Tutorial: Beginner's guide to Windows 7
We all use Windows, but some of us just scratch the surface of what the operating system can do, by only using our computers to send and receive the odd email and surf the internet. In fact, there are so many great things that Windows 7 can do to make your life easier that it can all seem quite overwhelming at first. There's now a tool for almost anything in Windows, and just knowing exactly where they are and how to use them can revolutionise your experience with your computer. There's no need to feel intimidated by the wealth of options that Windows 7 provides, because over the next few pages, we've got a crash course that teaches you all you need to get the most out of Windows and your PC.
Everything you need to know is explored and explained to you, and by the end you'll be amazed at what you can achieve with Windows 7. By taking this crash course, you'll open up whole new areas of Windows 7 to explore confidently - and it'll prove to be the beginning of you realising your PC's full potential.
Get started
Using Windows is easy - here's how to find where everything is
Although there are lots of tools in Windows, you can simplify things by thinking of your computer as being made up of three large areas: your files and folders, your programs, and system tools.
The first area - your files and folders - covers all the personal files that you create. Including photos, Office Word documents and your MP3 collection, these files are unique to you, and when you add or create them, they are saved in folders and are collected by Windows 7 in Libraries. These make it incredibly easy for you to find your files.
There are four Libraries, and each is pretty self-explanatory: Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos. Any documents that you create in programs such as Office should be saved in the Documents Library to keep your computer organised.
In Windows XP, the locations have the same names, but with 'My' in front of them - for example, My Music. Keeping your files organised means that you spend a lot less time searching for them because you know exactly where they are kept.
The second area - your programs - covers all the software installed on your PC. While this can be installed in different locations, it can all be accessed quickly and easily through the Start menu. Click Start ✠All Programs to see your programs and launch them.
If you have a program you use regularly, you can access it even faster by creating a desktop shortcut (right-click on the program's icon and select Send to ✠Desktop (create shortcut)) or by pinning it to the taskbar (right-click on the icon and select Pin to Taskbar), which enables you to load the program instantly.
If you have a lot of programs installed, the Start menu can get cluttered. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can quickly find what you're looking for by typing the program's name into the Start search box.
The final area - system tools - covers all the tools and programs that you can use to tweak and improve Windows. Some of these are quite complicated, and best left to those who are more confident, but through the years Microsoft has worked hard to make these powerful tools more user friendly.
The vast majority of these tools are kept in the Control Panel. To access this, just click Start ✠Control Panel. What was once a bewildering array of icons has been cleaned up and carefully arranged in Windows 7.
Every tool has been placed in a category for easy reference. Looking for a tool to help set up your home network? Look under Network and Internet. Want to set up parental controls? Head to User Accounts and Family Safety. Programs and tools that help you tweak and troubleshoot your computer can also be found under Start ✠Computer and Start ✠All Programs ✠Accessories.
Dividing up where Windows keeps everything into three sections in your mind can help you memorise where everything goes, so it is easier to locate in the future.
Managing your Windows
When using programs, they are displayed in boxes known as windows - which give the Windows operating system its name. The more programs you have open at one time, the more windows appear on your screen.
Having too many windows open at once can get confusing, but Windows 7 enables you to organise your desktop so you can find the right window in a flash. Clicking the top of a window and dragging it to the left or right side of your screen instantly resizes the window to take up half of the screen.
If you want to minimise all the windows except one, click the top of the window you want to keep on your desktop and shake it quickly from side to side. All the windows behind your selected window then minimise. Shake the window again to bring the others back.
Another quick way to organise your windows while they are open is to right-click the taskbar and select Show windows stacked, to display each window horizontally across your screen. Right-click the taskbar and select Show windows side by side to display them vertically. If you want to scroll through your open windows to find the one you want, hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and press the Tab key until you find the right one.
Searching Windows 7
Using Windows 7 to search for files and folders can save you a huge amount of time. The way Windows searches your PC to find what you want was completely overhauled with Windows Vista - and it has been refined in Windows 7. All you need to do is click the Start button and type the name of the file or folder you are searching for into the Start Search box.
Even as you begin typing, Windows 7 starts returning results. The more you type, the more accurate results you get. To make it even easier, your search results are divided into categories - Programs, Folders and Files. If you can see what you're searching for, just click on it.
If you want to narrow down your search, click See more results. Your results are then listed in the Search Results window, with the phrase you searched for highlighted in yellow to help you quickly figure out how relevant the result is.
Windows 7 not only searches file names for your match, but also searches inside files. So if you can't remember the name of a document, but you can remember a sentence or phrase that was written inside it, you can search for that.
If you get too many results, you can filter them. For example, if you are searching for an email, you can prevent Windows 7 from returning documents and programs with similar names by clicking the search box in the top right of the Search Results window. Under Add a search filter select Email - or the type of document you are searching for - and only matches of that type are returned. You can further narrow your results by adding file type, file size and the date the file was last edited.
Set up your browser
Your internet browser is your gateway to the most important technological invention in recent history: the internet. Setting up your internet browser can help you navigate the vast amounts of information available online, so you can find what you are looking for in an instant.
Internet Explorer is the most popular browser in the world, which means that almost all websites are compatible with it. Because it is created by Microsoft, it is integrated seamlessly into Windows 7 - and the new Internet Explorer 9 brings even more integration, with jump lists and taskbar pinning of individual websites.
If Internet Explorer isn't to your liking, there are a number of great alternatives, such as Firefox and Google Chrome.
The first website you are presented with when you open your web browser is known as the home page. You can set your home page to be any website on the internet, so it's a great idea to set it to your favourite site.
If you have an internet email account, you could set your home page to be your inbox so that you get your emails straight away, or maybe your favourite news site to get the latest headlines.
To set a website as your home page, just go to the site in question then click the Settings icon in the top right-hand corner of Internet Explorer and select Internet options. Under Home page click Use current.
If there are other websites that you regularly visit, adding them to your Favorites (also known as bookmarking) can save you loads of time. Instead of typing in the address every time, by adding the website to your Favorites (when on the webpage click the Favorites star icon ✠Add to favorites…) all you need to do in the future is open the Favorites list by clicking the Favorites star icon and clicking the name of the website.
You can speed things up even more by adding your favourite websites to Internet Explorer's Favorites Bar. Click the Star icon with the green arrow on the left-hand side of the screen and the site appears at the top of the window, enabling you to instantly navigate to your chosen website.
You can make Windows even better by tailoring it to your tastes
The best thing about all versions of Windows - and especially Windows 7 - is how customisable it is. You don't have to change your habits to suit Windows 7 - you can change Windows 7 to suit you.
Straight out of the box Windows 7 is incredibly user-friendly, but if you take the time to tweak and customise Windows to suit your needs and tastes, you'll find that using your computer is faster and easier than ever before.
One of the first things you can do to help feel at home when using Windows 7 is to personalise the look and feel of the system. Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Personalize. You can choose from a number of different themes that come with Windows 7 or click Get more themes online.
This takes you to a website where you can view even more fantastic themes to decorate your computer with.
Get some gadgets
Desktop gadgets were introduced in Windows Vista to add a whole new dimension of functionality to the Windows desktop. Gadgets are small programs that sit on your desktop and give you instant access to tools and information from your computer and the internet.
From the local weather to headlines from your favourite sites, there are gadgets for everything. To see what's on offer, right-click the desktop and select Gadgets. Click the gadget you want on your desktop and drag it to where you want it displayed.
If you can't find a gadget that suits your needs click Get more gadgets online to take your pick from thousands of available desktop gadgets.
Set up user accounts
If you share your computer with other people, you can set up user accounts for each person. Setting up user accounts for each member of your family enables everyone to personalise Windows in a way that suits them. Having a user account for each person also means that their favourites, internet home page, browsing history and personal files are all saved and only accessible to them.
To create user accounts, go to Start ✠Control Panel and then under User Accounts and Family Safety, select Add or remove user accounts. Click on Create a new account, then enter the name of the person you are creating the user account for, make sure it is set to 'Standard user' so they can't change any important settings, and click Create Account.
Once you have set up the account, you can click on it to edit the name, create a password or change the picture that represents the account.
Keep your family safe
Another great reason to create user accounts for members of your family is that you can add parental controls to your children's accounts to ensure that they are kept safe. You can limit what programs each person has access to and if you are worried about the children using the computer for long periods of times, you can limit when and for how long they can use the PC.
Go to Start ✠Control Panel and under User Accounts and Family Safety, click Set up parental controls for any user. Click the user account you want to add parental controls to and select On, enforce current settings. You can then set time limits for how long that family member can use the computer for, what age rating of games they can play and what applications they can use.
If you want to add further parental controls to the user account - such as website filtering - install Windows Live Family Safety 2011.
Security solutions
Making sure your computer is secure when you are on the internet is one of the most important things you can do. There are so many threats on the internet that can infect your computer and put your personal files and information at risk, that installing antivirus and anti-malware should be one of your top priorities.
Windows 7 itself does not come with antivirus protection, so you need to install your own copy of your chosen antivirus software. There are two types of antivirus software: paid-for and free.
With antivirus software that you pay for, you get a copy that will receive updates for a year. After that year has ended, you need to buy a subscription for a further 12 months to continue to keep the software updated. This is essential because thousands of new viruses are released on the internet every day, and the updates make sure that the antivirus software can detect and protect you from the latest threats.
Free antivirus software offers basic protection without you needing to pay for a yearly subscription. Free antivirus software protects your computer from being infected, but it doesn't feature some of the more advanced features and technology that paid-for versions do, such as email scanning and website blocking.
If you know what you are doing and are careful on the internet, free antivirus software such as Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG Free should be adequate.
If you are not that confident on the internet, have a habit of opening attachments and clicking links in emails, download a lot of things or just want the best protection there is, consider paid-for antivirus. Trusted brands such as Norton and McAfee offer superb security.
Windows Update
Windows 7 isn't completely defenceless on its own against malicious threats from the internet, however. Microsoft continually updates the operating system through the Windows Update service. These updates include critical protection against the latest threats and most of the time they are downloaded in the background without you needing to do anything.
Occasionally there is a non-essential update released that can improve your computer's performance. Non-essential updates are not downloaded automatically, so it is worth checking Windows Update once a month.
Click the Start button and type update into the Search box. Click Windows Update and you're presented with a window telling you how many important and optional updates are available. Click on Optional updates are available to view the list. Select the optional updates you want to install, then click OK ✠Install updates.
Any important updates that you have yet to download and install are automatically selected and installed as well.
Create a network
Setting up or joining your home network has never been easier thanks to Windows 7. Simply plug your computer into your network router via Ethernet cable and follow our guide below to get your home network up and running.
If you have any problems, head over to the Network and Sharing Center by clicking Start and typing Network and Sharing Center. You'll find all the tools and help you need to get your internet and network fixed right here.
1. Search for networks
All modern laptops and netbooks have wireless network receivers built in. If you have a desktop PC, you may need to buy a USB wireless receiver. If your computer can detect wireless networks, and there is one nearby, the 'Wireless connections are available' icon appears in your taskbar.
2. Find your wireless
Click on the icon and all the wireless networks your computer can find are displayed. Click the name of your wireless network - if you haven't named it yourself, it will be named after the brand of your wireless router (Netgear, for example) or your ISP.
3. Enter your password and connect
Click on your network and put a tick next to Connect automatically. This means Windows 7 connects to your chosen network straight away when you turn on your PC in the future. Click Connect and enter the network password. Wireless networks should always have a password to prevent strangers accessing them.
Keep your PC clean
All versions of Windows work best when they have just been freshly installed. Over time, they slow down as programs are installed and uninstalled. To keep Windows 7 running as though it's brand new, regular cleaning of the hard drive is essential. It doesn't take long and the results are well worth it.
To keep your hard drive neat and tidy, go to Start ✠All Programs ✠Accessories ✠System Tools ✠Disk Cleanup. Select the drive and click OK. Windows scans your hard drive for unnecessary files that take up precious disk space but can be safely removed.
Temporary internet files, partially deleted files in the recycle bin and other temporary files can all add up and slow down your PC. Select the files you want to delete and then click OK ✠Delete files.
Uninstall all your unwanted programs
If you have programs installed on your computer that you no longer use, it's a good idea to uninstall them to keep your hard drive clean and Windows 7 running smoothly.
To uninstall unneeded programs, go to Start ✠Control Panel ✠Uninstall a program. Select the program you no longer use and click Uninstall.
Installing and uninstalling programs can leave your hard drive in a bit of a state over time. Fragments of files can be left in various places on the disk, making it difficult for your computer to find the information it is looking for. The longer it takes for your computer to search the hard drive, the slower Windows 7 performs.
This is why defragmenting your hard drive is an essential part of Windows maintenance. The defragmentation process rearranges the data into a more logical and easier-to-read order, while combining the free space on your disk. After defragmenting your hard drive, you'll find you have a faster computer and more disk space.
Go to Start, type defrag and click Disk Defragmenter. Select your hard drive and click Analyze disk to see if the disk need defragmenting. If it does, click Defragment disk.
Windows 7 programs you should download
Windows 7 comes with a lot of great tools, but there are some other essential programs that you should install to make the most out of your computer. The following programs contain all the features you need to get the most out of Windows 7 and your computer.
Windows Live Essentials
Microsoft has gathered together some of the best programs for Windows in the Windows Live Essentials suite. Once installed, you'll find that there's a reason Microsoft has given these programs the name 'Essential'.
Windows Live Messenger enables you to keep in contact with friends and family over the internet. You can share photos and videos while you chat, and if you have a webcam, you can have video chats as well - all for free. The latest version even integrates with the Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn social networks.
If you keep lots of digital photos on your computer, installing Windows Live Photo Gallery is a must. It features tools for organising, editing and sharing your photos. Instantly adjust the colour of photographs, remove red eye or create stunning panoramas with your snaps.
If you've shot some home videos, you can import them to Windows Live Movie Maker and add special effects, transitions and sound effects to create and share amazing movies.
Windows Live Mail is a fantastic email program that enables you to add multiple email accounts and calendars as well as send and receive emails straight from your desktop. And if you have a blog, Windows Live Writer is a great tool - instantly upload text, photos, videos, maps and a lot more to share them with the world.
Finally, Windows Live Family Safety contains additional parental controls to help you keep your children protected while they use the internet. An essential tool for peace of mind.
Ad-Aware
If you want extra protection against spyware, you should install Ad-Aware. Spyware is software that is installed on your PC without your consent, which sends information about you and your computer across the internet. Sometimes this is sent to advertisers, other times to malicious users who want to steal your identity, but it is always annoying. Ad-Aware protects you against this.
Microsoft Security Essentials
If you want a free antivirus software solution, Microsoft Security Essentials is the tool you need. It is easy to use and is always kept up to date to protect your computer against viruses and other malicious software. There's no complicated jargon involved - you simply install it and it monitors your computer for you.
Foxit Reader
PDF files are becoming increasingly common. Most user manuals are now saved on an installation disc, rather than printed out on paper. You're usually told to install Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files, but Foxit Reader is a faster alternative that has all the features and doesn't take up as much disk space.
7-Zip
Adding files to a compressed .zip file is a great way to send and receive files over the internet. While Windows 7 can open and create .zip files straight away, 7-Zip adds even more functionality and the ability to open and create the popular .rar compressed file type, too.
Revo Uninstaller
Revo Uninstaller is another example of a tool that expands on some of the functionality within Windows 7. While you can uninstall programs with Windows 7, the process is not perfect. Some files and folders can refuse to be removed, leaving your hard drive cluttered with the remnants of unwanted programs. Revo Uninstaller helps keep your computer completely clean.
VLC Media Player
Have you ever tried to play a movie file that Windows Media Player cannot read? Installing VLC Media Player means you never have to worry about that again. Its creators boldly claim that "it plays everything", and they are right - from DVDs to streaming media and any video file (even if it is damaged), VLC Media Player can handle them all.
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Review: Apple MacBook (2011)
With the continuing popularity of the iPad, iPhone and iPod range, Apple's laptop sales have seen an impressive boost in recent months. The Apple MacBook is its entry-level model, and while some could argue it offers limited value, it's still a great choice.The main argument against Apple's laptops is that despite their use of older technology, they still cost the same as cutting-edge Windows-based machines.
The MacBook uses a last generation Intel 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo P8600 processor, rather than a Core i5 chip as seen in the Acer Aspire 5943G and Fujitsu Lifebook S710. While the difference in performance is significant, there's still ample power to run the excellent Mac OS X 10.6 operating system and software with plenty of speed.
Graphics are just as capable. While outperformed by the Acer Aspire 5943G and Samsung RF510, the dedicated Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics card has treble the power of the Fujitsu Lifebook S710, running photo and video editing tasks with ease. Even light gaming is possible.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 505 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 204
3DMark 2003: 10,375
This multimedia ability is aided by the impressive 13.3-inch screen. Despite having a low resolution of 1280 x 800, brightness, colour and contrast are stunning. Photos and videos look fantastic, and even the glossy screen coating manages to hide reflections well.
Stunning usability
As with all Apple laptops, an isolated-style keyboard design is used, with each key cut through an individual hole in the laptop's top panel. This allows plenty of space between keys and stops dirt falling beneath them. Usability is excellent and the keyboard is a pleasure to use.
Apple was among the first to use multi-touch touchpads and the technology is used in the Apple MacBook (2011) with aplomb. The huge 104 x 75mm glass touchpad allows effortless gesture control, for scrolling documents and zooming and rotating images with just a simple pinch or swipe of your fingers.
Unfortunately, where the MacBook falls short of its rivals is its limited connectivity options – offering just two USB 2.0 ports. Storage, at 250GB, is also low, but will nevertheless suit most needs.
Far more impressive is the fantastic mobility and software. With 505 minutes of battery life, you can work on the move for over eight hours. Apple's iLife suite is also included, providing an outstanding range of photo editing, movie making, web design and music creation tools.
While there's no denying the MacBook is overpriced, considering its use of older technology, Apple's renowned usability and stunning design go a long way to compensate for this. As long as you don't want the most cutting-edge machine, this is a stunning laptop that the whole family will enjoy using.
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Review: Hi-Grade Notino D8000i
The Hi-Grade Notino D8000i is aimed at the average consumer who needs a laptop for home and office use, although its limited battery life makes it much better suited to a life at home. Like most Hi-Grade laptops, a generic plastic chassis has been used. The appearance is cheap in comparison to other laptops such as the Asus P52F, Samsung R440 and Dell Vostro V130, and the silver body flexes under pressure. However, the lid is firm enough to ably protect the 15.6-inch screen.
A glossy Super-TFT finish has been used for the display, and photographs and movies are vibrantly reproduced as a result. The only drawback is increased reflectivity, which hampers use outdoors or in brightly lit environments.
We were impressed by the deep blacks and sharp contrast, although the screen barely folds back past vertical, which makes it difficult to find an ideal viewing angle at times.
The isolation-style keyboard proves perfect for touch typing, with perfectly-sized keys and a separate numeric pad for data entry. The touchpad is sensitive and responsive, and supports both multi-touch gesturing and scrolling for quickly zooming into and navigating through web pages, photos and office documents.
This laptop features an Intel Core i5 520M processor, which should have produced one of the best scores in our benchmarking tests. Unusually this wasn't the case, but we ran further tests and found there's plenty of power on offer, so you can happily run several applications at once with little impact on performance.
Graphically, the Hi-Grade performed well, despite featuring an integrated Intel GMA HD graphics card. The power difference isn't massive, and you won't be able to edit your media or play the latest games easily, but high-definition video plays smoothly.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 187 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 178
3DMark 2003: 3529
Limited portability
Battery life is sadly restrictive for anyone who regularly takes to the road, at just over three hours from each charge. The 40mm chassis is one of the thickest here, further restricting portability.
The Notino fares better in terms of features. The 500GB hard drive provides a huge amount of storage. There's also a comprehensive range of ports including HDMI and eSATA connections, and even an ExpressCard slot for attaching peripherals.
While the Notino D8000i isn't a pretty machine and suffers from limited portability, among other flaws, it's also a strong performer, with a vibrant screen and some excellent features. If you're looking for a reasonably priced home machine, you could do a lot worse.
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Review: Dell Vostro V130
Dell's Vostro V130 is a compact ultraportable laptop aimed at small businesses, although there's plenty here for everyday consumers to enjoy. Only a couple of flaws prevent it from being an excellent travel companion. Immediately impressive is the slender chassis, which measures just 20mm at its thickest point. This is one of the most compact laptops we've seen of late and is perfectly sized for slipping into bags. Furthermore, the 1.6kg weight makes it a light laptop and perfect for taking out on the road.
It doesn't have an optical drive, though, so you'll need an external drive to access DVDs and CDs.
Unfortunately, we only managed to work for 197 minutes away from the mains before the battery ran dry. This is a pretty poor result, and only marginally better than the Hi-Grade Notino D8000i, which greatly limits portability.
Performance is also limited, as a low-voltage Intel processor has been used in order to keep the chassis slim. We found there was enough power to comfortably run office applications and browse the web, but there are much more powerful options elsewhere.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 197 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 155
3DMark 2003: 1174
This definitely isn't a laptop for multimedia fans either, with the integrated graphics card scoring low in our benchmark tests. You can flick through your photo collection and watch standard definition video without trouble, but media editing is beyond the Vostro's abilities.
Compact display
The reduced chassis size leaves just enough room for a 13.3-inch screen - the smallest in this group test. Images are reasonably sharp, as the display features a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution. The lack of a glossy finish means you won't be hampered by distracting reflections either.
The 320GB hard drive provides ample storage. Bettered only by the Hi-Grade's 500GB drive, there is enough space to store a hefty media collection.
The ports are positioned at the rear of the laptop and include VGA and HDMI connections, as well as an eSATA port for fast data transfers to external storage devices. Networking is also strong, with both 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet connections onboard.
Usability is another highlight, with the well-sized keyboard stretching across the width of the chassis. The typing action is smooth and quiet, although there's obviously no room for a dedicated numeric keypad. The touchpad has a surprisingly generous area and is perfectly responsive.
We love the Dell Vostro V130's compact chassis, and with a strong battery life this would have been one of the best ultraportables of recent times. Sadly, its three hour mobility is a poor result, while performance is also limited.
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Buying Guide: Best iPhone 4 battery case: 5 we recommend
Like a good friend, your iPhone is there for you when you need it. Arrived in a new city and lost? Maps to the rescue! Want to find the time of your next train home? No problem. But unlike your best mate, the iPhone has a tendency to conk out at the worst moment if you've forgotten to charge its battery. The solution is a battery pack. These come in all shapes, sizes, colours and prices. We've gone for the case-style power pack, because we feel they're the most convenient, portable and robust you can get. Since they're designed to fit snugly, they're phone-specific, so make sure you get the right model for your iPhone.
To help you choose, we've selected five for the iPhone 4 and another five for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, all available in the UK. There are other options that simply clip onto the bottom or your iPhone (or iPod or iPad, in some cases), or that you hook up to your dock connector with a lead.
These aren't as handy for travelling, but you can get some with awesome capacity – have a look at the Just Mobile Gum Plus Power Pack (آ£57). This little baby's 4400mAh battery charged our iPhone fully and still claimed to have a near-full tank.
We put each of the cases here through rigorous tests to discover how they perform in the real-world. The testing process was done on an eight-month-old iPhone 3GS and an iPhone 4 with three months on the clock. Both phones' batteries have run up a fair few charge cycles, so your results may differ from ours because your battery's in a different state of health.
But our results give a good indication of the relative performance of each case. We measured how much charge each pack could push into a dead iPhone, then timed how long it took to charge the pack and the phone fully – useful to know if you're off somewhere and want to go out with as much charge as possible.
Finally, we left the guided tour of Unreal's Epic Citadel running, which really mashes away at the processor and hence battery – a true acid test. Let's see how they fared.
For iPhone 4
Dexim Supercharged Leather Power Case - آ£60
Mophie Juice Pack Air - iPhone 4 - آ£70
Mili Power Spring 4 - آ£47
Exogear Exolife - آ£60
Logic3 PowerSleeve for iPhone 4 - آ£30
For iPhone 3G/3GS
Logic3 Power Case - آ£30
7dayshop iPower External Battery Case - آ£11
Dexim BluePack S4 - آ£25
Mili Power Spring Case for iPhone 3G/3GS - آ£43
Mophie Juice Pack Air - iPhone 3G & 3GS - آ£40
Test 1 - Battery power
We plugged the full battery pack into a dead iPhone and left it to charge with the phone on, but the display off. The battery percentage reading was taken from the iPhone as soon as the battery case was empty. The high-capacity Dexim came out top; the Exogear was surprisingly low.
Test 2 - Battery charge time
We plugged a dead battery and dead iPhone into a 500mA USB port on our Mac and timed how long it took for both to charge fully. Don't hold your breath, because it ain't quick. The Mophie did well but the Logic3 was fastest. It's not the whole story though – look at test three.
Test 3 - Extra power
With the pack and iPhone charged, we left the guided tour of Unreal's Epic Citadel running with sound muted, and timed how much extra time we got with the battery compared to the iPhone on its own. This is where the differences really showed up.
Test 4 - Design and Features
We like Dexim's flip-case design for the screen protection it offers, though it's the bulkiest of the ones on test, doesn't grip the phone well and the flip clip isn't particularly elegant.
The Mili's one-piece spring clip, which hooks over the top of the iPhone, is a nice idea that just doesn't work, because it kept coming loose in our pocket, and the Exogear's clip-on ring is functional but flimsy. The case is mighty thin, though.
Our favourites are the Logic3 and the Mophie: the former because of its one-piece design; the latter because it's so solid, looks the part and has a nice rubber back.
All five have a power switch, so you can decide when to use the charge in the battery to boost your iPhone. With the Mili, it won't start charging until you press its On button, but you can't then stop it without removing the iPhone – less elegant than the others.
And all but the Dexim have a strip of lights that show you how much juice is in the battery. The Dexim does have a light to tell you if it's charging (orange) or full (green), but the light colour changes depending on your angle of view. Frus-tra-ting.
And the best iPhone 4 battery case is… Mophie Juice Pack Air آ£70
The Mophie's performance and design panache make it a worthy winner This test has brought out a surprising trait in us – we've started to sympathise with the X Factor judges. When faced with two completely different choices, each with its own distinct strengths, how do you pick between them?
Unlike Messrs Cowell et al., we were picking between the top two rather than the bottom pair, and we had longer than they did to deliberate which was to be our victor. But it was tough.
While we liked the phenomenal capacity and added use time of the Dexim, its design lacks finesse, and since you've got a stylish and well-designed phone, you need a case to match.
For the same reason, we didn't feel the Mili and Exogear packs were quite up to scratch, despite the former's impressive additional use time. And so we were left with our final-two conundrum.
As we said in the design test, we were impressed by the Logic3 and Mophie in equal measure, and felt both were a worthy complement to the iPhone's sleek looks. In terms of how much juice they pumped into the phone, they were practically identical, and they were the two quickest-charging packs we tested.
So it came down to whether the Mophie's more-than-double additional use time justified its more-than-double price tag. Let's first say that we do think آ£70 is too expensive and that at آ£30, the Logic3 is an attractive option if you're on a tight budget.
But at the end of the day, if you're going to shell out on a battery case, it's because you're the sort of heavy iPhone user who regularly finds your battery running out, so the more additional use time you get, the better.
And while the Mophie isn't top of the table in this sense, it offers the best overall balance of great design and good performance. It protects your phone well, is solidly built but still thin, oozes class and gives you plenty of extra time to enjoy all that's great about your iPhone.
Test 1 - Battery power
We plugged the full battery pack into a dead iPhone and left it to charge with the phone on, but the display off. The battery percentage reading was taken from the iPhone as soon as the battery case was empty. The 7dayshop iPower, despite being good on paper, performed poorly.
Test 2 - Battery charge time
We plugged a dead battery and dead iPhone into a 500mA USB port on our Mac and timed how long it took for both to charge fully. Don't hold your breath, because it ain't quick, though we were impressed by the Mili's time and, to a slightly lesser extent, the Mophie's.
Test 3 - Extra power
With the pack and iPhone charged, we left the guided tour of Unreal's Epic Citadel running with sound muted, and timed how much extra time we got with the battery compared to the iPhone on its own. As you can see, it was largely much of a muchness.
Test 4 - Design and Features
You will notice that the Logic3 and Dexim leather cases are virtually identical, the only significant differences being the type of leather coating and the fact that the Dexim has a velcro clasp while the Logic3 has a magnet. We preferred the latter.
But both these cases are bulkier than the Mili and Mophie ones. The Mili clip-on design that didn't work with the iPhone 4 grips the 3G/3GS much better: it also leaves the iPhone's sidemounted buttons more accessible. The Mophie looks similar to the Mili but the top is a separate slide-on piece.
The Mili, 7dayshop iPower and Mophie packs have a strip of lights to show you the charge level, and we like the Mophie's best because the button's easier to press than the Mili. The Logic3 and Dexim ones only have a status light that doesn't show you how much juice they still have in the tank.
All five have switches so that you can decide when to use the juice in the pack, although the only way to cut off power with the Mili is to remove the phone. One nice feature of the 7dayshop iPower is how it'll charge other USB devices.
And the best iPhone 3G/3GS battery case is… Mili Power Spring آ£43
In a close-run contest, the convenience of speedy charging is worth the extra cash We've agonised long and hard about this one. Let's first explain why we didn't go for the 7dayshop iPower case.
Yes, it only costs about a tenner, and from a pounds-per-additional-minute-of-use perspective, it's great value for money. But then if you're investing in a battery pack, why do the half-hearted thing of getting one that delivered so much less extra use time compared to the others? If you're gonna do something, do it properly!
So our attention turns to the others. In terms of how much charge they gave our iPhone and the additional use time they provided, there's nothing really to choose between them. If we were interested purely in these two things, the Logic3 case would be a good bet (we preferred its magnet clasp to the Dexim's velcro). We like the flip-case style despite the extra bulk, and its modest آ£30 pricetag is reasonable.
But even with this, we can't help feeling you'd be better off shelling out an additional آ£13 for the Mili, and here's why. Granted, you don't get any additional capacity or video time at the top-end of the price scale, but the Mili and Mophie products have three distinct advantages.
First, there's the charge level indicator, which we find incredibly useful, and the fact that they're much lighter. But more importantly, look at those charge times. They're both significantly less than the Logic3 and Dexim efforts. And we like that, because if you've only got a short time to get your phone charged before you go out, speed matters and these guys deliver.
While some of the minutiae on the Mophie are better implemented (the on/off switch and the charge level button, for example), the Mili's quicker charge time, coupled with the handier one-piece design and the way the iPhone's buttons were easier to press with the case on are what swung us in its favour.
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Review: Asus P52F
Taiwanese company Asus is best known for its revolutionary Eee PC netbooks, but also produces full-sized laptops. The P52F-SO006X is a smart business model that's solidly built, with strong Intel Core performance. Our first reaction was highly positive, as the all-black chassis looks and feels reassuringly solid. The lid barely flexes at all, protecting the display within, while the shock protected hard drive helps to prevent damage to your data by resetting the read/write head if vibrations are detected.
At 2.7kg this is quite a heavy laptop, though, so bear this in mind if you travel often.
As with the Samsung R440, an Intel Core i3 370M processor provides the power. Anyone wishing to multitask with all their office applications will be pleased with the response, and only the Core i5 laptops showed better performance.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 238 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 224
3DMark 2003: 3250
Although the chassis is not particularly portable, we squeezed 238 minutes of battery life from a single charge, which was only beaten by the Toshiba Tecra A11.
A basic Intel GMA HD integrated graphics are in place, which limits multimedia use. We had no issues playing HD video, which also sounds surprisingly good thanks to the built-in Altec Lansing speakers, but there isn't enough power here to edit your media.
Bright display
The Asus comes equipped with a 15.6-inch screen. It's one of the brightest displays, although not as vibrant as the Hi-Grade Notino D8000i, HP G72 or Samsung R440, as it lacks a glossy Super-TFT coating. This makes it better suited to outdoor use, however.
The P52F's keyboard flexes a little in the centre but is comfortable to use, even if some of the keys are quite compact. We liked the smooth touchpad, which is a generous size without being obtrusive, and we never accidentally brushed it with our palms when typing. However, there's no gesture or scroll support.
Along with the Toshiba Tecra A11, this laptop features the Professional edition of the Windows 7 operating system.
The 320GB hard drive will be enough for most people to carry their important files and media collections around, although the Hi-Grade offers far more storage.
Networking is strong, thanks to the inclusion of 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet for wireless and wired connections.
We found the P52F to be a well constructed and usable business machine, with decent battery life and commendable performance from the Core i3 processor. If you travel often, however, a more compact laptop such as the Dell Vostro V130 test might prove a better option.
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Buying Guide: 7 best iPhone platform games
Nintendo has quite a lot in common with Apple. Both companies are innovators in their chosen fields, developing and selling profitable consumer hardware, backed by unique intellectual property that simply cannot be found on other platforms. In the same way that you won't find Apple's iLife suddenly available for Windows, you won't see Mario, Nintendo's famous plumber, in a game on iOS (or any other non-Nintendo platform) any time soon.
Luckily, though, there are plenty of games available for iOS that are in a similar vein to Nintendo's Super Mario Bros, providing a more than adequate fix for platform-game fanatics.
Probably the closest gaming experience to Super Mario Bros on iOS is Giana Sisters, (آ£2.99) a title that has something of a chequered past. The original version of the game was released way back in 1987 for the Commodore 64 and other home micros of the day, but rapidly found itself in a one-sided battle with Nintendo's Legal Hammer of Doom. (To be fair to Nintendo, Giana Sisters offers very similar gameplay to Super Mario Bros, including block-smashing, jumping on enemies and altered-state power-up; and some of the early backgrounds and maps are eerily similar to those in Nintendo's game.)
Very few copies of Giana Sisters made it to stores before it was recalled and deleted, and its rarity ensured the game cult status. Oddly, Nintendo soon gave up trying to batter into submission other Mario clones on 8-bit systems.
Over 20 years later, and Nintendo appeared to have forgotten its spat with the punchy female Mario impersonators, and Giana Sisters cautiously crept on to the Nintendo DS, with spruced-up graphics, level design and controls.
In 2010, the game made the leap to iOS, boasting new graphics, 80 levels, 32 'retro' levels, and a remixed soundtrack based on the original C64 score. Fortunately, the conversion was a success.
The game is a highly enjoyable romp through varied and challenging environments, and, for the most part, the controls are tight enough (and the level design forgiving enough) that you never want to hurl your device out of the window due to being 'unfairly' killed. And while the game gets very tough later on, canny players can amass a huge number of extra lives by collecting the diamonds sprinkled around each level.
Pizza Boy (آ£1.19) is a similar if rather smaller game. The story is amusingly throwaway compared to the high drama of Princess Peach being kidnapped for the umpteenth time in practically every Mario game. Instead, the eponymous hero is giving a pizza to his love when it's snatched by a bird.
You have to work your way through levels packed full of spikes and hostile animals, to catch up with the tormenting avian, who'll fly away again when you approach.
Despite only boasting a dozen levels, we found Pizza Boy a tough challenge; there's the odd bit of cheap level design (areas clearly designed to kill you), but it looks great, plays well, has unique features (such as stomping on soda machines that spit out bottles you can collect to hurl at foes), rewards perseverance, and offers bonuses for bettering your scores during repeated plays.
Elsewhere, other iOS games offer 2D platform mechanics, but also take inspiration from later platform games. Frogatto (59p) resembles somewhat sedate quest-oriented Sega platform games such as Alex Kidd in Miracle World. The amphibian hero is placed in the middle of an adventure that finds him working to unravel a dastardly plot against his townspeople.
You still get plenty of Mario-style leaping-about action, but there are also characters to meet, puzzles to solve and occasional boss fights, making the game a refreshing change from others in the genre. Also, you don't jump on heads to dispatch adversaries - instead, Frogatto in gruesome fashion sucks in foes and spits them at other enemies, in a manner not entirely dissimilar to Nintendo stalwart and second-division player Kirby.
For Soosiz (آ£1.19) and They Need To Be Fed (59p), Super Mario Galaxy could be considered the catalyst. Nintendo's 2007 Wii title took Mario into space, exploring tiny planets that each have their own gravitational field. It's an interesting idea, and it works brilliantly when welded to a 2D platform game more akin to the original Super Mario Bros.
In Soosiz, your little ball with feet has to locate his chums, while avoiding or jumping on bad guys and grabbing coins; so far, so Mario. But as soon as you start playing and the tiny world you're on spins about its axis as you run, you know Soosiz isn't another me-too game; the weird gravity hugely adds to the challenge, forcing you to take risks and regularly disorienting you. (While you can tap the zoom button to find out in which direction your pals are located, you need serious navigational skills to keep track once you've jumped between a few mini planets.)
Mercifully, the controls are extremely simple (left, right, jump) and tight, so you've only yourself to blame if your ball ends up flying off into space rather than safely landing on terra firma.
They Need To Be Fed is in a similar space, but distills everything to its purest essence. There's no accidentally flying off into space, and clockwork-like level structures are the order of the day; in a sense, there's a cleanness and precision to the level design that recalls platform games that pre-date the original Super Mario Bros. (such as 8-bit classic Pitfall!), and while it's quite short, They Need To Be Fed is great fun and stylish to boot.
But no round-up of platform games would be complete without Tap! favourite Pix'N Love Rush (59p) , which combines platforming action with the quick-fire level gameplay mechanics found in the likes of Nintendo's WarioWare.
Instead of providing horizontally scrolling levels that you can tackle at a somewhat leisurely pace, Pix'N Love Rush continually reinvents itself. One minute, it's a simplified Super Mario Bros platform game; the next, it's scrolling up, like Doodle Jump or Rainbow Islands; then it's static, like the original Mario Bros or Bubble Bobble.
Essentially, it's all the best 2D platform games you've ever played, fired at your brain at breakneck speed - utterly brilliant and a steal at 59p.
In fact, the value of the games in this feature is astonishing - the shopping list's total price is just a quarter of the RRP of the 2006 Nintendo DS version of Super Mario Bros.
Finally, a little nod to iPad owners. We've so far only mentioned iPhone/iPod touch games, because retro-oriented platform games are more suited to smaller handheld devices; however, iPad owners aren't left out. Giana Sisters HD (also آ£2.99) matches the iPhone version and handily provides custom controls, Soosiz and They Need To Be Fed both exist in 'HD' form for آ£1.19 each, and Pix'N Love Rush works surprisingly well in 2x mode.
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20 things we'd change about OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org is a huge lumbering beast. Don't get us wrong, we like it in principle and the practice is steadily getting better, but there's still room for improvement.
Here are 20 things we'd change about it to make it better.
01. Improve the loading speed
This is almost a standing joke, but OpenOffice.org does take a while to load. It isn't a big issue when you're spending a fair amount of time on one document, but the delay is annoying when you just want to open an email attachment or make a quick change.
02. Learn to celebrate its differences
An alternative program doesn't have to look like its competitors. For instance, Firefox is used as an alternative to Internet Explorer even though, or perhaps because, it doesn't look and feel like Microsoft's browser. OpenOffice.org could follow this example and promote itself as a genuine competitor to Word – one that's better because it's proud to be different, instead of following Microsoft's lead so closely.
03. Implement grammar checking
It's inconceivable for a word processor to be released without a spellchecker these days, so why is it that OpenOffice.org is still unable to check for even the most basic of grammatical errors in our text? It's not about getting the software to write for you – a check is really helpful when your brain outruns your fingers.
04. More modular loading
Part of the problem with OpenOffice.org's loading speed is that it tries to load too much. If you load a document for word processing, you probably won't need all of the features provided and you certainly don't want them all immediately. What's more, it's highly unlikely you'll need other office components at the same time, so why waste time and resources loading so much up front?
05. The name
It may be a little unfair to criticise this now, but the name is rather geeky. Yes, we know the developers would rather have called it Open Office, but that name was already trademarked in a few countries. We also accept that we're stuck with it for now, but a little more effort early on could have resulted in a better moniker (and we don't mean LibreOffice).
06. Give OOo better competition
This may sound odd, but OpenOffice.org really needs some strong competition. Nothing focuses developers on improving their product like another one doing the job better. For instance, KOffice answers so many of the criticisms levelled at OpenOffice.org, but it's just not as good at the core tasks. If it were, it would be a real wake-up call for OpenOffice.org.
07. PDF importing
OpenOffice.org boasts a PDF-importing extension, but all it does is import a PDF page as a single image into Draw. Note to developers: if you're going to claim your program has PDF importing capabilities, please do try to make them more useful. Even simple editing and re-exporting as a PDF would be a big step forward, especially when you need to complete PDF forms.
08. The overall image
What is OpenOffice.org? Is it an office suite for people who are too cheap to buy a 'proper' one from Microsoft? Or is it a powerful set of programs in its own right? It should be seen as the latter, but too many people view it only as a second-rate alternative that's justified by the price alone. This needs to be improved, even though changing people's perceptions isn't easy.
09. Faster loading speeds
Did we mention this already? It seems that one or two users are bothered by OpenOffice.org's lengthy startup times, so maybe someone could have a look? Incidentally, a built-from-source installation on Gentoo gets going noticeably faster than the pre-built binaries from OpenOffice.org, so eking out more speed is possible.
10. Integration
Desktop integration is improving, but an OpenOffice.org window can still look like an interloper on your beautifully homogeneous desktop. We reckon OpenOffice.org is still generally better than the native alternatives on either of the main desktops – it just needs to look more like it belongs.
11. Building from source
Yes, binaries are available, but this is an open source project, so we should be able to compile the source. Yet building OpenOffice.org from source can be a tricky process, one that can progress for a couple of hours and then fail because the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. Sure, it's much faster than it used to be, but the fragility of the build process makes us a little nervous about the end result.
12. Cross-application cut and paste
Why can't we select some cells on Calc and then paste the contents into Writer as text? It's another curious omission from OOo's feature list. Crazy as it may sound, though, we don't always want an OLE object embedded in a letter; sometimes we just want a table of numbers that can be edited after pasting.
13. Keep it simple
It seems that if there are two ways of doing something, OpenOffice.org always goes for the most complex. OK, so the most complex is often also the most flexible, but this is supposed to be productivity software. The fastest, easiest option is often the most productive. At least give the user a choice in these cases, eh?
14. More extensions
One of the strengths of Firefox, another beacon of the open source community, is that there are thousands of extensions available for it. OpenOffice.org comes with just three and less than 150 are available for downloading from the project's website. That's a shame, because a greater set of useful extensions would give OpenOffice.org a real edge over the competition.
15. Improve macro recording
Computers are supposed to make life easier by automating repetitive tasks, which is what macros help you do. So why is recording and using macros such a fiddly and error-prone process? A Record and a Playback button on the toolbar should be all that's needed for simple macro use, complementing the more complex usage that's currently supported.
16. Fix some bugs
OpenOffice.org's issue tracker (does calling them issues instead of bugs make them seem like less of a problem?) currently has around 14,500 open defect reports. Many of these are small problems, but that's still a lot of bugs – sorry, issues. What's more, there are also 9,500 feature and enhancement requests.
17. Pop-up help
What OpenOffice.org really needs to succeed in the modern office environment is an irritating animated character that pops up from time to time with tangentially helpful advice or annoying questions. If there's one thing we have learned in the 21st century, it's that true productivity isn't possible without such a character. Why else would companies prefer to spend thousands on Microsoft Office instead of OpenOffice.org?
18. Better extension management
Simply making extensions possible, or even available to the user, is not enough. OpenOffice.org needs a decent extension manager where we can browse, search and install extensions from the range available, not just a dialog that asks for an extension file.
19. Not everything
Before you get the idea that this is a heartless tirade against OpenOffice.org, there's a lot we wouldn't change about the suite. Frustrations in bad software are easy to cope with – simply switch to a better program – but when the software is basically good, the annoyances are amplified. Recent versions have been much improved, but there's still a long way to go.
20. Faster loading
We've probably mentioned this before, but it's so easy to lose your train of thought while waiting for the program to load. This change really is a must.
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20 things we'd change about OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org is a huge lumbering beast. Don't get us wrong, we like it in principle and the practice is steadily getting better, but there's still room for improvement.
Here are 20 things we'd change about it to make it better.
01. Improve the loading speed
This is almost a standing joke, but OpenOffice.org does take a while to load. It isn't a big issue when you're spending a fair amount of time on one document, but the delay is annoying when you just want to open an email attachment or make a quick change.
02. Learn to celebrate its differences
An alternative program doesn't have to look like its competitors. For instance, Firefox is used as an alternative to Internet Explorer even though, or perhaps because, it doesn't look and feel like Microsoft's browser. OpenOffice.org could follow this example and promote itself as a genuine competitor to Word – one that's better because it's proud to be different, instead of following Microsoft's lead so closely.
03. Implement grammar checking
It's inconceivable for a word processor to be released without a spellchecker these days, so why is it that OpenOffice.org is still unable to check for even the most basic of grammatical errors in our text? It's not about getting the software to write for you – a check is really helpful when your brain outruns your fingers.
04. More modular loading
Part of the problem with OpenOffice.org's loading speed is that it tries to load too much. If you load a document for word processing, you probably won't need all of the features provided and you certainly don't want them all immediately. What's more, it's highly unlikely you'll need other office components at the same time, so why waste time and resources loading so much up front?
05. The name
It may be a little unfair to criticise this now, but the name is rather geeky. Yes, we know the developers would rather have called it Open Office, but that name was already trademarked in a few countries. We also accept that we're stuck with it for now, but a little more effort early on could have resulted in a better moniker (and we don't mean LibreOffice).
06. Give OOo better competition
This may sound odd, but OpenOffice.org really needs some strong competition. Nothing focuses developers on improving their product like another one doing the job better. For instance, KOffice answers so many of the criticisms levelled at OpenOffice.org, but it's just not as good at the core tasks. If it were, it would be a real wake-up call for OpenOffice.org.
07. PDF importing
OpenOffice.org boasts a PDF-importing extension, but all it does is import a PDF page as a single image into Draw. Note to developers: if you're going to claim your program has PDF importing capabilities, please do try to make them more useful. Even simple editing and re-exporting as a PDF would be a big step forward, especially when you need to complete PDF forms.
08. The overall image
What is OpenOffice.org? Is it an office suite for people who are too cheap to buy a 'proper' one from Microsoft? Or is it a powerful set of programs in its own right? It should be seen as the latter, but too many people view it only as a second-rate alternative that's justified by the price alone. This needs to be improved, even though changing people's perceptions isn't easy.
09. Faster loading speeds
Did we mention this already? It seems that one or two users are bothered by OpenOffice.org's lengthy startup times, so maybe someone could have a look? Incidentally, a built-from-source installation on Gentoo gets going noticeably faster than the pre-built binaries from OpenOffice.org, so eking out more speed is possible.
10. Integration
Desktop integration is improving, but an OpenOffice.org window can still look like an interloper on your beautifully homogeneous desktop. We reckon OpenOffice.org is still generally better than the native alternatives on either of the main desktops – it just needs to look more like it belongs.
11. Building from source
Yes, binaries are available, but this is an open source project, so we should be able to compile the source. Yet building OpenOffice.org from source can be a tricky process, one that can progress for a couple of hours and then fail because the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. Sure, it's much faster than it used to be, but the fragility of the build process makes us a little nervous about the end result.
12. Cross-application cut and paste
Why can't we select some cells on Calc and then paste the contents into Writer as text? It's another curious omission from OOo's feature list. Crazy as it may sound, though, we don't always want an OLE object embedded in a letter; sometimes we just want a table of numbers that can be edited after pasting.
13. Keep it simple
It seems that if there are two ways of doing something, OpenOffice.org always goes for the most complex. OK, so the most complex is often also the most flexible, but this is supposed to be productivity software. The fastest, easiest option is often the most productive. At least give the user a choice in these cases, eh?
14. More extensions
One of the strengths of Firefox, another beacon of the open source community, is that there are thousands of extensions available for it. OpenOffice.org comes with just three and less than 150 are available for downloading from the project's website. That's a shame, because a greater set of useful extensions would give OpenOffice.org a real edge over the competition.
15. Improve macro recording
Computers are supposed to make life easier by automating repetitive tasks, which is what macros help you do. So why is recording and using macros such a fiddly and error-prone process? A Record and a Playback button on the toolbar should be all that's needed for simple macro use, complementing the more complex usage that's currently supported.
16. Fix some bugs
OpenOffice.org's issue tracker (does calling them issues instead of bugs make them seem like less of a problem?) currently has around 14,500 open defect reports. Many of these are small problems, but that's still a lot of bugs – sorry, issues. What's more, there are also 9,500 feature and enhancement requests.
17. Pop-up help
What OpenOffice.org really needs to succeed in the modern office environment is an irritating animated character that pops up from time to time with tangentially helpful advice or annoying questions. If there's one thing we have learned in the 21st century, it's that true productivity isn't possible without such a character. Why else would companies prefer to spend thousands on Microsoft Office instead of OpenOffice.org?
18. Better extension management
Simply making extensions possible, or even available to the user, is not enough. OpenOffice.org needs a decent extension manager where we can browse, search and install extensions from the range available, not just a dialog that asks for an extension file.
19. Not everything
Before you get the idea that this is a heartless tirade against OpenOffice.org, there's a lot we wouldn't change about the suite. Frustrations in bad software are easy to cope with – simply switch to a better program – but when the software is basically good, the annoyances are amplified. Recent versions have been much improved, but there's still a long way to go.
20. Faster loading
We've probably mentioned this before, but it's so easy to lose your train of thought while waiting for the program to load. This change really is a must.
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Review: Lenovo G560
Lenovo has hit the mark once again with its excellent G560. Boasting impressive usability and performance, this is one of the best laptops we've seen at this price point, and its few small quirks don't detract from an excellent overall user experience. This laptop is such a success because it gets the basics right. The keyboard is fantastic, providing a crisp and firm action that will suit those that need a computer for typing essays or reports, or inputting data. It's just a shame that the Control (Ctrl) key has been indented one space and replaced by the Function (Fn) key, although we found we eventually got used to this.
A dedicated numeric keypad has been included, but it's a little cramped due to the large keys employed in the main keyboard. Similarly, the directional keys are very close together and those with large fingers might struggle at first.
The 15.6-inch screen is beaten by the MSI CR620-643uk, but that's only due to the latter's excellence. This display is still impressive, providing a great deal of detail thanks to the 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, and both colour vibrancy and brightness are excellent. If you want your photos and movies to look their best, then the G560 does a more than competent job.
Solid chassis
The machine's chassis is built from black plastic and there's virtually no flexibility in the panels, so the laptop will survive a bit of rough treatment on road. A cross-hatch pattern – similar to that used on the Acer but finer – has been implemented, though it's still quite a dull laptop to look at.
The machine is powered by a Core i3 350M processor, from one of Intel's latest generation of chips. Performance is almost identical to that of the MSI, but miles ahead of the Acer and Dell. This allows you to run even resource intensive applications such as photo editing software with little problem, as well as everyday programs.
The integrated Intel GMA HD graphics card is also suitably powerful, so you can stream HD movies via the internet and even carry out some basic video editing; perfect for all you wannabe James Cameron's out there.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 201 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 222
3DMark 2003: 3496
Features include Lenovo's VeriFace software, which uses the webcam to recognise your face and let you access the laptop – great for the security conscious.
The 250GB of storage is a little stingy, though, and the lack of an HDMI port for hooking up to an external HDTV or monitor is a shame.
Similarly, the 201-minute battery life will be constricting for those who spend a lot of time on the road.
Ultimately, though, these issues don't ruin what is a fantastic overall computing experience, and the usability and power on offer here make the Lenovo G560 a worthy Gold award winner.
Related Links
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Review: Lenovo G560
Lenovo has hit the mark once again with its excellent G560. Boasting impressive usability and performance, this is one of the best laptops we've seen at this price point, and its few small quirks don't detract from an excellent overall user experience. This laptop is such a success because it gets the basics right. The keyboard is fantastic, providing a crisp and firm action that will suit those that need a computer for typing essays or reports, or inputting data. It's just a shame that the Control (Ctrl) key has been indented one space and replaced by the Function (Fn) key, although we found we eventually got used to this.
A dedicated numeric keypad has been included, but it's a little cramped due to the large keys employed in the main keyboard. Similarly, the directional keys are very close together and those with large fingers might struggle at first.
The 15.6-inch screen is beaten by the MSI CR620-643uk, but that's only due to the latter's excellence. This display is still impressive, providing a great deal of detail thanks to the 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, and both colour vibrancy and brightness are excellent. If you want your photos and movies to look their best, then the G560 does a more than competent job.
Solid chassis
The machine's chassis is built from black plastic and there's virtually no flexibility in the panels, so the laptop will survive a bit of rough treatment on road. A cross-hatch pattern – similar to that used on the Acer but finer – has been implemented, though it's still quite a dull laptop to look at.
The machine is powered by a Core i3 350M processor, from one of Intel's latest generation of chips. Performance is almost identical to that of the MSI, but miles ahead of the Acer and Dell. This allows you to run even resource intensive applications such as photo editing software with little problem, as well as everyday programs.
The integrated Intel GMA HD graphics card is also suitably powerful, so you can stream HD movies via the internet and even carry out some basic video editing; perfect for all you wannabe James Cameron's out there.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 201 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 222
3DMark 2003: 3496
Features include Lenovo's VeriFace software, which uses the webcam to recognise your face and let you access the laptop – great for the security conscious.
The 250GB of storage is a little stingy, though, and the lack of an HDMI port for hooking up to an external HDTV or monitor is a shame.
Similarly, the 201-minute battery life will be constricting for those who spend a lot of time on the road.
Ultimately, though, these issues don't ruin what is a fantastic overall computing experience, and the usability and power on offer here make the Lenovo G560 a worthy Gold award winner.
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Review: Dell Inspiron M5030
While there's nothing specifically wrong with Dell's Inspiron M5030, when compared to the excellent laptops from Lenovo and MSI at this price point it is hard to recommend. Nevertheless, the impressive battery life may be enough to convince those for whom portability is a requirement. General portability is great and, although the 2.6kg chassis is fractionally heavier than the other laptops, the 303-minute battery life is significantly better than the competition – giving you over an hour more power than the nearest rival. This will suit those who spend a lot of time on the move.
The M5030 is one of the more attractive laptops, featuring a circular pattern that glints when it catches the light.
Build quality is decent enough, but you'll need a laptop bag to ensure the machine's safety on the road. It's also worth noting that this is quite a chunky laptop; the Acer Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk is the slimmest at only 35mm. If you plan to carry your new laptop around in a slim sleeve, then the Dell will not be the ideal option for you.
Although not as bad as the Acer's, the 15.6-inch screen is still quite disappointing, providing surprisingly washed out images. If you plan to use the laptop for work this is unlikely to be a major problem, but film and multimedia enthusiasts should consider either the MSI CR620-643uk or Lenovo G560 instead, if you want to enjoy the best picture.
Rattly keyboard
The keyboard is functional but unexceptional. It also rattles as you type, so if you intend to use the laptop when studying or with your family this might put you (or them) off. The lack of a dedicated numeric keypad is also sure to disappoint those who regularly input data.
When it comes to performance, the M5030's Intel Celeron processor doesn't prove as capable as the one used in the Acer Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk. Office work and web browsing won't be a problem for this laptop, but anything more resource intensive, such as a music editing application, will cause the machine to show significant amounts of lag.
However, graphical performance is better than the Acer and some basic photo editing will be easily possible – great if you fancy touching up your holiday snaps.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 303 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 132
3DMark 2003: 2057
The 320GB hard drive also ensures that you have plenty of space to store your multimedia libraries, as well as any work. 802.11n Wi-Fi offers the fastest wireless networking technology available - great when connecting to a hotspot - while three USB ports allow you to connect plenty of peripherals, such as your MP3 player.
The Inspiron M5030 isn't a bad laptop, it just can't compete with the MSI CR620-643uk and Lenovo G560. However, the strong battery life could be a deal clincher.
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Tutorial: PC won't boot up? How to find out why
You press the power button and your PC won't boot up. What do you do next? Don't write it off just yet. The first thing to do when faced with a PC that won't start up is remain calm. They're modular devices, and it's likely that a single component among many is the culprit. Fixing or replacing that component should bring your machine back to life. The trick is finding out which one it is.
We recommend a systematic approach to the problem, starting with observation, moving on to elimination and ending in diagnosis and treatment. Don't worry, you won't need a degree in engineering to fix a poorly PC. The process will probably be much easier than you expect.
We'll take you through a troubleshooting procedure that should help you fix the majority of near-fatal hardware faults. In many cases, you won't need a great deal of technical know-how to get your PC working again.
PC power problems
There are many reasons why your computer might fail to start. Let's have a look at the possibilities, one probable scenario at a time. The first sounds like the worst, but could actually be one of the easiest to diagnose.
You switch on your computer and nothing happens. No lights, no fans, no drives whirring into life and, crucially, no POST (Power On System Test) beep. Somewhere in the chain, power isn't getting through.
Work your way through this checklist. Unplug all peripherals except the keyboard, mouse and monitor, and make sure these are connected correctly. Check the obvious possibilities: make sure that your power cable is fitted correctly, the mains is switched on at the plug and the power switch is on at your computer.
If you're using an extension cord or multiblock, take those out of the chain and plug your PC's power cable directly into the mains socket. You should also try a spare kettle lead if you have one, in case a break in the cable is responsible.
THE BASICS: The PC itself may not be at fault. Check your fusebox first, along with fuses in multiblocks and plugs
Go to your main fuse box and check that all the fuses are still working. Check and replace the fuse in your computer's plug. Some PCs have a fuse in place before the Power Supply Unit, accessible near the power socket - you should replace that too. Only if you've eliminated all these possible weak links in the chain and your computer still refuses to power on should you move to the next stage.
The power supply
Problems with internal cabling are a common cause of power-on failure. Expansion caused by heat, movement in transit or a good old bump can dislodge connectors and cut power to your machine.
Open your PC case and make sure that power cables, especially those connected to the motherboard, are firmly seated and in place. Also pay close attention to the cable that connects the power button on the front of the case to the motherboard. If you're not sure which one that is, check your motherboard manual.
PRESS FIRMLY: Unseated cables and cards can cause a host of problems, from POST errors to a machine that won't power on at all
When you've done that, make sure your cards and memory are firmly seated too. Any dislodged cards could break the circuit in your machine, stopping it dead.
Next, check the heatsink and fan protecting your CPU. Are they aligned correctly and securely? Check that the feet securing the fan to the motherboard are fixed and solid. Your machine may not start at all without a properly positioned and fitted heatsink.
The diagnosis
If, after all this tweaking and testing, your machine is still failing to power up correctly, you're looking at four potential issues. If you're lucky it'll be the PSU (power supply unit) or the power button. Why is that lucky? Because these issues are both fairly easy and cheap to rectify.
There are two ways to verify a failed PSU. The existing PSU can be swapped out and another one tried in its stead. It's best if you can try one from an old PC you no longer use, to avoid unnecessary expense.
PSU TESTER: Using a PSU tester will enable you to determine if a faulty power supply is the problem
The other approach is to buy a dedicated PSU tester. Maplin sells one for as little as آ£20, but considering a new 750-watt PSU costs around آ£30, it's only worth buying a specialised tester if you expect to continue testing power supply units in future.
If a replacement PSU doesn't work, you might still have a power button problem. Again, cannibalising an old PC may be the best way to test your theory. The alternative is to search for and buy an ATX power switch on eBay. This should cost آ£3-5.
If you have an itch to confirm your diagnosis first, Maplin stocks a tool you can use to test the switch for آ£5. Visit the site and search for 'Domestic multi meter'. If the switch is working, you'll be able to pass a current through it.
If you've eliminated all the possibilities above and your machine still refuses to power on, then we're afraid that - finally - you're entering dead computer territory. It's likely that you have a fried motherboard or CPU, and a replacement - or a whole new computer - may be required.
Listen to the beep
You might encounter slightly different behaviour when your machine turns on. It may power up, beep, then hang indefinitely and seem to do nothing more. Careful diagnostics should be able to help you track down the component.
MOBO TESTER: You can make diagnosing POST errors easier by investing in a motherboard testing card
The first clue will come from that start-up beep. We referred to the beep earlier as the Power On Self Test or POST beep. When your motherboard is powered up, it runs a diagnostic of the motherboard itself and the attached hardware. If all is well, you should hear a single short beep and your hard drive will whirr into life, booting the operating system.
If the POST encounters a problem, you'll hear a different sequence of beeps.
New hardware
If you hear an unexpected beep sequence, it might be caused by several different things. If you've recently added new hardware to your PC - memory or a new video card, for example - there's a high likelihood that could be the problem. With the computer powered down, open the case and reseat all cables and cards. Any of them could have been nudged slightly or dislodged while you were fitting that new component.
If you've ruled that out, try removing the new hardware component. If it's a component that the PC needs to run, like a video card, replace it with the old, previously working component. Close the case and switch it on. Is it still not working?
It's likely that a component in your system is damaged. Time to research those beeps. Make a note of your BIOS manufacturer's name and note down the beep sequence. You may hear more than one short beep, or you may hear a more complex sequence. For example, a failure in the video system with Award BIOS may generate one long and two short beeps.
You can find a comprehensive list of POST beep codes at BIOS Central. It'll help you narrow down the source of the error and decide whether to fix your machine or fling it in a skip.
Graphics card failure
Video cards are common failure points in modern systems, and when one goes it can make your system appear to be dead when it's working perfectly well. With powerful GPUs on board and many relying on passive cooling, they're prone to overheating or blowing if you experience a power surge.
Diagnosing the POST beep will help you reach a swift conclusion, but there are other clues that can tell you if the video card is what's on the fritz. In many cases, your machine will complete its boot sequence and load the operating system. It could be waiting politely for you to enter your username and password.
HAND-ME-DOWNS: Most people have an old computer collecting dust, so re-use the components you can either for testing or for a new rig
The problem is, you won't know that if the video's not working. Signs to look for are a POST beep that indicates video failure, drives powering up as normal, drive lights and power lights on the front of the system. We've had circumstances where, even though the video wasn't working, we were able to connect an affected computer to a network to retrieve data. This is handy if you need to access files quickly.
The cure for such a problem is simple. Install a new video card. It doesn't have to be a fancy one to get the machine going again, so feel free to pull one out of an old PC if you can find one with compatible components.
Drive failures are among the most frustrating computer problems. They can come back to haunt you again and again if you don't take the right step first time. With most drive failures, the boot sequence will complete. You may even get a clear POST test, with a single beep.
After that, the OS loading sequence will help you determine how damaged a drive may be. If it fails to boot at all, think corrupt boot sector. If the operating system starts to load, then hangs or loops (restarts infinitely), there may be corrupted drivers, corrupt DLLs, Registry problems or a device conflict.
If you haven't installed any new hardware recently and all your internal cards and cables are seated firmly, suspect software error.
The first thing to do is retrieve as much important data as possible from the drive. That said, it always pays to install a new hard drive if drive corruption has been the problem.
If your hard drive crashed hard enough to corrupt data, chances are it crashed hard enough to damage the disk. Even if you're able to wipe the old drive and reinstall Windows successfully, a little scratch might continue to cause problems, leading to multiple failures in the future.
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Tutorial: PC won't boot up? How to find out why
You press the power button and your PC won't boot up. What do you do next? Don't write it off just yet. The first thing to do when faced with a PC that won't start up is remain calm. They're modular devices, and it's likely that a single component among many is the culprit. Fixing or replacing that component should bring your machine back to life. The trick is finding out which one it is.
We recommend a systematic approach to the problem, starting with observation, moving on to elimination and ending in diagnosis and treatment. Don't worry, you won't need a degree in engineering to fix a poorly PC. The process will probably be much easier than you expect.
We'll take you through a troubleshooting procedure that should help you fix the majority of near-fatal hardware faults. In many cases, you won't need a great deal of technical know-how to get your PC working again.
PC power problems
There are many reasons why your computer might fail to start. Let's have a look at the possibilities, one probable scenario at a time. The first sounds like the worst, but could actually be one of the easiest to diagnose.
You switch on your computer and nothing happens. No lights, no fans, no drives whirring into life and, crucially, no POST (Power On System Test) beep. Somewhere in the chain, power isn't getting through.
Work your way through this checklist. Unplug all peripherals except the keyboard, mouse and monitor, and make sure these are connected correctly. Check the obvious possibilities: make sure that your power cable is fitted correctly, the mains is switched on at the plug and the power switch is on at your computer.
If you're using an extension cord or multiblock, take those out of the chain and plug your PC's power cable directly into the mains socket. You should also try a spare kettle lead if you have one, in case a break in the cable is responsible.
THE BASICS: The PC itself may not be at fault. Check your fusebox first, along with fuses in multiblocks and plugs
Go to your main fuse box and check that all the fuses are still working. Check and replace the fuse in your computer's plug. Some PCs have a fuse in place before the Power Supply Unit, accessible near the power socket - you should replace that too. Only if you've eliminated all these possible weak links in the chain and your computer still refuses to power on should you move to the next stage.
The power supply
Problems with internal cabling are a common cause of power-on failure. Expansion caused by heat, movement in transit or a good old bump can dislodge connectors and cut power to your machine.
Open your PC case and make sure that power cables, especially those connected to the motherboard, are firmly seated and in place. Also pay close attention to the cable that connects the power button on the front of the case to the motherboard. If you're not sure which one that is, check your motherboard manual.
PRESS FIRMLY: Unseated cables and cards can cause a host of problems, from POST errors to a machine that won't power on at all
When you've done that, make sure your cards and memory are firmly seated too. Any dislodged cards could break the circuit in your machine, stopping it dead.
Next, check the heatsink and fan protecting your CPU. Are they aligned correctly and securely? Check that the feet securing the fan to the motherboard are fixed and solid. Your machine may not start at all without a properly positioned and fitted heatsink.
The diagnosis
If, after all this tweaking and testing, your machine is still failing to power up correctly, you're looking at four potential issues. If you're lucky it'll be the PSU (power supply unit) or the power button. Why is that lucky? Because these issues are both fairly easy and cheap to rectify.
There are two ways to verify a failed PSU. The existing PSU can be swapped out and another one tried in its stead. It's best if you can try one from an old PC you no longer use, to avoid unnecessary expense.
PSU TESTER: Using a PSU tester will enable you to determine if a faulty power supply is the problem
The other approach is to buy a dedicated PSU tester. Maplin sells one for as little as آ£20, but considering a new 750-watt PSU costs around آ£30, it's only worth buying a specialised tester if you expect to continue testing power supply units in future.
If a replacement PSU doesn't work, you might still have a power button problem. Again, cannibalising an old PC may be the best way to test your theory. The alternative is to search for and buy an ATX power switch on eBay. This should cost آ£3-5.
If you have an itch to confirm your diagnosis first, Maplin stocks a tool you can use to test the switch for آ£5. Visit the site and search for 'Domestic multi meter'. If the switch is working, you'll be able to pass a current through it.
If you've eliminated all the possibilities above and your machine still refuses to power on, then we're afraid that - finally - you're entering dead computer territory. It's likely that you have a fried motherboard or CPU, and a replacement - or a whole new computer - may be required.
Listen to the beep
You might encounter slightly different behaviour when your machine turns on. It may power up, beep, then hang indefinitely and seem to do nothing more. Careful diagnostics should be able to help you track down the component.
MOBO TESTER: You can make diagnosing POST errors easier by investing in a motherboard testing card
The first clue will come from that start-up beep. We referred to the beep earlier as the Power On Self Test or POST beep. When your motherboard is powered up, it runs a diagnostic of the motherboard itself and the attached hardware. If all is well, you should hear a single short beep and your hard drive will whirr into life, booting the operating system.
If the POST encounters a problem, you'll hear a different sequence of beeps.
New hardware
If you hear an unexpected beep sequence, it might be caused by several different things. If you've recently added new hardware to your PC - memory or a new video card, for example - there's a high likelihood that could be the problem. With the computer powered down, open the case and reseat all cables and cards. Any of them could have been nudged slightly or dislodged while you were fitting that new component.
If you've ruled that out, try removing the new hardware component. If it's a component that the PC needs to run, like a video card, replace it with the old, previously working component. Close the case and switch it on. Is it still not working?
It's likely that a component in your system is damaged. Time to research those beeps. Make a note of your BIOS manufacturer's name and note down the beep sequence. You may hear more than one short beep, or you may hear a more complex sequence. For example, a failure in the video system with Award BIOS may generate one long and two short beeps.
You can find a comprehensive list of POST beep codes at BIOS Central. It'll help you narrow down the source of the error and decide whether to fix your machine or fling it in a skip.
Graphics card failure
Video cards are common failure points in modern systems, and when one goes it can make your system appear to be dead when it's working perfectly well. With powerful GPUs on board and many relying on passive cooling, they're prone to overheating or blowing if you experience a power surge.
Diagnosing the POST beep will help you reach a swift conclusion, but there are other clues that can tell you if the video card is what's on the fritz. In many cases, your machine will complete its boot sequence and load the operating system. It could be waiting politely for you to enter your username and password.
HAND-ME-DOWNS: Most people have an old computer collecting dust, so re-use the components you can either for testing or for a new rig
The problem is, you won't know that if the video's not working. Signs to look for are a POST beep that indicates video failure, drives powering up as normal, drive lights and power lights on the front of the system. We've had circumstances where, even though the video wasn't working, we were able to connect an affected computer to a network to retrieve data. This is handy if you need to access files quickly.
The cure for such a problem is simple. Install a new video card. It doesn't have to be a fancy one to get the machine going again, so feel free to pull one out of an old PC if you can find one with compatible components.
Drive failures are among the most frustrating computer problems. They can come back to haunt you again and again if you don't take the right step first time. With most drive failures, the boot sequence will complete. You may even get a clear POST test, with a single beep.
After that, the OS loading sequence will help you determine how damaged a drive may be. If it fails to boot at all, think corrupt boot sector. If the operating system starts to load, then hangs or loops (restarts infinitely), there may be corrupted drivers, corrupt DLLs, Registry problems or a device conflict.
If you haven't installed any new hardware recently and all your internal cards and cables are seated firmly, suspect software error.
The first thing to do is retrieve as much important data as possible from the drive. That said, it always pays to install a new hard drive if drive corruption has been the problem.
If your hard drive crashed hard enough to corrupt data, chances are it crashed hard enough to damage the disk. Even if you're able to wipe the old drive and reinstall Windows successfully, a little scratch might continue to cause problems, leading to multiple failures in the future.
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Review: Dell Inspiron M5030
While there's nothing specifically wrong with Dell's Inspiron M5030, when compared to the excellent laptops from Lenovo and MSI at this price point it is hard to recommend. Nevertheless, the impressive battery life may be enough to convince those for whom portability is a requirement. General portability is great and, although the 2.6kg chassis is fractionally heavier than the other laptops, the 303-minute battery life is significantly better than the competition – giving you over an hour more power than the nearest rival. This will suit those who spend a lot of time on the move.
The M5030 is one of the more attractive laptops, featuring a circular pattern that glints when it catches the light.
Build quality is decent enough, but you'll need a laptop bag to ensure the machine's safety on the road. It's also worth noting that this is quite a chunky laptop; the Acer Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk is the slimmest at only 35mm. If you plan to carry your new laptop around in a slim sleeve, then the Dell will not be the ideal option for you.
Although not as bad as the Acer's, the 15.6-inch screen is still quite disappointing, providing surprisingly washed out images. If you plan to use the laptop for work this is unlikely to be a major problem, but film and multimedia enthusiasts should consider either the MSI CR620-643uk or Lenovo G560 instead, if you want to enjoy the best picture.
Rattly keyboard
The keyboard is functional but unexceptional. It also rattles as you type, so if you intend to use the laptop when studying or with your family this might put you (or them) off. The lack of a dedicated numeric keypad is also sure to disappoint those who regularly input data.
When it comes to performance, the M5030's Intel Celeron processor doesn't prove as capable as the one used in the Acer Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk. Office work and web browsing won't be a problem for this laptop, but anything more resource intensive, such as a music editing application, will cause the machine to show significant amounts of lag.
However, graphical performance is better than the Acer and some basic photo editing will be easily possible – great if you fancy touching up your holiday snaps.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 303 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 132
3DMark 2003: 2057
The 320GB hard drive also ensures that you have plenty of space to store your multimedia libraries, as well as any work. 802.11n Wi-Fi offers the fastest wireless networking technology available - great when connecting to a hotspot - while three USB ports allow you to connect plenty of peripherals, such as your MP3 player.
The Inspiron M5030 isn't a bad laptop, it just can't compete with the MSI CR620-643uk and Lenovo G560. However, the strong battery life could be a deal clincher.
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Review: Acer Aspire 5336
From tiny netbooks to high-performance multimedia centres, Acer manufacturers a broad range of impressive laptops to suit every budget. The Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk comes in at the more affordable end of the spectrum and its low price means it's also a distinctly average performer. The 15.6-inch screen is the first disappointment. It has a green tinge that is sure to irritate anyone who wants to watch films or view photos. Despite featuring a 1366 x 768- pixel resolution, detail is also surprisingly poor. The display is very good at suppressing reflections in bright light, however, so is great for anyone who has to work under harsh office lighting.
The chassis is well put together and built from hard black plastics so will survive the rigours of life on the road.
Unlike the MSI CR620-643uk, the design is a little uninspiring, but at this price point that's only to be expected.
Malleable keyboard
Acer's unique keyboard design is employed here, with the keys standing up off the chassis independently. Unfortunately, the plastics used are fairly malleable, and there's quite a bit of flex evident when typing.
However, only those with a firmer touch will notice this, and the spacious keys make typing quick and easy, which will be good news for regular typists.
An Intel Celeron processor provides the power, combined with 3072MB of memory. Performance isn't very competitive, especially compared to the Core i3 powered laptops from Lenovo and MSI. However, if you're only interested in running everyday applications, such as your web browser and music jukebox, there's more than enough power on offer.
Graphically this is also a weak laptop, while the Lenovo G560 and MSI CR620-643uk can handle regular photo editing, this laptop's integrated card will struggle with anything more demanding than streaming videos via the internet and watching DVDs. Nevertheless, for many this will be enough.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 227 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 165
3DMark 2003: 1551
The 2.5kg chassis is manageable if you've got to carry the laptop around all day, but we had hoped for a battery life of more than 227 minutes from such a low-powered machine - so it is not great for those who need a laptop to travel with.
802.11n and Gigabit Ethernet provide the fastest networking technologies available, which is great for those who need to connect to the internet regularly, while the inclusion of an HDMI video out means you can easily view your content on a high-definition TV or monitor.
Unfortunately the Acer Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk isn't all we'd hoped for. Usability, performance and portability are all disappointing and make this laptop hard to fully recommend.
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Review: Acer Aspire 5336
From tiny netbooks to high-performance multimedia centres, Acer manufacturers a broad range of impressive laptops to suit every budget. The Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk comes in at the more affordable end of the spectrum and its low price means it's also a distinctly average performer. The 15.6-inch screen is the first disappointment. It has a green tinge that is sure to irritate anyone who wants to watch films or view photos. Despite featuring a 1366 x 768- pixel resolution, detail is also surprisingly poor. The display is very good at suppressing reflections in bright light, however, so is great for anyone who has to work under harsh office lighting.
The chassis is well put together and built from hard black plastics so will survive the rigours of life on the road.
Unlike the MSI CR620-643uk, the design is a little uninspiring, but at this price point that's only to be expected.
Malleable keyboard
Acer's unique keyboard design is employed here, with the keys standing up off the chassis independently. Unfortunately, the plastics used are fairly malleable, and there's quite a bit of flex evident when typing.
However, only those with a firmer touch will notice this, and the spacious keys make typing quick and easy, which will be good news for regular typists.
An Intel Celeron processor provides the power, combined with 3072MB of memory. Performance isn't very competitive, especially compared to the Core i3 powered laptops from Lenovo and MSI. However, if you're only interested in running everyday applications, such as your web browser and music jukebox, there's more than enough power on offer.
Graphically this is also a weak laptop, while the Lenovo G560 and MSI CR620-643uk can handle regular photo editing, this laptop's integrated card will struggle with anything more demanding than streaming videos via the internet and watching DVDs. Nevertheless, for many this will be enough.
Benchmarks
Battery life: 227 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 165
3DMark 2003: 1551
The 2.5kg chassis is manageable if you've got to carry the laptop around all day, but we had hoped for a battery life of more than 227 minutes from such a low-powered machine - so it is not great for those who need a laptop to travel with.
802.11n and Gigabit Ethernet provide the fastest networking technologies available, which is great for those who need to connect to the internet regularly, while the inclusion of an HDMI video out means you can easily view your content on a high-definition TV or monitor.
Unfortunately the Acer Aspire 5336-T353G32Mnkk isn't all we'd hoped for. Usability, performance and portability are all disappointing and make this laptop hard to fully recommend.
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