Logitech Launches New Gaming Peripheral Set
August 10, 2010
Apparently you can use your PC for more than visiting Facebook when you should be working and you don’t have to play video games through a console connected to your PC – honestly, it’s a crazy world we live in. In all seriousness, though, PC gaming is often considered the hardcore gamers choice and if you’re into strategy games, massive RPGs, and online MMORPGs then your PC is quite probably your gaming system of choice. If so then the new Logitech G Series of peripherals is likely to be right up your street.
The 13 button mouse has, as you might imagine, 13 buttons which can be programmed according to your preference. It also offers pixel perfect laser tracking so you won’t be able to blame the mouse when it all goes wrong. The keyboard has a seriously funky LCD backlit screen and user customised colour backlit keys. You also get a wireless headset making it very handy for online gaming.
The programmable buttons on the mouse enable the user to add their own complex macros, which can include keystrokes, mouse clicks, and more in order to make pulling off some of the more ridiculous stunts in games a lot easier. They’ve been strategically placed to make it easy and quick to reach them and the whole mouse has been designed to offer the best possible grip and hand position for late night, marathon gaming sessions.
The GamePanel LCD screen on the keyboard is one to write home about too (well, assuming there’s anybody at home that might be interested). It displays information and statistics like ammunition levels, health, player rank, server IP, and a whole bundle more potentially giving you the competitive edge over opponents. There’s only 35 supported games at the moment but more are likely to follow.
Are you a serious gamer?
Can strategy games make the transition to XBox 360 or PS3?
Acer Aspire M5300 Review
July 20, 2010
The Acer Aspire line of desktop PCs offers a wide selection of machines, with different levels of power, memory and price. The Acer Aspire M5300 comes in somewhere in the middle of the range, so without further ado we shall plough on with the details.
Design
Green with purple stripes and orange dots. Only kidding, this machine comes in a stylish, ultra modern casing and includes a good sized monitor.
Notable Specifications
This is a top class, powerful machine, so expect 1TB of hard drive, 4GB of memory, an AMD Phenom™ II X6 1035T Processor, a DVD rewriter and all the connectivity options you could shake a cable at.
Value
£800? Lower. £700? Higher. £750? Lower. £720? Oooh, a bit higher. £729.99? Correct.
Value
Who would buy a PC like this? A bargain hunting gamer who wants a lot of power under the bonnet and knows a good offer when one presents itself. An internet addict who doesn’t beat around the bush with puny computers. A kindly uncle who wants to give his nephew a great birthday present. Anyone who wants a really good PC and isn’t afraid to pluck up an online bargain.
Anyone looking for something a bit lower priced should have a look at the Acer Aspire M3300, while power hungry users who don’t mind stumping up a little more could consider the Acer Aspire M7300.
Acer Aspire M7300 Review
July 19, 2010
To see what is right and not to do it is a want of courage. At least that is what Confucius says and who I am to argue with the most perceptive man ever to have lived / an over rated, glib buffoon (delete as you see fit). If you want to see what it right for you then the Acer Aspire M7300 is what we are currently talking about. Courage not supplied.
Design
Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it. I just know that a nice and serious, I-know-what-I’m-doing look always goes down well in a PC and that this model fulfils the requirements without running the risk of being called daring or mould breaking.
Notable Specifications
He who looks a perfect PC must compromise. The person who knows how to compromise will find the perfect PC (I made that one up myself, by the way). Let me just throw some Acer Aspire M7300 numbers at you; 6GB of memory, 1GB of dedicated video memory, 8 USB ports and 1TB of hard drive space. The processor is the hard-working AMD Phenom™ II X6 1035T, and the rest of the features are as you would expect in or on a top quality PC.
Value
He who will not economise will have to agonise. Take a look on the internet and you will see that you no longer have to agonise. Current offer price=900 quid. This is a great deal for a hard-working PC which should be of use to you for a number of years.
Summary
You don’t need a wise Chinese saying to tell you that a top quality PC at a great price will attract hordes of games lovers looking to upgrade, first time PC buyers looking to start off on the right foot and home workers who need power and reliability.
Buy from
PC world |
Samsung LE40C580 40” Full HD LCD TV Review
July 18, 2010
How much is that doggy in the window?
What shall we do with the drunken sailor?
Is the Samsung LE40C580 40” Full HD LCD TV a good buy?
Most readers should realistically expect to stumble across the answer to only of those questions today.
Design
It’s got a 40” screen, it is pleasingly slim and it weighs 18.5kgs if you include the stand. All in all it is a very good presentation which would look very nice sitting in most living rooms.
Notable Specifications
The Samsung LE40C580 40” TV comes with all the features needed to give you a great picture on that blooming big screen.
Format 16:9.
Audio 2 x10w
Resolution 1920 x 1080
Freeview HD included
Lots of connectivity options.
Value
Do you remember the days when a telly this size a) didn’t exist and b) would have cost you the Earth if it had existed? Now it does exist and it costs you only 549 pounds if you have the experience and knowledge necessary to harness the powerful search facilities of the internet (or you could click on the link below).
Summary
If you are currently looking for a whopping big telly at a very good price then you have possibly just found the right one for you.
Acer Aspire M3300 Review
July 18, 2010
Life is an endless search for food, shelter and a better PC. Maybe your quest for a new computer ends here, in a town called Acer, in a street called Aspire, house number M3300.
Design
This is a modern desktop PC, so you get the usual elements and all are nicely presented.
Notable Specifications
I’ll have 500GB hard drive, 4GB memory, AMD Phenom™ II X6 1035T Processor , a built in DVD rewriter and ATI Radeon™ HD 3200 Graphics to go, please.
Value
If the world were to return to a barter system the Acer Aspire M3300 would probably cost you a couple of thousand shells, a goat and your youngest daughter. Fortunately, or unfortunately for people who live near the beach, the UK monetary unit is the pound and 600 of said units are enough to buy this fine PC.
Summary
This computer probably has enough power for most people’s needs. If you want more hard drive or memory then you could take a look at this machine’s big brothers, the Acer Aspire M5300 and M7300, which will cost you more but will give you a bit more oomph. Otherwise, the Acer Aspire M3300 should do you nicely.
Buy from
Apple Mac Mini 2010 Review
June 28, 2010
The new, improved Apple Mac Mini 2010 aims to improve upon the sometimes sluggish performance of its predecessor while keeping or enhancing its famously smooth lines and quality packaging. But does it succeed?
Design
What a lovely looking little machine this is. Using the Apple one-piece unibody technique the casing is made from a single lump of aluminium, which gives it a very stylish, dignified look. It is also flatter than the older version of the Apple Mac Mini, as well as having a bigger top surface area and now has the power supply tucked inside it.
The underside of the machine has a plastic access portal, where you can take out and replace the memory very easily.
Notable Specifications
Aha, I hear you say, what about the CPU? Well, I’ll tell you then. Intel Core 2 Duo units, 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz, depending upon the model and the price.
Memory-wise we are talking about 2GB, although you can upgrade it to a limit of 8GB. The Apple Mac Mini 2010 includes 802.11a/b/g/n support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.
The new model has improved graphics too, thanks to the inclusion of a Nvidia GeForce 320M card. Apple state that the addition of this nifty card doubles the graphics performance.
Another couple of innovations come in the shape of the HDMI video output port and the SD memory card slot.
Summary
This is not the cheapest machine around but it offers a vastly improved performance from previous generations and has kept the ultra trendy look. If you want an Apple Mac Mini 2010, or you want to upgrade from the old version, and can afford it you won’t regret it. If you have a tight budget then you will probably feel happier looking elsewhere.
HP Pavilion p6300uk PC Review
June 27, 2010
This is a review aimed at bargain hunters with taste and discretion. Are you still with me? Good, let’s look at the HP Pavilion p6300uk then. It’s another good one.
Notable Specifications
The HP Pavilion p6300uk comes with a healthy 3GB of memory, the impressive AMD Athlon ™ II X2 Processor 215 and Microsoft’s Window®7 Home Premium edition. The 500GB Hard Drive is big enough to comfortably cope with most people’s music / photo / games collections. The 20” display is also big enough to let you enjoy movies and videos.
Value
It used to cost £629.99 but now it won’t even cost you £600 missus, oh no. It won’t cost you £500 or £450 either. For £429 you can pick up this very nice little model.
Summary
The HP Pavilion p6300uk is a very good computer at a sensational price. The current offer price of £429 makes it an extremely attractive option indeed if you are looking for a reliable PC which offers all the potency and flexibility which you could reasonably expect from a modern, well built machine. If you want something more powerful then you are going to have to pay quite a bit more, so it is worth looking at this one while it remains at this price.
Specification
COMPAQ Presario CQ5305UK-m Desktop PC Review
June 25, 2010
This is an excellent desktop PC for anyone looking for power, lots of storage room, value for money and, hey, a little bit of style as well. The power comes from the Intel Pentium® Processor E5300. The storage space is provided by a generous 320 GB of hard drive. The value for money aspect we will cover further down the article (I like a bit of suspense in my reviews) and the style comes with a nice, clean look.
Design
The monitor that comes with the Compaq Presario CQ5305UK-m Desktop PC is of a good size, 18.5” to be exact. This, combined with the quality processor onboard and the built in DVD player, makes it a great option for watching movies, looking up YouTube funnies and boring people with your holiday slideshows. The base unit is simple and classy enough, with no garish colours or design defects to spoil the look.
Notable Specifications
The main elements of this Compaq desktop PC are all good quality, high spec and pretty much what you would expect from a machine of this calibre. Intel Pentium® Processor E5300, Windows® Home Premium operating system (64 bit version), good connectivity options, 320 GB of hard drive, 2 GB RAM and Audio 5.1 all make it a good, all round package with no real weaknesses.
Summary
This is a good, solid package which will appeal to home workers, internet users and games players equally. Buy on the internet and you can find this quality PC package on offer for a fantastic price of well under £400, which is a real bargain for a machine which offers the power and flexibility of the Compaq Presario CQ5305UK-m Desktop PC.
Stats show UK users hate PC problems
April 15, 2010
A new study has shown that 25 per cent of UK consumers will head down to the shops and buy a new computer if they experience serious problems with their existing machines.
Furthermore it looks as though nearly a third of Brits are more than happy to deal their computing hardware a blow or two in an attempt to get it to behave.
A survey carried out on behalf of Virgin Media has shown that 58 per cent of people are willing to admit to cursing their computers in the event of an issue arising. This figure is probably much higher in all honesty, as no one is immune to PC frustrations from time to time.
25 per cent of people find it necessary to get in contact with a friend or relative who knows a little bit more about computers when their machines are giving them a tech-related headache.
Virgin Media’s Jon James said that a lack of available support was a big cause of computer frustration amongst consumers. Even problems which can be fixed simply by someone in the know can be insurmountable to an amateur and the result is that perfectly viable PCs are being consigned to the scrapheap as buying a new computer is seen as the only solution.
Mr James believes that 10 per cent of internet users are craving solid support and Virgin Media is using the results of this survey as a platform to launch its new Digital Home Support service, which is designed to tackle PC and broadband issues whenever they arise.
Swiss Army USB drive is hack-proof
March 29, 2010
The Swiss army knife is a highly regarded all-round implement and manufacturer Victorinox has produced knives that also have integrated USB storage in the past, but now a new edition claims to be completely safe from prying eyes.
Victorinox proved that it was not joking about the security systems in place within the Knife/Drive by hiring a team of alleged computer hackers to attempt to break into the device during a promotional demonstration. The firm was offering £100,000 of its own money to the team if they could succeed. They didn’t and the reputation of the device remained intact.
According to Victorinox, the USB memory Knife relies on multiple layers of security to keep hackers out, including fingerprinting and advanced encryption. The device will also self-destruct if anyone attempts to illicitly access its storage, rendering it inoperable as the processing chip and the memory is fried.
As well as a USB memory stick, the knife has a nail file and a small pair of retractable scissors and it can be attached to a key ring to make sure that it stays with you at all times. All of the knife’s functions flip out in the standard manner and the whole thing is finished in a pleasingly see-through red.
Victorinox has released the ultimate gadget-lovers Swiss army knife in the UK with a variety of storage capacities. The 8GB drive will set you back about £50, but if you want the top of the line 32GB drive, you will need to find £180.
<Next Page » 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Page »
