Laptops/PCs/Apple

Video files are often very big, and while they can of course be moved around by Wi-Fi it is often easier to have them on removable storage, a USB drive is still quite large but these days a USB stick can be very small even to being able to attach onto a keyring. If you do then it’s important as in this case that it is made of metal as keys can damage plastic.

A 16inch notebook that does not weigh that much, it also does not feel that much larger when you move around with it. Unlike a lot of such devices I get to review this one has an AMD processor, this one runs at 2.7GHz. It has 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

It looks a lot like any normal Tablet but has software that helps those who are slowing down due to age or other reasons. With the aid of a £50 keyboard/book cover – purchased at time of sale – it can be turned into a Notebook so you can still type normally and the magic does not end there as the Tablet is exactly 10.1inches and for that reason Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point are all free to use forever.

This latest Keyboard and Mouse set from Trust is said to be their quietest. So if you are someone who the tiny noise of a keyboard clicking disturbs you then this could well be who this set is aimed at. I can understand if one person is typing in an otherwise quiet room that the keyboard can sound loud or indeed if someone is typing while others are watching TV or listening to music.

This latest offering from Acer is the Swift 5 a small and light notebook that has Windows 11. Just because it is small does not mean it is not powerful. There are a range of models with different processors, sizes of SSD drives and memory.

I know people who love using a Notebook but hate using its Trackpad. So here are two USB wired mice that could well help then both for work and play as both these offerings have more than the standard two buttons and a scroll wheel.

A more unusual offering from Trust a USB microphone. Perhaps the most interesting part is the fittings it is supplied with.

This is a 27inch QHD panel 2560x1440 although it is equally usable at HD 1920x1080 for those whose eyesight is not the best. A gaming panel with reasonable sound so you should be able to hear the enemies coming as well as see them. It is available from the link at the end at a very good price so what is the reason, read on to find its one drawback.

Getac do a range of ‘Rugged’ units useful for those who work outside and when you first start you will see a choice of three options for using this touch screen offering, Glove – Finger – Stylus. This unit runs Android but these days Android has access to a whole lot more Apps than earlier versions. So this Tablet is designed to work where others would not. I am told this model is used for British Touring Car Championships for the Race Operations Team.

Those of us who use a Desktop or Tower system still need a keyboard and a mouse. I have always used wired offerings, these days you are less likely to have special ports instead having connections via USB. So when I got the opportunity to test a set of keyboard and mouse from Trust my own offering was disconnected and the Trust items connected.

This is a 28inch flat panel that has a fast 1ms response time and is equally at home at 3840x2160 or at 1920x1080 The first to suit a gamer the second for someone needing just a little more assistance at the standard resolution due to less than perfect eye sight. Unlike most flat panels this has speakers that are as good as standalone speakers as they are a pair of 3w offerings.

If your main uses of a PC are for emails, browsing the web and word processing or spreadsheets then a Chromebook can be cheaper and even a more secure form of connection to the outside world as Chromebooks are both automatically updated in the background and have Anti-Virus protection built in so you can remain in a safer environment.

Adjusting the working height of a laptop has never been easier with the aid of this next product.

At last a company starts to do something about sustainability as the case on this unit is made from recycled plastic, it has a slightly rough feel no doubt not essential but to make you feel you are doing your bit. This latest offering in the Aspire range is called Vero. The strap line comes up on bootup ‘Vero for Planel Earth’. What does this latest offering from Acer have to offer both for sustainability and also for value for money in these testing times?

This is a 27inch UHD multi view flat panel from Philips. Up to 144Hz refresh rate is possible and all in a small footprint. It has a good amount of rear tilt and a little forward movement so ideal for those who play games or even for business users. It has decent speakers for those needing to present and as with most recent panels a wide viewing angle.

I still get requests to review Desktop systems and this latest offering from Acer is much smaller than most, in fact not only smaller but also a great deal lighter. In fact I placed it on top of my own normal sized Desktop system and this amplifies the smallness. It also comes with small cordless Keyboard and mouse that take just one USB port to connect both.

This is a large curved flat panel that can easily support three HD screens side by side however for those into gaming you get far more detail. The resolution is right for recent cinema releases and I was able to watch the latest James Bond offering full screen with absolutely no borders - 21:9 aspect ratio - from the comfort of my living room with excellent sound. This is a curved panel and the centre is 4cm in from the edges.

So many people moan about Windows continual upgrades, with a Chromebook they still occur but in the background. So do you really need Windows, the answer lies in what do you use your PC for, if you use Windows programs then the answer is yes. However if you use it for Browsing, sending and receiving emails writing books or using spreadsheets possibly not as a Chromebook can do all that and now it even supports the Google Play store.

With Lockdowns possible over, it might be the time to take a look at improving your computer experience.

A while ago I told you about a new small portable projector from Acer whose internal battery had enough power to show a couple of videos back to back. Here I get to try a full size offering from Optoma one of the leaders in projector technology. This is a unit that connect from a whole range of units and that includes your Wi-Fi. It is equally at home in less than HD, HD or 4K.

Having recently told you about a Samsung Chromebook that comes with the latest version of Wimdows here is their Chromebook offering that was released at the same time. So here you get a Chromebook that can also allow you to get mobile data to keep you in contact while out of the office and as it has its own SIM so no nicking mobile data from your phone.

This is a powerful Notebook from Acer that is very fast and while not a featherweight at 1.41 kilos it is very solid so should stand the odd knock or three. It still has the ability to be used in an office environment as it has Ethernet and a full sized HDMI port. So what else does this latest offering have to temp the user to dig into their wallet.

For a gamer one of the most important factors is a fast refresh rate, it is literally the difference between gaming life and death. Here not only do you get fast refresh but also the things that will matter later on in life to keep your eyes healthy, no flicker and low blue light among other things. So what else does this 27inch flat panel have to offer?

A 24inch Philips flat panel that has all the normal connections including those less normal like USB ‘C’, Ethernet and a USB hub. So this means for those of us still using Desktop or Tower Systems the main unit could be just that bit further away and the nirvana or a clear desktop just that little bit nearer.

This is one of three different models of notebooks that have something that few notebooks have, a SIM slot so that when out and about you do not have to rely on your SmartPhone or dodgy open Wi-Fi to stay in touch. While I have seen this before it has only been on a very few Tablets and not on a full notebook like the Samsung Galaxy Book Go.

This is a powerful Notebook which at the time of setup you can have as Windows 10 or Windows 11. I choose Windows 10 and after the normal 15 minutes’ worth of questions answered was able to use the machine, as usual there are a number of updates to do to bring it right up to date. So after a few days having done all the updates I expected to be offered the chance to upgrade and as I was not I restored it and this time I choose Windows 11.

This flat panel from AOC is for those who want to see a bit more on their screen as its 3840x2160 and it allows you to connect HDMI or Display Port as well as USB ‘C’. To fulfill the first requirement without you having to have 20:20 vision it’s just that bit larger at 27inches from corner to corner but still takes up little more space than a smaller panel.

While I get to review all sorts of PC’s from entry level to very high end my own PC’s tend to cost somewhat less and after a while they become museum pieces like my Windows 7 offering which when Microsoft ended support was working but soon after that the power supply went ‘phutt’. So I struggled on but when Windows 11 arrived my Windows 10 PC was deemed ‘not worthy’ of it. So with not a lot of spare cash available I then started looking for a replacement.

Few PC’s or Notebooks now come with an Optical drive. Most things can now be downloaded direct to the PC. However what about the times you need to reinstall something that came on an Optical drive. Also how about files that you have previously stored on CD’s or DVD’s. So an external Optical drive still has a place in most of our lives. Here something I purchased for less than £10 including delivery.

This Acer Aspire 1 is the first unit I have seen that offered me the chance to upgrade to Windows 11; you can read my thoughts in an item published last week. So now having done the upgrade I move on to the review of this rather nice if somewhat lower power and capacity unit. It is however all wrapped up nicely with a 14 inch full HD screen, and it’s very well priced.