From budget accessories to stylish
PCs, there’s world of fascinating products at your fingertips
Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt HD-PATU3
Price: $233
Ratings: 4/5
Web: www.kikatek.com
Buffalo
MiniStation Thunderbolt HD-PATU3
The Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt
HD-PATU3 is a sturdy and portable hard drive that’s attractively designed. It
also comes with a USB 3.0 connection, so even if you’re on a computer that
doesn’t have Thunderbolt, you’re still going to see the benefit of a faster
connection. It only comes with one Thunderbolt port, however, so if you’re
daisy chaining Thunderbolt devices this will have to sit at the end. USB 3.0
and Thunderbolt cables are included, which is a nice touch as we’ve seen
Thunderbolt devices that don’t do this.
Of course, what really matters is the speed
in which the Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt HD-PATU3 transfers data. In our
real world tests we sent a 1.36GB file in just 36 seconds. It’s impressive, but
doesn’t blow USB 3.0 out of the water, despite the Thunderbolt drive’s
potential. This is mainly due to the fact that the Buffalo MiniStation
Thunderbolt HD-PATU3 contains a mechanical hard drive, so no matter how fast
the connection is, it’s still being held back by the spinning drive. There’s
also an SSD version of the HD-PATU3. This would increase the speed, but also
the price while decreasing the capacity.
Logitech t400 Zone Touch Mouse
Price: $48
Ratings: 3/5
Logitech
t400 Zone Touch Mouse
The Logitech t400 Zone Touch Mouse is
another entry in Logitech’s range of peripherals that are aimed at making the
switch to Windows 8 more palatable for those of us that don’t have
touch-enabled devices. As ‘Zone’ suggests, rather than the whole face of the mouse
being touch responsive, as it is with another Logitech mouse – the m600, only a
small part of the Logitech t400 Zone Touch Mouse is touch enabled. This helps
prevent problems we’ve experienced with the Logitech m600, where the mouse
scrolls or flips through documents when the top of the mouse is accidently
brushed. The touch sensitive part of the t400 is confined to the middle button,
and it’s nice and responsive, letting you scroll both horizontally and
vertically. Clicking the middle button brings up Windows 8’s Start screen,
which is a nice touch. The t400 won’t win any design, awards, but it’s an
improvement on previous touch-enabled mice, but doesn’t quite replace the need
for a touchscreen.
SoundBlaster Tactic3D Rage
Price: $100
Ratings: 4/5
Web: www.dabs.com
SoundBlaster
Tactic3D Rage
The SoundBlaster Tactic3D Rage is the
latest gaming headset from Creative and it’s sturdily designed and comfortable
to wear. The cushioned cups feel fine even when the headset is worn for long
periods, and they do a good job of noise insulation, so you can block out the
world and not disturb others too.
Sound quality is very good, with a rich and
full sound even at default settings. The SoundBlaster Tactic3D software is once
again included and from here you can adjust the equalizer settings, add effects
and alter the surround sound levels. The Tactic3D software also lets you change
the color of the pulsating LEDs in each ear cup, a nice but ultimately
pointless feature.
The microphone is good quality, and the arm
is easily adjustable. However, the foam covering the mic often fell off. The
headset also has no automatic power saving feature, so if you close down your
PC, the headset can remain on draining the battery. Overall, though, this is a
solid headset that comes with some of Creative’s best innovations.
Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard
Price: $90
Ratings: 4/5
Web: www.johnlewis.com
Microsoft
Sculpt Comfort Keyboard
If you do a lot of typing or gaming then
you can do yourself a lot of good by getting an ergonomic keyboard. These are
keyboards specially designed to reduce stress in the hands when typing, making
for a more comfortable experience and reduced risk of RSI. Microsoft has a long
and distinguished history of creating ergonomic peripherals, and the new Sculpt
Comfort Keyboard continues this legacy. The curved design keeps keys close to
the fingers while typing, and the padded wrist support is comfortable to use.
This keyboard has been released to coincide
with Windows 8, so along with a redesigned Windows logo on the Windows key,
some function (or ‘F’) keys double up as keys for Windows 8-specific tools and
charms. These keys can be toggled by a switch, and when used with Windows 8
make the new operating system a lot easier to get used to. The keyboard is
wireless and it also comes with a split spacebar, which is designed to improve
typing efficiency, though we didn’t notice much difference. Overall this is an
excellent ergonomic keyboard, however.
Logitech t650 Wireless Rechargeable
Touchpad
Price: $98
Ratings: 4/5
Logitech
t650 Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad
It’s no secret that Windows 8 is an
operating system that’s geared towards touchscreen devices. This means if
you’ve not got a touch-enabled device, then you’re going to be missing out on
quite a few Windows 8 features and shortcuts. Logitech’s t650 Wireless
Rechargeable Touchpad is a solution to this, as it allows you to perform
Windows 8 gestures no matter what you hardware is. Connecting it up to a PC is
perfectly simple, and it comes with a Logitech Unifying USB dongle, which lets
you connect up to six compatible Logitech devices, such as the Logitech t400
Zone Touch Mouse, to a single dongle.
The glass top makes scrolling through
Windows 8’s Start screen nice and smooth, and the touchpad is pretty fast and
responsive. Gestures such as flicking from the right hand side of the screen to
bring up the Charms Bar work well, though tapping to select and app or file
wasn’t always accurate. Overall this is a fine peripheral to connect to your PC
if you’re having trouble adjusting to Windows 8.
