonymobile.com • PART CODE Xperia Z4 Tablet • FULL REVIEW Aug 2015

PROCESSOR Quad-core 2.2GHz 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 • SCREEN SIZE 8in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,920x1,080 • REAR CAMERA 8 megapixels • STORAGE 16GB • WIRELESS DATA No • DIMENSIONS 221x126x9.2mm • WEIGHT 390g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5.1 • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS shield.nvidia.co.uk/tablet/k1 • PART CODE Shield Tablet K1 • FULL REVIEW Jun 2016

APPLE iPad Air 2

MICROSOFT Surface Pro 4

£450

• www.expansys.com

£150

★★★★★ £349

★★★★★

• www.apple.com/uk

From £749 (£1,079 as reviewed) www.microsoftstore.com

The iPad Air 2 is even thinner and lighter than its predecessor and still feels beautifully made. It’s the fastest iPad yet, and now has TouchID fingerprint recognition for added security and more convenient unlocking.

•

NEW ENTRY

The most compelling ‘laptop replacement’ tablet yet. Thinner, powerful and equipped with a gorgeous screen, this is a fantastic Windows 10 tablet. The Surface Pen and optional Type Cover have been improved as well.

PROCESSOR Tri-core 1.5GHz Apple A8X • SCREEN SIZE 9.7in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,048x1,536 • REAR CAMERA 8 megapixels • STORAGE 16GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G (optional) • DIMENSIONS 240x170x6.1mm • WEIGHT 437g • OPERATING SYSTEM iOS 9 • WARRANTY One year RTB • PART CODE Apple iPad Air 2 • DETAILS www.apple.com/uk • FULL REVIEW Feb 2015

PROCESSOR Dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U • SCREEN SIZE 12.3in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,736x1,824 • REAR CAMERA 8 megapixels • STORAGE 256GB • WIRELESS DATA No • DIMENSIONS 292x201x8mm • WEIGHT 1.37kg inc Type Cover and power brick • OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 10 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.microsoft.com/surface • PART CODE Surface Pro 4 • FULL REVIEW Jun 2016

LENOVO Yoga Tab 3

SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

★★★★★ £150

62

NEW ENTRY

• www.ebuyer.com

• www.pcworld.co.uk

★★★★★

NEW ENTRY

£370

• www.currys.co.uk

A superb-value multi-purpose d tablet with a unique rotating camera and surprisingly high-qualiy speakers. It’s not the most powerful handheld around, but its integrated kickstand makes it ideal for watching video.

Thanks to its amazing screen, strong performance and slimline chassis, the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is the most desirable Android tablet you can buy for around £400.

PROCESSOR Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 • SCREEN SIZE 8in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 1,200x800 • REAR CAMERA 8 megapixels • STORAGE 16GB • DIMENSIONS 146x7x210mm • WEIGHT 420g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5.1 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.lenovo.com/uk • PART CODE 146591 • FULL REVIEW Jun 2016

PROCESSOR Octa-core 1.9GHz + 1.3GHz Samsung Exynos Octa 5433 • SCREEN SIZE 9.7in • SCREEN RESOLUTION 2,048x1,536 • REAR CAMERA 8 megapixels • STORAGE 32GB • WIRELESS DATA 4G (+£90) • DIMENSIONS 169x5.6x237mm • WEIGHT 389g • OPERATING SYSTEM Android 5.0.2 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE SM-T810 • FULL REVIEW Dec 2015

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing a... Digital camera 01

A basic digital camera will suit someone who wants to take pictures to view on their computer and create 7x5in prints. It should cost around £80, but there may be hidden downsides such as slow performance and very basic user controls.

02

Spend a little more and you’ll get a higher resolution. A 16-megapixel sensor has the potential to produce sharp prints up to A3 size, but only if it and the lens are of a suitably high quality. Very high resolutions in compact cameras tend to boost noise more than detail levels, so many of the best models strike a sensible balance by using a 12-megapixel sensor. Back-illuminated CMOS sensors tend to produce less noise than CCDs, but

check our reviews to find out how a particular model performs.

03

A 3x zoom lens provides you with reasonable scope for framing your shots, but a larger range can do wonders for your photography. Most compact cameras can manage a 5x zoom, while pocket-size ultra-zoom cameras can provide 24x zoom ranges. Numbers such as 28-105mm tell you the wide-angle and telephoto limits of the zoom range. Big zooms require optical image stabilisation to avoid blur due to camera shake when zoomed right in.

04

Most cameras now have a 3in screen. Look out for 460,000-dot or

921,000-dot resolutions for a sharper picture. A touchscreen is useful for moving the autofocus point.

05

Leave some room in your budget for a memory card, as the bundled memory provided with a camera is never enough. A 16GB card costs less than £10. You may also need to buy batteries.

06

Don’t forget that a camera’s specification tells you very little about its image quality. You’ll need to read our reviews for that. With a compact camera, we believe the user shouldn’t have to grapple with complicated controls in order to take great pictures in a range of lighting conditions.

PHOTOGRAPHY

PANASONIC Lumix DMC-G7 ★★★★★

£500 (inc. 46mm kit lens) www.parkcameras.com

•

SENSOR RESOLUTION 16 megapixels • SENSOR SIZE 17.3x13mm • FOCAL LENGTH MULTIPLIER 2x • VIEWFINDER Electronic (2,360,000 dots) • LCD SCREEN 3in (1,040,000 dots) • OPTICAL ZOOM (35mm-EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTHS) 3x (28-84mm) • 35mm-EQUIVALENT APERTURE f/7-11.2 • LENS MOUNT Micro Four Thirds • WEIGHT 525g • DIMENSIONS 87x135x108mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.panasonic.com/uk • FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

PANASONIC Lumix DMC-FZ330 ★★★★★

£449 (inc £50 cashback)

• www.wexphotographic.com

• www.jessops.com

The X70 is an unusual mix of retro and modern design with its exposure dials and articulated touchscreen, but its great image quality, good price and charming looks is a winning combination. SENSOR RESOLUTION 16 megapixels • SENSOR SIZE 23.6x15.6mm (APS-C) • FOCAL LENGTH MULTIPLIER 1.5x • VIEWFINDER None • LCD SCREEN 3in (1,040,000 dots) • OPTICAL ZOOM (35mm-EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTHS) 1x (28mm) • 35mm-EQUIVALENT APERTURE f/4.2 • LENS MOUNT Fujifilm X Mount • WEIGHT 349g • DIMENSIONS 66x125x47mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.fujifilm.eu/uk • FULL REVIEW Jun 2016

CANON EOS 750D

★★★★★

£529 (with 18-55mm kit lens)

• www.currys.co.uk

A bridge camera with a huge 25-600mm zoom range that maintains a fast F2.8 aperture across the whole focal range.

The new mainstay of Canon’s SLR line-up has better autofocus, D5500-beating image quality and decent video. It’s the mid-range SLR to buy.

SENSOR RESOLUTION 12 megapixels • SENSOR SIZE 1/2.3in • VIEWFINDER Electronic (1,440,000 dots) • LCD SCREEN 3in (1,040,000 dots) • OPTICAL ZOOM (35mm-EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTHS) 24x (25-600mm) • 35mm-EQUIVALENT APERTURE f/15.6 • WEIGHT 703g • DIMENSIONS 93x133x122mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.panasonic.com/uk • FULL REVIEW Jan 2016

SENSOR RESOLUTION 24 megapixels • SENSOR SIZE 22.3x14.9mm (APS-C) • FOCAL LENGTH MULTIPLIER 1.6x • VIEWFINDER Optical • LCD SCREEN 3in • OPTICAL ZOOM (35mm-EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTHS) 3x (29-88mm) • 35mm-EQUIVALENT APERTURE f/5.6-9 • LENS MOUNT Canon EF-S • WEIGHT 771g • DIMENSIONS 104x132x148mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk • FULL REVIEW Oct 2015

CANON G9 X

★★★★★ £357

NEW ENTRY

• www.wexphotographic.com

A tiny compact that can keep up with heavier SLRs and CSCs whe when it comes to image quality, while squeezing in all the shooting settings and features you’ll need. SENSOR RESOLUTION 20 megapixels • SENSOR SIZE 1in • FOCAL LENGTH MULTIPLIER 2.75x • VIEWFINDER None • LCD SCREEN 3in (1,040,000 dots) • OPTICAL ZOOM (35mm-EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTHS) 3x (28-84mm) • 35mm-EQUIVALENT APERTURE f/5.5-13.5 • WEIGHT 207g • DIMENSIONS 62x101x31mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk • FULL REVIEW Jun 2016

64

★★★★★ £549

With sophisticated autofocus, superb controls and 4K video capture, the Panasonic G7 packs a serious punch for both video and stills.

NEW ENTRY

FUJIFILM X70

NIKON D7200 ★★★★★

£714 (body only)

• www.jessops.com

Best-in-class image quality and sublime ergonomics take the Nikon D7200 to the top of the pack for enthusiast DSLRs, whether you’ve already invested in the Nikon ecosystem or not. SENSOR RESOLUTION 24 megapixels • SENSOR SIZE 23.5x15.6mm (APS-C) • FOCAL LENGTH MULTIPLIER 1.5x • VIEWFINDER Optical TTL • LCD SCREEN 3.2in (1,229,000 dots) • LENS MOUNT Nikon F Mount • WEIGHT 765g • DIMENSIONS 107x136x76mm • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.europe-nikon.com • FULL REVIEW Aug 2015

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing a... Display 01

A basic 24in LCD monitor costs around £100. It will be fine for typical Windows work but is likely to have poor viewing angles, so you’ll need to sit straight on for the best picture quality. Its colour accuracy may not be very good, either.

02

A VGA input lets you use the monitor with any PC, but the quality may not be as good as it is over DVI or HDMI. Both are digital connections and require a compatible graphics card but they avoid the need for digital-to-analogue or analogue-todigital conversions, which can reduce image quality. A digital connection achieves the best picture automatically, so you won’t have to adjust clock or phase settings as you do with analogue connections.

Many DVI and all HDMI connections support HDCP, which lets you watch protected video content, such as Blu-ray movies. DisplayPort is becoming more popular, but you’ll need a graphics card with a DisplayPort output (mini or full-size) to use this input on your monitor.

03

A larger monitor will be easier on the eye and may have a higher resolution. Most monitors have a resolution of at least 1,920x1,080 (1080p), which provides lots of room for working with multiple windows at the same time. For even higher resolutions, you’ll need a larger display. Some 27in and 30in screens have 2,560x1,600 or even 4K resolutions. You’ll need a graphics card with a dual-link DVI output and a dual-link DVI

cable or either HDMI or DisplayPort to use a monitor at these resolutions.

04

If you want better picture quality, look for a monitor with a high contrast ratio. The higher the ratio, the whiter the whites and the blacker the blacks. You’ll also be able to see more fine detail in images with high contrast levels. Viewing angles are important, as wider angles mean you don’t have to sit directly in front of the monitor to get the best picture. Wider viewing angles also allow more people to view the screen at the same time. Fast response times reduce ghosting, but don’t be dazzled by the numbers. A response time of 25ms or quicker is fine for all applications.

DISPLAYS

BENQ GW2765HT ★★★★★ £277

• www.ebuyer.com

VIEWSONIC VX2363Smhl-W ★★★★★ £115

• www.dabs.com

This 27in 2,560x1,440 IPS monitor is one of the best-value screens we’ve ever seen. With near-perfect sRGB colour accuracy out of the box, it’s a steal for less than £300.

The 23in VX2363Smhl-W stands out from the crowd with its white stand, IPS screen and great overall image quality. It’s a good budget buy for those who have modest needs.

SCREEN SIZE 27in • RESOLUTION 2,560x1,440 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY IPS • VIDEO INPUTS VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort • WARRANTY Two years onsite • PART CODE 9H.LCELA.TBE • DETAILS www.benq.co.uk • FULL REVIEW Jan 2015

SCREEN SIZE 23in • RESOLUTION 1,920x1,080 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY IPS • VIDEO INPUTS VGA, HDMI, MHL-compatible HDMI • WARRANTY Two years collect and return • PART CODE VX2363Smhl-W • DETAILS www.viewsoniceurope.com • FULL REVIEW Jan 2015

IIYAMA ProLite GB2488HSU-B1

ASUS PB279Q

★★★★★ £213

• www.box.co.uk

★★★★★ £569

• www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

Gamers need look no further than the Iiyama ProLite GB2488HSU-B1. It’s a no-nonsense Full HD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate for lightning-fast games performance.

If you’re remotely serious y or about design, photography gaming and want an Ultra HD n to screen, this is the monitor to choose. It’s plain look at and has no USB hub, but in terms of pure image quality, nothing beats it at this price.

SCREEN SIZE 24in • RESOLUTION 1,920x1,080 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY TN • VIDEO INPUTS 2x HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort • WARRANTY Two years onsite • PART CODE ProLite GB2488HSU-B1 • DETAILS www.iiyama.com • FULL REVIEW Aug 2014

SCREEN SIZE 27in • RESOLUTION 3,840x2,160 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY AHVA • REFRESH RATE 60Hz • VIDEO INPUTS 4x HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.asus.com/uk • FULL REVIEW Apr 2015

SAMSUNG S32D850T

AOC U3477PQU

★★★★★

★★★★★

It’s not cheap, but this 32in monitor is actually great value. Images are sharp and vibrant on its 2,560x1,440 panel, and the stand is among the most attractive we’ve seen.

Ultra-wide monitors are best suited to those who want to multitask on two full-size windows at once, but also kick back with a film or game in the evening. AOC’s U3477PQU is the best example we’ve seen so far, with an incredible panel and excellent build quality.

SCREEN SIZE 32in • RESOLUTION 2,560x1,440 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY VA • VIDEO INPUTS HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort • WARRANTY Two years collect and return • PART CODE S32D850T • DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • FULL REVIEW Jan 2015

SCREEN SIZE 34in • RESOLUTION 3,840x1,440 • SCREEN TECHNOLOGY IPS • REFRESH RATE 60Hz • VIDEO INPUTS DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, VGA • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.aoc-europe.com • FULL REVIEW May 2015

£375

• www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

£500

• www.currys.co.uk

65

Choosing a... TV 01

A 32in Full HD TV costs around £200 and will suit smaller living rooms. TVs look much smaller in the shop than in your home, so measure the space available before you buy. Curved TVs are becoming increasingly more common, but bear in mind that these typically take up more floor space than a traditional flat set.

02

A 1,920x1,080-resolution TV can display a 1080p image. You can still buy TVs with a 720p (1,366x768) resolution, but they’re no cheaper and the image won’t be as sharp. 3,840x2,560 Ultra HD resolution, or 4K, TVs are finally available at reasonable prices, although you’ll still pay a premium for one over a 1080p model.

03

Consider the number of inputs you’ll need to connect the rest of your equipment. Two HDMI ports should be the bare minimum, but many TV sets come with four HDMI connectors. You’ll need HDMI 2.0 if you want a future-proof 4K TV, as this is the only way to get 60fps video playback from external sources at such a high resolution. If you want to plug a PC into your TV, you’ll need to use either HDMI or VGA inputs. Be aware that some TVs only let you use a PC on an analogue input, and others won’t display the Windows desktop at the TV’s highest resolution.

04

The contrast ratio tells you the difference between the darkest

and the brightest shades that the screen will be able to display. The higher the number, the darker the blacks and the brighter the whites. A screen with a high contrast ratio is more likely to show a wider range of detail.

05

HD content is now becoming fairly widespread, but if you want Ultra HD content your options are more limited. Most Ultra HD TVs have Netflix built into their smart TV systems, but only BT is currently providing live Ultra HD video, with BT Sport Ultra HD. Ultra HD Blu-ray players are due to arrive in 2016, but in the meantime Amazon’s Fire TV set-top box will stream its Instant Video service at Ultra HD resolutions.

HOME CINEMA

PANASONIC TX-55CX700B ★★★★★ £879

• www.currys.co.uk

★★★★★ £315

• www.hillsradio.co.uk

Even before Currys slashed the price by £100, this was a great-value TV. Outstanding 4K and Full HD image quality, a great smart TV operating system and a brilliant line-up of streaming and catch-up services make this TV a no-brainer.

It might look expensive for the screen size, but the UE32J6300 is jam-packed with features, including one of the best smart TV systems around and every major UK catch-up TV service. It’s the ideal small TV for a bedroom, kitchen or office.

SCREEN SIZE 55in • NATIVE RESOLUTION 3,840x2,160 • VIDEO INPUTS 3x HDMI (2x ARC), SCART, component, composite • TUNER Freeview HD • DIMENSIONS 762x1,237x242mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.panasonic.com • PART CODE TX-55CX700B FULL REVIEW Jan 2016

SCREEN SIZE 32in • NATIVE RESOLUTION 1,920x1,080 • VIDEO INPUTS 4x HDMI, component, composite • TUNER Freeview HD • DIMENSIONS 428x370x91mm • WARRANTY One year RTB DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE UE32J6300AK • FULL REVIEW Dec 2015

SAMSUNG BD-J7500

LG LHB725

★★★★★ £150

• www.currys.co.uk

4K upscaling, fantastic image quality and a wealth of streaming service support makes the BD-J7500 so much more than just a Blu-ray player: it can turn any TV into a smart one, or replace a streaming media stick.

•

★★★★★ £329

• ao.com

A 3D-capable home-cinema surround system with a Blu-ray player that has fantastic image quality and speakers that deliver powerful sound, all housed in an attractive package.

BLU-RAY PROFILE 5.0 • 3D CAPABLE Yes • DIMENSIONS 360x224x39mm • NETWORKING Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE BD-J7500 • FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

HDMI INPUTS/OUTPUTS 2/1 • HDMI 2.0 INPUTS/OUTPUTS 2/1 • OUTPUT RESOLUTIONS 720p, 1080p • WIRELESS SUPPORT 802.11n, Bluetooth • SPEAKER CONFIGURATION 5.1 • RMS POWER OUTPUT TOTAL 1,200W • DIMENSIONS 410x55x260mm • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.lg.com/uk • PART CODE LHB725 • FULL REVIEW Oct 2015

SONY HT-XT3

PHILIPS Fidelio XS1 SoundStage

★★★★★ £349

66

SAMSUNG UE32J6300

• www.superfi.co.uk

★★★★★ £360

• www.amazon.co.uk

The HT-XT3 is a classy-looking soundbase that delivers great audio, with its integrated subwoofer helping to pump out seismic bass. It also provides a degree of future-proofing with its 4K pass-through support, and can be linked together with other Sony speakers for a multiroom audio setup.

Stage The Fidelio XS1 SoundStage is a beautiful-looking soundbase with sound quality that matches its stunning design. There are plenty of connections, including Bluetooth, and the wireless subwoofer delivers the lower frequencies with aplomb.

SPEAKERS 2+2 • RMS POWER OUTPUT 350W (total) • DIMENSIONS 750x358x83mm • WEIGHT 10.5kg • DOCK CONNECTOR None • NETWORKING Bluetooth (SBC, LDAC) • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.sony.co.uk • PART CODE HT-XT3 • FULL REVIEW Mar 2016

SPEAKERS 3 • RMS POWER OUTPUT 60W • DIMENSIONS 730x331x40mm • WEIGHT 5.3kg • DOCK CONNECTOR None • NETWORKING Bluetooth (SBC, aptX, AAC) • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.philips.co.uk • PART CODE Fidelio XS1/12 • FULL REVIEW Jan 2016

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing a... Bluetooth speaker 01

Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes, so you’ll need to decide what you want to do with the speaker before you buy. If you don’t plan to take your music outdoors or around the house, look for a wired speaker. These are typically cheaper than speakers with built-in batteries. If you do want a portable speaker, however, pay particular attention to how much it weighs. Ruggedised models should be able to survive accidental drops, water spills and unexpected rain showers.

02

Many of the cheapest Bluetooth speakers use the lossy A2DP Bluetooth protocol, which is prone to compressing your music and discarding detail compared with the original recording.

It’s hard to tell the difference when listening to pocket-sized speakers, but if you’re looking for a speaker to fill a room, an aptX-compatible device is a better option. This Bluetooth protocol retains more detail than the A2DP profile, although you’ll need to use it with a compatible smartphone in order to get the benefits.

03

As with any audio product, the number and size of speaker drivers can have a significant impact on the quality of sound you get from a Bluetooth speaker. Typically, the presence of multiple drivers enables the manufacturer to tune each one for specific frequencies, directing high-end sounds towards a tweeter and sending the mid-range frequencies to the main driver.

Single-driver speakers with larger driver cones can be just as capable of producing fantastic audio, however.

04

Most Bluetooth speakers have at least one auxiliary input for a wired 3.5mm audio jack, in case you want to listen to music from a device that doesn’t have Bluetooth. There are other extra features to look out for, though. Speakers with built-in batteries may have a USB port for charging your smartphone, or a built-in microphone to turn it into a speakerphone when a paired smartphone receives a call. Not all speakers have physical controls; many rely on your paired device’s controls for adjusting the volume or muting playback.

AUDIO

PHILIPS Fidelio M2BT

RAUMFELD One S ★★★★★

★★★★★ £200

• www.amazon.co.uk

£160

• uk.raumfeld.com

The One S is a great compact speaker that sounds great solo or even better as a stereo pair, and it has a classy design that matches its refined sound.

The Philips Fidelio M2BT are premium Bluetooth headphones that sound great, look fantastic and are supremely comfortable to wear. Battery life is pretty reasonable, too, at around 10 hours. HEADPHONES SUBTYPE On-ear Bluetooth • PLUG TYPE 3.5mm jack plug • WEIGHT 190g • CABLE LENGTH 1.2m • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.philips.co.uk • PART CODE Philips Fidelio M2BTBK • FULL REVIEW Apr 2015

RAZER Leviathan

SPEAKERS 2 • RMS POWER OUTPUT 30W • DOCK CONNECTOR None • NETWORKING 802.11n Wi-Fi, Ethernet • DIMENSIONS 180x110x130mm • WEIGHT 1.4kg • STREAMING FORMATS UPnP, Mesh Network • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS uk.raumfeld.com • PART CODE One S • FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

MONITOR AUDIO Airstream S150

★★★★★

★★★★★

Soundbars are usually built for TVs, but Razer’s Leviathan is ideal for sliding underneath a computer monitor. It sounds great and is more than loud enough to fill a room. It also has built-in Bluetooth streaming.

The Airstream S150 may have a simple, unfussy charm, but it’s absolutely capable of filling a room with well-balanced sound. Straightforwad operation, fantastic sound quality and an affordable price make this a Best Buy.

SPEAKERS 4 • RMS POWER OUTPUT 30W • WEIGHT 2kg (bar), 2.3kg (subwoofer) • NETWORKING Bluetooth (SBC, aptX) • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.razerzone. com • PART CODE RZ05-01260100-R3G1 • FULL REVIEW Jul 2015

SPEAKERS 3 • RMS POWER OUTPUT 60W • DOCK CONNECTOR None • WIRELESS Bluetooth (SBC, aptX) • DIMENSIONS 137x120x274mm • WEIGHT 2.26kg • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.monitoraudio.co.uk • PART CODE S150 • FULL REVIEW May 2016

GIBSON Trainer Ti100

BOWERS & WILKINS Zeppelin Wirelesss

£160

• www.box.co.uk

£149

★★★★★ £150

NEW ENTRY

• www.johnlewis.com

★★★★★

Not only do the Trainer Ti100 sound great and include handy little extras such as NFC support and weathersealing, but they’re equipped specifically for runners; an integrated LED, for instance, provides extra visibility when jogging at night. HEADPHONES SUBTYPE In-ear neckband • PLUG TYPE N/A • WEIGHT 100g • CABLE LENGTH N/A • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.gibsoninnovations.com • PART CODE Trainer Ti100 • FULL REVIEW May 2016

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

• www.superfi.co.uk

| JULY 2016

£499

• www.johnlewis.com An update to a design classic, the Zeppelin Wireless improves on its predecessor with Bluetooth and a sleeker design but retains its fantastic sound quality.

SPEAKERS 5 • RMS POWER OUTPUT 150W • DOCK CONNECTOR None • NETWORKING Bluetooth (SBC, aptX), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Ethernet • DIMENSIONS 660x183x188mm • WEIGHT 6.5kg • STREAMING FORMATS AirPlay, Bluetooth • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www. bowers-wilkins.co.uk • PART CODE Zeppelin Wireless • FULL REVIEW Feb 2016

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Choosing an... Action camera 01

Action cameras are typically much smaller than a regular camcorder, as they are designed to be mounted to a bike, board or car, or worn on your person. As the name suggests, they are designed primarily for shooting action footage, but because of their small size they are ideal for strapping on to your pet’s collar or your children’s toys for a different perspective.

02

Almost all action cameras will shoot Full HD video, and some will even shoot 4K, but frame rate is arguably more important than resolution when it comes to action video. Higher frame rates will mean smoother clips, and super-high frame rate videos can be played in slow motion to emphasise exciting shots.

Keep an eye out for 4k/30, 1080p/60 and 720p/120 models for the widest possible choice of resolutions and frame rates.

03

Most action cameras rely on flash memory for storing your video, letting you swap out memory cards on the fly when you fill one up with clips. More expensive devices can have integrated flash memory as well as a card slot, but it’s typically cheaper to buy the basic version of a camera and pick up memory cards separately.

04

Not all action cameras have LCD displays; in fact, many deliberately don’t include a sceen in order to extend battery life.

If you want to be able to see exactly what you’re pointing the lens at, keep an eye out for cameras with companion smartphone apps, or wrist-mounted viewfinders that also let you start and stop shooting remotely.

05

Action cameras typically have a huge range of accessories, with specific mounts and harnesses for different activities and sports. If the camera itself isn’t water resistant, a weatherproof case will protect it from the elements, while a tripod mount will let you lock it firmly in place. Spare batteries are essential for longer shoots, and some decent video-editing software will help you to produce a more polished result.

VIDEO

AMAZON Fire TV Stick ★★★★★ £35

• www.amazon.co.uk

★★★★★ £348

• www.argos.co.uk

This bargain mediastreaming device excels for Amazon Prime subscribers. Even if you’re not, you’ll get good mileage out of it with platforms such as Plex. It’s our favourite discrete streaming device.

The GoPro Hero4 Black doesn’t deviate from the existing GoPro template but it’s an excellent action camera that introduces stunning 4K video at 30fps. You also get support for a wide range of mounts and accessories.

VIDEO OUTPUTS HDMI 1.4 • NETWORKING 802.11n • DIMENSIONS 115x115x17mm • STREAMING FORMATS UPnP, AirPlay, DLNA • INTERNET STREAMING SERVICES iPlayer, Netflix, Sky News, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Instant Video, TVPlayer • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.amazon.co.uk • PART CODE Fire TV Stick • FULL REVIEW Aug 2015

SENSOR 1/2.3in CMOS • SENSOR PIXELS 12,000,000 • MAX RECORDING RESOLUTION 4K (30fps) • AV CONNECTIONS Micro HDMI output, 3.5mm microphone to Mini USB (optional) • DIMENSIONS 41x59x30mm • WEIGHT 89g (152g with housing) • WARRANTY One year RTB • PART CODE CHDHX-4-1-EU • DETAILS www.gopro.com • FULL REVIEW May 2015

HUMAX HDR-1100S 500GB

VEHO Muvi K2 NPNG

★★★★★ £190

• www.johnlewis.com

★★★★★ £200

• www.amazon.co.uk

The Humax HDR-1100S is an attractive Freesat+ PVR that’s easy to use and integrates catch-up TV seamlessly through Freetime.

The K2 packs in plenty of action camera features for a budget price, and comes with a generous number of accessories, including a useful hard transport case. Image quality is very respectable, too.

TUNERS 2x DVB-S2 Freesat • DIMENSIONS 280x48x200mm • NETWORKING Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi • INTERNAL DISK CAPACITY 500GB • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.humaxdirect.co.uk • PART CODE HDR-1100S-White • FULL REVIEW Dec 2015

SENSOR PIXELS 16,000,000 • MAX RECORDING RESOLUTION 1080p (60fps) • AV CONNECTIONS Mini HDMI • DIMENSIONS 40x23x60mm • WEIGHT 84g • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.veho-muvi.com • PART CODE K2NPNG • FULL REVIEW Dec 2015

PANASONIC HC-VX980

SONY FDR-X1000V

★★★★★ £649

• www.photospecialist.co.uk

This 4K-capable camcorder lets you capture 8-megapixel stills from 4K video. It has fantastic image stabilisation and its HDR video mode can help with exposing difficult scenes. The newest model has been updated with more useful 4K cropping modes and slow-motion features, too. OPTICAL ZOOM 20x • SENSOR 1/2.3in BSI MOS • LCD SCREEN 3in, 460,800 dots • DIMENSIONS 73x65x139mm • WEIGHT 351g • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.panasonic.com • PART CODE HC-VX980 • FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

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GOPRO Hero4 Black

★★★★★ £253

• www.amazon.co.uk

NEW ENTRY

Sony looks to take on GoPro with this miniscule action cam capable of recording 4K video at 30fps. The Hero4 Black wins out on image quality, but image stabilisation and a flexible range of shooting modes means Sony’s camera still has lots to offer. SENSOR 1/2.3in CMOS • SENSOR PIXELS 8,800,000 • MAX RECORDING RESOLUTION 4K (30fps) • AV CONNECTIONS Micro HDMI, 3.5mm microphone input • DIMENSIONS 24.4x51.7x88.9mm • WEIGHT 114g • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.sony.co.uk • PART CODE FDR-X1000V • FULL REVIEW May 2016

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing an... Inkjet printer 01

03

You should be able to buy a decent inkjet printer for less than £40. High-quality printing is possible on such a printer, but it will be slow. The actual print speed of an inkjet can be half the quoted (maximum) speed for text documents, and even slower when printing graphics. Budget inkjet printers such as these are designed only for light use and can be expensive to run.

02

For £60 you can buy a much more capable printer that’s either faster and better built or better at reproducing photos. If documents are your priority, you’ll want a high minimum speed and low print costs. Look for inkjets that can handle all your office media, such as envelopes and labels.

If photos are your priority, speed is less important. Choose a printer that reproduces subtle tones well. You can’t determine this by looking at the specifications – only hands-on testing will do, so remember to check our reviews before you buy. Borderless printing (up to the edge of the paper) should also be possible. Pay particular attention to running costs: photos use three times as much ink as regular colour documents.

04

Heavy-duty office inkjets can cost up to £1,000 and their build quality is improving. They use large individual ink tanks, which can cut running costs. Printers with automatic duplex (double-

sided) printing or A3 capabilities are now much more affordable.

05

Pricier photo printers let you print from memory cards plugged straight into the printer, so you don’t need to use a PC. An LCD preview screen offers greater control for this method of printing. Many inkjet printers now have a PictBridge USB port, which you can use to print images directly from most digital cameras.

06

If you’re really serious about photography, consider buying an inkjet that can produce borderless prints up to A3 size. The best devices can print photos that look nearly as good as those from professional labs.

PRINTERS & SCANNERS

RICOH SP 3600DN

CANON i-Sensys LBP7780Cx

★★★★★

★★★★★

• www.ebuyer.com

£159

• www.printerland.co.uk

£412

The SP 3600DN can print up to 50,000 pages per month at 30ppm. The quality is good, and each page costs only about 1.2p. It’s a good choice for a busy small firm. TECHNOLOGY Mono LED • MAXIMUM PRINT RESOLUTION 1,200x1,200dpi • DIMENSIONS 268x370x392mm • WEIGHT 14.5kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.ricoh.co.uk • PART CODE 906231 • FULL REVIEW • Oct 2015

It’s somewhat expensive to buy, but the Canon i-Sensys LBP7780Cx is very cheap to run, and produces impressively high-quality prints. TECHNOLOGY Single-pass colour laser • MAXIMUM PRINT RESOLUTION 600x600dpi • DIMENSIONS 401x517x530mm • WEIGHT 31kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year onsite • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk • PART CODE 6140B010AA • FULL REVIEW Mar 2015

EPSON Expression Premium XP-530 CANON Pixma MG5750 ★★★★★ £80

NEW ENTRY

• www.currys.co.uk

★★★★★ £66

• www.photospecialist.co.uk

een Other than a tiny screen and slightly high running costs, the XP-530 is a welcome addition to Epson’s Expression Premium range. It prints and scans incredibly quickly, while maintaining high quality throughout.

The MG5750 is good value with a great balance of features and quality. Its strong performance lets us forgive less-than-perfect controls.

TECHNOLOGY Piezo inkjet • MAXIMUM PRINT RESOLUTION 5,760x1,440dpi • SCANNER RESOLUTION 2,400x4,800dpi • DIMENSIONS 138x390x341mm • WEIGHT 6.2kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.epson.co.uk • PART CODE XP-530 • FULL REVIEW May 2016

TECHNOLOGY Thermal inkjet • MAXIMUM PRINT RESOLUTION 4,800x1,200dpi • SCANNER RESOLUTION 1,200x2,400dpi • DIMENSIONS 148x455x369mm • WEIGHT 6.3kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk • PART CODE 0557C006 • FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

HP Officejet Pro X476dw

PLUSTEK eScan A150

★★★★★ £230

• www.ebuyer.com

£305

It may be an inkjet, but HP’s MFP beats many colour lasers in terms of speed, print quality and running costs. It’s ideal for homes and small offices alike. TECHNOLOGY Thermal inkjet • MAXIMUM PRINT RESOLUTION 2,400x1,200dpi • SCANNER RESOLUTION 1,200x1,200dpi • DIMENSIONS 517x517x399mm • WEIGHT 24kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year onsite • DETAILS www.hp.co.uk • PART CODE CN461A • FULL REVIEW March 2015

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

★★★★★

| JULY 2016

• www.ebuyer.com

A very easy-to-use document scanner that can scan both sides of a document at once, and lets you organise your scans onscreen before saving them to a computer, USB disk or Android device. SCANNER TYPE Document scanner • MAXIMUM OPTICAL SCAN RESOLUTION 600x600dpi • DIMENSIONS 189x318x170mm • WEIGHT 2.8kg • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www. plustek.com/uk • PART CODE 0263UK • FULL REVIEW Feb 2016

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Choosing a... Wireless router 01

Wireless routers each use a number of Wi-Fi standards, so you shouldn’t have any trouble connecting your computer or phone wirelessly if you get an 802.11n or 802.11ac router. Nearly all routers support 802.11n, so even a cheap model should provide decent performance. You can expect a transfer speed of around 40Mbit/s at a distance of 10m from any modern 802.11n router. The very latest routers use the 802.11ac standard, which provides tremendously fast transfer speeds. Some devices still don’t support the 802.11ac standard, so check the specifications before you buy.

02

If you subscribe to an ADSL broadband service, you should buy

a wireless router that has a built-in ADSL modem. This will cost more than the equivalent cable router, but it allows you to connect your router directly to your broadband connection without having to use a separate modem.

03

Most 802.11n wireless routers use the 2.4GHz frequency band. This has good range but it can be prone to interference if it’s positioned close to a lot of other 2.4GHz devices, such as other routers and baby monitors. If you have trouble getting a consistent signal or you want faster speeds for video streaming, for example, it’s worth buying a dual-band router that can use both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.

Alternatively, a high-gain antenna can boost signals and improve ranges and throughputs to the entire house. You can also add a high-gain antenna to a PC’s network adaptor. If wired network speeds are a priority, you should look for a router with a Gigabit Ethernet connection.

04

Many routers come with built-in USB ports that let you connect a USB drive and use the router as a network storage device. If you want to share a USB printer over your network, look for a wireless router that has a USB print server. Finally, if you’re interested in making voice calls over the internet, buy a router with built-in VoIP support (and phone sockets) because this can save you money.

NETWORKS

TP-LINK Archer C9

BT Dual-Band Wi-Fi Extender 1200

★★★★★ £99

• www.currys.co.uk

★★★★★

It doesn’t have a modem, so you’ll need to pair it with your ISP’s cable, ASDL or fibre modem, but the Archer C9 is an incredibly capable router with plenty of features and fantastic wireless performance, at a very reasonable price.

£40

MODEM None • WI-FI STANDARD 802.11ac • STATED SPEED 1,900Mbit/s • USB PORTS 1x USB3, 1x USB2 • WALL MOUNTABLE No • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS uk.tp-link.com • PART CODE Archer C9 • FULL REVIEW Sep 2015

DEVOLO dLAN 1200+ Starter Kit ★★★★★ £90

• www.amazon.co.uk

WI-FI STANDARD 802.11ac • STATED SPEED 867Mbit/s • LAN PORTS 1 • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.shop.bt.com • PART CODE 80462 • FULL REVIEW Aug 2015

ASUS EA-AC87 ★★★★★

• www.box.co.uk

It’s much larger than the average range extender, but that’s only to make room for a whopping five Gigabit Ethernet ports. The EA-AC87 can also act as an access point, replacing your router.

•

CANARY All-In-One Security ★★★★★

• www.currys.co.uk

MODEM None • WI-FI STANDARD 802.11ac • STATED SPEED 1,734Mbit/s • USB PORTS 0 WALL MOUNTABLE Yes • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.asus.com/uk • PART CODE 90IG01A0-BU9000 • FULL REVIEW Sep 2015

•

NETGEAR Arlo ★★★★★ £240

• www.currys.co.uk

It’s expensive, but the Canary is a great one-box, cloud-based home security camera that’s easy to use and produces high-quality footage.

Incredibly flexible camera placement and great image quality make Netgear’s Arlo a fantastic home security system, even if the base station is a tad expensive.

SENSOR Not disclosed • VIEWING ANGLE 147˚ wide angle • VIDEO RECORDING FRAME RATES 1080p (30fps) • NIGHT VISION MODE Infrared LEDs • DIMENSIONS 152x76x76mm • WEIGHT 400g • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS canary.is • PART CODE CT100UKWT • FULL REVIEW Mar 2016

SENSOR CMOS (size not stated) • VIEWING ANGLE Horizontal 130˚ • VIDEO RECORDING (FRAME RATES) 720p (24fps) • NIGHT VISION MODE Infrared LEDs • DIMENSIONS 71x40x63mm • WEIGHT 110g • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.arlo.com/uk • PART CODE 131178 • FULL REVIEW Sep 2015

£160

70

This fast wireless extender is very easy to set up and is the perfect companion to an 802.11ac router. The wired LAN port lets you connect a wired device to your wireless network, too.

£110

The fastest Powerline networking kit we’ve seen, and even though you’re limited to a single Gigabit Ethernet connection, it’s the ideal way to network a single computer. The passthrough sockets are very convenient, too. POWERLINE NETWORKING STANDARD HomePlug • STATED SPEED 1,200Mbit/s • ADAPTORS IN BOX 2 • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.develo.com/uk PART CODE 09378 • FULL REVIEW Feb 2015

• www.currys.co.uk

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

Choosing an... Internal hard disk 01

A basic 1TB internal hard disk should cost around £40. This will be fast enough for general use and will provide enough storage for most users. Make sure the hard disk you choose has the appropriate interface type for your PC. Some mechanical hard disks still come with SATA2 interfaces, but newer models and most solid-state drives (SSDs) have faster SATA3 interfaces. You’ll need a motherboard with a SATA3 port if you want to benefit from SATA3’s faster speeds; SATA3 disks will work with SATA2 ports but can only transfer files at SATA2 speeds.

02

SSDs can make the most of SATA3’s extra bandwidth for fast file transfers. They use flash memory similar to that found

in USB flash drives, and although they tend to provide less capacity than mechanical hard disks, they’re significantly faster.

03

Buy a hard disk that provides more capacity than you think you need, as your storage requirements are likely to grow. A 3TB disk strikes the best balance between capacity and low cost per gigabyte, but in general you should aim to buy the largest disk you can afford.

04

If you want more disk space or you want to protect your data against disk failure, think about buying several hard disks to create a RAID array. These use multiple hard disks to create one large logical disk with better performance, or to

duplicate your data for better protection. RAID arrays require hard disks of the same size. In theory, they can be from different manufacturers, but it’s better to buy identical disks if you can.

05

A hard disk’s spindle speed determines how quickly it can transfer data. A spindle speed of 7,200rpm is common in desktop drives and is fast enough for most purposes. Desktop hard disks with 5,400rpm spindle speeds are quite slow but use less power and generate less heat and noise. To strike the best balance between speed and storage capacity, use an SSD as your system disk and store your files on a larger mechanical disk.

STORAGE

SAMSUNG 850 Evo 500GB ★★★★★ £127

• www.scan.co.uk

WESTERN DIGITAL Red 6TB ★★★★★ £210

Samsung’s 850 Evo is simply the fastest SATA SSD around, and it’s available in a wide range of capacities. The 2TB model might be expensive at around £527 (from www.scan.co.uk), but it means saying goodbye to mechanical storage for good.

• www.dabs.com

The Red 6TB combines excellent performance with a high capacity and special firmware to make a hard disk that’s perfect for use in NAS enclosures. It’s guaranteed for three years, too, which should provide peace of mind.

CAPACITY 500GB • COST PER GIGABYTE £0.26 • INTERFACE SATA3 • CLAIMED READ 540MB/s • CLAIMED WRITE 520MB/s • WARRANTY Five years RTB • DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE MZ-75E500BW/EU • FULL REVIEW Oct 2015

CAPACITY 6TB • PRICE PER GIGABYTE £0.03 • INTERFACE SATA3 • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.wdc.com • PART CODE WD60EFRX • FULL REVIEW Nov 2014

SYNOLOGY DiskStation DS215J

SAMSUNG T1 500GB

★★★★★ £127

• www.ebuyer.com

★★★★★ £134

Synology’s latest NAS is faster than its predecessor thanks to an upgraded CPU, and is capable of rapid file transfers. DSM is still the best NAS operating system we’ve used, too.

• www.ebuyer.com

The T1 is significantly faster ash than any USB3 flash r. drive as it has its own SD controller. Combined with a USB3 connection, it’s able to transfer files at unbelievable speeds, then slips into a pocket for taking on the move.

3½in HARD DISK BAYS (FREE) 2 (2) • NETWORKING 2x 10/100/1,000 Ethernet • DLNA MEDIA SERVER Yes • PRINT SERVER Yes • DIMENSIONS 165x100x226mm • WEIGHT 870g • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.synology.com • PART CODE DS215J • FULL REVIEW Jun 2015

CAPACITY 500GB • COST PER GIGABYTE £0.34 • INTERFACE USB3 • CLAIMED READ 450MB/s • CLAIMED WRITE 450MB/s • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE MU-PS500B/EU • FULL REVIEW Apr 2015

TOSHIBA Canvio Connect II 2TB

SAMSUNG 950 Pro ro 256GB

★★★★★ £83

• www.dabs.com

£138

There’s plenty of choice when it comes to portable hard disks, but Toshiba’s Canvio Connect II has an excellent bundled software package and impressive USB3 speeds. Considering the price, there’s no reason not to have one. CAPACITY 2TB • COST PER GIGABYTE £0.04 • INTERFACE USB3 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.toshiba.eu • PART CODE HDTC820ER3CA • FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

★★★★★

| JULY 2016

• www.ebuyer.com

A true sign of things to come for storage: it’s the fastest, most affordable NVMe SSD yet. If your motherboard is compatible ompatible with PCI Express storage, you absolutely olutely need one. CAPACITY 256GB • COST PER GIGABYTE £0.57 • INTERFACE M.2 (2280)/NVMe • CLAIMED READ 2,200MB/s • CLAIMED WRITE 900MB/s • WARRANTY Five years RTB • DETAILS www.samsung.com/uk • PART CODE MZ-V5P256BW • FULL REVIEW Jan 2016

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Choosing a... Graphics card 01

You really don’t have to spend much to buy a decent graphics card that can drive multiple monitors. The AMD Radeon R7 250 costs less than £60, for example, and while it isn’t suited to playing the latest games in Full HD, it is perfect for watching videos, browsing the web and playing basic games.

02

You’ll need to spend more money if you want to play the latest games. A good mid-range gaming graphics card is the Nvidia GTX 950, which is powerful enough to play any of the latest games. High-powered cards tend to be more expensive, so expect to pay over £300 if you want to play games in Ultra HD at the highest quality settings.

03

Check that your chosen card has the graphics outputs you need. Only low-end cards now have VGA outputs, but many come with a DVI-to-VGA adaptor. Depending on your monitor, you may also want an HDMI output or even a DisplayPort connection. Bear in mind that AMD’s Eyefinity triple-monitor gaming mode requires at least one DisplayPort monitor, which means your AMD graphics card must have at least one DisplayPort output. Nvidia’s Surround three-monitor mode needs only DVI and HDMI ports.

04

The amount of memory a card has is important if you want games to look their best at high resolutions. Get a

card with 2GB of RAM at the very least, as this should allow you to select the highestquality textures in games.

05

A card’s size, noise output and power requirements are the final considerations. Make sure your PC’s case has enough room to accommodate your chosen card. Double-slot cards with large fans tend to be quieter than single-slot cards with small fans but will block other expansion slots on your motherboard. Also check that your power supply can provide the power the card needs and that it has the right connectors. Many cards require a six-pin PCI Express power connector, and some also need an additional eight-pin connector.

COMPONENTS

MSI GTX 970 Gaming Twin Frozr 5 ★★★★★ £276

• www.scan.co.uk

★★★★★ £187

For most people, this card is the high-end model to buy. It will easily cope with high-detail gaming at 1080p, and it’s also capable of playing games at higher resolutions as well, making it a great choice for enthusiasts. GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 • MEMORY 4GB GDDR5 • GRAPHICS CARD LENGTH 264mm • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.msi.com • PART CODE GTX 970 Gaming Frozr 5 FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

•

★★★★★

• www.novatech.co.uk

GPU AMD Radeon R9 380 • MEMORY 4GB GDDR5 • GRAPHICS CARD LENGTH 234mm • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.gigabyte.com • PART CODE GV-R938WF2-4GD FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

★★★★★ £85

• www.scan.co.uk

The A10-7700K strikes an excellent balance between desktop and graphics performance, making it the ideal all-rounder for an inexpensive PC build. Even once you factor in memory and a motherboard, the total cost will be cheaper than many Intel CPUs.

SOCKET LGA1151 • CORES 4 • FREQUENCY 3.5GHz • INTEGRATED GRAPHICS Intel HD Graphics 530 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.intel.com • PART CODE BX80662I56600K • FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

SOCKET FM2+ • CORES 4 • FREQUENCY 3.4GHz • INTEGRATED GRAPHICS Radeon R7 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.amd.com • PART CODE AD770KXBJABOX • FULL REVIEW May 2015

ASUS Z170-A

CORSAIR Carbide Series Air 240

£122

• www.dabs.com

•

AMD A10-7700K

The Core i5-6600K is the first of Intel’s latest processor generation, previously codenamed Skylake. The unlocked multiplier means you can push it further when overclocking, and energy efficiency has never been better, which means less power draw when using your PC.

★★★★★

72

• www.scan.co.uk

The Radeon R9 380 has a great deal of power for the price. It costs about the same as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 and performs almost identically at 1,920x1,080, but uses more power and isn’t as quiet.

INTEL Core i5-6600K £204

GIGABYTE Radeon n R9 380 Windforce

★★★★★ £80

• www.novatech.co.uk

The Asus Z170-A is the best-value Skylake motherboard around right now, with performance and features that easily match more expensive boards without making a big dent in your wallet.

This microATX case is very well made. It’s light and compact, but its cuboid shape means there’s plenty of room inside for all your components, so it’s easy to work with.

PROCESSOR SOCKET LGA1151 • DIMENSIONS 302x244mm • CHIPSET Intel Z170 • MEMORY SLOTS 4 • PCI-E x16 SLOTS 3 • PCI-E x1 SLOTS 3 • PCI SLOTS 1 • USB PORTS 2x USB2, 2x USB3, 2x USB3.1 • VIDEO OUTPUTS HDMI, DVI, VGA, DisplayPort • WARRANTY Three years RTB • DETAILS www.asus.com/uk • PART CODE 90MB0KX0-M-EAY5 • FULL REVIEW Nov 2015

CASE TYPE microATX • MOTHERBOARD COMPATIBILITY microATX, Mini-ITX • SUPPLIED FANS 3x 120mm • MAX 3½in DRIVE BAYS 3 • MAX 5¼in DRIVE BAYS 0 • DIMENSIONS 320x260x397mm • WEIGHT 5.6kg • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.corsair.com PART CODE CC-9011070-WW • FULL REVIEW Apr 2016

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| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

SOFTWARE £70

• www.xara.com/uk

ADOBE Premiere Elements 14 ★★★★★ £65

• www.wexphotographic.com

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★★★★★

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XARA Web Designer 11 Premium

Lots of features to keep advanced users happy and even more to help new users make the most of it. It’s the consumer video editing package to buy.

Web Designer was already excellent, but version 11 gets a slew of incremental updates that ensure it remains our favourite one-box web design tool.

ADOBE Photoshop Lightroom 6

SERIF Affinity Designer

★★★★★ £102

• www.ebuyer.com

★★★★★ £40

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OS SUPPORT Windows 7/8/10 • MINIMUM CPU 2GHz with SSE2 • MINIMUM GPU DirectX 9 • MINIMUM RAM 2GB • HARD DISK SPACE 5GB • DETAILS www.adobe.com/uk • PRODUCT CODE 65234288 • FULL REVIEW Jan 2016

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OS SUPPORT Windows XP or later • MINIMUM Intel Celeron/AMD Sempron • MINIMUM GPU DirectX 9 • MINIMUM RAM 500MB • HARD DISK SPACE 300MB • DETAILS www.xara.com/uk • FULL REVIEW Sep 2015

• www.apple.com/itunes

OS SUPPORT Windows 7/8 • MINIMUM CPU Intel or AMD with 64-bit support • MINIMUM GPU 1GB, OpenGL 3.3, DirectX 10 • MINIMUM RAM 2GB • HARD DISK SPACE 2GB • DETAILS www.adobe.com/uk • PRODUCT CODE 65237576 FULL REVIEW Feb 2015

OS SUPPORT Apple OS X 10.7.5 • MINIMUM CPU Core 2 Duo (64-bit) • MINIMUM GPU Intel HD Graphics • MINIMUM RAM 1GB • HARD DISK SPACE 325GB • DETAILS affinity.serif.com • PRODUCT CODE Affinity Designer • FULL REVIEW Mar 2015

STEINBERG Cubase Artist 8

XARA Photo & Graphic Designer 11

★★★★★ £119

• www.steinberg.net

★★★★★ £50

• www.xara.com/uk

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The first real competition to Adobe’s Illustrator might be an OS X exclusive, but Affinity Designer is a seriously powerful graphic design tool that costs an incredible £40.

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Lightroom 6 might be a relatively modest update, but Adobe’s photography toolbox still sets the gold standard for Raw photo processing and image enhancement.

Music production software usually saves the best features for the priciest version, but that’s not the case here, making Cubase Artist 8 an excellent investment for musicians aspiring to the highest standards.

Powerful new warping and brush tools take Photo & Graphic Designer to new heights, making it a genuine rival to Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom. It’s cheaper, too.

OS SUPPORT Windows 7 or later • MINIMUM CPU Intel Core/AMD dual-core • MINIMUM GPU DirectX 10 • MINIMUM RAM 4GB • HARD DISK SPACE 15GB • DETAILS www.steinberg.net • PRODUCT CODE 45550 • FULL REVIEW May 2015

OS SUPPORT Windows 7/8/8.1/10 • MINIMUM CPU Celeron, Sempron or newer • MINIMUM GPU N/A • MINIMUM RAM 500MB • HARD DISK SPACE 300MB • DETAILS www.xara.com/uk • FULL REVIEW Dec 2015

GAMES ★★★★★ £25

• www.cdkeys.com

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

★★★★★ £23

• www.cdkeys.com

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Fallout 4

AVAILABLE FORMATS PC, Xbox One, PS4 • OS SUPPORT Windows 7/8.1/ 10 64-bit • MINIMUM CPU Quad-core 2.8GHz Intel, quad-core 3GHz AMD • MINIMUM GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 550 Ti, AMD Radeon HD 7870 • MINIMUM RAM 8GB • HARD DISK SPACE 30GB • DETAILS www.fallout4.com • FULL REVIEW Feb 2016

AVAILABLE FORMATS PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PS4 • OS SUPPORT Windows 7/8.1 64-bit • MINIMUM CPU Dual-core 3.4GHz Intel, quad-core AMD • MINIMUM GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 650, AMD Radeon R9 270x • MINIMUM RAM 4GB • HARD DISK SPACE 28GB • DETAILS www.konami.jp/mgs5 • FULL REVIEW Dec 2015

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

XCOM 2

★★★★★ £20

• www.cdkeys.com

★★★★★ £23

• www.cdkeys.com

NEW ENTRY

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Whether the story was ever really finished before director Hideo Kojima’s infamous departure or not remains a mystery, but the Phantom Pain’s openworld stealth gameplay is simply without fault.

y tas Fan RPG

Exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland has never been more fun. Bethesda has expanded the Fallout universe with base building and crafting mechanics, making this the definitive entry in the series.

The Witcher 3 has an involving plot, an amazingly well-realised world and beautifully drawn characters. It’s the ultimate fantasy RPG for anyone that prefers action to turn-based strategy.

Turn-based strategy is rarely this punishing, this cerebral, or this thrilling. XCOM 2 is a masterful blend of sci-fi firefights and intricate base-building, making it utterly essential for strategy fans.

AVAILABLE FORMATS PC, Xbox One, PS4 • OS SUPPORT Windows 7/8.1 64-bit • MINIMUM CPU Quad-core 3.3GHz Intel, quad-core 3GHz AMD • MINIMUM GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 660, AMD Radeon HD 7870 • MINIMUM RAM 6GB • HARD DISK SPACE 40GB • DETAILS www.thewitcher. com/witcher3 • FULL REVIEW Aug 2015

AVAILABLE FORMATS PC • OS SUPPORT Windows 7 and above • MINIMUM CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E4700 2.6GHz or AMD Phenom 9950 quad-core 2.6GHz • MINIMUM GPU 1GB AMD Radeon HD 5770 or 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 • MINIMUM RAM 4GB • DISK SPACE 45GB DETAILS www.2k.com • FULL REVIEW May 2016

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

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REVIEWS

How we test

Find out how well products perform with the help of Computer Shopper’s comprehensive tests

COMPUTER SHOPPER’S REVIEWS use some of the most exhaustive testing procedures you’ll find in any PC magazine. Every product is subjected to qualitative and quantitative tests that show how it performs in practical use. Graphs for performance, battery-life scores and costs are used in the Reviews section, as shown on the right. Look in the ‘Summary of tests’ table (below) for details of each test we run. For PCs and laptops, we evaluate performance using our own custom benchmarking suite. See below for a brief description of our benchmarking software and game tests.

The actual scores in each test are shown inside each bar

Normal speed

Bigger is better for all bars except the red ones, which show running costs

11ppm

Mono costs

2.2p

Colour costs

6.7p 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

A product hitting the +100 per cent mark performed twice as well as our reference

This line represents the performance of a reference product in each test. All graphs for components and systems are relative to our reference PC (see below for specifications)

SUMMARY OF TESTS PC SYSTEMS & GAMING LAPTOPS Windows overall Average speed across numerous demanding tasks

BENCHMARKS

RATINGS & AWARDS

Multitasking Speed when running simultaneous applications Dirt Showdown Frames per second at 1,920x1,080, 4xAA, (1080p) Ultra detail Metro: Last Light Frames per second at 1,920x1,080, SSAA, Redux Very High detail LAPTOPS Windows overall Average speed across numerous demanding tasks Multitasking Processor-intensive multitasking test Dirt Showdown Frames per second at 1,280x720, 4xAA, (720p) High detail Battery life Run time in minutes for continuous video playback SMARTPHONES/TABLETS Battery life Run time in minutes for continuous video playback PRINTERS AND MFPs Mono text speed Pages per minute for correspondence-quality text Mixed colour speed Pages per minute for presentable text and graphics Mono page cost Running costs expressed as pence per page Colour page cost Running costs expressed as pence per page DIGITAL CAMERAS Battery life Number of shots from full charge CAMCORDERS Battery life Run time in minutes for recording MP3 PLAYERS Battery life Run time in minutes for continuous playback ROUTERS Laptop 2.4GHz 10m Mbit/s at 10m with 802.11n laptop on 2.4GHz band Laptop 2.4GHz 25m Mbit/s at 25m with 802.11n laptop on 2.4GHz band Laptop 5GHz 10m Mbit/s at 10m with 802.11n laptop on 5GHz band Laptop 5GHz 25m Mbit/s at 25m with 802.11n laptop on 5GHz band 802.11ac adaptor 10m Mbit/s at 10m with an 802.11ac adaptor

SHOPPER BENCHMARKS Our benchmark suite uses opensource software that runs on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux systems. This lets us use objective results to compare PCs and laptops, no matter which operating system they run. It’s designed to test each computer to its limit, using a combination of intensive image-editing, video-encoding and multitasking tests. We ran the tests on our reference PC, which has an Intel Core i5-4670K processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM and an AMD Radeon R7 260X graphics card. We normalised our results so this PC had a score of 100. This makes it easy to draw comparisons between test systems. The resulting overall score is shown at the bottom of every PC and laptop review. As we use the same tests in our standalone and group test reviews, you can compare the performance of any computer, whether it’s a netbook, laptop or desktop, from both sections of the magazine. To see how your computer compares, you can download the suite from www.shopperdownload.co.uk/benchmarks. Versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

Computer Shopper rates products out of five:

★★★★★

Avoid

Below average ★★★★★ Good

★★★★★

Very good

★★★★★

Excellent

★★★★★

The best products can win the following awards:

BEST BUY

Products with outstanding quality and performance for the money win our Best Buy award.

802.11ac adaptor 25m Mbit/s at 25m with an 802.11ac adaptor NETWORK-ATTACHED STORAGE Large files Average MB/s for read/write of 100MB large files Small files Average MB/s for read/write of 100MB small files HARD DISKS Extra large files Average MB/s for read/write of a single 2.5GB file Large files Average MB/s for read/write of 2.5GB of large files Small files Average MB/s for read/write of 2.5GB of small files PROCESSORS Windows overall Average speed across numerous demanding tasks Multitasking Speed when running simultaneous applications Dirt Showdown Frames per second at 1,280x720, 4xAA, (720p) High detail MOTHERBOARDS Windows overall Average speed across numerous demanding tasks Multitasking Speed when running simultaneous applications Dirt Showdown Frames per second at 1,920x1,080, 4xAA, (1080p) Ultra detail Dirt Showdown Frames per second at 1,280x720, 4xAA, (720p) High detail GRAPHICS CARDS Dirt Showdown Frames per second at 1,920x1,080, 4x MSAA, (1080p) Ultra detail Tomb Raider Frames per second at 1,920x1,080, SSAA, Ultra detail Metro: Last Light Frames per second at 1,920x1,080, SSAA, Redux Very High detail

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RECOMMENDED

3D BENCHMARKS

Products that don’t quite qualify for a Best Buy award but are still highly rated by our reviewers.

DIRT SHOWDOWN Dirt Showdown is a cracking racing game that makes good use of DirectX 11’s fancy graphical effects. You’ll want at least 30fps for smooth racing. TOMB RAIDER With the ultra-demanding SuperSampling Anti-Aliasing (SSAA) enabled, 2013’s Tomb Raider reboot is a great indicator of mid-range performance.

BUSINESS

The very best products for work win our Business Buy award.

METRO: LAST LIGHT REDUX Our most demanding graphics test uses tessellation, SSAA and massive textures to give even high-end cards a thorough workout.

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PRODUCT INDEX

Product Reviews Our guide to all the products reviewed in this month’s Shopper Hot Product

24

Samsung Galaxy J5 Samsung Galaxy TabPro S

26

Photography

Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14 Asus ZenBook UX305CA Box Cube Republic Chillblast Fusion Projection 3 Dell XPS 12

Canon SX720 HS Panasonic TZ100

Apple iPad Pro 9.7in

PCs & Laptops

Handhelds

33

Apple iPhone SE LG G5

Displays and Home Cinema

42

Acer Predator XB271HK Asus ROG Swift PG27AQ Samsung UE48JS8500

Audio

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE

39

Games 47

Astro Gaming A40 + MixAmp M80 Audio Pro Addon T3 Lindy BNX-60

Networks

50

52

Kingston KC400 256GB

Components

53

Gigabyte GA-990FX-Gaming

CALL 0844 44 844 0031 OR SEE PAGE 122

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| JULY 2016

Software

54

56

The Division

Printers

Smappee IOT Energy Monitor

Storage

1 1 9 Reviews 82

Brother MFC-J5320DW Brother MFC-J680DW Canon i-Sensys MF724Cdw Canon Pixma MG5750 Canon Pixma MX495 Dell H825cdw Epson Expression Premium XP-530 Epson WorkForce Pro WF-5690DWF HP DeskJet 3630 HP Officejet 7510 Ricoh SP 3600DN Ricoh SP C250DNW

Nuance Dragon Anywhere

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Free software guide It’s easy to access your free software. Just go to www.shopperdownload.co.uk/341 and register with the code from the card insert. Please be aware that you need to have bought the ‘Free Software Edition’ and not the ‘£4.50 Edition’ to access the downloads

GETTING STARTED The download instructions on the card insert (after page 74) show you how to connect to the download site. Make sure you type in the web address exactly as shown. You’ll need your coupon code the first time you log on to the site. ANY PROBLEMS If you need help with any of the software this month, please send an email to [email protected]. We check this inbox regularly. Please include the issue number of the magazine and your coupon code. WHY DOWNLOADS In order to provide us with free software, publishers now require us to offer the applications as a download and to require online registration. You need to use the unique code printed in the box on the card insert to register and download the software in this issue. The unique code means we stop the deals leaking online, so only Shopper readers get the software. NO CODE? If you don’t have the card insert with the unique code, you must buy the £4.99 ‘Free Software’ print version of the magazine. If you have this edition and still don’t have a card, please contact [email protected].

REGISTER YOUR SOFTWARE BY 23rd JUNE 2016

CyberLink PhotoDirector 6 Deluxe PHOTODIRECTOR 6 IS a capable tool for organising, editing and sharing your digital images. Launch the program and you’ll find it’s split into five sections. The Library is where you import, view, rate, tag and generally organise your photos. There are plenty of time-saving tools on hand (such as face tagging and the ability to exclude duplicates when importing), and it’s all very easy to use. The Adjustment section provides manual and fully automatic tweaks for colour, white balance, sharpness and more, as well as crop and rotate tools, healing brushes and a red-eye remover. The Edit tab ramps up the creative possibilities. helps turn your photos into a video file, or a The People Beautifier provides options to whiten slideshow you can share directly on YouTube. teeth, remove wrinkles, or perhaps reshape your Finally, the Print tab provides a great deal of control subjects for a more slimline look. The program can over any printouts you might want to make. remove unwanted objects from pictures, There’s plenty to explore, and the new panorama automatically filling in the and sharing options are particularly background. There are some welcome. If you’re an existing user, REQUIREMENTS Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10, 32/64-bit, 500MB hard disk space simple effects, frames, a or just looking for a powerful but WEBSITE www.cyberlink.com watermarking tool, and more. user-friendly tool for managing and NOTES Get your registration code at When you’ve finished your editing your photo collection, phd6.disc.computershopper.co.uk work, the Slideshow section PhotoDirector 6 is worth a look.

IObit Malware Fighter Pro 4

REQUIREMENTS Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10, 32/64-bit, 100MB hard disk space WEBSITE www.iobit.com NOTES Includes a six-month licence

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IOBIT MALWARE FIGHTER is a straightforward anti-spyware tool that can protect your PC in several different ways. For example, you can run an on-demand scan to look for spyware, adware, Trojans, bots and other threats that your regular anti-virus software might have missed. The Smart Scan checks only the most critical areas of your PC, and runs fairly quickly (around seven minutes on our test PC). You can run a complete system scan if you prefer, while the Custom Scan allows you to choose exactly what you’d like the program to examine. Malware Fighter also includes real-time protection in the shape of five guards, which variously monitor your startup programs, browser settings, cookies, the web pages you view, and the files you access. Our first brief tests left some questions over the program’s accuracy, with Malware Fighter missing a real threat, and incorrectly warning us

of two entirely safe files. And it’s also a little short on features. If you want scheduled scans, protection for USB viruses, process scanning or technical support then you’ll want the Pro version, which we’re offering you here with a six-month licence.

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F-Secure Key Premium

REQUIREMENTS Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10, 32/64-bit, 30MB hard disk space WEBSITE www.f-secure.com NOTES Includes a one-year Premium licence after registration

F-SECURE KEY is a password manager with clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. After installation you create a new Key account, which is as simple as entering a password. You can then import your passwords, at least in theory (the program can only import XML files exported by other password managers, including KeepPass and Password Safe). If you can’t access your existing passwords, it’s easy to enter them manually. Provide the login URL, your username and password (there’s a good secure password generator, if you need one), and repeat the process for as many sites as you like. There are several ways to enter passwords at a later point. You can, for instance, copy them to the clipboard. Click the password field and a button appears; click it, choose the site from the list, and the password will be entered. Or you can have both the username and password entered automatically on Android,

Windows and Mac (select the user field, press Ctrl-F2, choose the site; on Android, tap the username field, switch to F-Secure Key’s virtual keyboard and select your login details). Syncing passwords across all your devices requires a Premium licence, which we’re offering you here. Once you’ve set this up, clicking the Generate Code button on one device creates a sync code, and entering this on

another synchronises the two. Repeat as often as necessary. You don’t have to worry about the security of your synchronised passwords; they’re AES-encrypted and F-Secure never sees any user’s information. What’s more, the Key servers are “owned and operated by F-Secure within the European Union”, which is a good thing as the EU’s privacy rules are extremely strict.

JetDrive 8 Professional YOUR HARD DISK is in constant use from the moment you switch on your PC, so it’s important to take good care of it. The process of defragmentation is one of the best maintenance steps you can take, and Microsoft includes a simple defrag tool in Windows. JetDrive 6 Professional takes things to the next level, enabling you to optimise the performance of your drive by performing deep defragging as well as other tasks.

REQUIREMENTS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10, 32/64-bit, 50MB hard disk space WEBSITE: www.abelssoft.net NOTES: Get your registration code within the application (note that if you have previously registered an Abelssoft product, you will not need to register again)

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Handy visualisation tools can be used to gain a quick insight into how much of your hard disk space has been used up and how much is still available. If you find you’re running low on space or want to clear out the clutter, the option to quickly delete temp files free up some megabytes before you set about the task of defragging. You can defragment any of your drives whenever you want, but to save time you can

use the option to defrag only the ones that are heavily fragmented. If you’re looking for the best performance, you’ll want to perform the extensive complete defrag option, but you should be warned that this can take many, many hours to complete. Quick defragging is also available for quick fixes, and there’s also the option of scheduling for ongoing maintenance. In addition to these options, JetDrive 8 Professional can be used to defragment the Registry. There is some argument about how much the Registry should be optimised, but it could make a huge difference to a machine that’s been used and left unmaintained for many years. There’s also a useful drive-checking tool that can be used to scan for drive errors which could be indicative of imminent hard disk failure, making this a far more advanced and impressive tool than Windows’ built-in defragger.

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Panda Internet Security 2016 PANDA INTERNET SECURITY 2016 is a capable security suite with protection for Windows, Android, iOS and Mac. The Windows module offers accurate anti-virus, browser

protection (via an optional toolbar), a firewall and Wi-Fi protection to detect intruders on your network. The Data Shield prevents sensitive data falling into

REQUIREMENTS Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 32/64-bit, 200MB hard disk space DETAILS www.pandasecurity.com NOTES Six-month licence

the wrong hands, parental controls keep your kids safe online, and there’s a virtual keyboard to bypass keyloggers. Mac and iOS protection is more basic, with anti-virus and an iPhone location service, while the Android tools take this a little further: there’s anti-virus, device optimisation, a location service, and the option to lock or wipe your device remotely. All this is easy to set up, but look out for the option to install a browser toolbar: it will change your home and search pages unless you clear some tickboxes. After that, the program proves as reliable and accurate as ever. The 2016 edition brings new checks for Wi-Fi vulnerabilities, a new engine, and smarter Collective Intelligence, offering greater protection with less impact on performance.

Auslogics BitReplica 2

REQUIREMENTS Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10, 70MB hard disk space WEBSITE www.bitreplica.com NOTES Includes one-year licence after registration

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AUSLOGICS BITREPLICA IS a capable and straightforward backup tool that makes it easy to protect your most important files from disaster. The program has a list of predefined backup sources so if, for instance, you’d like to back up your Firefox profile, Internet Explorer favourites, Documents folder and so on, then it’s as easy as ticking a box. You can, however, add other custom folders, too. BitReplica also offers a good selection of backup types: simple backup, exact backup (where obsolete files are removed from the destination folder), and full, incremental or differential backups. A simple scheduler allows you to run the job manually, hourly, daily or weekly. There are a few useful configuration options, too: you get some predefined ‘exclude’ file filters; the program is able to back up alternate data streams; and you can have specific applications run before and after the backup job runs. Your backup can then be saved locally. But that’s just the start. You can also store it on a local drive, upload it to Box.net or SkyDrive, or use Auslogics’ own cloud storage service at a small extra cost.

There are also a few downsides, though. You’re only able to choose particular folders to back up, for instance; it’s not possible to select specific files in a folder. There’s no support for saving your backups to optical discs or an FTP server. And there are no options to compress, encrypt or passwordprotect your archive. Still, Auslogics BitReplica is fast and very easy to use, and if your needs are simple then it could make an excellent backup choice.

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Resources

Chat and Communication Digsby (Build 92) Access all your instant messaging services from one application; there’s support for Windows Live!, Yahoo!, AIM, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber. UPDATED Evernote 5.9.9 Store your notes, ideas and plans in the cloud, and synchronise them between computers. UPDATED Mozilla Thunderbird 38.7.2 A powerful email client from the organisation best known for the Firefox web browser.

Customisation

7 Taskbar Tweaker 5 Customise the Windows 7 taskbar so that it works exactly to your liking. Metro UI Tweaker for Windows 8 Tweak the Windows 8 user interface. Mosaic Desktop Beta 1 Refresh Add Windows 8’s mosaic-tiled desktop to your computer without having to upgrade.

General

UPDATED Free Studio 6.6.5.323 An easy way to convert your video and audio files into different formats. Paragon Partition Manager 14 Free Create, format, split, merge and reorganise all your hard disk’s partitions. PeaZip 6.0 A tremendously powerful archive-management tool.

Postbox Express 1.0.1 An email client that provides a comprehensive array of tools to help you manage your messages more easily. UPDATED Skype for Windows 7.22 Make internet voice and video calls for free, and buy credit to make calls to mobiles and landlines. Trillian 5.6 Use all your instant messaging accounts with one application; this program has support for Windows Live!, AIM, Yahoo! and Google Talk.

UPDATED Rainmeter 3.3.1 Customise the desktop quickly and easily with your choice of information, tools and shortcuts. Windows 8 Transformation Pack 9.1 Emulate the look of Windows 8 on an earlier version of the operating system. Windows 10 Transformation Pack 6 Bring some of Windows 10’s new features to your current operating system.

Screenshot Captor 4.16 Create and manage screenshots the easy way. UPDATED SUMo 4.3.7.310 Quickly scan your PC’s installed applications and find any updates that are available for them. ZipGenius 6.3 A flexible file-compression tool with support for a huge number of compressed file formats.

Internet and Network UPDATED CarotDAV 1.12.7 Manage all your online storage services with one simple application. UPDATED Cyberduck 4.9 A powerful but easy-to-use FTP client for uploading and downloading your files. Easy WiFi 4.0 Find free Wi-Fi hotspots while you’re out and about.

UPDATED NetBalancer 9.2.6 Make the most of your internet connection by assigning download and upload priorities to web applications. TeamViewer 11.0.56 Remote-control your computer from anywhere in the world. Vuze 5.7.1 A BitTorrent client to help you locate, share and download torrent files.

Tweaking and Performance UPDATED CCleaner 5.16 Remove unwanted information, temporary files, browsing history, huge log files and even the settings that uninstalled software leaves behind. UPDATED Defraggler 2.21 Ensure your system is defragmented properly and improve its performance. Finestra Virtual Desktops 2.5 Set up four or more virtual desktops on your PC.

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UPDATED IObit Advanced SystemCare 9.2 A complete computer security, maintenance and optimisation suite. Revo Uninstaller Free 1.95 Remove installed applications completely, including all their folders, system files and Registry entries. Simple Performance Boost 1.0.5 Tweak the Windows Registry to give your PC a performance boost.

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PRINTERS

FRESH PRINTS

Printers and multifunction peripherals From £40 home machines to hulking business-spec workhorses, we’ve tested the best printers available today CONTENT REVIEWS Page 84

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BROTHER MFC-J5320DW BROTHER MFC-J680DW CANON i-Sensys MF724Cdw CANON Pixma MG5750 CANON Pixma MX495 DELL H825cdw

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EPSON Expression Premium XP-530 EPSON WorkForce Pro WF-5690DWF HP DeskJet 3630 HP Officejet 7510 RICOH SP 3600DN RICOH SP C250DNW

IN MANY WAYS, printers are the unsung heroes of the technology world. It’s tempting to think that in a world of smartphones and the cloud, we can all go completely paper-free. But from students printing out essays to legions of office staff creating vital documents, few machines are as utterly essential as the printer. What’s more, there are more than a few good reasons to upgrade to a new one. First, it’s quite difficult to buy a printer these days which isn’t also a scanner and a photocopier – hence ‘multifunction peripheral’, or MFP. Second, both standalone printers and MFPs have been amazingly cheap for a few years

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PRINTERS

now, with entry-level models costing little more than £40. Even at the opposite end, you can pick up a fully business-ready machine – with features such as double-side duplex scanning and huge paper trays that hold hundreds of sheets – for well short of £300. Here, we’ve rounded up 12 printer and MFP contenders for your consideration, ranging from budget home printers to fully fledged enterprise aids.

THEORY OF RESOLUTION

It’s important to note a printer’s maximum printing resolution; as with a monitor or TV, a higher resolution means better detail and more sharpness, which can be crucial if you’re printing out photos and images as well as text documents. Printing resolution is measured in dpi, or dots per inch. As you can imagine, this refers to the number of dots (which is how an inkjet printer transfers its ink to the page) that can fit in a straight line measuring 1in long. A maximum resolution of 4,800x1,200dpi is fairly common, and is just fine for home use plus some business uses, but you can go higher; Epson in particular is fond of the 5,760x1,440dpi resolution.

TOUCH THE SKY

The ability to add print jobs over Wi-Fi is mightily convenient at home, and is borderline essential for office use. It’s the same with scanning – you’ll need to be physically present at the printer, obviously, but once you’ve got the document in the tray, you can create a digitised version and save it straight to your laptop or mobile device. Happily, Wi-Fi connectivity has become commonplace, though some devices go one further and include built-in compatibility with major cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Evernote and more. Once you’ve set up and logged in, this allows you to print off a file directly from your service of choice. It doesn’t need to be saved on any particular device so, for instance, a document you added to Google Drive on a Chromebook can later be printed from your smartphone. Again, you can use cloud storage with an MFP’s scanner as well, saving any scans straight into your account.

SPEED AND WRITE

Printing speed can vary greatly depending on whether a document is monochrome or in full colour. It’s quicker to print out a black-andwhite page than a sheet of colour, but a good printer can close the gap significantly. The standard measurement for printing speed is pages per minute, or ppm. We test printers and MFPs in this regard by printing out a 25-page letter, recording the total time taken and calculating the average ppm. Generally speaking, you should be looking for at least 14ppm in mono and at least 4ppm in colour, though it can be worth skimping on one if the other is considerably above average. The Epson Expression

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Premium XP-530, for example, has a fairly underwhelming 9ppm in mono, but we still like it for its great 6.4ppm in colour printing.

BUTTON UP

Most printers include a small LCD screen. At the most basic level – around the £40-£50 range – this will display some token but still useful information about ink levels, Wi-Fi status and the number of print jobs queued up, but even relatively affordable printers can include a touch-enabled display that acts as its own little control panel. If you plan on printing off a lot of photos, a good screen will display a preview of the image you’re about to print – an essential inclusion if, as many machines allow, you’re selecting

That doesn’t mean that shoddy software should be let off the hook, however. The worst offenders will not only make unwanted changes to your PC, such as altering your default browser, but will make it difficult to opt out from the manufacturer harvesting details about how you use its products. Keep an eye out, then, for printers and MFPs with more user-friendly software, particularly any with robust controls over printing, scanning and copying settings.

BLEEDING DRY

Of course, the retail price of a printer is just the beginning; you’ll continually need to invest in replacement ink cartridges or, if plumping for a laser, toner bottles.

Wi-Fi connectivity is common, but some devices go further and include compatibility with cloud storage services files straight from an SD card inserted directly into a port on the MFP itself. It goes without saying that a good control setup will make it much easier to operate printing, scanning and copying functions, so make sure that the device you’re interested in has the capability to suit your needs. A good touchscreen, for instance, is incredibly useful for managing cloud storage integration.

INSTALLING CONFIDENCE

Mobile Wi-Fi printing and cloud capability mean that it is theoretically possible to avoid dealing with an MFP’s associated PC software, but since this usually includes important options for maintaining and managing the printer, we don’t recommend ignoring it.

Depending on how long you keep it, you’ll likely end up spending more on these running costs than on the MFP itself. That’s why it’s also important to keep in mind how much a printer, and its compatible cartridges, will cost per individual page. Fortunately, it’s easy to find decent machines with running costs of less than 1p per page in mono; printing in colour is always more expensive, but anything below 4p per page remains a very good deal. If possible, try to keep under 4p per mono page and 7p per colour page – anything above this isn’t necessarily a rip-off, especially if it’s laser toner, but you can get more pages for less without any real drop in capacity or quality.

Inkjet VS Laser

There are two main types of printer technology to consider: inkjet and laser. Inkjet printers create text and images by simply pressing thousands of tiny ink dots directly on to the paper; lasers are a bit more complex, as they create an electrostatic image of whatever is being printed, and then use the heat of a laser to fuse toner particles to the paper in the shape of that image. The choice between inkjet or laser printers has, traditionally, not been much of a choice at all: if you wanted high-quality but affordable prints made at home, inkjet was the only logical choice, as both the printer and the individual toner cartridges had a lower immediate cost while allowing for cleaner and more natural-looking colours that made them ideal for printing photos. On the other hand, if you were a business buyer looking for a speedy printer that could handle bulk loads, laser was the way to go. Compatible toner might have been more expensive per unit, but their larger capacity allowed for less frequent changes than an inkjet would have required for the same amount of paper. Nowadays, however, the lines have been blurred somewhat. A laser printer’s entry costs have dropped to the point of comparison with upper- to mid-range inkjets, which themselves have become efficient enough that professionals are increasingly forgoing the crisper blacks of lasers in favour of inkjet’s superior all-colour performance. Many differences do remain. Consumer inkjets are still, generally, the cheapest devices to buy off the shelf, but the higher printing speed of laser printers means they continue to be the first choice for businesses with large loads. We’ve included a mix of inkjet and laser printers in this test, so read on and decide which is most suitable for your purposes.

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PRINTERS INKJET MFP

BROTHER MFC-J5320DW ★★★★★ £80 • From www.printerbase.co.uk

VERDICT

The MFC-J5320DW is a cheap way to tackle any print, scan, copy or fax job a small firm might need EVEN WITH PRINTER prices dropping across the board, the Brother MFC-J5320DW’s price prompted a double-take when it launched last year. For well under £100 this compact inkjet MFP can print, scan, copy and fax, all controlled via a colour touchscreen. You can share it over a wired or wireless network and scan directly to an inserted USB stick, or even to a cloud-based service. It has a 35-page automatic document feeder (ADF), and can automatically print on both sides of each page. If all that wasn’t enough, it can even print on A3 paper. That’s some list, so it’s understandable if it feels as if money has been saved elsewhere. This isn’t a pretty MFP, and its paper input tray feels particularly clattery and unpleasant to handle. To load it up with A3 paper you need to release a catch and extend it fully outwards, which is fiddly, while different paper sizes are loaded with different orientations, which could quickly get confusing. Although the USB port is concealed behind a flap, it’s next to an empty slot where the SD card reader would go on more expensive models.

There’s plenty to like about this MFP, such as the ADF lid that clicks shut, keeping out dust Fortunately, there’s plenty more to like about this MFP. There are neat bits of design, such as the ADF lid that clicks shut, keeping out dust. Its touchscreen might not be the biggest and it doesn’t respond to swipe gestures, but it’s generally responsive and the menu system is clear; we particularly like the ability to add your own shortcuts. One frustration is that you can only print photos from an inserted USB drive, not PDF files or other office documents. While the printer’s 12.8 pages per minute text speed isn’t that impressive, 7.1ppm on our colour graphics test is quick for an inkjet at this price. It took only two-and-a-half minutes to duplex 10 sides of graphics on to five pages, while copying a 10-page document took only 66 seconds in black, or 83 seconds

in colour. Scans were very quick, with a preview completing in just 10 seconds, and a 300dpi A4 scan needing only 12 seconds. Even over an Ethernet connection, it took just 27 seconds to capture a 6x4in photo at 1,200dpi. There’s more good news when it comes to running costs. The MFC-J5320DW comes with ink cartridges rated for a reasonable 550 pages each, and you can replace them with XL items good for 2,400 black pages or 1,200 pages in each colour. Using these, costs work out at just 3.4p per page, of which the black component is just 0.8p. That’s extremely competitive for such a cheap device. We weren’t expecting great results from this MFP, but for most purposes they were fine. Print quality certainly wasn’t bad on plain paper, with bold text and reasonably bright colours in graphics. Our scan tests revealed a slightly drab colour bias, and poor preservation of detail from among dark regions, but the results were good enough for general office work. This is far from the best MFP we’ve tested, but with its wealth of features, cheap price and low running costs we’d recommend it where value takes precedence over quality.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Piezo inkjet

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

RESOLUTION 6,000x1,200dpi

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 1,200x2,400dpi

• DIMENSIONS 240x490x290mm • WEIGHT • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A3 • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.brother.co.uk • PART CODE (24-bit)

10.8kg

MFCJ5320DWU1

Mono speed

12.8ppm

Mixed colour speed

7.1ppm

Mono page cost 0.8p Colour page 2.6p cost 0%

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⬆ Brother’s menu system is clear, and you can create your own shortcuts via the touchscreen

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PRINTERS INKJET MFP

BROTHER MFC-J680DW ★★★★★ £86 • From www.viking-direct.co.uk

VERDICT

The MFC-J680DW is compact and has fair running costs, but it’s all a bit so-so THE MFC-J680DW is the second of Brother’s home and home office inkjet MFPs we’ve looked at in this group test. It’s similar to the older MFC-J5320JW, in both specs and price. For £86, you get print, scan, copy and colour fax functions, with automatic duplex (double-sided) printing and a 20-page automatic document feeder (ADF) for unattended multi-page copies, scans or faxes. This MFP’s other features include support for wireless, but not wired networking, and control through a large colour touchscreen. The MFC-J680DW might be a relatively new model, but Brother’s inkjet MFPs remain resolutely boxy when compared to their rivals. Despite a slightly smaller size than the model it replaces, this MFP still looks more functional than stylish, and it doesn’t exude an air of quality: the paper tray, for example, is clattery, and can be a fiddle to load. We haven’t noticed a build quality issue on a Brother product before, but on our test

sample one of the scanner lid’s extending hinges was impeded by the lack of slack in the cable running to the ADF. There’s not much wrong with the touchscreen, fortunately: while it may not be as slick as some, the menu system it controls is, for the most part, intuitive. Likewise, Brother’s print interface is a great example of making advanced functions easy to use, and its TWAIN scan interface, while basic, is simple for the majority of jobs. While we’ve no complaints about the software or its setup, you do have to be careful when inserting the colour ink cartridges: without physical keying, it’s possible to put one into the wrong slot.

Brother’s print interface is a great example of making advanced functions easy to use

Surprisingly, this newer model is slightly slower than the MFC-J5320JW, particularly in our colour tests. Printing graphics, it managed 5.5ppm – still impressive, but not as fast as the MFC-J5320JW’s 7.1ppm. The MFC-J680DW was also slightly slower in our black text test, managing 12ppm, or 15.5ppm at draft quality. The MFC-J680DW is also slightly slower at scanning. It previewed an A4 page in 10 seconds, and could scan it at 300dpi in 15 seconds. Capturing a 6x4in photo at 1,200dpi took a competitive 53 seconds. A single mono photocopy completed in 17 seconds, while the same job in colour took 22 seconds. Copying 10 mono pages took 151 seconds, while in colour this rose to 181 seconds. This MFP generally produces good results. Printed text was dark black, although those with sharp eyes might spot a little jaggedness in the outline. Colour graphics were strong, but bleed was evident on thinner papers – something to watch if you’re duplexing. Scans were sharply focused, and their colours generally accurate, but darker shades tended to merge together, with a loss of detail. The MFC-J680DW takes Brother’s LC223 cartridges, with a capacity of 550 pages each. Using these, print costs work out at about 7p per page, which is competitive, if unexceptional – much like the MFC-J680DW itself. Consider the MFC-J5320JW instead.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Piezo inkjet

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

RESOLUTION 6,000x1,200dpi

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 1,200x2,400dpi

(24-bit) • DIMENSIONS 172x400x341mm • WEIGHT 8.3kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.brother.co.uk • PART CODE MFCJ680DWZU1

Mono speed

12ppm

Mixed colour speed

5.5ppm 2.4p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

4.7p 0%

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⬆ Brother’s print interface is one of the best: the main tab covers almost everything you’ll need

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PRINTERS LASER MFP

CANON i-Sensys MF724Cdw ★★★★★ £289 • From www.ballicom.co.uk

VERDICT

Canon’s i-Sensys MF724Cdw is a competent colour laser MFP CANON’S I-SENSYS MF724CDW is a colour laser MFP aimed at home or small office users. It costs more than an entry-level device, but the extra outlay buys a better specification: the MF724Cdw has a 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF) and can print and scan automatically on both sides of a page (duplex printing and scanning), so you can sit back while it makes a double-sided copy of a double-sided document. You can connect it to a wired or wireless network, and it has a front-panel USB port for direct scans and prints. Even for its type this is quite a heavy MFP; you’ll need two people to unpack and move it about. We weren’t overly keen on its large touchscreen, which seemed slow to respond, and not always accurate. As a matter of course we tried to update the firmware, but over several attempts the MFP reported either that the server wasn’t available or that there had been a communication error. While it might have a good range of features, the MF724Cdw isn’t especially fast:

Canon quotes a modest 20 pages per minute print speed, and we recorded 16.5ppm in our letter test. We were more impressed by its colour graphics speed of 14.8ppm, however. The flipside of this relaxed pace is that the print engine is unusually quiet, with the comparative hush spoiled only by a loud cooling fan. Connected over wired Ethernet, the scanner needed 25 seconds to capture an A4 page at 300dpi, but only 15 seconds at 150dpi. Single-page photocopies were quite quick for a laser device, taking just 15 seconds in black or 18 seconds in colour. Using the ADF, we made 10 single-sided mono copies in 43 seconds – quick enough – while the same job in colour was less competitive, needing 77 seconds.

The print engine is unusually quiet, with the comparative hush spoiled only by a loud cooling fan

Our test results were impressive. Black text prints were predictably good, but colour graphics were great, with strong colours, a consistent toner finish and no obvious artefacts or jaggedness. Unfortunately, the printer’s tendency toward lively colours was less welcome on photos, which seemed warm and a little too saturated. The MF724Cdw’s scanner, on the other hand, is much better than the majority of office-focused devices. Despite a maximum 600dpi resolution, its scans were sharply focused and packed full of detail, with the Auto Tone feature ensuring great exposure on a range of originals. Unlike Dell’s H825cdw, the MF724Cdw has just four consumables, which each combine toner and drum. Those supplied in the box are good for a meagre 1,200 black and 1,400 pages, but normal capacity replacements should print around 3,400 black pages and 2,900 in colour, giving running costs of around 9.3p per page. Buy the black value pack, which contains two toners giving 6,800 pages, and this falls to 8.9p. A comparable inkjet would still be much cheaper to run, but if you’re set on a laser device there’s little between this and the Dell H825cdw. Both are good: buy the latter if speed is a priority, or the MF724Cdw for slightly lower costs.

SPECIFICATIONS

• MAXIMUM • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

TECHNOLOGY Single-pass colour laser PRINT RESOLUTION 600x600dpi

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 600x600dpi

(24-bit) • DIMENSIONS 479x430x484mm • WEIGHT 31kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year onsite • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk • PART CODE 9947B044

Mono speed

16.5ppm

Mixed colour speed

14.8ppm 2.1p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

7.3p 0%

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⬆ The i-Sensys MF724Cdw’s desktop interface is much easier to use than its touchscreen controls

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PRINTERS INKJET MFP

CANON Pixma MG5750 ★★★★★

£75 • From www.box.co.uk

VERDICT

The right balance of features, performance and quality makes the Pixma MG5750 a winner CANON’S PIXMA MG5750 is, like many of the printers in this group test, an inkjet MFP designed for the home. It’s a squat, smartlooking device, made from high-quality black plastic. It’s also quite well specified: it can print, scan and copy, print automatically on both sides of a sheet of paper (a feature known as duplex printing), and you can connect and share it on a wireless network. There’s no fax modem, however. As you might expect, there’s support for printing from or scanning to cloud services including Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, but signing the printer up is far more involved than it is for products from rival manufacturers such as HP. The Pixma MG5750 has Canon’s unusual five-ink print engine, which combines dye-based black, cyan, magenta and yellow inks with a bigger, pigment black tank for better text printing. While that’s a good thing, we’re disappointed that the MG5750 is lumbered with a clunky control system. Rather than touch input, its menus are navigated with a four-way rocker switch paired with three dedicated buttons below

Photo prints are as good as you’ll get from a mid-range inkjet: free of grain, and impressively sharp the screen; we’ve long criticised this setup, which can be inconsistent and confusing. The MG5750 inherits another feature we’ve bemoaned before. Its ink cartridges are reached by raising up the cantilevered control panel, but the access is a little restricted at the rear of each slot. What’s more, although the slots are clearly marked, it is physically possible to insert the dye-based cartridges in the wrong slot; we’re not sure why there’s no keying to prevent this. The printer’s paper trays have an unusual layout where printed pages spill on to a stop that pivots out of the input tray. It looks basic, but the neat design does keep everything tidy. Fortunately, these fairly minor grumbles couldn’t spoil another great mid-range home

MFP. While it isn’t exactly fast, it delivered standard-quality text at 11.5 pages per minute, and produced our complex colour graphics test at 3.6ppm, which is fine at this price. The scanner is quick at low resolutions, with a 300 dots per inch (dpi) A4 scan needing just 19 seconds, but even using a USB connection, we needed 103 seconds to capture a postcard-sized photo at 1,200dpi. Making a black photocopy of an A4 page took just 13 seconds, rising to 30 seconds in colour. Undoubtedly, this MFP’s best feature is the all-round high quality of its results. Text and graphics printed on plain paper are bold and crisp, while its photo prints are as good as you’ll get from a mid-range inkjet: free of grain, and impressively sharp. Photocopies were faithful to the original, while scans were also sharp, with accurate colours and a high dynamic range. Stick to Canon’s XL ink cartridges and this MFP will print each A4 page of mixed text and graphics for about 6.3p, which is competitive. While we’ve a couple of minor reservations about its design, the MG5750 is affordable to buy and run, has decent speeds and delivers great-quality results. It’s a fine all-rounder for the home, and wins our Best Buy award.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Thermal inkjet RESOLUTION 4,800x1,200dpi

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 1,200x2,400dpi

• DIMENSIONS 148x455x369mm • • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk • (24-bit)

WEIGHT 6.3kg

PART CODE 0557C008

11.5ppm

Mono speed Mixed colour speed

3.6ppm 2.2p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

4.1p 0%

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⬆ The MG5750 doesn’t have the best controls, but its printouts are excellent

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PRINTERS INKJET MFP

CANON Pixma MX495 ★★★★★ £52 • From www.ebuyer.com

VERDICT

The MX495 isn’t perfect, but it’s great if you’re setting up a home office on a budget CANON’S PIXMA MX495 is a small inkjet multifunction peripheral aimed at home offices: accordingly, it can print, scan or copy, and send or receive faxes. It’s a smart, compact device with a 20-page automatic document feeder (ADF) built into the scanner lid, so you can leave it alone to copy longer documents, or send a multi-page fax. There’s support for USB connections and wireless networking, but no front-panel USB or wired Ethernet port, although we wouldn’t necessarily expect either at this price. Despite the cheap price and compact design, the MX495 is reasonably satisfying. When not in use, the ADF’s input tray can fold shut to keep dust out. In the base there’s a 100-sheet paper tray that slides out, but can’t be removed, and printed pages are spat into a decent, if flexible, output tray above it. While this MFP can’t automatically print on

both sides of a sheet of paper, duplex-style, the driver will help you do it manually. To the left of the ADF is a neat control panel with a mono display, but this proved a little fussy in use; we often found it involved one more step or confirmation than expected. It’s also a bit of an arduous mission to connect the device to Canon’s Pixma Cloud Link service: you need to print a code directly from the printer which is valid only for an hour, visit a URL that’s hard to type out, register, answer an email and create a username before you can get started. Other manufacturers’ equivalents are far less involved.

Given its low price, capable features and good results, this is a great budget office MFP

Even when connected via USB, printing was very much on the slow side. It delivered a first page of text in just 14 seconds, but could manage only 8.4ppm over 25 pages. Colour pages crept out at a glacial 1.6ppm, in part due to regular pauses between sheets. We’ve seen facial hair appear more quickly than this printer’s 6x4in photo prints, each of which needed almost six minutes to complete. Photocopies were slow as well, particularly in colour where we saw more pauses: 10 A4 pages took seven-and-a-half minutes. Happily, scan speeds were much more competitive, with even a 1,200dpi scan of a 6x4in photo completing in less than a minute. Fortunately, there was little to criticise about the quality of our results. Scans were much better than average for a budget device, with sharp focus and great detail. Photocopies were also great, and text and graphics were both fine on plain paper. Those with sharp eyes might spot a touch of grain in photos, but they certainly weren’t bad. Ink cartridges for the MX495 come in a choice of two sizes. Using the larger of these, costs work out at a very reasonable 6.9p per A4 page of text and graphics, although the black component of this is a steep 2.9p. Given its low price, capable features and good results, this is a great budget office MFP, but with slow print speeds and high black page costs, we’d only recommend it for light to moderate use.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Thermal inkjet RESOLUTION 4,800x1,200dpi

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 600x1,200dpi

• DIMENSIONS 189x435x295mm • WEIGHT 5.9kg • • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.canon.co.uk • PART CODE 0013C008

(24-bit)

MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal

Mono speed

8.4ppm

Mixed colour speed

1.6ppm 2.9p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

6.9p 0%

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⬆ Scans produced by the MX495 were much better than most budget devices

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PRINTERS LASER MFP

DELL H825cdw ★★★★★

£278 • From www.ballicom.co.uk

VERDICT

Dell’s H825cdw is a good compromise between speed, quality and cost WITH INKJETS GETTING ever faster and cheaper to run, it gets harder to find laser printers we’d recommend. Dell’s new H825cdw is in with a shout, though: it’s a colour laser multifunction peripheral with a great set of features, including all the interfaces you could need, automatic duplex printing and scanning, NFC, and integration with various cloud services. At 28 pages per minute, it’s fast, and if the need arises you can buy an extra 550-sheet paper tray to supplement its standard 250-sheet cassette and 50-page multipurpose tray. That all sounds great, but it’s unlikely to be love at first sight. The H825cdw is big, black and monolithic, although it’s livened up by a big colour touchscreen mounted in front of the scanner bed. Below this is a USB port for scanning to, or printing from, a USB stick. At the top there’s a 50-sheet automatic document feeder capable of scanning both sides of a sheet in a single pass – ideal if you need to make fast double-sided copies or faxes. Dell’s software install is a bit clunky, but seems fairly foolproof, and much the same

could be said for the printer’s own control panel. Unusually, settings changes such as enabling or disabling the built-in Wi-Fi interface require a reboot before they’ll take effect. It’s not the friendliest interface at first, but after a short period of use it begins to show recently used functions, which we found helpful. Create a Dell Document Hub account, link it with your accounts on cloud services such as Dropbox or Google Drive, and you can access these directly from the printer via a single login. The H825cdw isn’t too noisy during prints, although it takes 20 seconds or so after a job for its cooling fans to step down. The hush is surprising given its impressive speed: it completed our 25-page text test in exactly one minute from a standing start, and

needed only 90 seconds for our more complex colour graphics test. Photocopies were impressively fast, with 10 mono pages completing in 29 seconds, and 10 colour pages in 50 seconds. Scans, too, were very quick, with a document scan needing just eight seconds at 150 dots per inch (dpi), or twice that at 300dpi. Aside from very slightly sombre colour output, print quality was uniformly excellent, as were photocopies. Scans were also good, demonstrating sharp focus and high dynamic range to capture almost the full range of shades in our tests. We weren’t enamoured with the layout or usability of Dell’s TWAIN scan interface, but it clearly did the job. It’s not often that we see a colour laser printer that uses separate toners and drums, but the H825cdw is one such machine. Many users won’t need to replace the latter, as each is rated for 50,000 pages, but the supplied toner will be gone within about 1,200 pages. Using Dell’s extra-high-capacity replacements and factoring in the cost of drums and the 30,000-page waste toner box, ongoing running costs work out at about 10.1p per colour page, which is broadly competitive. We’d still go for a good office inkjet, but if we were choosing a laser, the H825cdw would be near the top of our list.

SPECIFICATIONS

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL SCAN

TECHNOLOGY Single-pass colour laser RESOLUTION 600x600dpi

RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 600x600dpi (24-bit)

• DIMENSIONS 500x429x504mm • WEIGHT 31.7kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year next business day onsite • DETAILS www.dell.co.uk • PART CODE 210-AFRN

25ppm

Mono speed Mixed colour speed

16ppm 1.7p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

8.5p 0%

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⬆ Dell’s software interface isn’t the friendliest, but it’s fairly foolproof

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PRINTERS INKJET MFP

EPSON Expression Premium XP-530 ★★★★★ £70 • From www.currys.co.uk

VERDICT

Microscopic screen aside, Epson’s XP-530 is a good home MFP for creative work THE XP-530 IS the cheapest model in Epson’s Expression Premium range of inkjet MFPs for the home. Geared toward creative users, it uses Epson’s five-ink engine, which combines a pigment-based black for text printing, with dye-based black, cyan, magenta and yellow inks for graphics and photos. You can share it via a wired network, print from or scan to an inserted SD memory card, or print automatically on both sides of a sheet of paper (duplex printing). But as is common for cheap MFPs, there’s no fax modem. On first impressions, ‘Premium’ isn’t a word we’d use for the XP-530. It looks smart, with a squat stance and shiny black plastics, but its control panel has one of the smallest colour screens we’ve seen: a 3.7cm panel that looks like it belongs in a camera viewfinder. It’s been paired with four-way navigation and an OK switch, and at the highest, icon-based level it works fine. Dive into sub-menus, however, and there’s only room on the screen to display one option at a time, meaning you’ll often have to scroll to find what you want. Entering our Wi-Fi password was tortuous, but the MFP does also support the Wi-Fi Protected Setup

The XP-530 is an incredibly quick colour printer for the price, spitting out 6x4in colour photos in around a minute (WPS) process for a much more simplified configuration. We should note that the screen was very quick to preview photos on an SD card, so it’s not all bad. While it looks like there’s an input tray folded up at the rear, you actually load paper into a 100-sheet tray slung underneath. We found it fiddly to restock this without knocking the output tray above it; on more than one occasion the printer nagged us to extend it properly again. Fortunately, things quickly improve when you actually start printing with the XP-530. For a start, it’s an incredibly quick colour printer for the price, spitting out 6x4in colour photos in around a minute each, and dispatching our colour graphics test at 6.4 pages per minute (ppm) – that’s about 50% quicker than what we’d expect. Its black text speed of 9.0ppm is less impressive, but switching to draft quality

produced faint but acceptable results at 16.3ppm. A single black A4 photocopy took 16 seconds, while a colour copy took 24 seconds. The scanner is similarly quick, needing just 10 seconds to preview an A4 page or to capture it at 150 dots per inch. Capturing a 6x4in photo at 600dpi took just 25 seconds, but repeating the job at 1,200dpi was slow, at two minutes and 16 seconds. While we’ve seen sharper results, the XP-530 captured colours faithfully, and was able to distinguish the full range of shades in our tests. Print quality is impressive, with crisp black text and vivid colour graphics on plain paper, as well as natural, detailed photos on coated paper. While not a match for Epson’s more expensive six-ink printers, pictures compare well to those from five-ink Canon printers. Epson says the XP-530 doesn’t use its photo black ink in plain paper printing, so it’s not included in our 8.7p per page running cost calculation. Even so, this is more than 2p higher than we calculated for this MFP’s main rival, Canon’s Pixma MG5750. Ultimately, there’s not much to pick between the two. For us, the Canon is the better all-rounder, and while the Epson is faster to print in colour, its higher running costs and miniscule screen just rob it of a fifth star. It’s still a very good buy for occasional creative use, however.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Piezo inkjet

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

RESOLUTION 5,760x1,440dpi

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 1,200x2,400dpi

• DIMENSIONS 138x390x341mm • WEIGHT 6.2kg • • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.epson.co.uk • PART CODE XP-350 (24-bit)

MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal

9ppm

Mono speed Mixed colour speed

6.4ppm 2.7p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

6p 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

⬆ The XP-530 has such a tiny screen that you’ll need to use the desktop software to enter your settings

90

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

PRINTERS INKJET MFP

EPSON WorkForce Pro WF-5690DWF ★★★★★ £298 • From www.ukofficedirect.co.uk

VERDICT

The WorkForce Pro WF-5690DWF is a great office MFP, but it’s too expensive EPSON’S WORKFORCE PRO WF-5690DWF is an inkjet multifunction peripheral for a busy small office. It’s extremely well specified, with Gigabit Ethernet and wireless networking fitted as standard, along with a huge 10.9cm colour touchscreen. Not only can it print automatically on both sides of a sheet of paper, but its 35-page automatic document feeder can pull off the same trick: you can make a double-sided copy or fax of a double-sided original without having to feed the sheets manually. The main difference between this and the cheaper WF-5620DWF is that this model supports print languages including PCL6 and Adobe PostScript 3. A 250-page paper cassette sits at the base of the printer, while a specialty feed at the back handles another 80 sheets when needed. The WF-5690DWF seems built to last: Epson says it’s good for a one-time maximum print duty of 35,000 pages a month, which is comparable to the small colour laser devices with which it’s competing. This is an easy MFP to use from a PC or mobile device, with Epson’s software

combining advanced options with ease of use. We’re not enamoured with the touchscreen, however. Although the picture is clear it isn’t always perfectly responsive, and the menu system is more complex than necessary. When it comes to speed, there’s not much between this and a comparable laser printer. The WF-5690DWF delivered our 25-page letter tests at 19.2 pages per minute, and managed 13.1ppm on our graphics-heavy colour test. Duplexing 10 colour sides on to five pages took 99 seconds. It was particularly quick on our scan tests, completing an A4 preview in just six seconds, capturing a page at 300dpi in 14 seconds, and needing only 37 seconds to scan a 6x4in colour photo at 1,200dpi. Single page

When it comes to speed, there’s not much between this and a comparable laser printer

photocopies took just nine seconds in black or 14 seconds in colour, although multipage copies weren’t quite as competitive, with 10 sheets needing around a minute and three-quarters in black or colour. Scan, print and copy quality is uniformly good, as we’d expect for the price. While black text isn’t quite laser-sharp, it’s as good as we’ve seen from an inkjet. Colour graphics have more impact on plain paper than most rivals’ efforts, but there was a trace of bleedthrough on duplex prints on 80gsm paper. This printer has a cheap ‘maintenance box’ rated for 50,000 pages, and its consumables are available in several sizes up to 4,000-page ‘XXL’ items. Overall costs of 3.8p per A4 page are cheaper than any directly competing laser, but ink prices have been falling, and running costs of the WorkForce ranges are no longer exceptional among office inkjets. With low running costs and great all-round performance, this MFP makes more sense than a colour laser, but it’s too expensive. If you can do without PostScript 3, the Brother MFC-J5320DW costs less than a third of the price, while still offering above-average printing speeds, faxing capability and even lower running costs than the WF-5690DWF.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Piezo inkjet

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

RESOLUTION 4,800x1,200dpi

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 1,200x2,400dpi

(24-bit) • DIMENSIONS 342x461x422mm • WEIGHT 14.3kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY Three years onsite • DETAILS www.epson.co.uk • PART CODE C11CD14301BY

19.2ppm

Mono speed Mixed colour speed

13.1ppm 0.9p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

10h 16m 3.1p

0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

⬆ Epson’s excellent software makes the WF-5690DWF easy to use from a PC or a mobile device

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

91

PRINTERS INKJET MFP

HP DeskJet 3630 ★★★★★

£40 • From www.currys.co.uk

VERDICT

HP’s DeskJet 3630 is a bargain, but suffers from some truly awful software THE GLOSSY WHITE curves of HP’s DeskJet 3630 are a stylish change from the rows of black printers that usually fill these pages, even if from certain angles it reminds us of bathroom furniture. It’s not a bad trick for such a cheap device; it’s hard to spend less on an MFP, yet the DeskJet 3630 neither looks nor feels cut-price. There’s no duplex (double-sided) printing, but the simple blue paper trays look good and keep everything tidy enough. There’s no fancy screen, but if all you’ll do is make the odd photocopy, the basic controls and simple LCD are just fine. As you’d expect, you can connect this MFP to your wireless network, which lets you share it among several people, or access it from mobile devices. With only basic controls available, this is done via a temporary USB connection when you’re installing HP’s software on to a PC. Unfortunately, that’s where our criticisms just begin. The default installation choices result in Google Chrome being installed and set as your default browser – something we’d only expect to see supporting a free app. And while HP is by no means alone among printer manufacturers in wanting to collect anonymised information about how you use its products, its installer makes it harder than most to opt out of the service. If you install the Android app, you’ll need to opt out again there. Elements of HP’s PC software for inkjet MFPs have long been easy to criticise, from

On plain paper, black text was bold and crisp, and colour graphics were reasonably vivid, and unusually free of inkjet artefacts such as grain or streaking an oversimplified print driver that hides basic choices away in an unfriendly advanced options menu, to the even more simplistic scan software, which survived a recent redesign to remain almost wilfully irritating. Unfortunately, nothing has changed here. By default, the printer is set to its slower ‘quiet mode’: you must unset this from the HP Toolbox app, as counter-intuitively there’s no option in the driver. Given its low price, it is at least much easier to forgive this MFP’s other weaknesses. Despite a decent 11.2ppm result when printing text, it could deliver only two pages of colour graphics per minute. Photos were very slow, too, with each 6x4in print taking more than four minutes to appear. It’s not a quick copier, either, needing a minute to duplicate a colour A4 page, or 40 seconds in black only. HP’s TWAIN interface wouldn’t let us complete our 150dpi test, but at 300dpi, scanning an A4 page took 25

seconds. A 1,200dpi photo scan took three minutes, which is very slow. Fortunately, there’s no need to make excuses for the quality of its results. On plain paper, black text was bold and crisp, and colour graphics were reasonably vivid, and unusually free of inkjet artefacts such as grain or streaking. Scans were fine for most purposes, with details preserved from even the lightest and darkest regions, but again it was frustrating to see that photos appeared to have been sharpened, and the TWAIN interface has no option to turn this off. We often find that the cheapest MFPs are saddled with the highest running costs, but that’s not the case here. Buy cartridges yourself and an A4 page of mixed text and graphics will cost about 9.3p, but you can lower this – and save hassle – by subscribing to HP’s Instant Ink service, which delivers replacement cartridges straight to your door. This is a good budget MFP that won’t make you feel like you’ve scrimped and saved; it’s just a shame that HP hasn’t paired it with better software.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Thermal inkjet RESOLUTION 4,800x1,200dpi

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 1,200x1,200dpi

• DIMENSIONS 158x438x310mm • • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.hp.co.uk • (24-bit)

WEIGHT 4.2kg

PART CODE K4T99B#BEV

11.2ppm

Mono speed Mixed colour speed

2ppm 3.7p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

5.6p 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

⬆ Annoyingly, HP’s software will attempt to install Google Chrome and set it as your default browser

92

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

PRINTERS INKJET MFP

HP Officejet 7510 ★★★★★

£94 • From www.viking-direct.co.uk

VERDICT

The Officejet 7510 is a cheap way to print on A3 paper, but it made us grumpy HP IS ALONE in describing A3 printers as ‘wide format’ but, daft name aside, the Officejet 7510 Wide Format All-in-One Printer seems like a sensible device. For well under £100 it can scan, fax and copy A4 originals, and print with or without borders on anything up to A3+ (322x475mm). The Officejet 7510 supports wired and wireless networking, and is controlled via a colour touchscreen. There’s also a 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) on the top for making unattended copies and faxes. The Officejet 7510 is a big and chunky device, with a strong 250-sheet paper tray captive in the base. The tray’s heavy-duty lid also forms the 75-sheet output tray, but we found it extremely fiddly to fit properly in the first place, and just as difficult to replace after we accidentally pulled it off when reloading paper. We had a similar problem when fitting the supplied standard black ink cartridge, which didn’t seat easily. We suspect it’s easier to fit the XL version, which fills the full width of the slot. As with the HP DeskJet 3630 opposite, HP’s setup program wanted to install Google’s

Chrome browser and set it as our default, which is something we’d associate with freeware. It installs HP’s most recent scan interface, which is as frustratingly oversimplified as the one it replaces. There’s a depressing lack of advanced features, and a limited selection of predefined scan resolutions. Like some other HP products we’ve tested, scanning at 1,200 dots per inch produced a completely black image. The print driver is similarly oversimplified. You’ll need to fish around in its unfriendly Advanced settings to find options such as the maximum print resolution. Bizarrely, you’ll also need to head here to select the A3 and A3+ paper sizes that are this MFP’s key selling point, although at least once you find them you can set up a shortcut. Unfortunately, the Officejet 7510 doesn’t support automatic double-sided prints, scans or copies.

The frustrating software is a shame, because in many ways the 7510 is very good. Its mono and colour photocopies are fantastic, and black text is excellent

These frustrations are a shame, because in many ways the 7510 is very good. Its mono and colour photocopies are fantastic, black text is excellent, and colour graphics and photos are also pretty good. Document scans were fine, but our 600dpi photo scan appeared to have been sharpened, leaving colour boundaries looking artificial when viewed at 100%. This is quite a rapid MFP, managing to print both draft and standard quality text at 14.6 pages per minute in our tests; the results looked identical, too. Preview scans took just 10 seconds over a USB connection, a 300dpi A4 scan took 13 seconds, and our 600dpi photo just 24 seconds. Single photocopies were swift, but the substantial-looking ADF buzzed irritatingly in use, slowed a 10-page mono copy to two-and-a-half minutes and needed 45 seconds longer for the same job in colour. Using the available high-capacity ink cartridges, this printer’s running costs come in at a reasonable 4.3p per A4 page of text and colour graphics. Unfortunately, this isn’t quite enough to save the Officejet 7510 when for even less money you can buy the Canon Pixma MG5750 or Brother’s MFC-J5320DW. The Brother MFP in particular may be uglier and feel less well made, but it’s generally quicker, even cheaper to buy and run, and it has duplex printing. Helpfully, it’s also less frustrating to use.

SPECIFICATIONS TECHNOLOGY Thermal inkjet RESOLUTION 4,800x1,200dpi

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL

SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) 1,200x1,200dpi

• DIMENSIONS 287x615x727mm • WEIGHT 13kg • • WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS www.hp.co.uk • PART CODE G3J47A

(24-bit)

MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A3+

14.6ppm

Mono speed Mixed colour speed

4.2ppm

10h 16m

1.6p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

10h 16m

2.7p 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

⬆ HP’s oversimplified and unfriendly software interface lacks many advanced functions

93

PRINTERS LASER PRINTER

RICOH SP 3600DN ★★★★★ £160 • From www.ebuyer.com

VERDICT

Fast and robust, with good print quality and low costs, Ricoh’s SP 3600DN is a winner RICOH’S SP 3600DN is a fast mono printer for a small office or workgroup. It’s designed for fairly hard use, with a maximum duty cycle of 50,000 pages per month, and a claimed speed of up to 30 pages per minute (ppm). It doesn’t support wireless networking and there’s no front-panel USB port for walk-up printing, but there is a wired Ethernet port at the rear. Moreover, duplex (double-sided) printing is standard, and the maximum print resolution is 1,200dpi – more detailed than the 600dpi you get on entry-level printers. Unlike the other printers tested here, the SP 3600DN uses LED printing instead of more conventional inkjet and laser technology. LED printing is broadly similar to laser, except that it uses – you guessed it – a light-emitting diode to draw the electrostatic image instead of a laser beam. The SP 3600DN feels built to cope with clumsy office use. The 250-sheet paper tray is sturdy and comes with a handy gauge to let you know when it’s running low on paper.

At the right there’s also a size wheel, which serves to tell you and the printer what size paper is loaded, provided you remember to change it when necessary. Above, the 100-sheet bypass tray feels bullet-proof, while the stop at the front of the 125-sheet output tray feels similarly robust. Unusually at this price, you can upgrade this printer with an additional 250- or 500-sheet cassette, for a maximum 850-sheet capacity. This printer arrives with a standard 20,000-page drum and a 1,500-page starter toner, after which replacements for the latter can be had with either a 3,000- or 6,000-page capacity. Stick to the bigger cartridge and costs work out at a low 1.2p per page, or 1.3p

The SP 3600DN feels built to cope with clumsy office use. The 250-sheet paper tray is sturdy and comes with a handy gauge to let you know when it’s running low on paper

if you include the maintenance box you’ll need after 120,000 pages. We doubt many home users will get that far, but heavy users could buy this printer and produce 100,000 A4 pages for about £1,300. We found the SP 3600DN quite slow to start printing unless its cooling fans were still running from a previous job, in which case the time to first page (TTFP) was about 16 seconds. Once they had stopped, we timed this at 20-25 seconds, depending on how long the printer had been idle. It soon made up for the hesitant start, though, despatching our 25-page text test at a rate of 23.8ppm. Over 100 pages it reached 28.6ppm. Text quality was predictably excellent, with dark black characters and razor-sharp outlines. Graphics were also good, although the deep black toner made them a little too dark in places, and there was a slight trace of banding – an issue this LED printer has in common with some laser-class printers. We saw the same issues with photos, but otherwise these were unusually good for this class of printer, with crisp details and subtle shading without obvious half-toning artefacts. Unfortunately, we couldn’t print DL envelopes without bad creases appearing in them. This printer is overkill for light home use, but its speed, durability, duplex printing and low costs make it ideal for anyone wanting to print a lot on a modest budget. In particular, the availability of paper tray upgrades means it could grow with a small business, provided that colour printing isn’t required of it.

SPECIFICATIONS

• MAXIMUM PRINT • MAXIMUM OPTICAL SCAN RESOLUTION (OUTPUT BIT DEPTH) N/A • DIMENSIONS 268x370x392mm • WEIGHT 14.5kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY Two years RTB • DETAILS www.ricoh.co.uk • PART CODE 906231 TECHNOLOGY Mono LED

RESOLUTION 1,200x1,200dpi

Mono speed

23.8ppm 1.2p

Mono page cost 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

⬆ The Ricoh SP 3600DN is built for heavy use, with a maximum duty cycle of 50,000 pages per month

94

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

PRINTERS PRINTE LASER PRINTER

RICOH SP C250DNW ★★★★★ £70 • From www.ebuyer.com

VERDICT

Ricoh’s SP C250DNW is as cheap as colour laser printers get. Surprisingly, it’s not bad at all IT’S HARD TO spend less on a colour laser printer than the £70 or so that Ricoh’s SP C250DNW will set you back. You’d imagine, then, that it might be rubbish, but with both wired and wireless network connections and automatic double-sided (duplex) printing, it looks pretty promising. Its 250-sheet paper tray is enough for most home or micro-office users, and there’s a single-page bypass feed for when you need to print on specialty media such as an envelope or headed paper. The SP C250DNW isn’t the smallest colour laser and, at about 24kg, it’s good to have a friend help you unpack it. Despite the bulk, it’s a pleasant enough design, with a couple of white panels seemingly wrapped around a black plastic core. There are some nice touches, too, as the vents over its two cooling fans can be rotated to blow hot air to the front or back. It’s not perfect, though. While the display is backlit, it’s a basic two-line LCD. There are no orientation markings in the main paper tray, which is a pain if you want to print on the flipside of a previous single-sided job. In our testing, the SP C250DNW was some way off Ricoh’s claimed 20ppm speed. It produced a first page of black text in 23 seconds, and went on to deliver 25 pages at a rate of 16.0ppm. In common with most printers, it was far slower to deal with the complex graphics

Print quality is very high. Graphics and photos alike had neutral colours, and the toner gave an even, satin finish contained in our 24-page colour test: the whole test completed at 5.8ppm. Timed over just the last 10 pages, which represent printing off typical web pages, it reached 10.5ppm, which is much faster than a similarly priced inkjet would manage. Duplex printing 10 sides of colour graphics on to five pages took the best part of three minutes, but repeating this with the less complex pages took just 70 seconds. Happily, print quality is very high. Graphics and photos alike had neutral colours, and the toner gave an even, satin finish. Those with sharper eyes might detect some half-toning patterns among subtly different colours, though, and on thin paper stock we could see some bleed-through in duplexed pages. Text quality was exemplary, as you might expect from a laser.

Despite vents that could spare you from an unwelcome draft, this is quite a loud printer, particularly so given its modest speed. While there isn’t much clattering from the paper transport mechanism, those fans are loud, and occasionally while they were running we heard a sudden, short-lived buzz, as though an unfortunate insect had just been sucked into the blades. This is usually the part of a laser printer review where we’d point out the high running costs, and say that in most cases you’d be better off with an inkjet. However, while this printer’s page costs do work out at a steep 12.6p for a page of mixed text and graphics, that’s only about 35% higher than some inkjet printers at this price. Interestingly, it costs the exact same 2.2p per black-and-white page as the Canon Pixma MG5750 inkjet MFP. If you’ll be printing in moderate volumes we’d still recommend an inkjet, but for when fast printing is a priority, the SP C250DNW is a cheap printer that’s well specified and produces great results. It’s a Best Buy.

SPECIFICATIONS

• MAXIMUM • DIMENSIONS 320x400x450mm • WEIGHT 23.8kg • MAXIMUM PAPER SIZE A4/legal • WARRANTY Two years swap out • DETAILS www.ricoh.co.uk • PART CODE 901630 TECHNOLOGY Single-pass colour laser

PRINT RESOLUTION 2,400x600dpi

Mono speed

16ppm

Mixed colour speed

5.8ppm 2.2p

Mono page cost Colour page cost

10.4p 0%

-50

Reference

+50

+100

See page 74 for performance details

⬆ Ricoh’s SP C250DNW has surprisingly low running costs for a laser printer

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

95

PRINTERS RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

BEST BUY

RECOMMENDED

BROTHER

BROTHER

CANON

CANON

CANON

MFC-J5320DW

MFC-J680DW

i-Sensys MF724Cdw

Pixma MG5750

Pixma MX495

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

Piezo inkjet

Piezo inkjet

Single-pass colour laser

Thermal inkjet

Thermal inkjet

6,000x1,200dpi

6,000x1,200dpi

600x600dpi

4,800x1,200dpi

4,800x1,200dpi

1,200x2,400dpi (24-bit)

1,200x2,400dpi (24-bit)

600x600dpi (24-bit)

1,200x2,400dpi (24-bit)

600x1,200dpi (24-bit)

12.8ppm

12.0ppm

16.5ppm

11.5ppm

8.4ppm

7.1ppm

5.5ppm

14.8ppm

3.6ppm

1.6ppm

Number of colours (cartridges)

4 (4)

4 (4)

4 (4)

5 (5)

4 (4)

Maximum colours (cartridges)

4 (4)

4 (4)

4 (4)

5 (5)

4 (4)

Standard interfaces

USB, USB host, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, USB host, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

Optional interfaces

None

None

None

None

None

Rating

HARDWARE Technology Maximum print resolution Maximum optical scan resolution (output bit depth) Mono print speed Mixed colour print speed

Dimensions

240x490x290mm

172x400x341mm

479x430x484mm

148x455x369mm

189x435x295mm

10.8kg

8.3kg

31kg

6.3kg

5.9kg

Not stated

Not stated

750-2,000 recommended, 40,000 maximum

Not stated

1,000 maximum

A3

A4/legal

A4/legal

A4/legal

A4/legal

220gsm

300gsm

220gsm

300gsm

300gsm

Standard paper trays (capacity)

2 (251)

3 (121)

2 (300)

1 (100)

2 (100)

Maximum paper trays (capacity)

2 (251)

3 (121)

3 (500)

1 (100)

2 (100)

Duplex

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Borderless printing

A3

A4

No

A4

A4

USB

No

USB

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, Android, iOS

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, Android, iOS

Windows Vista or later, Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, Linux, Android, iOS

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, Android, iOS

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, Android, iOS

Colour touchscreen

Colour touchscreen

Colour touchscreen

Colour LCD

Mono LCD

One year RTB

One year RTB

One year onsite

One year RTB

One year RTB

Weight Duty cycle (pages per month)

PAPER HANDLING Maximum paper size Maximum paper weight

FEATURES Direct (PC-less) printing Memory card support Supported operating systems

Display

BUYING INFORMATION Warranty Price inc VAT

£80

£86

£289

£75

£52

Mono page cost

0.8p

2.4p

2.1p

2.2p

2.9p

Colour page cost

2.6p

4.7p

7.3p

4.1p

6.9p

www.printerbase.co.uk

www.viking-direct.co.uk

www.ballicom.co.uk

www.box.co.uk

www.ebuyer.com

www.brother.co.uk

www.brother.co.uk

www.canon.co.uk

www.canon.co.uk

www.canon.co.uk

MFCJ5320DWU1

MFCJ680DWZU1

9947B044

0557C008

0013C008

Supplier Details Part code

96

JULY 2016

| COMPUTER SHOPPER | ISSUE 341

PRINTERS RECOMMENDED

DELL

EPSON

EPSON

HP

HP

H825cdw

Expression Premium XP-530

WorkForce Pro WF5690DWF

DeskJet 3630

Officejet 7510 SP 3600DN

SP C250DNW

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★★★

Single-pass colour laser

Piezo inkjet

Piezo inkjet

Thermal inkjet

Thermal inkjet

Mono LED

Single-pass colour laser

600x600dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

4,800x1,200dpi

4,800x1,200dpi

4,800x1,200dpi

1,200x1,200dpi

2,400x600dpi

600x600dpi (24-bit)

1,200x2,400dpi (24-bit)

1,200x2,400dpi (24-bit)

1,200x1,200dpi (24-bit)

1,200x1,200dpi (24-bit)

N/A

N/A

25.0ppm

9ppm

19.2ppm

11.2ppm

14.6ppm

23.8ppm

16.0ppm

16.0ppm

6.4ppm

13.1ppm

2.0ppm

4.2ppm

N/A

5.8ppm

4 (4)

5 (5)

4 (4)

4 (2)

4 (4)

1 (1)

2 (251)

4 (4)

5 (5)

4 (4)

4 (2)

4 (4)

1 (1)

3 (751)

USB, USB host, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, USB host, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

USB, Ethernet

USB, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

500x429x504mm

138x390x341mm

342x461x422mm

158x438x310mm

287x615x727mm

268x370x392mm

320x400x450mm

31.7kg

6.2kg

14.3kg

4.2kg

13kg

14.5kg

23.8kg

700-3,500 recommended, 50,000 maximum

Not stated

35,000 maximum

1,000 maximum

800 recommended, 12,000 maximum

50,000 maximum

30,000 maximum

A4/legal

A4/legal

A4/legal

A4/legal

A3+

A4/legal

A4/legal

220gsm

Not stated

256gsm

300gsm

250gsm

162gsm

160gsm

2 (300)

1 (100)

2 (330)

1 (60)

1 (250)

2 (350)

2 (251)

3 (850)

1 (100)

3 (580)

1 (60)

1 (250)

3 (850)

3 (751)

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

A4

No

A4

A3+

No

No

Mobile, USB, NFC

Memory card

USB

No

USB

USB

USB, mobile

No

SD

No

No

No

No

No

Windows Vista or later, Mac OS X 10.7 or later, Linux, SAP R/3 release 4.6B onwards

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, Android, iOS

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, Android, iOS

Windows Vista or later, Mac OS X 10.8 or later, Android, iOS

Windows Vista or later, Mac OS X 10.8 or later, Linux, Android, iOS

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.6 or later, Android, iOS

Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.6 or later, Android, iOS

Colour touchscreen

Colour touchscreen

Colour touchscreen

Mono LCD

Colour touchscreen

Mono LCD

Mono LCD

One year next business day onsite

One year RTB

Three years onsite

One year RTB

One year RTB

Two years RTB

Two years swap-out

£278

£70

£298

£40

£94

£160

£70

1.7p

2.7p

0.9p

3.7p

1.6p

1.2p

2.2p

8.5p

6.0p

3.1p

5.6p

2.7p

N/A

10.4p

www.ballicom.co.uk

www.currys.co.uk

www.officedirect. co.uk

www.currys.co.uk

www.viking-direct. co.uk

www.ebuyer.com

www.ebuyer.com

www.dell.co.uk

www.epson.co.uk

www.epson.co.uk

www.hp.co.uk

www.hp.co.uk

www.ricoh.co.uk

www.ricoh.co.uk

210-AFRN

XP-350

C11CD14301BY

K4T99B#BEV

G3J47A

906231

901630

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

BUSINESS BUY

BEST BUY

RICOH

RICOH

Prices correct at time of going to press

RECOMMENDED

97

THE 21 THINGS KILLING YOUR PC

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THE 21 THINGS KILLING YOUR PC

THE 21 THINGS

KILLING YOUR PC

Your computer is slowly dying, throttled by malware, bloatware, old components and dirt. But it doesn’t have to be that way: our guide shows you how to reverse the ageing process and make your PC run like new again NO MATTER HOW advanced computers get, there’s one inevitability: they all get slower over time. When the issues build up, a slow PC can be infuriating to use and, in the worst cases we’ve seen, even cause the computer to be abandoned. In most cases, the slowdown is not because of old hardware not being able to cope, but rather the cumulative effect of lots of minor things going wrong. These can be as simple as old software taking up resources on startup or dust building up inside the case, making your computer hotter and thus causing the CPU to slow down to protect itself, to hidden malware running rampant. The good news is that all these problems can be fixed. So, before you decide your old computer has

had it and it’s time to upgrade, you should follow our instructions over the next 10 pages as we show you how to reinvigorate your PC. Our in-depth step-by-step instructions will help you identify and fix the 21 most common culprits for a slow computer, and many of the not-so-common ones, too. You should think of this feature as a regular maintenance guide: repeat the steps every few months and you’ll ensure that your computer always stays in tip-top condition. Even if it is time to make a new purchase, these instructions should still prove invaluable, as you can give your old computer a massive tweak to make it usable for someone else; perhaps it can go to a family member or even be donated to charity.

THE 21 THINGS KILLING YOUR PC

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▶ Hidden malware

p100

▶ Five programs to uninstall now

▶ Adware

p101

p103

▶ Utilities, links, security software, old software, Modern UI

▶ Bloated Windows 8 and 10

p104

p102

▶ Low memory and slow hard disk

▶ Toolbars, startup apps, free software

p106

p103

▶ Heat and dust

p109

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THE 21 THINGS KILLING YOUR PC

Hidden malware

Not all malware can be detected by your AV software. Here we show you how to find the bad stuff you probably don’t even know is there THE AMOUNT OF malware in the wild is truly terrifying. In 2015 alone, Kaspersky detected that 34.2% of users’ computers were subject to a web attack. That statistic only takes into account the PCs protected by Kaspersky Internet Security and where malware was detected and blocked. By definition, hidden malware won’t even feature on that list, so there’s a good chance you, a friend or a family member have fallen prey to a silent PC killer. The truth is that this kind of attack doesn’t affect just the naive computer user but experts, too, and we’re all equally vulnerable to this kind of threat.

Doesn’t security software stop this?

In a perfect world, all malware would be stopped by your security software, but we don’t live in a perfect world. That’s not to say you shouldn’t bother with security software: it will protect you from the majority of threats. You should run high-quality protection, such as Kaspersky Internet Security, which is Shopper’s security suite of choice. However, cybercriminals are always coming up with new threats that security companies have yet to detect. Viruses, Trojans, worms, ransomware and other types of malware are constantly evolving, and new threats can stay one step ahead of the protection. On top of that, there are threats that fall into grey areas. For example, when you install some free software you’ll get a message box asking if you want to install another bit of software, such as a browser toolbar. Often these dialog boxes are pre-configured for your agreement, with many of us installing additional software by mistake. These additional bits of software can often include adware or other features that we consider to be malicious. As the software has to be agreed to be installed, most security software won’t pick them up and remove them, even if they’re resource hogs. It doesn’t even have to be software that you’ve installed. Lenovo was caught out when it came to light in 2015 that it had been pre-installing the Superfish adware on all its computers. This software injected adverts into web pages and made secure connections insecure, yet it was undetected and untouched by security software.

FIND HIDDEN MALWARE

Investigate mystery processes

There are many obvious signs that your PC is infected, such as if it crashes all the time or if your browser homepage has changed and you can’t change it back. The kind of malware that we want to hunt down doesn’t do that.

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Instead, it hides its files and its processes don’t turn up in Task Manager. As clever as the malware thinks it is, the fact is that there has to be an instruction somewhere that tells it to start up with your computer. To find this, we recommend using Autoruns, which scours your entire PC to discover startup applications. We’ll use it on page 102 to clear down unwanted applications, but we can also use it now to find and detect malware. Download Autoruns (tinyurl.com/ DownloadAutoruns) and extract the Zip file to your computer. Double-click autoruns.exe to run the software (there’s no need to install it on your PC); alternatively, right-click and select Run as administrator to get more thorough results. You’ll need to wait a few seconds while Autoruns discovers and lists every process and application that starts with your PC, including Registry entries, browser extensions and drivers. Even on a relatively new and clean computer, the list of startup items can look intimidating, so we need to narrow down the list a little. To do this, select Hide Empty Locations and Hide Microsoft Entries from the Options menu. You’ll be left with a list of third-party entries. Scroll through this list to spot any entries that you don’t recognise.

⬆ File.net tells you if a process is safe or not

Annoyingly, the service isn’t enabled by default. To get it working, right-click any entry in the Autoruns list and select Check VirusTotal. You’ll see a pop-up dialog box telling you that you need to agree to the terms of service to enable VirusTotal; agree, and your browser will load the terms and conditions. You can just close this page down, as you’ve enabled the VirusTotal features. At the moment, you’ll have scanned only the one file. To check your entire list, go back to Autoruns and select Options, Scan Options. Select the ‘Check VirusTotal.com’ and ‘Submit Unknown Images’ tickboxes and click Rescan. Autoruns will now run through the entire list of processes again, but will submit every one to VirusScan. This is all done over the internet, so it can take a few minutes for the VirusTotal scores to appear.

⬆ Autoruns will find all the applications that automatically start with your PC

When you see an unknown item, right-click it and select Search Online. This will open your browser with a Google search for the name of the process. You’ll see various search results. The ones to look out for are links to file.net, which tells if you a file is safe; processlibrary.com, which tells you what a process is and why it’s running; and shoudiblockit.com, which tells if you if you should kill a process.

Find suspicious hidden processes Autoruns also has the ability to detect malicious processes thanks to its integration with the file-checking database, VirusTotal.

⬆ VirusTotal scores help you find malicious software and stop it from running

When VirusTotal has finished, each process will be given a score out of a maximum. The maximum value can change between 53 and 57 in our experience, and is down to the way that VirusTotal works: it checks 57 sources to see if a file is listed as suspicious. The more databases the file is in, the higher the maximum score; the higher the VirusTotal score, the higher the chance that a

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file is malicious. It’s not unusual to find a few files on your computer that score one or two in total, but the odds are that these are safe. For more information, just click the score next to a process and you’ll be taken to the virustotal.com page, which lists information about that particular bit of software.

Stopping malware from running

Hopefully, when you come back you’ll see the message, “Scan Finished: No malware found!”. If the scan does detect a rootkit, click the Cleanup button and restart your computer to destroy it. When your PC loads Windows again, re-run Malwarebytes to see if the rootkit has truly gone; you may need to repeat the entire cycle a number of times.

To prevent a process starting automatically, just remove its tick from Autoruns and that’s it. We recommend removing anything that has a high VirusTotal score, or which you discovered was malicious when using the internet search option. Now reboot your computer and re-run the steps above to see if the malware has gone for good; in some cases, the malware finds a way to come back, in which case you’ll need to follow the information below.

⬆ AdwCleaner is simple to use, and will remove a lot of malicious software

Root out rootkits your AV can’t see

Every operating system has a restricted root level access, which is used to perform administrator tasks that should be hidden from the user. This is typically low-level stuff, such as dealing directly with drivers and hardware. Rootkit malware takes advantage of this by installing itself at a lower level in the OS, effectively cloaking it from detection with normal tools and even anti-virus software. The problem with this kind of malicious software is that it can be used to steal data or even to give hackers remote control of it, so they can use it for nefarious purposes, such as sending spam email. To get rid of a rootkit, you need software that can detect it. Despite the ‘Beta’ in the name, the free Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Beta (tinyurl.com/AntiRootkitBeta) is ideal, as it’s extremely easy to use. Download the software and run it to start the extraction process. Select which folder you want to extract the files to (the Desktop is the default option) and click OK. When the extraction has completed, the software will run automatically. Click Next and then click the Update button to get the latest malware definitions. Click Next when done. Finally, click Scan and let Malwarebytes scan your entire computer. It’s a thorough scan, so will take a while to do properly. Our advice is to walk away from your computer while the scan continues.

⬆ You need to download the latest malware definitions to discover the latest rootkits

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⬆ Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit scan can take a while, but it will find most malware lurking on your PC

Even this won’t find everything, though, so run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free (tinyurl. com/AntiMalwareFreeDownload). Run the file you downloaded to install the software. When you click Finish at the end of the installation, Anti-Malware will start automatically. Click the Scan button to start scanning your computer. If it detects any malware, you can click ‘Review Detected Items’ to investigate the infection while the scan is still running. You can then remove the selected items.

Remove stubborn malware

As good as it is, Malwarebytes’ Anti-Rootkit can’t defeat all infections, so you may need to up the ante with GMER. It’s not a very friendly app, but it’s recommended by professionals. Go to the GMER website (www.gmer.net) and click the Download EXE button. This will download a file with seemingly random letters and numbers (at the time of writing the file was called 1yiztw69.exe, but this changes regularly). When it’s downloaded the file, run the software. Click the Scan button to start searching your computer. This deep scan takes a while and uses a lot of system resources, so we recommend walking away from your computer while it’s doing it. If you get any problems, a message will pop up that says, “Warning!!!”. Click OK to remove the troublesome file, restart your computer and start the scan all over again. Repeat as many times as required.

Adware and PUPs

As well as malware, there are adware and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Adware can change system settings and insert adverts into web pages, and can be hard to remove; other PUPs are often installed by accident when you install free software and can have a negative impact on system performance. To find and remove adware, run the free portable program AdwCleaner (tinyurl.com/ DownloadAdwCleaner). Run the downloaded application (it doesn’t need installing). Click ‘I agree’ on the first dialog box, then click the Scan button to search your PC for adware, Trojans, browser hijackers and more. If AdwCleaner finds anything malicious, click the Clean button to remove the software. Reboot your computer and re-run the scan to be sure that everything has gone.

⬆ Anti-Malware Free will clear up anything other software might have missed

Fix hidden malware damage

Malware can cause a lot of damage that won’t necessarily be undone when you remove the offending software. As such, clearing up at the end of the clean-up process is vital. If you’ve downloaded Malwarebytes’ Anti-Rootkit Beta then you’ve already got the FixDamage application. To find this, go to the Plugins folder in the mbar folder. This will be on your desktop if you left the default options alone; otherwise, it will be where you chose to install it. Run FixDamage and it will start a new Command Line window. Type ‘Y’ and FixDamage will restore Windows’ main settings back to their defaults.

⬆ FixDamage will restore settings back to default and fix damage caused by malware

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THE 21 THINGS KILLING YOUR PC

Bloatware and unwanted applications From the junk that was installed when you got your PC to the free utilities you’ve tried and forgotten about, old software can hog resources and really drag your computer down. Here’s how to remove it INSTALLED SOFTWARE CAN be among the worst offenders when it comes to slowing down your PC. Whether it’s the cumulative effect of lots of new applications being installed and removed, or simply just all the bloated software that manufacturers see fit to install on our new computers, from free trials to ‘helpful’ utilities, software can be a real killer. Even worse, some software is either dangerous and open to hackers, or installs adware or other junk with it. They’re the main reasons why you should uninstall the top five bits of rubbish software (see box, opposite). As such, it makes sense to be harsh in the treatment, weeding out old junk completely. For the software you want to keep, there’s a secondary threat: start-up items. These launch automatically with your computer, often putting icons into the Windows Notification Area (bottom-right, near the clock). Everything running in here takes up precious system resources, so preventing these applications from running will make your computer run faster. We’ll show you how to fix everything. Most software that you don’t want can easily be removed from the Control Panel, but the default Windows options don’t always get rid of everything. Instead, we recommend using the free IOBit Uninstaller (tinyurl.com/IOBitUninstallerDownload). This application will also clear out the hidden junk left behind by applications.

REMOVE UNWANTED APPLICATIONS

Go to the All Programs area of IOBit Uninstaller. When you see an application you want to remove, click the green rubbish bin

icon. This will start the normal uninstall routine, but when you’re done you’ll be asked if you want to run the Powerful Scan, which will track down junk files and remove them.

Branded services and utilities

PC manufacturers often load up a computer with dozens of additional utilities. Some are designed to make using your computer easier, others are designed to get you to sign up for premium services, such as cloud storage, with the manufacturer taking their cut. Other bits of software are slightly more nefarious, such as web toolbars that change your search engine and homepage (again, the PC manufacturer gets paid for this). The difficulty here is that in the midst of the annoying software, there are genuinely useful programs that you shouldn’t remove. Scroll through the list in IOBit Uninstaller

Links and uninstalled software

You’ll often find that a new computer has various bookmarks, desktop shortcuts and trial software installers on it. These generally can’t cause any harm, but they’re annoying and eat up disk space. Feel free to delete anything like this that you find.

Security software

Security software is one of the biggest culprits of bloatware, as computer

The difficulty is that in the midst of the annoying software, there are genuinely useful programs you shouldn’t remove and leave any software created by your PC’s manufacturer, at least for now. It should be safe to remove all other applications from your computer, once you’ve read our advice on Drivers below. It’s better to remove too little when you start. As you use your computer more and more, note down the name of any software that’s annoying and displays too many pop-up messages. Once you’ve got a good list together you can find this software and uninstall it, regardless of who the publisher is.

manufacturers can make good money if you convert the trial version of the software into a paid-for subscription. The warning in that statement is that manufacturers care more about how much money they can make than they do about giving you the best protection. We recommend uninstalling all security software that you’re not paying for or haven’t installed on purpose. Once you’re done, install proper security software, such as Kaspersky Internet Security.

Drivers

You can see when you installed software, so you can remove applications you no longer use. Even better, if you click Infrequently Use in IOBit Uninstaller, you can remove software that you don’t use very often.

Driver software is genuinely very useful and will make your computer work properly, so don’t remove any of this. The most common drivers are branded Realtek, AMD, Nvidia, Intel, Qualcomm and Broadcom, but there may be others depending on the model of your computer. Also look out for device-specific drivers, such as ones for your keyboard, which will make sure that all the shortcut buttons are working properly. These include device-

102

specific button mappings (such as Alt-key commands) and audio software that might provide enhancements to sound designed for your device’s speakers. Finally, look out for any manufacturerprovided update software. This will download the latest driver and software updates for your computer automatically.

Old software

MODERN UI/START SCREEN APPS

If you’re a regular visitor to Windows 8.1’s controversial Modern UI Start screen or the improved Windows 10 Start menu, you’ll probably find several applications here

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THE 21 THINGS KILLING YOUR PC

installed by your computer’s manufacturer. These tend not to be so annoying (they can’t launch automatically, or interfere with the rest of your computer, for example), but they do eat up disk space. They don’t appear in the traditional Add/ Remove Programs or Programs and Features windows and instead can be removed from within the Start screen by right-clicking the offending item and selecting Uninstall. Alternatively, you can use IOBit Uninstaller’s Win Manager, Windows Apps section to remove the software that you don’t want. This way has the advantage that you can see which applications are the largest.

without need. If this is the case, the best thing to do is to clear them out. Autoruns can be useful for detecting unwanted applications (see page 100), but for legitimate software, there are better ways. For Windows 10 users start the Task Manager (press Ctrl-Shift-Esc) and then click Start-up. You can right-click any application that you don’t want to start and select Disable. Reboot your computer when you’re done. If you want to re-enable a bit of software, follow the previous instructions and select Enable.

Get rid! Software you should uninstall now Flash

Adobe’s Flash is a massive target for hackers and it’s also a resource hog, slowing down a computer when you visit a Flashheavy website. The good news is that you don’t need it any more, as the majority of good websites have switched to alternative technologies. YouTube, for example, doesn’t need Flash for you to play videos.

Java

TOOLBARS

Browser toolbars are some of the worst offenders. They’re often resource hungry, don’t do anything useful and sometimes come with nasty payloads. We recommend that you uninstall all of them. Most proper toolbars from reputable sources can be removed via All Programs in IOBit Uninstaller. However, you can also click the Toolbars & Plug-ins option to view all installed Toolbars. This list is sorted into toolbars that are safe and those that aren’t. Remove all the unsafe toolbars by selecting them and then hitting Uninstall. You can clear out toolbars in the safe list, but only pick the ones that you recognise, as there are some helpful things in there, too, such as Google Update, which keeps Chrome up to date.

For Windows 8 and below, you have to press Windows-R, type ‘msconfig’ and press Run. This will load the System Configuration utility. Click on the Startup tab and you’ll see a list of applications that start with your computer. Remove the tick from the box for the applications that you don’t want to run and click OK. Restart your computer. You can reverse these instructions to re-enable an application if you’ve accidentally disabled something useful. Not all startup applications are so easy to deal with, as some launch as services. To stop these in Windows 7, 8 and 10, start the System Configuration utility as above. Click Services and then click the Manufacturer tab to sort by manufacturer. To prevent a service starting at startup, remove the tick from its box. Do not stop any Microsoft service (you can hide these by selecting Hide all Microsoft services). We recommend leaving any service from a manufacturer that has anything to do with hardware (your PC’s manufacturer, AMD or Nvidia, for example). Also, leave any service alone that is from the manufacturer of your security software. Click OK when you’re done and restart your computer. If you’ve stopped a useful service by mistake, you can reverse these instructions to re-enable the affected service.

FREE SOFTWARE

STARTUP APPLICATIONS

Some of the software that you do want to keep can be really annoying and start when your computer does, hogging resources

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Free software can be just as bad as the rubbish that PC manufacturers put on your computer, with many applications also installing additional toolbars and bits of bloatware. For that reason, when it comes to installing free software we recommend using Ninite (ninite.com). This clever utility automatically downloads and installs spyware-free software: just tick the software you want and hit the download button. Finally, once you’ve cleaned out your computer and if you haven’t already done so, follow our anti-malware guide on page 100.

Java is another old web technology. Again, it’s often a target for hackers and can be insecure. Updates to the software don’t remove old versions either. Even Minecraft has moved to a version that doesn’t need Java, so ditch this software now, using IOBit Uninstaller to remove the old versions, too.

Thunderbird

Once one of the best email clients available, Thunderbird has stopped being updated, making it a target for hackers. If you have this software installed, ditch it now and either switch to a web client or the excellent MailBird (available from www.getmailbird.com).

CamStudio

This free screen-recording software usually has an installer that’s packed with adware and other unwanted applications. Remove it using IOBit Uninstaller, then follow our malware guide on page 100 to make sure you’ve got rid of everything bad.

DVDVideoSoft

DVDVideoSoft makes utilities, such as screen recorders and YouTube downloaders, but its software installers come with lots of nasty hidden extras. You should avoid anything by this manufacturer and remove all its software using IOBit Uninstaller and our malware guide on page 100.

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THE 21 THINGS KILLING YOUR PC

Bloated Windows operating system Over time, Windows can become so bloated and messed up that the only thing to do is to start again from scratch. Here’s how you do it THE MORE YOU add and install applications and use Windows, the more orphaned files you get, the more startup applications you have hogging resources, and the more bloated your PC gets. Sometimes it makes more sense to start again. If you’re running Windows 7 you can only do this by doing a clean install. If you have Windows 8 or Windows 10, it’s better news: you can restore your computer from inside Windows. Here’s how to do it.

Windows 8

While it’s generally very easy to restore Windows 8, the utility can run into problems if you’ve upgraded to Windows 8.1. This is because the upgrade doesn’t refresh the files that Windows needs to restore factory default settings – annoying, huh? Fortunately, Microsoft has made it fairly straightforward to download and create your own Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 installation discs, so we can show you how to get around this.

Start the restore process

Go to the Start screen and type Remove to bring up the search box. In the results that appear, you’ll see an option called ‘Remove everything and reinstall Windows’. Click this to start the clean-up utility, which you’ll use to flash your computer back to factory defaults. The Windows 8 app that starts gives you two cleaning options. The first is a refresh, which will leave your personal files alone, but clears out your applications and settings; the second option removes everything and gives you a clean installation of Windows. This is

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the choice to make if you’re getting rid of your PC, or it’s so hopelessly slow and cluttered that you want to go back to day zero with it. Both work in roughly the same way, so select the option that applies to you; the rest of this guide follows the ‘Remove everything and reinstall Windows’ option.

Fix the ‘Some files are missing’ error

If you upgraded from Windows 8 to 8.1, you may find that you get an error message telling you that “Some files are missing”. It tells you to insert your Windows installation disc, which you mostly likely don’t have. Fortunately, there’s a way round this problem. Download the Windows 8 Upgrade tool (tinyurl.com/Win8ISODownload). When you run the file select the ISO file option to download the Windows 8.1 disc image to your hard disk. Next, find the ISO file, right-click it and select Mount. Now, re-run the Remove everything utility and you’ll no longer get the error message. If this doesn’t work, it’s because the app doesn’t realise you have a Windows disc installed. This is easy to fix: reboot your PC, mount the ISO file that you downloaded and then run the Remove everything tool.

Reset your computer

You’ll now see a message telling you that all your files and applications will be removed and that your PC’s settings will be restored to their defaults. Click Next to continue. If you have more than one drive in your computer, you’ll be asked if you want to clean only the drive where Windows is

installed or all drives. Select the one that applies to you. If you only have one drive, you’ll go straight to the next option. You’ll now see two choices: ‘Just remove my files’, which deletes your files but not securely; and ‘Clean the drive fully’, which performs a full secure wipe. The latter option takes longer, but is the right choice if you’re going to be selling your computer or throwing it away, as it stops anyone from recovering your private data. With the first option your files are just marked as deleted, but still exist and can be accessed on the hard disk by anyone using recovery software. This is your last chance before your computer is wiped. Windows will tell you what you’re going to do; if you’re sure you’re ready, click Reset and your computer will reboot and reset itself back to its factory defaults, ready for you to start from scratch or pass on to another person. If you’re keeping your computer, you’ll need to reinstall all your applications and any files you need from a backup.

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Windows 10

We’ll show you two methods for restoring your PC: the first uses the built-in Windows 10 tool, which gives you a clean install; the second lets you take a system image, so you can restore your PC back to this point in time at any point in the future.

METHOD 1

Factory reset Click the Start menu and type ‘reset’. Click ‘Reset this PC’ and the Reset window will open. If you’re encountering problems you didn’t have on Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 and you upgraded to Windows 10 less than a month ago, you can go back to your old OS. If you want to stay on Windows 10, click ‘Get started’ under ‘Reset this PC’.

options (bar the last one), you’ll lose the ability to go back to Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 in future. We’ve explained what each option does below so you can choose the right one.

Keep my files

You’ll see a dialog box that gives you three choices. Note that if you use any of these

handy way to refresh your computer if it’s not running properly and you don’t want the hassle of having to restore your files.

Remove everything

Remove everything does the same as above, but it also removes all your files. This is the best way to freshen up your PC without going back to your old operating system and acts like a clean install of Windows 10. If your computer shipped with Windows 10, this option keeps programs that came installed with your PC, so you won’t get a completely clean slate.

Restore factory settings

This setting will uninstall all the programs on your PC but won’t touch other files such as your documents and settings. It will uninstall programs you downloaded from the internet and installed from discs, but when you return, any apps you’ve installed from the Windows Store will be reinstalled. This is a

This option is similar to Remove everything, but if your PC didn’t come with Windows 10, you’ll be downgraded back to Windows 8 or 8.1. You’ll lose all programs, files and settings, but programs that came with your PC will remain.

In the Start menu, type ‘backup’. Click File History and wait for it to load. Click ‘System image backup’ at the bottom, then ‘Create a system image’ from the menu on the left. You’ll be given a choice of where to place this system image: on a hard disk, an optical drive or a network. When you’ve selected a drive, click Next and then Start backup. To use your system image, return to the ‘Reset this PC’ menu we were using

before. This time, click Restart now under Advanced start-up. When your PC restarts, you’ll be given the option to reinstall Windows from the system image you created. This is probably the best option, as it puts Windows into a state you were happy with at one point in time. This option will remove any files created after the system image was made, so make sure you back up your PC first.

METHOD 2

Use a system image If you don’t want to reset Windows at this time but think you might want to in the future, it’s worth creating a backup of your system now in case it develops a fault in the future. This takes a copy of your files, settings and applications at this specific point in time. If you’ve just got your computer the way you want it, this is a handy way of being able to get back to that point at any time in the future.

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Low memory and slow hard disk UPGRADE YOUR RAM One of the principal causes of PC slowdowns is a lack of memory. Fortunately, adding more RAM is a simple and cost-effective solution MEMORY IS AN often forgotten part of a PC, but it’s a vital thing to look at if you’re trying to speed up an old machine. Increasing the amount of RAM can make a huge difference when playing games and using intensive software, such as photo editors. Newer operating systems also tend to need more RAM, so if a Windows upgrade has reduced your PC to a crawl, memory could be the problem. RAM keeps all the data your system is currently using in a volatile but immediately accessible state, making your PC run faster. If you have too many programs open you’ll start to run out of RAM and your PC will use a page file, which is a hard disk-based RAM overflow. Hard disks are much slower than RAM, and your PC will slow to a crawl. If you have an SSD, you won’t even have a page file, as these quickly wear out the solid-state storage.

We recommend a minimum of 4GB of RAM for running Windows 8 or 10 smoothly, with 8GB preferable. Those who play games, edit videos and carry out other heavy-duty tasks will see the benefits of 16GB of RAM. 8GB RAM kits for desktop PCs cost as little as £66 while 4GB SODIMM kits for laptops are around £30, making them one of the cheapest and easiest-to-fit components.

Can I upgrade?

The first questions you need to ask when you’re looking to upgrade RAM is whether your RAM is accessible, and if it’s removable. If it’s completely inaccessible, you can’t go further without significant risk of damaging your computer. If you can access it, you have a greater chance of success but it’s still not guaranteed you’ll be able to do anything.

Check the underside of your laptop for any removable panels (the same applies to the back of all-in-one PCs). On a laptop without such panels, check if the RAM is under the keyboard tray. You’ll know whether the keyboard tray is removable if there’s a gap around the board with small notches big enough for a small flat-head screwdriver. If your RAM is accessible, you’ll need to find out if it’s removable or not. If one stick of RAM is soldered to the motherboard but you can see a spare slot for a second module, or the second module is removable, you can still replace it. You won’t be able to increase the capacity as much as you would have if you’d replaced both sticks, but it will still work. Things are usually slightly easier with desktops thanks to the huge amount of space they typically have available inside their

REPLACING LAPTOP MEMORY Removing old RAM

If the RAM is on the bottom, turn off your laptop and flip it over. For RAM under the keyboard, turn off your laptop and push a small flat-head screwdriver into the notches around the keyboard, using the screwdriver as a lever to unfasten the clips attaching the keyboard to the chassis. Remove carefully without stressing the ribbon connecting the keyboard to the motherboard. A Once you’ve removed the panel, you’ll see one or two modules. They’ll either be facing each other or on top of one another, with each stick held in place by two small clips. Pull the clips away from the module by pushing them sideways one at a time. If the module

doesn’t flip up by itself, put a finger under it and push up until it’s at roughly a 30˚ angle. Pull the RAM out with two fingers. B

Installing new RAM

Ensure the module is the correct way up by checking that the notch separating the two sections of electrical contacts is lined up with the divider in the RAM slot. Insert the new module at a 30˚ angle. You’ll know it’s fully inserted when you can no longer see the electrical contacts. Push the stick into a horizontal position until the holding arms click back into place. Carefully reattach the panel and secure all screws, or reattach the keyboard by matching the clips and notches.

A

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chassis. Some desktop motherboards have four slots for RAM, and a few have eight. Some only have two, however, so you’ll have to buy higher capacity sticks if you want to boost your RAM significantly. If you don’t have any free slots, you’ll have to replace all the existing RAM to get an upgrade.

How much RAM can my computer handle?

Download and install CPU-Z (tinyurl.com/ shoppercpuz) and select the Memory tab to see how much RAM you have. Once you know how much memory you have, you need to confirm whether you can actually upgrade. You’ll need to check if your computer can handle more memory. If you’re using a laptop, the manual that came with it should tell you this, or you can find the laptop guide on the manufacturer’s website. If you’re using a desktop, check your motherboard manufacturer’s website for the maximum amount of RAM it can handle.

REPLACING DESKTOP MEMORY How to remove desktop RAM

Switch off and unplug your PC. Remove the side of the case to gain access to the motherboard. Locate the RAM on the motherboard and pull back the clips holding the RAM in place. Firmly pull the RAM modules out with two fingers. Note that you won’t need to follow this step if your PC has free RAM slots.

How to install desktop RAM

Pull back one of the clips and insert the RAM stick starting on that side. Push one end of the RAM until it clicks into place and the clip moves to hold the stick in place. Repeat with the other end of the RAM. Repeat for each stick of RAM. Reattach the case panel and turn your PC back on.

What RAM should I buy?

Laptop memory modules, known as SODIMM, are smaller than desktop ones and may be used in all-in-one PCs. Your laptop’s SODIMM memory will either be DDR2 or DDR3, and you’ll need to find out which. Again use CPU-Z for this: its Memory tab tells you what type of RAM you need. This is important, as these two types of RAM are physically different, with a notch to prevent the wrong type of RAM being used in the wrong slot.

SPEED UP WITH AN SSD An old mechanical hard disk can really hold your computer back. A fresh SSD can give you a much-needed speed boost AN OLD MECHANICAL hard disk may give you a lot of storage, but it’s a lot slower than an SSD and can seriously affect your computer’s performance. Fortunately, adding an SSD to a desktop PC or a laptop is a cost-effective way of improving performance: in our tests, boot speeds can be, at worst, halved and, at best, cut to just a few seconds. To make the most of an SSD we recommend upgrading to Windows 10: Windows 7 needs a fair bit of configuration to play nicely with SSDs, while Windows 8 is, well, a bit rubbish. The easiest way to do this is by installing Windows 10 from scratch. It’s possible to clone your old hard disk to your new SSD, but only if the used storage space on your disk is the same size or smaller than an SSD, which is unlikely. A clean install gets round this, although it means reinstalling your applications and copying any files that you want back when you’re done. For laptops, visit the manufacturer’s website to see if Windows 10 drivers are available; if not, you won’t be able to upgrade easily.

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We recommend a minimum SSD size of 256GB, although 512GB will give you more space for key applications. Make a backup of your files first, though as you’ll still have access to your old hard disk, you shouldn’t need it. Finally, create the Windows 10 boot USB drive (you need a 4GB or larger flash drive) with the Windows Media Creation Tool (tinyurl.com/Win10MediaCreationTool) and using the option to create a boot drive.

Will this work for me?

A hard disk upgrade is only possible if you have access to the drive. The vast majority of older laptops have easily removable panels on the bottom of the machine that grant you access to the hard disk. If your laptop’s components are sealed in, as they are on many Ultrabooks, you simply won’t be able to upgrade the storage. If you have a very old desktop or laptop, you should check that it’s compatible with Serial ATA (SATA) hard disks. Some very old laptops come equipped with IDE connectors, which is an outdated serial connector that won’t be able to take advantage of the data transfer speeds SSDs offer. We’d expect most laptops less than seven years old to have SATA connectors, but check anyway in case your laptop’s manufacturer was dragging its heels or using old components. To check, shut down your laptop, open up the bay door on the bottom (usually the largest one) and compare the disk connector to those pictured on the left.

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INSTALLING A NEW HARD DISK Installing a new hard disk in a laptop

Most laptops use 2½in mechanical hard disks, and most SSDs are the same size. This makes things very easy when installing an SSD in place of the mechanical disk. If you’re installing a new mechanical disk, you should have already checked that it isn’t thicker than the bay into which you’re placing it. Turn your laptop off and flip it over. Unscrew the flap to reveal the hard disk, then remove any screws holding it in place. Pull out the disk; this may require you to slide it out from the SATA

connectors first before lifting it clear of the laptop. A If the disk was in a caddy, unscrew and remove it. Put your new hard disk in the caddy and secure it with the screws (if required). B Insert the new hard disk into the laptop’s drive bay. Reattach the panel and switch on your laptop. To get files off your old laptop’s hard disk, you’ll need an external USB-to-SATA connector, which can be bought fairly cheaply. We used a Silverstone EP02B USB3-to-SATA connector, which can be bought from www.scan.co.uk for £11.

A

Installing a new hard disk in a desktop PC

Switch off and unplug your PC and detach both sides of the case. Slide the SSD into a drive bay. Cases vary: some have mounting points for small 2½in drives but others do not. Most SSDs ship with a 3½in caddy, which you can attach to your PC case, and they always come with screws, too. Plug in the power and data connectors for your SSD. A If your motherboard has SATA3 ports, make sure the SSD is plugged into

B

one of these. They’ll either be labelled on the board itself or in the manual. Make sure the cables are neatly routed through the case so that it will be easy to identify them if you ever need to perform maintenance on your PC. If your case is designed in this way, slide the disk tray back into the disk mounts and secure it, before reattaching the case panels. B Now turn on your computer, go into the BIOS and make sure that your new SSD is set to be the primary boot disk.

A

B

INSTALLING WINDOWS 10 Plug the Windows 10 install media into your computer and restart your PC or laptop. Follow the installation instructions to install Windows 10 from scratch. When you get to the desktop, you’ll need to re-install your applications. You may need to re-install

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drivers, too. For a laptop, you’ll need to go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest Windows 10 drivers. For a PC, you should visit the manufacturer’s page for each component (motherboard, graphics card) and get the Windows 10 drivers directly.

For PC owners, your old hard disk will be available in Windows Explorer, so you can copy your documents straight to your SSD or just access them through your hard disk. For laptop owners, plug in your old hard disk via USB and copy over the files you want.

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Heat and dust

shopping list To follow our simple instructions for cleaning up your computer, you’ ll need these products from www.maplin.co .uk:

It’s not just digital junk you need to bin – all the dirt that builds up inside the case also cuts efficiency IT’S COMMON TO give your house a spring-clean, and you should devote the same love and attention to your PC – you may be surprised by how much dust is dragged inside by the case fans. Dirt you can’t see may not seem a problem, but it can build up and clog the fans, making them less efficient at cooling. Dust also acts as an insulator, so your PC will run hotter and may even crash as a result. So grab a pair of Marigolds, delve into your case and follow these easy steps to clean it out. By the time you’ve finished, your PC will be sparkling and, more importantly, running cooler and more efficiently.

cards from the motherboard. If the PC is particularly filthy, you may have to remove the motherboard, hard disk and optical drives too. Don’t vacuum the motherboard, as it has too many sensitive components. Instead, spray an air duster over the motherboard – starting at the top – so the dust collects in the base of the case, or in a bin if you’ve removed the motherboard from the case. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the worst of the dust from the bottom of the case and from the processor’s heatsink, fan and case fans. Finally, use plastic safe wipes to remove any dust from the cables inside your case.

Case lift

Blown away

Cleaning the outside of the case with foam cleaner is simple, but don’t spray the foam on the front or rear of your PC, as it could get into your drives, power supply and ports. Spray the foam on a cloth and apply it to the front of the case, including the optical and floppy drives. The rear of the case will be mainly metal, but rub a foam-covered cloth over the parts of the case that wrap round the rear of your PC. Leave the foam for 15 minutes, then use a separate cloth to wipe the case clean.

Fresh air

Cleaning the inside of your PC is the biggest challenge, as dust can build up in hidden areas. Remove the side of the PC and any expansion

Dust on expansion cards can be removed with the air duster. Make sure you’ve removed all the dust wedged beneath components, such as capacitors, and check the heatsink and fan on your graphics card are free from dust. Blow the air duster into your expansion cards’ ports and sockets for extra cleaning power.

Paint job

Removing dust helps, but there are other things you can do to help prevent overheating. There’s a thin layer of thermal compound between the processor and the heatsink, which smooths over any imperfections in the two metal surfaces and makes sure that heat from your processor is dissipated efficiently.

You should clean your motherboard carefully with an air duster

1 can of computer air dust er 1 can of computer foam clea ner 1 pot of plastic safe wipe s 1 packet of cable ties

£5 £4 £3 £3

1 pot of silver-thermal comp ound £3 1 bottle of isopropyl alco hol £4 ............................ ............. TOTAL £22

You’ll also need a lint-free cloth, avail able in a five-pack from www.amazon.co.uk for £3.77

Eventually, thermal compound dries out and reduces the efficiency of your cooling, so it needs replacing from time to time. This is a simple job that can have a dramatic effect. To do this, first remove the heatsink from the processor as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the existing thermal compound using a lint-free cloth dabbed with isopropyl alcohol. Apply a small blob of thermal compound to the top of the processor. Once the processor is operating, the heat will spread the paste. Re-attach the heatsink, making sure it fits tightly. If it isn’t fitted properly, you run the severe risk of overheating, which can be fatal for your PC.

Invisible wire

There are lots of power and data cables inside your PC, which can be messy. They can also impede airflow through your case. Fortunately, you can solve this problem using cable ties. First, find any cables that aren’t in use; there are normally a few unused power cables in a PC. Fold them up and secure them with a cable tie attached to the chassis to keep them out of the way. Now find any cables that run between roughly the same points and bunch them together before tying them up and to the chassis. Finally, find any cables that have excess amounts of slack; you may find your flat IDE ribbon cables are too long, for example. Put a kink in the cable and tie it up.

Ventilate than never

Case fans should draw air over your PC’s components and out of the case. As the power supply already blows air out of the back of the case, your rear case fan should be oriented so it blows air in the same direction. Make sure any front-mounted fans are pulling cool air in and blowing it over your motherboard. Fans have an arrow on them that shows the direction of airflow. If any fans are mounted incorrectly, undo the screws and turn the fan around before reattaching it.

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The brilliant, the beautiful and the downright bizarre 3D printing is a game-changer in computer innovation, and it’s growing cheaper, faster, easier and more accurate every day. The technology has already crossed over from specialist niches into the mainstream, and industrial production is being revolutionised. But why should big business have all the fun? You can already buy the next best thing to a Star Trek Replicator for the price of a smartphone, and print out almost anything you like in the privacy of your own home. Join Mel Croucher as he gets to grips with the third dimension. 110

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3D PRI PRINTING

3D

or not 3D, that is the question. And the answer is data. The 3D printing technology that is changing our entire world can be reduced to three words, and the words are scan, slice and assemble. First an object or design is scanned and turned into data. Next the data gets sliced any which way into the thinnest of digital layers. Then, when the slices of data are fed into a printer using a plasticised material instead of ink, a threedimensional object is produced, layer by painstaking layer. And if the next question is what can 3D printing be used for, then the answer is – anything we want! Before we take a look at the ordinary and extraordinary range of things 3D printers can produce, let’s examine the origins. The story of 3D printing begins a surprisingly long time ago. The year is 1859, and we make our way to the Paris studio of Monsieur François Willème, a seriously dapper photographer who provides a unique service. He offers to clone us. We pose on a special platform in a domed glass chamber, surrounded by 24 cameras wired to capture our image in three dimensions. The data is analogue, but it’s detailed enough to be read by a mechanical tracing device called a pantograph, producing layers of body scans that can be scaled to any size. These layered slices are then assembled to make what Willème calls ‘une photosculpture en galvanoplastie’. It works like a dream, and we are presented with our clone in clay, wood or resin. We are also presented with a bill for 280 francs, which is about two months’ average wages. If the price is too steep, we can opt for a 60mm diameter medallion of our own face for around £50 in today’s money. And if we need to understand how today’s 3D printers work, then it’s comforting to know that nothing much has changed. First scan, next slice, then assemble. C’est tout.

⬆ Stranger than fiction: a 1947 short story predicted a frightening 3D future

machine. It was complicated and bizarre, and it was making a crystalline growth. Near it, another machine was manufacturing a small, horned lizard. There could be no doubt about the process of fabrication, because both objects were half-made and both progressed slightly even as he watched. He commenced to run. Endless machines, all making different things. It was done by electroponics,

The 3D printing technology that is changing our entire world can be reduced to three words

Sci-fi choice

Now skip forward to 1947, and the September issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine. In a short story by British author Eric Frank Russell called The Hobbyist, he predicts the arrival of 3D printing for both inanimate objects and living tissue as something horrific. Here’s how he introduces the concept: “He found himself facing a

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⬇ 3D printing has its origins in a 19th-century photo studio in France

atom fed to atom like brick after brick to build a house. In each of these machines, he knew, was some code or cipher, some weird master-control of unimaginable complexity, determining the patterns each was building, and the patterns were infinitely variable.” Gosh! Whatever next? Well, in 1984, American engineer Chuckie Hull claims to invent stereo-lithography, which he patents three years later. He uses a laser beam to etch a copy of a 3D model int into liquid plastic. Almost exactly what François Willème managed in the middle of the 19th century, except Willème had no laser. As soon as the laser genie gets out of the plastic bottle, things happen fast. Over the next decade, commercial 3D printers appear. They can extrude plastics, powders and living cells. Even humble inkjet technology gets in on the act, and by 2008 the predictions of Eric Frank Russell are overtaken. A tabletop 3D printer called the RepRap Darwin is given the ability to reproduce all its own parts. Obviously that includes the ‘off’ switch, otherwise the world as we know it would have ended. Tragically, for some people the world as we know it has ended. In the ruined city of Palmyra, 134 miles north of Damascus, a triumphal arch stands for 2,000 years, marking the entrance to the Syrian World Heritage site of the Temple of Bel. When the lunatics of ISIS overrun the ancient city, they set about destroying this unique area, and the civilised world weeps. But in an act of global solidarity, the Institute for Digital Archaeology collects as many tourist images of the archway as possible, crunches

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⬆ Chip off the old block: the tabletop RepRap Darwin 3D printer is capable of reproducing all its own parts

da Vinci AiO, will only set you back £600. And outside of the home, cost is also the key to the future of 3D printing; specifically, the cost of robotics versus human sweat. For example, debate still rages over allegations of child slave labour by brand leaders who produce sports items. But even compared with economies such as Pakistan, where kids are paid £3 for a 14-hour working day in the brandname sweatshops, Nike can produce its Vapor Laser Talon football boots more cheaply using 3D printers. So, apart from ludicrously overpriced footwear and Mesopotamian triumphal arches, let’s take a look at what else is currently being produced by 3D printing. And none of this is science fiction. It has already happened.

the data, and commissions the world’s biggest 3D printer to reproduce the original. In 2016, it’s erected in Trafalgar Square as an act of hope and defiance. Right now, 5,000 volunteer photographers equipped with 3D cameras are at work throughout the conflict zones of the Middle East and North Africa. Their mission is to digitise as many threatened cultural objects and structures as possible, in case the need ever arises for 3D printing to recreate them. If gigantic archaeological treasures can be conjured from the past, then anything is possible. It’s all a matter of technical innovation, the will to succeed, and money. And the good news is that the cost of 3D printing is getting cheaper all the time. 3D print media for the home has dropped to around £20 for a 1kg cartridge of plasticised gloop, and the creation of something simple such as a customised smartphone case takes around 30 minutes to print and costs pence, not pounds. As for home-printing materials, they include electro-conductive, touch-sensitive, metal alloy, fluorescent, UV-reactive, scented, transparent, biodegradable, dental, thermal, carbon fibre and edible. When the Peachy 3D Printer was crowd-funded on Kickstarter in 2013, it broke the $100 barrier, using a light-sensitive resin that solidifies when hit by a built-in laser beam. At around £200, Ex3D’s Phoenix 3D Printer is among the cheapest with a rewind option, which drastically reduces the cost of cartridge refills if there’s a glitch in the printing process. 3D printers are now so common that you can pop down to your local electronics shop and pick up a machine from an ever-expanding range, or order online for next day delivery. Even sophisticated models with a built-in scanner, such as the

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⬆ The arch from the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra has been re-created in Trafalgar Square

⬇ It’s all kicking off: Nike’s Talon football boots can be produced more cheaply using a 3D printer than in a sweatshop

A womb with a view

The fact that NASA has been using a 3D printer on the International Space Station comes as no surprise, and neither does the fact that it works perfectly in zero gravity. Space missions are among the most obvious applications, because 3D printing cuts down on the enormous cost of transporting cargo payloads through space. Instead, standard tools and components are printed out on demand, and any new or experimental item is designed on the ground for printing in orbit within the hour. It’s not only plastics that can be manipulated for use in spaceflight, or for sub-orbital flight come to that. 3D metal printing is already in use by the Chinese, South Koreans and Americans for crucial jet engine parts. And savings have been massive, with high-pressure turbine components that originally cost £24,600 being replaced by printed metal spares for £1,800. Although the 3D printing revolution is driven by cost, saving money can never be as important as saving lives. The Organovo Corporation has been using 3D printers to produce living cells since 2007. An incubated printer cartridge is filled with a suspension of living structural gel, so printed skin cells and a str structura and gristle le can be used for replacement ears, s, noses and dangly bits. When human kidney tissues the first hu printed just over a year were prin wer ago, they survived for only two ago But last November, weeks. Bu wee three-year-old Lucy Boucher, three-yea thr Antrim in Northern Ireland, from Antr fro first person in the became ame the fi world to have a life-saving kidney

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Japanese Mitsubishi engineer Mie Matsubara proposes the use of photohardened layers of resin for prototypes

Hideo Kodama of the Nagoya Industrial Research Institute gives the first account of a working photopolymer system

1984

1981 1991

3D TIMELINE

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Hungarian Joseph Blanther patents a layering method for 3D maps

Englishman Eric Frank Russell predicts universal 3D printing in his sci-fi short story The Hobbyist

Charles Hull invents stereo-lithography, which takes a 3D model and uses a laser to etch copies into a special liquid

Stratasys produces the world’s first fused deposit printer. It extrudes plastic into layers on a print bed

1992

For citizens who think the Prince of Wales is a bit flakey, how about a return to the House of Plantagenet, when kings were prepared to ride into battle against their foes as opposed to writing rude letters to politicians? It’s been four years since the discovery of King Richard III under a council car park in Leicester, and now his entire skeleton has been re-created in gleaming white plastic, thanks to 3D printing. This has enabled pathologists to establish that the limping king had a sword shoved right through his buttocks and his pelvis was sliced in half. Proving that even in 1485 a royal male could be a bit of an arse.

1994

Print your own king

Frenchman François Willème captures an object in 3D, using cameras, then reconstructs the scanned object in layers

1972

A macabre little replica of a foetus is becoming a must-have fashion accessory in certain circles be operated on in the womb, and immediately after birth the risks are high. But now, exact copies of the defective organ can be scanned and printed for the surgical team to practise on as many times as they like, weeks before the birth. Lives are being saved. Of course trash merchants will exploit 3D printing of unborn babies, and morons will pay them. A macabre little replica of your foetus is becoming a must-have fashion accessory in certain circles. Instead of a grainy ultrasound image for parents to coo over, companies like 3D Baby will print your unborn foetus in “light, medium, or dark” plastic for around £275, and deliver it in something that looks like a tacky silk-lined mini-coffin. And if you’re not even pregnant, no problem. A 3D print-on-demand copy of the foetus spawned by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian is even cheaper.

A brief history of PRINTING

1892

transplant thanks to 3D printing, because her surgeons already knew exactly what would be involved. Diagnosed as terminally ill, a printed kidney had been modelled on her dad’s from detailed CT and MRI scans, and the entire procedure was already well rehearsed for when she was born. Today, Lucy is looking forward to starting nursery school. Here’s looking at you, kidney. And on an equally joyous note, the advent of ultrahigh-resolution foetal scans means that 3D models of unborn babies are now commonplace. Babies with congenital diseases such as ventricular heart defects can’t

1947

Foetal ⬆ Foet oetal first: you too can have a 3D-printed 3D-pri printed model of your unborn baby

1859

3D

3D P PRINTING RINTING

DTM produces the first 3D printer that uses a powder instead of a liquid

Model Maker’s wax printer is released and 3D printed kidneys become possible

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3D PRINTING

⬆➡ Bones of contention: the hunchbacked skeleton of Richard III, re-created using 3D printing techniques

⬆ Sure footing: a prosthetic leg for an injured duck has been created in India

Obviously printing a whole king costs an arm and a leg, but if you want something a little more modest, then how about printing out a false limb for a duck? Sandeep Reddy works at the Ramakrishna Mission Wildfowl Sanctuary in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. When a one-legged duck tugged at his heartstrings, he created a fully articulated spare by scanning the original, making a mirror image and adding flexible joints. He then printed out and fitted the replacement duck leg in an hour and a half. So, as the old canard has it, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be Richard III.

Sex and drugs and rock’n’roll

If the claim that 3D printers can produce anything we like, then sex and drugs and rock’n’roll are right there in the mix. The University of California Los Angeles has proved that size really does matter. Researchers scanned a load of personal anatomical attributes, then used 3D printing to re-create 100 penises of varying length and girth, which were field-tested by groups of volunteers to discover

which they might prefer for a long-term whi relationship and which for a one-night stand. rel The printed penises were all bright blue, for reasons best known to the boffins. rea As for drugs, the first 3D-printed drug has already been approved for treating humans. It’s alr called Spritam and is used in the treatment of cal epilepsy in children. It can be extremely cheap epi to punch out pills using traditional moulds, but computerised 3D printing allows customised doses of the drug, and this is vital with babies and youngsters. Variations in composition can specify the exact size of the dose, how porous a pill is, and how fast it dissolves. Kids can even select the colour and shape of their treatment, and pop a Peppa Pig or snort a Spiderman. But the real drugs revolution is that 3D printing can allow local pharmacies to print any variety of treatment from free blueprints, dramatically increasing availability and effectiveness, and greatly reducing costs and waste. So, that’s the sex and drugs taken care of. What about the rock’n’roll? One look at the magnificent Sunrise 3D-printed guitar from London-based Customuse is all you

ANDREAS HAEUSER 3D VISIONARY The German aerospace engineer Andreas Haeuser now devotes his time to harnessing 3D printers for green energy. Here are just three of his groundbreaking innovations, all using cheap, first-generation assembly kit printers.

THE 3D PRINTED SOLAR ENGINE This uses nothing more than the Sun’s heat to turn a flywheel. Haeuser’s engine can be used for generating electricity or pumping water. It works from the deserts of Sudan to the gardens of Japan, and the all-purpose design costs a measly £7.75.

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THE 3D PRINTED WIND TURBINE It may look like an overgrown child’s toy, but Haeuser’s turbine can harvest electrical energy from any passing breeze and generate a continuous output of 55W. The design for this little beauty is priced at just £8.50.

THE 3D PRINTED ROBOT LAWNMOWER Haeuser’s 3D alternative does everything a £750 Flymo Robotic Lawnmower does at a fraction of the price. You’ll need three kilos of whatever colour filament you fancy, a 12V lithium polymer rechargeable battery and an Arduino microprocessor. Total cost: £140.

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The RepRap Darwin is the first 3D printer that can reproduce its own parts

2009

The Thingiverse website is set up for free 3D file-sharing

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The first 3D-printed jaw is produced in Holland by LayerWise

The WinSun factory of Shanghai prints a fully functioning six-storey apartment block

2015 2016 ⬆ Give yourself a makeover with the Foreo Moda printed makeup app

3D-printed blood vessels are produced by Organovo

Urbee, the first 3D-printed car, is launched by Kor Ecologic

2012

2011

Faces can be changed by expert surgeons, using printed bone, cartilage, blood vessels and skin, but now you can change your own face with a cosmetics face-printer from Swedish beauty company Foreo Moda. You select your new look from an app, connect via Bluetooth, stick your head in the £210 printer for a scan, and let it get to work using 2,000 superfine nozzles to spray primer, foundation and colour cosmetics to create your new look in as little as 30 seconds. And if you need new earrings to go with your new face, prices start from £1.39p for a 3D-printed pair. In 2012, then business secretary Vince Cable declared that 3D printing was the way to rebuild the economy. To be specific, 3D printable chocolate. He was speaking in Exeter at the launch of the Choc Creator 3D printer, a £2,888 machine that melts chocolate te ready for printing, and tempers it so layers can be created reated as thin as 0.05mm. This allows 60mm diameter portraits of human faces to be printed in chocolate at a cost of £50, which happens to be the identical price charged by François Willème in 1859 for an identicalsized product using the identical technology of scan, slice and reassemble. Plus ça change.

2014

Off your face

2008

No strings attached: the Customuse Sunrise guitar (top), and a 3D-printed ukulele (bottom)

need to know. It will set you back a cool £1,500, but if your budget doesn’t quite run to that you can print your own ukulele from a free pattern at www.thingiverse.com.

3D TIMELINE

1999

The first 3D inkjet printer is marketed by Object Geometries, while Z Corp markets the first multicolour 3D printer

2008

2000

3D P PRINTING PRI G Human organs are grown from donor cells, using a 3D-printed scaffold to support them

Work on 3D printable bionic eyes begins at MHOX in Italy

A full-scale 3D print of the great archway of the destroyed Temple of Bel in Palmyra is erected in Trafalgar Square

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THEDIGITAL ASSISTANT DECIDER: SIRI VS CORTANA VS GOOGLENOW

DIGITAL ASSISTANTS ARE NOW PART AND PARCEL OF EVERY MAJOR MOBILE OS, BUT WHICH IS THE BEST? BARRY COLLINS PUTS THEM THROUGH A RIGOROUS TEST TO FIND OUT 116

W

e’re all chief executives now – at least, that’s what the mobile manufacturers would have us believe. We’ve all been given our very own personal assistants courtesy of Apple Siri, Google Now and Microsoft Cortana for iOS, Android and Windows devices respectively. But are any of these digital assistants really invaluable? Do they do anything more than inform you where your next meeting is? Here, we’ve put all three of them through a stern test, pushing their capabilities across seven categories and seeing how they handle requests that are out of the ordinary. Can they put us in touch with our local MP? Tell us when to look out for the International Space Station flying overhead? Or advise us on the ingredients of a Bloody Mary? For each query posed we’ve given the digital assistants a mark out of three, top marks being awarded when the correct answer is given directly, without the need to click on web links. Which is the smartest of them all? You’re about to find out.

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DIGITAL ASSISTAN ASSISTANTS ANTS FACE-OFF AN

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SPORTS

Who is the top scorer in the Premier League? SIRI 3 POINTS

ROUND SCORES:

GOOGLE NOW 8 • SIRI 5 • CORTANA 3

How many points does it take to win a volleyball set? GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

A nice easy starter to get the test under way and Siri smacks the back of the net with this answer, providing an audio reply that confirms Jamie Vardy was the top scorer at the time of asking, as well as a table of the top scorers, with little profile pics of some of the players.

Google spikes this home, reading out an answer from the sport’s governing body that confirms: “The first four sets are played to 25 points, with the final set being played to 15 points. A team must win a set by two points.” Correct, comprehensive and well sourced.

GOOGLE NOW 2 POINTS

SIRI 1 POINT

Google’s voice tells us “here is information from the BBC” before showing the top four scorers on screen. Oddly, it doesn’t tell us how many goals the players have scored, just their rank and club. The correct answer, if not exactly John Motson levels of detail.

CORTANA 1 POINT

Cortana’s clearly not a footy fan. It simply transcribes our question straight into a Bing search, the top link for which is the BBC’s top Premier League scorers’ page. You get the correct answer if you click on the link, but unlike Siri or Google, Cortana can’t be bothered to extract the information for us.

“Hmm… let me think. Sorry, I don’t know much about volleyball,” confess Siri, before returning a page of search results, the top answer for which is Yahoo! Answers – a source that’s generally about as reliable as Tony Blair’s dossiers on weapons of mass destruction. The answer given is correct, however: 25 points.

SIRI 2 POINTS

“The answer is about 234 dietary calories,” replies Siri, while also displaying data from WolframAlpha, which refers to a “Mars almond bar”. The Mars Bar site says each bar contains 250 calories, so it’s not far off.

GOOGLE NOW 2 POINTS

Google announces it has dragged in its information from MyFitnessPal, before displaying a table of data showing calories (pegged at 260), total fat, saturated fat, and other dietary information. Again, the answer varies slightly from the official count, but what’s 10 calories between friends?

CORTANA 2 POINTS

As is already becoming something of a habit, Cortana bungs our query over to Bing, where the top search result shows the answer 242 in its preview. It’s the closest of the three, but once again Cortana doesn’t go out of its way to be helpful.

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GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

“Harlequins is playing Sharks on Saturday at 14.30,” says Google’s audio reply, before showing a card of information confirming Harlequins’ league position in the Aviva Premiership and the venue of the game. Top stuff for fans of egg chasing.

SIRI 1 POINT

“Let me check on that,” says Siri, before dishing up a lazy page of search results. The top link is to the Harlequins homepage, where upcoming fixtures are published – but that’s more by luck than judgement.

CORTANA 1 POINT

It’s another sideways pass from Cortana, which pumps the query straight into Bing, leading us back to the Harlequins home page. It seems that Cortana’s as much use to sports fans as a pulled hamstring.

CORTANA 1 POINT

It’s straight back to Bing for Microsoft’s assistant, which shoves up the same set of search results as Siri, indirectly getting us to the correct answer.

FOOD DRINK

How many calories in a Mars Bar?

Who are Harlequins playing next?

What’s the recipe for a Bloody Mary?

GOOGLE NOW 2 POINTS

“Bloody Mary ingredients!” Google exclaims cheerfully, before showing us a card listing Worcestershire sauce, pepper, ½oz of lemon juice, 1.5oz of vodka, salt, 3oz tomato juice and Tabasco sauce, along with a pic. The quantities are a little vague in places, but Google clearly loves a drink.

CORTANA 2 POINTS

It’s back to Bing for Cortana, listing the Wikipedia page. Unlike Siri’s reformatted search answers, however, the actual Bing homepage displays a card listing ingredients, with precise quantities of the ingredients.

SIRI 1 POINT

Siri decides it’s no Tom Cruise and refers us to web results from Bing. Top is Wikipedia’s Bloody Mary page, on which we find the “IBA specified ingredients” – the IBA being the International Bartenders Association. Wikipedia even tells us what type of glass to put the drink in.

ROUND SCORES:

GOOGLE NOW 7 • CORTANA 5 • SIRI 4

How long does it take to cook a soft-boiled egg? GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

Google reads out an answer from thekitchn. com, which states: “Cook the eggs for five to seven minutes: for one to two eggs, cook five minutes for a very runny yolk or up to seven minutes for a barely-set yolk.” You can’t fault the comprehensiveness of the answer, but the timing differs from Siri, so we go to our independent adjudicator – Delia – who says you should simmer eggs for a minute before turning the heat off and leave them in the water for six minutes for a soft-boiled finish.

SIRI 1 POINT

Siri offers a page from the BBC website, which reckons between three-and-a-half and four minutes is plenty. That could be a runny egg, if Delia knows her, er, onions.

CORTANA 1 POINT

Cortana relies on the same Bing search results as Siri, and this time there’s no extra information in the results page to give Microsoft’s mouthpiece the edge.

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DIGITAL ASSISTANTS SHOOT-OUT

ENTERTAINMENT

What’s on at my nearest cinema tonight? SIRI 2 POINTS

Although our test location of Burgess Hill in West Sussex has a small cinema, Siri’s never heard of it. “Here’s the Cineworld Brighton,” Siri exclaims, before adding: “It isn’t in Burgess Hill, though.” Quite. Nevertheless, the results page is excellent: thumbnails of movie posters, start times and even review scores.

GOOGLE NOW 1 POINT

We accidentally say the word “local” rather than “nearest” when we ask Google, and it brings up nothing but bland search results. When we ask the exact question above, it shows local cinemas within 13 miles, although it also omits our local independent. There are no film listings, just a list of venues.

CORTANA 0 POINTS

Poor Cortana. Ask it for “local” or “nearest” cinema and it relies on the bland Bing search, top of which is a Time Out page showing cinema listings for London – roughly 50 miles from here. Best we fire up Netflix.

TRAVEL

When does the next train leave London for Brighton? SIRI 1 POINT

Siri bats this one to the web, the top link being thetrainline.com, which shows exactly when the next departure is. As Apple Maps (supposedly) provides public transport directions, it’s a little disappointing Siri relies on the web, yet when we look up Victoria on Apple Maps, it tells us “there are no upcoming departures”. Hmm…

GOOGLE NOW 1 POINT

How many UK number ones did INXS have?

GOOGLE NOW 2 POINTS

This question is really a test of whether the voice services can correctly transcribe “in excess” to “INXS” and Google passes (or should that be parses?) with flying colours. It doesn’t have a direct answer but top of its search results is a link to officialcharts.com, where we immediately find out that the band didn’t have any UK number ones, and indeed only one song in the top 10. Who knew?

SIRI 1 POINT

Siri doesn’t stumble over the band name either, but likewise it doesn’t have an immediate answer, referring us to the band’s Wikipedia page. If the answer’s on there, we can’t find it.

CORTANA 1 POINT

As with Siri, we’re giving Cortana a point for correctly interpreting INXS, but as with Siri, there’s no joy on the Bing results page. C’mon Cortana: we need you tonight.

What’s the cheapest petrol station near me for diesel? SIRI 1 POINT

Siri ponders for a couple of seconds, before returning a map of a Shell station just down the road from us in Burgess Hill. There’s no indication of price in the results, although the driving directions are handy. We don’t know how Siri’s getting its information, but it’s wrong. Tesco is 2p per litre cheaper for diesel.

GOOGLE NOW 1 POINT

CORTANA 1 POINT

Unlike Siri or Google Now, Cortana makes no attempt to engage with the question, waving us off to Bing search once more. As with Google, we’re directed to petrolprices.com and its lengthy registration page.

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How old is David Bowie? SIRI 3 POINTS

This is a trick question, designed to see if the assistants would spot that Bowie has sadly passed away. “Here is what I found on the web for how old is David bowel we,” replies Siri to our initial query, pointing us to the Thin White Duke’s Wikipedia page despite the duff transcription. We try again, changing our pronunciation of ‘Bowie’ slightly, and Siri tells us Bowie died on 10 January 2016, aged 69 and giving us a page of neatly formatted info from his Wikipedia page.

GOOGLE NOW 2 POINTS

“David Bowie died at the age of 69,” replies Google Now, sounding suitably sombre. The information on offer is nowhere near as comprehensive as Siri’s though.

CORTANA 1 POINT

This is one of those rare occasions when Cortana delivers an answer; sadly, it’s less comprehensive than its rivals, with ‘69 years old’ written at the top of the window.

CORTANA 2 • GOOGLE NOW 2 • SIRI 2

Google delivers a batch of data on UK petrol prices from petrolprices.com, revealing the average and cost of various types of fuel. That’s interesting, but doesn’t answer our question. If you click through, you can enter your postcode on the PetrolPrices website, but to get the results you need to register.

JULY 2016

SIRI 6 • GOOGLE NOW 5 • CORTANA 2

ROUND SCORES:

Google disappoints, too. Google Now cards are brilliant at letting you know when your next train home is, but given our specific query, it too passes us straight to thetrainline.com to get the information. Admittedly, if we were at Victoria, Google would tell us the next train home, but it doesn’t feel like this query should be beyond its reach.

We didn’t hold out much hope of Cortana providing a direct answer to this one and we were right – it too passes the query off to the thetrainline.com. Disappointing all round.

ROUND SCORES:

CORTANA 1 POINT

Show flights from Gatwick to Barcelona on 21st July SIRI 0 POINTS

Siri goes back to Bing for the answer, with the top search result clicking through to Monarch airlines. This pulls up flights from Gatwick to Barcelona, but not on the date we specified. Indeed, it’s just a list of flights in price order.

GOOGLE NOW 0 POINTS

Google’s having none of this specific requirements nonsense either, again pinging us off to the search results page. Monarch has bought the top slot here, too, but the lead organic result is for EasyJet. However, all we get from that page is a warning that the Chrome mobile browser isn’t up to snuff for EasyJet’s site and a link to download Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer. It’s no holiday.

CORTANA 0 POINTS

Like Siri, Cortana palms us off on Bing, but this time KLM is top of the search results. When we click through, we’re offered flights from London City airport, not Gatwick, and are asked the dates we wish to fly. Nil pois.

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POLITICS

Who is the MP for Romford?

GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

Google’s happy to answer our question directly, telling us the answer is, “According to Wikipedia, Andrew Rosindell,” before oddly going on to repeat his full name (including middle name) and then spell out his name, albeit incorrectly because it seems to have picked up the phonetic spelling, thus claiming his surname is spelt R, Z, N, D, L. Google also reveals that he’s a Tory.

SIRI 2 POINTS

Siri doesn’t do politics and shoves our query over to Bing search, where the top answer reveals it’s Andrew Rosindell, who is a Conservative.

CORTANA 2 POINTS

Cortana’s not about to sully itself by answering political questions directly, either, but the full Bing results page includes a mini-profile of Rosindell and a small pic. By golly, he’s an attractive man.

FINANCE

What is the Bank of England interest rate?

ROUND SCORES:

GOOGLE NOW 8 • SIRI 5 • CORTANA 4

What is Nicholas Soames’ telephone number? GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

If we wanted to call our local MP, could the assistants help? Google could. It brought up a map, his address, buttons to press to place a call to his office, directions and a website link. It even prompted us to say “Call Nicholas Soames MP (Mid Sussex)” to place the call, which was a bit of a mouthful, but it worked.

CORTANA 1 POINT

Cortana deferred to Bing; top of the results was the Contact page of the MP’s website.

SIRI 0 POINTS

Siri bombed on this question. It correctly transcribed Nicholas Soames, but after thinking about it said: “You have two contacts named Nicole Kobie. Tap the number of the one you’d like to see.” Siri, it seems, will only dish up a phone number if it’s already in your contacts. Technology journalist Nicole, meanwhile, was uninterested in our complaints about Southern Rail.

What price did Vodafone shares close at last night?

SIRI 2 POINTS

Huzzah! Cortana speaks, at last! Microsoft’s assistant decided to answer this one directly, though not with precise information. Cortana read out the current share price and the percentage increase on today’s trading, but we’d need a calculator to work out the exact closing price. Close, but no pin stripes.

CORTANA 2 POINTS

It’s another Bing job for Cortana, with exactly the same result as Siri and the interest rate printed in the result’s preview.

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This was another question designed to trip up the assistants, as there were two US presidents in that election year: Lyndon B Johnson and Richard Nixon. Siri called upon WolframAlpha to deliver the right answer.

GOOGLE NOW 2 POINTS

“Lyndon B Johnson and Richard Nixon were both presidents of the United States in 1969,” replied Google, also side-stepping our trap. It didn’t deliver quite as full an answer as Siri, failing to offer handover dates, although there were little pics of both presidents.

CORTANA 1 POINT

Oh, Cortana. Is there anything you won’t shunt off to Bing? The top result linked to a Wikipedia page called “1969 in the United States”, which did deliver the answer at the top of the page. The lower search results also revealed the Johnson/Nixon handover. But again, Cortana stops short of giving a straight answer to a factual question.

GOOGLE NOW 9 • CORTANA 5 • SIRI 3

GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

Siri pauses for thought once more, before relying on Bing to deliver the answer. The search results go straight to the horse’s mouth, with the Bank of England website at the top of the list and the current base rate of 0.5% listed in the preview text, so there’s no need to click through in order to get the answer.

SIRI 3 POINTS

ROUND SCORES:

GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

“According to Santander, the Bank of England base rate is currently 0.5%,” chirps Google’s voice assistant in response to our question. It’s a slightly curious choice of source, but the answer is correct, and there’s a fuller explanation of what the rate means and how it changes on the Google Now card.

Who was president of the United States in 1969?

We were confident all the assistants could tell us the current share price of companies, but could any tell us what the stock closed at last night? Google could. It gave an audio answer with the current stock price, but on the graph that accompanied it, the previous close was clearly marked along with the precise figure.

CORTANA 2 POINTS

SIRI 1 POINT

Siri betrayed its American roots by delivering results from Vodafone’s US listing on the NASDAQ, not its London price (although we had to work that out for ourselves). Nor was there any close price on the graph it displayed.

Where is the nearest cash point? GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

The phrase “cash point” bamboozled Google, which seemed only to find ATMs operated by a company “cashpoint” – then tried to send us 15 miles to get our hands on a £20 note. When we asked for the “nearest ATM”, Google got its act together, pointing us to the cash machine 200 yards away, along with a little map.

CORTANA 1 POINT

Clearly suffering from a sore throat after speaking up last time, Cortana returns to its modus operandi, punting the query to Bing, which lists a Link ATM finder. It directs us to Tesco, but it’s more work than Google requires.

SIRI 0 POINTS

Maybe Siri expects us to pay for stuff with Apple Pay, because trying to find a cash machine with the iPhone assistant proved troublesome. Despite asking for “cash point” and “ATM”, Siri directed us to a company called Sussex Asset Finance. It doesn’t have a cash point. The Tesco over the road does…

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GENERAL

What were the EuroMillions winning numbers on Friday?

ROUND SCORES:

GOOGLE NOW 5 • CORTANA 4 • SIRI 4

When will the Space Station next be visible in the sky?

How do you spell ‘bureaucracy’? SIRI 3 POINTS

GOOGLE NOW 1 POINT

SIRI 1 POINT

You’d have thought that all the digital assistants would have been able to deliver something as popular and rudimentary as the winning lottery numbers, but seemingly not. Siri falls back on Bing search to send you to the latest results page on the EuroMillions website.

Google doesn’t attempt to answer the question directly, using search results to divert us to NASA’s Spot The Station website, which is at least mobile friendly.

A silly question, you might argue, but if you can’t spell something, attempting to type it into a search engine may not work. Siri is superb: it spells the word out slowly, and provides a dictionary definition on the screen.

CORTANA 1 POINT

GOOGLE NOW 3 POINTS

Cortana plays it safe too, providing a link to the NASA site at the top of the Bing search results.

GOOGLE NOW 1 POINT

You’re not going to learn whether you can afford a yacht directly from Google Now, either, which also punts gamblers to the EuroMillions website.

It’s an almost identical performance from Google, which does everything Siri does and then adds extra information such as translations into other languages and a graph showing the word’s usage over time, if you want it.

SIRI 0 POINTS

When Siri says, “Hmm… let me think” that’s usually a bad sign. But here Apple seemingly comes up trumps, telling us the next flyover will be at “6.57am GMT on Friday March 4 2016.” There’s only one problem: NASA doesn’t agree. The space agency says the station won’t be visible from our location until almost 24 hours later, and all other sources we can find online agree. Apple’s data is sourced from the normally uber-reliable WolframAlpha. Houston, we have a problem.

CORTANA 1 POINT

And it’s a clean sweep of barely competent from Cortana, which also diverts users to the official website.

CORTANA 2 POINTS

Even on this rudimentary query, Cortana must lean on Bing for the answer, and unlike the other two, it doesn’t read the spelling aloud. That may be preferable if you’re in public, but if you’re trying to scribble a word into a crossword or form, the audio option is worth having. Still, the spelling and definitions are printed nice and large at the top of search.

RESULTS&VERDICT A

s you can see from the results table below, Google Now was the runaway winner of our test. It recorded the top score in all but one category, coming second best to Siri when it comes to entertainment-related queries. Google Now scores consistently because it bothers to delve into websites and extract the information you’re looking for, reading aloud answers or displaying them on ‘cards’ at the top of the screen. It’s the service that behaves most like an actual PA, offering to place calls, provide directions to venues or deliver extra information that may be relevant to your query. Cortana, on the other hand, did little more than parse most of our queries to the Bing search engine, more often than not requiring extra effort on our

JULY 2016

behalf to get to the correct answer. It’s not so much an assistant as a text-to-speech engine. Siri excels in some areas – often those where Apple has accompanying services it can sell you – but falls flat in others. Siri’s dependence on the Bing search engine is one reason why it struggles to match Google’s efficiency, but Apple’s keen eye for presentation means onscreen results were often presented more attractively than Google’s. The good news is that Google Now is available to users of every platform. It’s an integral part of Android, but is also available on iOS via the Google app and via the Chrome browser on Windows devices. Nobody need settle for a second-rate assistant.

SPORT

FOOD & DRINK

ENTERTAINMENT

TRAVEL

POLITICS

FINANCE

GENERAL

OVERALL

CORTANA

3

5

2

2

4

5

4

25

GOOGLE NOW

8

7

5

2

8

9

5

44

SIRI

5

4

6

2

5

3

4

29

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Business Help If you have database, office application or macro issues, Kay Ewbank can help. Send your problems to [email protected]

Getting a good report in Access Q

I manage an Access database that is used (among other things) to keep track of progress information for our company. Each week, departmental managers are supposed to do a report (in Word) of progress on the various projects we’re working on. My manager wants a report showing how the different managers have done, colour-coded to show those reports that have not been marked as completed. I thought of having two queries: one of all the managers who have to prepare reports, and one of the managers who’ve submitted a report in the current week. If someone is on the first list but not the second, they should appear in red. If they’ve done their report, they show up in green. However, I’m stumped on how to achieve this. I have the two queries, but I don’t know how to go any further. The first query (of everyone who has to prepare a report) looks like this (there are other fields but I’ve omitted them for clarity): SELECT [StaffID], [PositionID], [LastName], ForeName] FROM Staff WHERE ([PositionID]=3);

The second query (of people who have submitted a report) looks like this: SELECT Reps.RepWriterID,Reps.RepDate, Staff.LastName, Staff.StaffID FROM Staff RIGHT JOIN Reps ON Staff.StaffID =Reps.RepWriterID

SELECT AllRep.StaffID, AllRep.LastName, IsNull(RepDone. RepWriterID) AS RepMissing FROM AllRep LEFT JOIN RepDone ON AllRep.StaffID = RepDone.RepWriterID

This returns the StaffID and last name of the manager, along with a field called RepMissing that is True if the equivalent ID in the second query is a Null, indicating the report hasn’t been created. You can use conditional formatting in Access reports to You can take the result and differentiate important data use it as the data source for an Access report. Use conditional WHERE (((Reps.RepDate)>=[Forms]![frmRep formatting to show rows where RepMissing is orts]![txtdatefrom] And (Reps.RepDate)< True in Red, and RepMissing is False in Green. =[Forms]![frmReports]![txtDateTo]))); Select the text fields (last name and Janet Wright StaffID), then choose Conditional Formatting in the Format tab while designing the report. Create a new rule that has the expression: The easiest way is to use a Left Join with the query listing all the report [RepMissing]=False writers on the left of the join, and the query returning the writers on the right. The and set the colour to green. Repeat the writers who haven’t returned a report will process with a rule with the expression: have a null value in all the fields on the right. So if the query above that returns all the [RepMissing]=True report writers is called AllRep, and the second query that returns the people who’ve and set the colour to red, and you should get submitted the report is called RepDone, then the effect you want. third query involving the left join might be:

A

Creating a message template in Outlook Q I want to create a template in Outlook for people to fill in. For example, at the start of the email I want to have: Dear When you click on the placeholder, I want it to disappear so that the person creating the email can type the name. Is there any way to do this without using a macro, as by default macros are disabled in our version of Outlook? We’re using Outlook 2007. Gordon Peacock

The good news is that because Outlook shares a number of features with Word, you can use a Field Code just as you would in a Word document. In this case, you could use a MacroButton field.

A

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Insert a field in an Outlook template by pressing Ctrl-F9. Curly brackets will appear, with the entry point between them. In the gap, type: MACROBUTTON NoMacro

Don’t worry that the field is called MacroButton; it doesn’t require macros to be enabled to work. Right-click the field, choose Toggle Field from the options in the context menu, and you’ll see appear. Save the message as a template by choosing File, Save As, and choosing Outlook Template in the Type choices. If you then create a message using that template and click where it says ‘Click to enter the client’s name’, you’ll be able to overtype the prompt and type the name as required.

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BUSINESS HELP

Don’t quote me Q

I find one of Word’s habits irritating. If I type a word such as can’t or won’t, Word autocorrects the apostrophe to a single quote. The only way to stop this is to click the Undo arrow after typing the apostrophe. This slows my typing down considerably. Is there a way to replace all single quotes with an apostrophe? Gary Shepherd If you don’t use single quotation marks as quotation marks, one option would be to remove straight quotes from the AutoCorrect options. From the File menu, choose Options, Proofing, AutoCorrect Options. Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and take the tick out of the box for replacing straight quotes with smart quotes. However, this will also mean that Word won’t replace double quotes with the smart quote equivalent. If you don’t like that idea, remember you can use Ctrl-Z rather than clicking on the Undo symbol; if you’re a good typist that will be less disruptive than taking your fingers away from the keyboard. Finally, you can carry out a search and replace operation. Copy one of the offending smart quotes, then choose Replace from the Home tab of the Office Ribbon. In the Find What box, paste your single quote. In the Replace box, type a normal straight quote, then choose Replace All. If you want to be more selective in your replacing, you could work out which word contractions you want to replace; most common ones are followed by a d, l, m, r, s, t or v, as in we’d, we’ll, I’m, we’re, he’s, don’t and we’ve. In the Find What box, you’d use:

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(’)([dlmrstv])

And in the Replace With box, you’d enter: '\2

This finds a smart quote followed by d, l, m, r, s, t or v and replaces it with a straight quote, followed by the character that followed the smart quote, so the character that was second in the found string.

Hyperlinks in Excel Q

I want to create an image in Excel 2010 that allows a user to click on different parts of the image, then be taken to the corresponding data table. So if they click on area 1, they go to table 1, on area 2 to table 2, and so on. Is this possible? Andrew Hargreaves It requires a certain amount of fiddling, but it is possible. The first thing you need to know is that in Excel, you can set up an ‘open this when you click’ Hyperlink. Right-click the image and, in the context menu that appears, select Hyperlink. In the dialog that appears, choose ‘Place in This Document’ from the list in the left-hand panel. In the next dialog box that appears, choose the option to enter a cell reference, and in that field enter the address of the start of the data table. The problem with this method is that you can only have one hyperlink per image. To achieve the effect you want, you need to create separate mini images for each area where you want to insert a hyperlink, then one large full-size background image to make it appear to the user as though it’s just a single image. You’d then insert the background image first, lay the smaller images over the top of the background image in the appropriate locations, then use the Insert Hyperlink technique described above multiple Overlay multiple images in Excel times, one for each area to have multiple hyperlinks from where you want to have a what is apparently a single image clickable link.

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How do I update data in a presentation? Q I have a PowerPoint presentation that I run on a repeating slideshow in our reception area showing various figures and charts. The data is stored in Excel, but I enter it manually. My problem is that the information changes as people update the underlying sales figures. At the moment I stop the slideshow every day, edit the slides with the information from Excel, then restart the slideshow. Is there a way to automate this so I don’t have to update the figures manually? Ideally I’d like it to update while the show is running, but if that’s not possible I’d live with it being updated automatically when I stop and start the show. Sunnil Rushtie

You can do this, including automatic updating. First, make sure the data is inserted as linked data rather than just as figures. To do this, select the data in Excel and copy it. Then click the PowerPoint slide where it should be displayed, and click the drop-down arrow on the Paste button on the Home tab of the Office Ribbon. From the

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Use Paste Link to have data updated in PowerPoint Presentations

options you’re offered, choose Paste Special, and on the next screen choose Paste Link and set the type of link to Excel Worksheet Object. You can do the same thing with charts. Next, you can automate the update using the following macro. To enter the macro, click the View tab of the ribbon, click Macros, and enter OnSlideShowPageChange as the name of the macro. Enter the code below: Sub OnSlideShowPageChange() Dim i As Integer Dim oslide As Slide

Dim oshape As Shape i = ActivePresentation.SlideShowWindow .View.CurrentShowPosition If i <> 1 Then Exit Sub For Each oslide In ActivePresentation.Slides For Each oshape In oslide.Shapes If oshape.Type = msoLinkedOLEObject Then oshape. LinkFormat.Update Next oshape Next oslide End Sub

This code runs whenever a page changes in your slideshow. It looks at the current position in the show, and if it’s anything other than the first slide, the macro ends. When the slide is on slide one, the macro goes through all the slides, and all the shapes on the slides. If the type of a shape is msoLinkedOLEObject, the shape is updated. When your slide gets to an Excel object, it’s updated with the current values from the underlying spreadsheet, keeping your figures up to date.

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Helpfile Whatever your general PC, hardware and software woes, Simon Handby is here to help. Send your problems to [email protected]

Updating Windows Vista Q

I have a self-built desktop PC with an MSI P45 NEO motherboard, running Windows Vista SP2. In May 2015 I installed a Crucial CT512MX SSD to give the machine a new lease of life, which it did. I successfully cloned the SSD from the existing HDD and adjusted the partition sizes. I recently noticed I hadn’t had any Microsoft updates for months. When I select Windows Update from the Control Panel I get a message saying the update service isn’t running, but I’ve checked and it is. I tried stopping and restarting the service, rebooting and running the Microsoft ‘Fix it’ troubleshooter for Windows Update with no luck. Various sources on the net suggested that the lack of AHCI on my SATA interfaces is the problem, but I don’t see anything in the BIOS relating to AHCI. It seems a BIOS upgrade may help, but I am aware of the possibility of ‘bricking’ my PC if it fails. Is the lack of AHCI the likely cause of my problems? Should I start saving for a new PC? David Holden We’ve not heard of any Windows Update problems that might relate to AHCI mode, and it doesn’t sound likely. That said, you can probably rule out the feature by switching it on. Your motherboard has the Intel P45 Express chipset, which incorporates the ICH10 Southbridge, which should support AHCI mode. It sounds as if you

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Edit this Registry key before enabling AHCI in the BIOS

either know this is turned off or you aren’t aware that it’s available. Either way, try turning it on: reboot the computer and hit Del to enter the BIOS setup, then from the main menu select Integrated Peripherals, scroll down to On-Chip ATA Devices and look to see if RAID mode is set either to RAID or AHCI. If it isn’t, don’t change it yet or you won’t be able to boot. Quit the BIOS without making changes, boot into Windows, open the Start menu, type regedit in the search box, hit Enter, then navigate to HKey_Local_Machine\ System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci. In the right-hand pane, double-click Start, change the value data to 0, then click OK. Now quit Registry Editor, reboot into the BIOS again and retrace your steps to enable AHCI mode. Save the changes and reboot, then see if the update issue is fixed. If you still can’t find anything in the BIOS about AHCI mode, or you make the change and it doesn’t help,

try updating to the latest BIOS release; while there’s nothing specific to AHCI mentioned in the release notes, it’s still worth trying. If Windows Update still doesn’t work, give the Windows Update troubleshooter another go, but the widely available troubleshooter seems to be an update of an earlier one that may have been more thorough in trying to fix the problem. If you still haven’t managed to get things working, try running the earlier app from tinyurl.com/341helpfile: select the aggressive options tickbox. Finally, try the manual instructions for resetting Windows Update at tinyurl. com/341helpfile2. These are rather involved, but may do the job where the automated fixes have failed. It’s worth noting that Vista is now incredibly long in the tooth, and that Windows 7 onwards is markedly more responsive. You’ll notice a significant performance gain by upgrading to Windows 10.

Very well documented Q

I’m running Windows 10 on two PCs, and I use Google Drive to sync my Documents folder between them. If I leave a File Explorer window open I get multiple links to Documents in the navigation pane. This happens on either PC, regardless of whether the other PC is on or not. Clicking any of the links takes me to my Documents folder, where no duplicate files or folders appear: the problem seems limited to the extra shortcuts only. Closing and re-opening File Explorer gets rid of the extra instances, but they reappear over time. What’s going on? Tim Nelson

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We understand this issue can arise with any cloud storage program that’s making changes in the Documents folder, including Microsoft’s own OneDrive. With Google Drive, if you create a new file or folder anywhere within Documents then watch its status, you’ll see a duplicate link appear in the Navigation pane once the new item has been synced. Wait 10 seconds or so, hit F5 to refresh the view and the duplicate(s) will disappear. It’s a long-standing issue in Windows 10, but you can work round it by selecting View, clicking the Navigation button and ticking Show all folders.

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Cloud storage software can cause duplicated shortcuts

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HELPFILE

iPhone trouble in Windows 10 Q

I hated Windows 8.1, but it took me a long time to be convinced that Windows 10 would be any better. Eventually I upgraded, but I’ve encountered a problem with my iPhone 5: while the PC recognises when it’s connected, and I can browse files stored on the phone, iTunes doesn’t detect it. As such I’ve been unable to update or back up the phone’s content. Elaine McNamara This seems to be a common issue with the Windows 10 upgrade, and we’ve seen reports of it affecting all iPhone models, not just the iPhone 5. It’s always worth checking that you’re on the latest version of iTunes and that Windows 10 is up to date, but in our experience neither of these is likely to be the issue.

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Use Windows’ AutoPlay settings to control what happens when you plug in a device

Connect your phone, open the computer’s Start menu, type ‘device manager’ and run Device Manager in the results. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers; we suspect you won’t find an entry for Apple Mobile

Can’t clone drive Q

I’ve been using SSDs for my computer’s operating system and a conventional hard disk for data for a few years now. Previously I used Acronis True Image to clone the active SSD to a spare SSD, which I could use as a backup in the event of a failure. I’ve achieved the cloning by booting from a True Image recovery CD. This all worked well until I recently had a motherboard failure. As my system was getting rather long in the tooth, I decided to upgrade to more recent technology, including an ultra-fast Samsung NVMe M.2 drive for the operating system. The new system works well, but I have since discovered that it isn’t possible to clone the NVMe drive to my spare SSD: it appears that the latest version of True Image is unable to detect NVMe drives. Do you know of a way around this issue? Martin Powell Our understanding is that currently the Linux-based rescue media created in Acronis True Image can’t see NVMe drives, but the alternative WINPE-based media can. Unfortunately, creating the latter involves about 3.2GB of downloading: if you have a second desktop PC with True Image installed, it may be quicker to put both new and old SSDs in that computer, and clone the new to old using the Disk Clone app within the Acronis program group; this should be able to see both drives. If your second computer doesn’t have a native M.2 slot, however, you’ll need to buy a SATA-to-M.2 converter, which is probably more trouble than it’s worth. Even if it is feasible to use a second PC, we’ve experienced some failed clone operations using the Acronis Clone Disk app from within Windows. If you don’t get anywhere with that option, instead create the WINPE-based media by running Bootable Rescue Media Builder from the Acronis program group and selecting WINPE-Based Media With Acronis Plug-in. You’ll need to download both the Acronis True Image add-on pack, and the Windows Assessment and Deployment kit. With the latter you can unselect all features except Windows Preinstallation Environment and Deployment tools, but it’s still a tedious download. Insert a blank USB drive or CD before the downloads have finished. When the required components are installed you should find that the Rescue Media Builder prompts you for a destination for the WINPE media; choose the USB drive or your optical drive and click Proceed. Once the media is created, boot from it, wait for Acronis True Image to load, select Tools & Utilities and the Clone Disk applet should appear and behave just as in the Linux-based rescue media, with the crucial difference that it now recognises your NVMe drive.

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Device USB Driver. If it’s there, right-click it and select Uninstall. Now expand Portable devices, under which you should find Apple iPhone. Right-click this, click Update Driver Software, select ‘Browse my computer for driver software’, select ‘Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer’, click Have Disk, then browse to C:\Program Files\ Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\ Drivers, double-click usbaapl64.inf and click OK. You told us the above instructions solved the problem you originally had, after which you asked if there was a way to stop Windows automatically synchronising your photos each time you connect the iPhone. To do this, open Start menu, type autoplay and select AutoPlay settings. You should see an entry for your iPhone in the right-hand pane: expand the box underneath and select Ask me every time.

Help select a printer Q

I have searched, and searched again, for a 3-in-1 printer to replace my Canon Pixma MG5350. What I need is one that can duplex print, and which has a rear feeder. I gather Canon no longer produces a similar multifunction with a rear feeder. I only use the MG5350 for home use, but I do print quite a lot for an association for which I am treasurer. Much of my printing is draft copies for checking; these I print on the reverse side of printed sheets to save paper, hence the need for a rear feed. Few printer specifications list this option, so it is hard to identify which one will fit the bill. Can you help? Dennis Walker If we’ve understood your requirements correctly, you need neither a rear paper feed, nor duplex, although we’d always recommend the latter anyway. In any tray, on any printer, you should be able to load paper that you’ve already used once: markings in the paper tray will tell you how to orientate it so that you’re printing on the blank side, rather than the side you’ve already used. If you do need a printer with both duplex and a rear paper tray, we’re not aware of one with the same creative bias as your Pixma MG5350. Instead you’ll need a more office-biased device, such as the Epson WorkForce WF-3620DWF. We haven’t reviewed this specific model, but it costs about £90, has a single-page rear feed and can duplex print. If you need a tray capable of accepting more than a single page, you’ll need to spend more. Epson’s WorkForce Pro WF-5620DWF won a Best Buy in Shopper 320, and it has an 80-sheet multipurpose tray at the rear. With cash back, it’s currently available for as little as £144. If you can afford to pay more, we’d recommend HP’s Officejet Pro X476dw, which has a 50-page feed at the left side and is incredibly fast. HP appears to be in the process of replacing it, however: we hope to review the new model within the next couple ⬆ Epson’s WorkForce Pro WF-5620DWF is a of months. great inkjet MFP for the home office

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SD CARDS EXPLAINED

How to...

Choose an SD card Picking the right SD card can be a minefield, with a confusing plethora of acronyms and standards. Richard Easton explains what all those little markings mean SINCE ITS LAUNCH in 1999, the humble Secure Digital (SD) card has fought off competition from Sony’s Memory Stick format and CompactFlash cards to become the de facto standard for expandable storage. Nowadays, that means you’ll find SD cards

in many guises and in a multitude of devices, with differing sizes and speeds to consider. This can make buying the right SD card a confusing affair, so we’re here to explain just what all those different labels mean.

SD CARD TYPES

Cards can be rated as Class 2 (with a minimum write speed of 2MB/s), Class 4 (4MB/s), Class 6 (6MB/s) or Class 10 (10MB/s). Since these are the minimum, it’s entirely possible that a card can achieve faster speeds, but these give you an impression of the least you can expect. Class ratings are denoted by a number inside of a C symbol. Many SD card manufacturers also list a specific speed. This means a card can be Class 10 but also be listed as ‘up to 80MB/s’ – note the The number inside the ‘C’ wording of ‘up to’. You might also symbol denotes a card’s speed see a description such as ‘533x’. This refers to a multiplication of the speed of an old CD-ROM (150KB/s). So in this case 533 x 0.15 = 80MB/s (as there are 1,000KB in a MB).

The standard SD card is the ‘full-size’ variant. It’s typically used in most modern digital cameras, and nearly all laptops will come equipped with an SD card reader slot. You’ll also see ‘SDHC’ and ‘SDXC’ variants. The first stands for ‘Secure Digital High Capacity’, referring to cards with a capacity above 2GB and below 32GB. The latter stands for ‘Secure Digital eXtra Capacity’, which go beyond 32GB in size, up to a whopping 2TB. All three will fit in a regular SD card slot, although older devices that pre-date SDXC’s introduction might not be compatible with it, so check your product’s specifications. Devices are backwards-compatible, so an SDXC-compatible device can use SDHC and SD cards. An SDHCcompatible device can use SDHC and SD cards, but not SDXC cards.

UHS SPEED CLASS

This stands for Ultra High Speed and refers to a minimum sustained writing performance for recording video. According to the SD Association, UHS Speed Class 1 supports a minimum 10MB/s write speed, whereas UHS Speed Class 3 supports at least 30MB/s write speed. The UHS Speed Class is denoted by either a ‘1’ or ‘3’ inside a bucket ‘U’ symbol. 4K-capable camcorders will usually require at least a U3-rated SD card. MiniSD cards are about half the height of a standard SD card. You can also find larger-capacity miniSDHC cards, though again, you’ll need to make sure your device supports miniSDHC rather than just miniSD. Since devices that use it are relatively uncommon, miniSD cards will often come with an adaptor that can convert it into a full-size SD card. MicroSD, microSDHC and microSDXC cards are the smallest versions. They are, as the name implies, physically tiny and are predominantly used in smartphones.. Again, SDXC-comp SDXC-compatible devices are backwards-compatible with microSDHC roSDHC and microSD cards, and microSD cards can be used in microSDHC devices. You’ll usually get a full-size SD card adaptor in the packaging, too.

SPEED CLASSES

Speed classes are how SD, miniSD and microSD cards are rated in terms of read and write speeds. These are important particularly when the cards are used in camcorders ders or action cameras, as the speed of the card will limit the video resolution and bit rate at which you’re able to record. The SD Association devised a way to standardise cards’ speed ratings. These are defined efined as ‘Speed Class’ and refer to the minimum sustained ined write speeds.

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UHS BUS SPEED

UHS Speed Class-rated devices should also be listed as either UHS-I or UHS-II, to show which UHS Bus Interface is used. UHS-I devices have a maximum read speed of 104MB/s, whereas a UHS-II card has a maximum read speed of 312MB/s. Note that, unlike the UHS Speed Class, these are not sustained speeds.

VERDICT VERDIC

make sure you buy the correct card Obviously the safest way to ma product’s user guide or specifications, is to first consult your produ to ensure both that you’re choosing a compatible card and that the card will meet your product’s performance Sony FDR-X1000V action camera, requirements. The Son clearly states that it needs a Class 10 U3 for example, clear microSD card in order to record in 4K. your needs are more basic, Class 10 Even if y don’t cost much more, so it’s usually cards don paying the extra: a faster-rated card worth pay will make for more responsive expanded storage in a smartphone or laptop, and in storag SDXC cards can hold up mode, still image cameras will be able burst mod to a massive 2TB of data to take more photos, more quickly.

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Multimedia

EXPERT

Photographer, musician, sound engineer, designer and video producer Ben Pitt guides you through a multimedia project [email protected]

Photographing children

Children are always a popular photographic subject, but they’re surprisingly tricky to capture. Ben Pitt reveals how to take photos worth savouring

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MULTIMEDIA EXPERT

FOR MANY PEOPLE, the birth of a child or grandchild is the perfect excuse to upgrade to a new camera. However, capturing photos worth framing isn’t always as easy as it seems. Everyone thinks their own kids are gorgeous, but one person’s angelic cherub is another’s snot-encrusted rugrat. As babies get older, they get faster and less predictable. As any wildlife photographer will tell you, capturing fast-moving, unpredictable subjects is no mean feat – and most of the time they get to work outdoors with plenty of sunlight. Kids’ portraits are often taken indoors in much lower lighting. So the challenge is set. Let’s see how we can go about capturing some great children’s portraits.

Ambient sunlight through the trees creates an ethereal light, and the lush vegetation makes for a fine backdrop, too

SETTING THE SCENE

Choosing a location is a good place to start. Ideally you want somewhere with plenty of light to maintain high image quality. Children rarely sit or stand still for long so you’ll probably need a shutter speed somewhere between 1/100s and 1/250s in order to freeze motion. In low light that will require a fast ISO speed, which pushes up grainy noise levels, but outdoors that isn’t so much of an issue. Indoors, it’s usually possible to gett enough light on to your subject by placing them next to a window. Another issue is the quality of the light. Direct sunlight creates harsh shadows, and this can lead to over- and underexposed areas of the image. Direct sunlight can work well just before sunset or after sunrise, though. The sunlight isn’t as strong and it creates more interesting highlights and shadowss as it falls across faces from the side rather than straight down. Position yourself and your subject so the sun is behind them and to the side. This makes the sunlight catch the side of the face and creates a glow around the hair, but avoids them squinting at the sun. Avoid having direct sunlight in the frame, though. If the backlight light is making your subject’s face too dark, enable the camera’s flash to lift the shadows a little. Overcast weather turns the entire Babies who aren’t yet crawling are easy sky into a light source, creating very ry targets, and it usually doesn’t take little light and shade so subjects look ook much to get a beaming smile from them flat and uninteresting. In general, the best lighting for portraits is where there’s a diffuse light source rce that gives some light and shade but the sky to shine through the window and ut doesn’t create hard shadows. Shooting in a effectively turn it into a large area of light shady spot on a sunny day is a great way to source. This gives soft gradations from achieve this. If the weather is overcast, find a highlight to shadow, which in turn gives skin a bit of cover so the sky illuminates only one luminescent quality. It also creates a reflection side of the subject’s face. of the window that produces a charismatic You can follow the same principle when sparkle in subjects’ eyes. It’s best to switch shooting indoors near a window. You’re not the house lights off, as a mixture of sunlight looking for direct sunlight to fall on the and artificial light can lead to odd colour subject, but rather for ambient light from casts. Mixed lighting doesn’t need to be

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avoided at all costs, but it’s generally easier to manage if you have one type of light source. Light is critical, but so too is the look of your scene. For a portrait the background shouldn’t be particularly noticeable, but it will always play a part unless you crop so much that the face fills the frame. Even a plain white or black background is still a background, and will contribute to the mood or your photo. A camera with a large sensor and wide-aperture lens will give a shallow depth of field, throwing the background out of focus to help draw the eye to the subject but, even then, the backdrop still plays an important role. Try to pick something that sets the right mood without being too intrusive. A backdrop of trees or rolling countryside is a safe bet. Indoors, find a spot that gives a bit of form to the background without being too distracting. Whether you go for indoors or out, look out for trees, lamps or anything else that looks

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MULTIMEDIA EXPERT

Light from a window gives soft shadows and a diffused glow to skin. This shot also benefitted from a second window further away and behind the subject to act as a rim light, illuminating the edge of the shaded side of the face

like it’s growing out of the subject’s head. It’s also worth tidying up as much as possible and avoiding brightly coloured objects. Toys littering the floor or piles of newspapers may be a fact of everyday life but they can be a big distraction in a photo.

WORKING WITH YOUR SUBJECTS

Once you’ve got your scene in order, it’s time to turn your attention to your subject. Kids’ adorable faces are harder to appreciate when they’re covered in chocolate, dribble, snot and who knows what else, so make sure they’re clean. You may also want to choose clothes carefully and sort out their hair. I think it’s best not to go too far with this as you run the risk of polishing all the personality out of pictures, but it’s worth picking a nice, clean outfit and making sure hair doesn’t cover the face. The next challenge is getting them to pose. Babies don’t know what a camera is and will sit or lie there lapping up the attention you give them. A game of peekaboo with a small soft toy or puppet can keep them enthralled for many minutes. If you want them to look at the camera, holding a toy just above the camera looks better than holding it to the side. If you’ve got your hands full operating the camera, ask someone to make the toy appear from behind your head. As kids get older they become wise to what’s going on. Some will develop a fake

A full-frame camera and 35mm lens at f/2 gives an extremely narrow depth of field, giving a dreamy soft focus to the hair and shoulders while keeping the eyes, nose and mouth sharp. I’ve cropped this shot to give a field of view closer to 50mm

smile that’s utterly unconvincing. Others insist on pulling a crazy face, will sulk or run from the room. The challenge is to get them looking relaxed and happy long enough for you to get a few shots to choose from. If you’re taking a photo of two or more children, it becomes exponentially harder to get everyone simultaneously looking their best. If you know your way around an image editor, you could always create a composite shot of the best poses of each child, but we’ll save that for another month.

something else – or simply step back and shoot candidly – and you might find you get more interesting results. You’ll probably want to keep them in the same spot, though. A prop that they can interact with should help with this. Avoid giving them things that they will need to look downwards to use, as this will hide their faces. Food is a bad idea, as chewing isn’t a great look for portraits. Preparing food is a good option, though, and it should keep them occupied for a while. Children interacting with each other can produce great photos but it can be hard to keep them both in shot and facing towards the camera.

Kids’ faces are harder to appreciate when they’re covered in chocolate, snot and dribble, so make sure they’re clean

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Asking a child to sit on the sofa and smile at the camera is unlikely to work. You need some strategies to make them smile. If they’re too old for peekaboo, it’s time to crack a few jokes. Fortunately, children’s humour isn’t too hard to master. Asking them what they’re going to have for dinner and then suggesting a few disgusting dishes usually works. Once you’ve worked through that, ask them which superhero they’re going to marry, or which dinosaur they’d prefer as a pet. Child portraits don’t have to be big smiles into the lens. Turn their attention to

AIM AND SHOOT

So the scene is set, your subjects are looking at their best, and all that remains is to take the shot. I recommend shooting Raw for any photo project, as it gives far greater scope for colour correction and noise processing using desktop software such as Adobe Lightroom. White balance is critically important for portraits as colour casts are particularly noticeable on skin tones. Most cameras’ automatic white balance modes tend to be pretty reliable but, to be sure, select manual white balance and calibrate it by pointing at a white or grey object. I’m often happy to use the camera’s automatic exposure settings, but it’s sometimes worth setting the aperture

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MULTIMEDIA EXPERT

Most importantly, take masses of photos. I find that one in 10 photos are worth keeping, and one in 1,000 are worth framing

Props are great for bringing out children’s personality in a photo

manually to a wide setting (with a low f-number) to blur the background. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the shutter speed. Values slower than 1/50s are likely to cause motion blur, so set it to 1/100s for relatively static poses and 1/250s if there’s more motion. These are just ballpark figures; you may have your own preferred settings. If the ISO speed starts shooting up as a result, you’ll need to find a location with more light to avoid grainy images. Get down to your subject’s eye level and make sure the camera’s autofocus is trained on the eyes. It doesn’t matter if everything else is out of focus as long as the eyes are sharp. Some cameras offer face detection with automatic focusing on eyes. Otherwise, move the autofocus point to line it up with the subject’s eye. If you have a single subject, it’s usually best to shoot them in portrait orientation. Think about whether you want to go for a close-up of the face, head and shoulders, upper body or full length. There’s a big difference between zooming in or out and moving yourself nearer to or further from the subject. Typical focal lengths for portraits are from 50mm to 100mm (in 35mm-equivalent values), but there’s no right or wrong way to do it. A wide-angle zoom position will mean you need to get closer to your subject, which can make

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them feel self-conscious, so that’s as good a reason as any to step back and zoom in. Alternatively, shoot with plenty of space in the frame around the subject and crop the photo later. This lets you take your time to find the best composition. Considering that you can create a sharp A4 print from an 8-megapixel photo, today’s 24-megapixel and higher sensors have plenty of pixels to spare. Leaving some space for cropping later can also be useful when mounting photos in frames that use a different aspect ratio to your camera’s sensor. For group portraits, get them to bunch up as close as possible to avoid lots of empty space between their heads. If you’re shooting a group of children engaged in an activity, make sure that subjects are either in or out of the shot; it doesn’t look good to have people falling off the edge of the frame. You could always crop them out later, of course.

Most importantly, take masses of photos. I generally find that one in 10 photos are worth keeping, perhaps one in 100 are worth sharing and one in 1,000 are worth framing. Burst mode is useful to capture fleeting smiles and avoiding blinks but you don’t want scores of virtually identical shots, so move around a little and try a few different ideas out.

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGE

All of the above techniques can be achieved with whatever equipment you have, but there are a few bits of kit that can help bring your portraits up another notch. I’ve mentioned a shallow depth of field a couple of times in this article, and how it can help a portrait shot by blurring the background and parts of the subject, giving a dreamy quality to the image. The depth of field (DOF) depends on the size of both the sensor and the aperture, with larger sensors

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MULTIMEDIA EXPERT BEFORE

AFTER

and wider apertures giving a narrower DOF. If you own a camera with interchangeable lenses but are using the kit lens, a wideaperture lens is an extremely shrewd investment. 50mm f/1.8 lenses are available for all SLR brands for around £100 (similar ones for CSCs cost a little more). The f/1.8 figure means 10 times more light entering the lens compared to a typical kit lens with its f/5.6 maximum aperture at 50mm. That means a far shallower DOF, and also the ability to shoot at faster shutter speeds and slower ISO speeds in low light. A 50mm lens on a consumer SLR gives the same field of view as a 75mm lens on a full-frame camera, which is ideal for head-andshoulders portraits. However, if I were to recommend one lens upgrade, I’d go for a 35mm. These vary in price depending on the lens mount, but the wider view is more versatile and you can crop photos later. Another big asset for indoor portraits is a flashgun. Most cameras’ integrated flashes fire directly forwards to create a harsh light that flattens contours. Some integrated flashes can be tiled upwards to bounce light off the ceiling. This works much better, but tends to be limited by the power of the flash. Most dedicated flashgun units offer this same tilt function, but will be anything from four to 10 times more powerful than a typical integrated flash. Many can also pan left or right, allowing you to bounce light off walls as well as ceilings. For even greater flexibility, go for a wireless trigger. These comprise a wireless transmitter that sits on the camera’s hotshoe and another Bouncing light from a flashgun off the ceiling or wall is a great way to freeze motion without the rabbit-in-headlights look that comes from a direct flash

I was almost ready to discard this shot, which was taken without much care. However, with some cloning in Photoshop to remove smudges of food and the woman’s arm, plus some colour correction to lift the skin tones, particularly around the eyes, I’ve been able to salvage a respectable portrait shot

that acts as a seat for the flashgun. Big-brand models such as PocketWizard are quite pricy, but there are models from companies such as Yongnuo and Neewer on Amazon for under £20. The only downside is that the flash power and the camera’s exposure settings must be set manually, but a bit of trial and error should lead you to a balanced exposure. Earlier I warned about combining sunlight with artificial light, as the variation in colour temperatures can result in tricky colour casts.

However, sunlight and flash light are much closer in temperature and so they can be combined without much trouble. Using one as a main light source in front of the subject and to one side, and the other behind the subject and over on the other side, is a classic technique for portrait lighting. The main light should ideally be diffused to create soft shadows, either by using a window or bouncing flash light off the wall. The rear light is known as a rim light as it illuminates the edge of the subject, and helps to give some definition to the shaded side of the subject. You don’t necessarily have to invest in off-camera flash systems to achieve this, though. A strategically placed mirror or even some white card will reflect light back from a window to create a rim light effect. It’s probably unrealistic when trying to photograph a restless toddler or older child, but it can work brilliantly for baby portraits.

NEXT MONTH PRODUCE THE PERFECT VOCAL The vocal is the centrepiece of virtually every pop music production. Our workshop will help you make sure that it hits the right note

ISSUE 341 | COMPUTER SHOPPER

| JULY 2016

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Advanced

PROJECTS

Clive Webster has been tinkering with computers ever since Windows 98 forced him to manually install his drivers [email protected]

Adopt Linux

Don’t let a lack of Windows 10 hold you back – adopt a cutting-edge Linux distro and keep up to date. Clive Webster shows you how

IF YOU CA CAN’T N’T – or just don’t want ant to – upg upgrad rade rad e to to Window Win dowss 10, dow 1 there is another option. Li Linux nux mi might ght have hav e star star tarted as a command-line, uber-ge -geeks -ge eks-on eks -only -on ly operat ope rating rat ing sy system, but it’s now more friend endly, ly, mo more re featur fea ture-pack tur acked ed and mo more powerful than ever.. On On older old er har hardwa dware, re, Li Linux nux could even be superior or to resour res ource-hungry our gry Wi Windows 10, even if you do ha have ve the op optio tion tio n to t upgrade ade. ade To tak take e just j one example ple,, owners ple o of Son Sony y lapt lapt aptops ops can’t can ’t upg upgrad rade to Windows 10 be rad becau cause cau se Son Sony y hasn hasn asn’t ’t writte wri tten tte n a Wi Windo ndows ndo ws 10 gra graphi phics phi cs dri driver ver,, whic ver whic hich h cont cont ontrol rolss rol those tho se lap laptop top-sp -speci ecific eci fic Fn ke keys. ys. Th This is mig might ht be bec becaus ause aus e Sony Son y no no long long onger er has a com comput puter put er div divisi ision, isi on, bu butt we’r we’r e’re e not not going to let a trivia viall reas via reas eason on lik like e that that ho hold ld us bac back k with with an out outdat dated dat ed Win Window dowss 7 or 8 ins instal tall. tal l. Ent Enter er Lin Linux ux Min Mint. t.

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ADVANCED PROJECTS

GET THE CODE

PREPARING YOUR UPDATE

We’ve chosen Linux Mint because it’s robust, regularly updated, feels familiar and is free. There are other versions of Linux, but whichever version you choose the installation process will be much the same as with Mint. First, head to www.linuxmint.com/download. php and click the link for Cinnamon 64-bit unless your PC or laptop is particularly old or underpowered. Our dual-core 1.2GHz Intel Pentium U5400 (released in mid-2010) with 4GB of RAM was plenty fast enough for the flashy effects of the Cinnamon version of Mint. If you have serious concerns regarding your processor and RAM, choose the Xfce version; you’ll lose out on some graphical effects, but at least your system should run this streamlined version smoothly. Once you’ve chosen a version of Mint, you’ll be taken to a list of ‘mirrors’. This refers to download sources that ‘mirror’ the master download file. A UK source will make a UK download faster; click a source to begin the 1.5GB ISO file download. While Mint is downloading, check that you’ve copied all your valuable files, photos and so on from the system that’s about to receive Mint. This is also a good time to download a couple of tools: SD Formatter (see tinyurl.com/sdformat) and Win32 Disk Imager (see tinyurl.com/win32di). You should use SD Formatter to wipe a 4GB or larger USB drive (make sure you save any precious data on the USB drive first). Once the Mint file has downloaded, you can use Win32 Disk Imager to install the ISO file to the USB drive – to do this, you’ll first need to change the file association from

Installing an ISO file to a USB drive in Win32 Disk Imager

1

3

1

Find the Mint ISO file

2

Must be the USB drive’s drive letter

3

Click to create a bootable USB drive

‘.img’ to ‘*.*’. Just copying the ISO file to the USB drive will not make it bootable. Insert the bootable USB drive into the PC or laptop you want to update to Mint and turn the machine on. Hit either Delete or F2 (or whatever the manual instructs) to enter the BIOS, and change the primary boot device to the USB drive. This option is usually in the Boot menu; you may have to enable booting from an external device before the BIOS will accept a USB drive as a boot device. Hit F10 to save your changes, exit and reboot. Hopefully your PC or laptop will boot into a Linux Mint desktop. If not, consult your laptop or motherboard manual to see if there’s a specific way to boot from USB flash drives.

2

SUDO INSTALL

TEST-DRIVE YOUR NEW OS

Seeing a Mint desktop just 20 seconds after restarting your computer might be a surprise, but Mint is actually running from the USB drive in ‘Live’ mode; this allows you to test-drive Mint before committing. You only start to install Mint once you double-click the Install Linux Mint icon on the desktop. As Mint is running ‘Live’ from a USB drive, it will be a little sluggish; once installed on a hard disk Mint is very responsive, even on our ageing Pentium laptop mentioned earlier. The install process for Mint is fairly straightforward, with only a few options to confirm (most of which are detected automatically, such as language, location and keyboard layout). At one point you’ll be asked about the ‘Installation Type’, with two main options: install Mint alongside Windows or erase Windows and install Mint on its own.

LINUX MINT vs WINDOWS 10 LINUX MINT Office suite

(free forever)

WINDOWS 10 (free for one year, then £60)

Media software Online storage

(5GB, free)

Virtual desktops Start menu Digital assistant App store

Comprehensive

Limited

Hardware/software support

Strong

Comprehensive

Gaming support

Patchy

Comprehensive

Biometrics support Touchscreen support

Limited

Scaling (high-res screens) User-controlled updating Personal data encryption ⬆ Unless you’ve got specific hardware or software requirements, you should choose the Cinnamon 64-bit version of Mint

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(with Microsoft account)

Install size

5.5GB

20GB

Price

Free

£85 (free upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 until 29th July)

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⬅ The Mint desktop is a totally familiar environment for Windows users

⬆ Choose the fastest sources to make updating Mint as quick as possible

While the first option may be tempting, ‘dual-booting’ can be a hassle and we would only recommend it if you regularly use particularly intensive programs that cannot be installed on Linux. This might be a professional video editor, for example, or a collection of games (Windows is still the king of PC gaming). Whichever installation type you choose, the rest of the install is intuitive. When asked to create a password, make it secure yet short and memorable, as you’ll be asked to input it quite often. The first thing to do after installing any operating system is to update it. Click the blue shield icon in the System Tray area (bottomright) and the Update Manager will launch. There should be a blue section asking if you’d like to switch to a local mirror; click OK. There are two update sources: Main (rosa) and Base (trusty) – click on the button next to each and Mint will speed-test the sources, listing the fastest at the top. Select the fastest update sources, close the Software Source window and click Install Updates on the Update Manager. Once mintupdate and mint-upgrade-info have been updated, you’ll see a much longer list of updates; click Install Updates again to ensure that Mint and all its pre-installed software is updated. Like most Linux distros, Mint comes with a set of applications to allow you to get to work straight away. There’s LibreOffice for word processing, spreadsheets, drawing and presentations; Thunderbird covers email; Firefox browses the web; the GIMP handles Photoshop-like image- and photo-editing tasks; Banshee plays your music; and VLC and Videos share video-playback duties. It’s easy to install alternatives to these applications should you wish, or to add further software, as Linux has used an app

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store since the late 1990s, although Mint calls this store the Software Manager.

MINT CONDITION: CUSTOMISATION To install new software, open the Software Manager from the Mint Menu. The Mint Menu works just like the Windows 7 Start menu, so you could press the Windows key and type ‘soft’ to search for the Software Manager, for example. While there’s usually a free version of popular software, you’ll need to know the names of these alternatives. If you don’t know the name of the package you want, you can use the categories of the Software Manager, but we’ll help you with a few common recommendations. For example, Pinta gives you Paint.net-like image editing should the GIMP prove

overwhelming. If LibreOffice annoys you, try standalone packages such as Gnumeric spreadsheets, AbiWord or Calligra Stage. Clementine can take over your music library if Banshee isn’t to your taste. And while Thunderbird is popular, you can try Claws Mail or Evolution if you find it lacking. One change we recommend for everyone is to drop Firefox in favour of Google Chrome, as Google’s browser supports media formats and HTML5 better, allowing you to watch Netflix on Linux, for example. Head to Google’s download site at tinyurl.com/ ap-dl-chrome to download the 64-bit Debian/ Ubuntu version. Once you’ve read every word of the terms and conditions and clicked Accept and Install, Mint’s Package Manager will handle the download and install. When

➡ You’ll need Chrome if you want to watch Netflix on Linux Mint

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ADVANCED PROJECTS

⬆ Half an hour of fiddling and we have a desktop just as pretty and streamlined as any Windows install

the file has downloaded, click Install. You can then launch Chrome from the Mint Menu. Other applications to consider installing are steam-launcher (for Valve’s Steam service), Skype, Picasa, Scribus (for desktop publishing), Dropbox (agree to install the ‘proprietary daemon’), WINE and VirtualBox. WINE allows you to run Windows applications on Linux at full speed; many people use it to run games and intensive applications. However, only certain versions of certain programs run under certain versions of WINE, so research wiki.winehq.org/Main_Page thoroughly. VirtualBox allows you to create virtual computers on to which you can install whole

If the default Mint wallpaper is too bland, open Backgrounds to choose from four photographic collections or your own picture library. Open the Setting tab to set slideshow mode for backgrounds. If you’re lucky enough to have a high-res screen (above 1,920x1,080), open the General settings and play with the interface scaling option. You can fine-tune via the Fonts settings by altering text scaling. We altered the way windows behave via the Windows settings options, preventing windows from stealing focus and setting the focus to follow the mouse pointer rather than require a click. We preferred the ‘Sloppy’ setting, which moves focus to a window that

Like most Linux distros, Mint comes with a set of applications to allow you to get to work straight away operating systems; if you have an old Windows application you use occasionally that isn’t too resource-hungry, consider setting up a virtual machine to host Windows and this essential application. (We covered VirtualBox in more depth in Shopper 313.) Beyond new or alternative software, Mint is highly configurable: half an hour of fiddling will produce an attractive and productive environment. Right-click an application’s icon in the Mint Menu and you can pin it to the Panel (towards the bottom-left of the desktop) or the Favourites (the vertical list of icons on the left of the Mint Menu). You can rearrange your Favourites by dragging them around, or right-click to remove them.

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we mouse-over but doesn’t drop focus if we mouse on to the desktop (unlike the ‘Mouse’ mode, which would drop the focus). With ‘Automatically raise focused windows’ enabled, we could move around a cluttered desktop quickly without clicking the mouse. If you like Windows Snap, change the special key from Ctrl to ‘Super’ (the generic name for the Windows or Mac Command key) so Windows-Left ‘snaps’ the active window to the left of the screen. You can choose from six methods of alt-tabbing between windows. While Mint allows you to ‘peek’ at open windows like Windows 7 (and onward), you can’t interact with those ‘peeks’ as you can on Windows. Open windows also aren’t gathered

by application, as Windows 7 introduced so neatly. To add this ability to Mint (albeit in a slightly messy workaround fashion) head to Applets and add ‘Window List with App Grouping’. While this applet does nothing to eliminate the clutter in the Taskbar area of Mint, the Windows 7-like icons in the System Tray area (bottom-right) do aid multitasking by grouping open windows under a single icon. We left single-instance applications such as Banshee in the Panel (bottom-left). Like most versions of Linux, Mint supports virtual desktops, just like Windows 10. To see your virtual desktops – called Workspaces in Mint – press Ctrl-Alt-Up; you can drag windows from one Workspace to the other in this ‘Expo’ view. To move quickly between Workspaces, press Ctrl-Alt-Left or Right. Possibly the best thing about being a newcomer to Linux these days is that it’s almost impossible to break a Linux installation unless you know how; noodling around with your mouse won’t reveal any low-level hardware or software options that can irreparably crash a vital subsystem. Compare that to even Windows 10, where you’re three mouse clicks away from reconfiguring your TCP/IP stack or reformatting your hard disk. Linux is also inherently more secure and less resource-hungry; there’s never been a better time to give Mint a try.

NEXT MONTH KEEP YOUR PC COOL

With summer imminent (fingers crossed), it’s time to sort out your PC’s cooling and reduce the risk of heat-related crashes

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PARTING SHOTS

Zygote You can print out anything these days, says Zygote, from fake fingerprints to 3D albums made from your own ashes. Sadly, creating a more inclusive IT industry is a little harder GIRL POWER

Microsoft says it is very keen to make the video game industry more inclusive for women. To prove the point, it hosted the Women in Gaming Luncheon in San Francisco at this year’s Game Developers Conference. The very same night, Microsoft threw a huge party, and because it wanted everyone to have a nice inclusive time, the firm hired a cohort of young women to jolly things along. The women were dressed in soft-porn versions of Catholic schoolgirl uniforms, with boob tubes and micro-skirts revealing as much flesh as the budget allowed, and they were paid to jiggle around to “encourage delegates”. Zygote is delighted to report that as a gesture of solidarity with the declared Microsoft policy of female inclusion, a significant number of female delegates exercised their right to walk out.

for amputees. In a brilliant technology that marries engineering, surgery and computing, artificial hands have been created with sensors that generate signal patterns when moving over a textured or uneven surface. These signals are fed to a nerve graft in the patient’s arm, and register with the brain exactly as if the missing fingertips were touching the same surface. The success rate at defining all sorts of touchy-feelies is a remarkable 96%, and now the technology is set to be applied to robotics for use in hazardous environments such as search and rescue missions, as well as mainstream manufacturing. Zygote looks forward to the Swiss integrating their bionic fingers with the range of bionic noses that have been available since 2009, from which they can take their pick.

PRINTS CHARMING

SIN TAX ERROR

If you think your smartphone is secure because it has a fingerprint sensor, think again. Students at Michigan State University have cracked smartphone security by harnessing an inkjet printer to create spoof fingerprints. All a potential hacker needs to do is lift the victim’s fingerprint from any suitable surface, scan it, and then print it out with a standard electrical circuit cartridge. It used to take about half an hour to create a fake print with the so-called ‘gummy bear’ method, because the mould made from the rubbery sweet needed to set, and even then success was touch and go. But using an inkjet, the whole process of hacking a fingerprint reader takes a few seconds and achieves a 100% success rate. Speaking of which…

George Osborne’s last Budget was such a PR disaster that one element went almost unnoticed. This was the new £1,000 digital tax break for what the chancellor called “Britain’s micro entrepreneurs”. Under the new incentive, people who sell services or goods online and receive payments via virtual banks such as PayPal will be able

to fill in an innocent little box on their tax returns and pay no annual tax on the first £1,000 they make online. Zygote wonders how many micro entrepreneurs will be honest enough to admit to such online trading, seeing as there is no way the chancellor can tax any such invisible dealings. Any UK digital trader who uses a PayPal account that is based in Luxemburg can receive money and then use the balance in the same account to buy other goods and services online. This keeps the whole business under the fiscal radar. To claim the tax benefit, they would need to reveal their online trading to George Osborne in the first place. Meanwhile, the government’s much-heralded £450m Digital Strategy has been delayed yet again. Culture secretary Ed Vaizey has tried to blame the EU referendum, which is bonkers, but says he still wants us all to live in “gigabit Britain”. Zygote notes that gigabit is an anagram of ‘a big git’.

CLEAR COMMAND

Zygote has discovered a brilliant operating system, and it is controlled by a single command switch. It is Windows, but not as you know it. A sheet of glass is fused between two transparent rubberised layers, which are

sprayed with a coating of extremely thin wires. In fact, they are so skinny they cannot scatter light, and so the glass appears to be transparent. When a low voltage is applied, the wires on either side of the glass get frisky and move towards one another in a split second. This causes light to scatter and turns the glass from clear to opaque, and it can be controlled for any degree of cloudiness in between. Whoever said Windows had to be unnecessarily complicated?

VINYL SOLUTION

If you want to be cremated after you die, but you aren’t quite sure where you want your ashes to go, how about turning them into a long-playing record? The UK company And Vinyly is dead pleased to be able to transform your mortal remains into a 3D-printed vinyl record of your very own music. Zygote thinks this is an excellent afterlife opportunity because it allows you to play with your loved ones, and join in their fun from beyond the groove. Your ashes will be enough to make about 30 discs at a cost of £3,000, including bespoke cover artwork and notes. The company also offers exactly the same service for your pet’s ashes, so even with Rover passed over you can still take him for a spin.

TOUCHY FEELY

Down at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Switzerland, they have developed bionic fingertips

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