COMPUTING
Hardware
Samsung Series 3 Chromebox
Website: www.samsung.com
Samsung
Series 3 Chromebox
As far as tiny PCs go, Samsung's Series 3
is up there with the Mac Mini for design, fast boot and connectivity. But Google's
Chrome OS is threatened by its own Android OS for low-power usage and web apps.
Alternatively: The portable Series 5
Chromebook lets you take a walk, but you'll need net access.
Pros
·
Small and well designed
·
Cheap to buy and run
·
Smooth video playback
Cons
·
Not much use without web access
·
No local storage
Chrome Browser - Special skill
Chrome OS is essentially Google's Chrome
browser in a desktop wrapper, but that doesn't mean it's rubbish. There are web
apps for everything from photo editing to great games such as Bastion
Apple MacBook pro with Retina Display
Price: from $2,815
Website: www.apple.com
Apple
MacBook pro with Retina Display
Apple's latest 15-incher uses style cues
from the Air to reduce the size and weight to an almost-ultraportable, despite
its 16:10 ratio screen, quad- core processor and Nvidia GT 650M graphics. Damn
pricey, though.
Alternatively: No Retina display, but Apple's
27in IPS-screen iMac is still a stunning desktop alternative.
Pros
·
Retina screen
·
Excellent performance
·
Thin design
Cons
·
Eye-watering price
·
Relatively small SSD storage
Retina Display - Special skill
The 2012 MacBook Pro will be remembered for
just one thing: the Retina display. The massive 2880x1800 resolution more
pixels than in a hi-res 30in panel - makes text and images look truly
beautiful.
Sony Vaio Z series
Price: $3,310
Website: www.sony.com
Sony
Vaio Z series
The holder of the title of world's lightest
Ultrabook seems to change weekly but who's going to topple this tablet-
taunting Sony? There is more to the Z, of course - it matches the latest
MacBook Air for power and has an optional 256GB SSD for practical
space.
Alternatively: For a Windows desktop, try
the touchscreen Lenovo A720 ($1,565, www.lenovo.com).
Pros
·
Full-spec processor
·
Full HD screen
·
Full featured!
Cons
·
Holy mother-of-God price tag!
Incredible Thinness - Special skill
Folded for travelling, the Vaio Z is skinny
- 16.6mm at its thinnest and weighs just 1.1kg. If only there was a touchscreen
too, the end would almost be in sight for tablets. We do love a proper
keyboard.
Computing - OS
Google Chrome OS
Price: free
Website: www.getchrome.com
Google
Chrome OS
Chrome is built around the thing you use
most: the web browser. Because it's limited to web apps, it's more for docs and
email than professional design work - but it stores your stuff in the cloud, so
files are accessible from anywhere
Speedy start-up: Google's minimalist architecture makes Chrome fast out of the
blocks. Today's Chromebooks can boot up in under ten seconds, but 'Coreboot'
tech could soon get this down to five or even less.
Appy day: The
Chrome Web Store offers a fine array of free apps for you to download. Handily,
Google has recently added a section dedicated to offline apps, so 'no internet’
doesn't have to mean 'no fun'.
Safe and sound: Since it stores so little locally, anyone who nicks a Chrome
computer isn't going to get much in the way of personal details. Unfortunately,
if your broadband goes down, you won't be able to access them either.
Pros
·
Speedy
·
Decent suite of apps
Cons
·
Power limited by web apps
Aura - Special skill
The once painfully basic Chrome OS now
looks more like a Windows and Mac rival thanks to this new UI and window
manager. Aura brings visual treats such as a task bar and shortcuts, while a
new status area has arrived for Android-style notifications.
Apple Mac OS X Mountain Lion
Price: $19.99
Website: www.apple.com
Apple
Mac OS X Mountain Lion
Every update makes the mighty OS X more
like its mobile counterpart (and one big cat closer to opening a zoo). Facebook
and Twitter are now integrated, and iCloud ties all of its features together
(not literally).
Sending out an iMessage: Desktop Macs
can now join conversations between iThings thanks to iMessage, which replaces
iChat. It collates all of your conversations, and lets you switch to Facetime
from within the app.
Play time: Another iOS staple, Game Center, has
made the leap to OS X. It'll let you indulge in gaming tussles with friends who
are using an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, and sledge them over in-game chat.
This is the news: Neatly
tying together all of your alerts from Twitter, email clients and other
third-party applications is Notification Center, which is activated by a
'right-to-left' swipe gesture on your trackpad. Lovely.
Pros
·
Simple
·
Powerful
·
Affordable
Cons:
·
Only available for Macs
Power Nap - Special skill
Even when it's in sleep mode a Mac running
Mountain Lion will periodically fetch new emails, download pics to your
Photostream, sync calendars, suck down software updates and back itself up, all
without a peep. If only our power naps were this productive.
Microsoft Windows 8
Website: www.microsoft.com
Microsoft
Windows 8
Windows 8 is the most significant update to
the world's most popular operating system since 1995, and it's been remade from
the most basic level. Here's why it'll consign Windows Vista to the recycle
bin...
It's brand new...: Windows 8 is designed for tablets and
Ultrabooks - touchy, swipey and live-widgety, with a tile-based, 'Metro' Start
menu and an emphasis on saving battery power and delivering apps.
…but still familiar: Behind that you'll find a more familiar desktop which allows you to
install your existing software (unless you're running Windows RT) and so make
working a reality rather than an exercise in futility.
It’s cheap to upgrade: Buy a Windows 7 PC or laptop before 31 January 2013 and you'll be
able to upgrade it to Windows 8 Pro... so you needn't postpone buying that
Ultrabook until after Win 8's October launch.
Pros
·
Tons of apps
·
Touch-optimized
Cons
·
Dual personalities
Windows To Go - Special skill
A full version of Win 8 that resides on a
USB stick. Plug it into any PC, reboot and you can sign in as if you're working
on your machine. It uses all the PC's hardware apart from its hard drives, so
even if you plug it into someone's virus-riddled machine it'll come out clean.
Browsing
Chrome
Price: free
Website: www.google.com
Chrome's minimalist aesthetic belies its
extensive abilities. It syncs bookmarks and tabs across computer, phone and
tablet versions, extensions include music controls and screen capture tools,
and in-browser apps range from Tweetdeck to Angry Birds. With all your
settings stored in the cloud, it doesn't matter where you are - it's just like
sitting at home. Except a little different.
Pros
·
Syncs across devices
·
Minimalist design
·
Multiple platforms
Cons
·
iOS version not as fast as Safari
Google+ - Social
G+ has been overshadowed since its launch,
but it's getting there. Split friends into Circles so you don't have to share
it all with the boss, while Hangouts take the hassle out of video chats. Not
the awkwardness, though.
Safari
Price: free
Website: www.apple.com
Safari
While Chrome recently launched an iOS
version, we doubt you'll ever be able to use Safari on Windows Phone or
Android. But its desktop and iOS versions make for an excellent team. Reading
List allows you to save web pages for later, while iCloud syncs across your
devices, so you can start reading on your iMac and finish on your iPad. iOS 6
does the same with tabs.
Pros
·
Syncs across devices
·
Multi-touch gestures on MacBooks
Cons
·
Mobile version is iOS-only
Ping - Social
Apple's music social network is as popular
as a Gary Lawyer comeback tour but you can follow artists, 'like' songs and
read your friends' reviews. Word is it'll be phased out come the next major
iTunes update.
Internet Explorer 10
Price: free
Website: www.windows.microsoft.com
Internet
Explorer 10
IE10 is one of Windows 8's neatest
features. While Chrome and Safari are available for both Mac and PC,
Microsoft's is more discriminatory, working only on PC. It supports Flash and
HTML5 on PCs and tablets, and offers genuine innovations, such as a 'Flip
Ahead' mode for swiping through those annoying multi-page articles. For that
reason alone, it's worth a try.
Pros
·
Touch control
·
Flip Ahead mode
·
Full-screen optimization
Cons
·
Windows-only
SO.CL - Social
The new kid on the block, So.cl integrates
with Facebook rather than competing against it and allows you to share
'collages of content' with the like-minded - it's like Pinterest (minus
hipsters) plus LinkedIn (minus suits).
