The Cinnamon-flavoured revolution is here as Mint releases its first truly independent desktop environment. From a normal user-perspective, Linux Mint 16 might be the lightest Mint release in terms of new features and content. There are some aesthetic changes to Cinnamon, MATE is still roughly the same and there’s a new default theme for MDM. … Read more

A look at the release candidate for openSUSE’s 13, the next step in the Linux distribution for everyone to use. ProsYaST is now built in Ruby, allowing for easier development, and is still as easy to use as everCons. No live booting off the full DVD, and a limited selection of official desktops compared to … Read more

How much RAM do you need in a portable system? How much storage? How important is the processor? Do your research before committing to a particular product. EVERY NOW AND then, family members, friends, and casual acquaintances ask me for advice when they’re considering buy­ing a new computer “What should I get7” they inquire, “What … Read more

“Installing a solid state boot drive is one of the best ways to make your PC start faster, and making the switch is much easier than you might expect.”Have you seen how cheap it is to pick up a solid state drive (SSD) today? If you’re not throwing solid state boot drives into all your … Read more

VERDICT One of the cheapest 4K TVs out there, but it isn’t as futureproof as the competition NOT ONLY DOES Philips’ 65PFL9708 let you watch Ultra HD content on its massive 65in screen, but it can also upscale Full HD content to an Ultra HD resolution of 3,840×2,160. Although Ultra HD TVs are becoming more … Read more

An exceptionally lightweight package that provides only a basic level of protection Windows Defender – the latest version of Microsoft Security Essentials – is built in to Windows 8. It’s therefore our benchmark for system responsiveness, and, it must be said, it sets a high bar. In our real-world tests, no other package this month … Read more

VERDICT A great value and powerful gaming laptop in an attractive 13in chassis. WE’VE REVIEWED MANY Chillblast PCs, but this is the first gaming laptop we’ve seen from this largely PC-based system builder. The Defiant Mini makes a great first impression, though, as this 13in laptop not only has one of the best off-the-shelf Clevo … Read more

VERDICT This great-value touchscreen hybrid has a great screen and superb battery life.     THE ASUS Transformer Book T100A must be the cheapest hybrid laptop we’ve seen. At the press of a button the lO.lin screen detaches from its tiny keyboard dock so that you can use it as a tablet. The screen on … Read more

OLED displays are getting bigger, cheaper and more efficient, but how long until the technology replaces LCD altogether? We go behind the screens and take a closer look. IT’S TAKEN A long time, but OLED televisions are finally starting to arrive in UK shops. The technology has been lauded as the future of TV for … Read more

A free virus scanner with more adverts than useful features, but its malware protection is respectable.PRICE Free SUPPLIER www.avg.com AVG’s interface is dearly inspired by Windows 8, although it runs on the desktop. The big advert hanging off the bottom of the main window serves as a pointed reminder that this is a free product … Read more

Not quite the lightest nor the most powerful suite on test, but a solid performer across our real-world detection and performance tests Norton Internet Security is packed with custom technologies, bearing airy names such as Insight, Sonar and Pulse. To us these sound like body sprays, but they must be persuasive to some people. These … Read more