Web User and its sister titles test over 2,500 products
every year. Here’s the pick of the bunch.
Router: BT Home Hub 5
With excellent overall performance and a great set of
features, the BT Home Hub 5 is one of the most capable 802.11ac routers around.
Whatever you need to connect it to, now or in the future, it's up to the job.
BT Home Hub 5
Specifications
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Price: $215.38
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Works with ADSL, Ethernet and fiber connections
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Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz
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802.11ac
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1,300Mbps theoretical maximum speed
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4 x Gigabit Ethernet ports
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1 x USB port
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One-year return-to-base warranty
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236 x 116 x 31mm
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Bluetooth speaker: Cambridge Audio Minx Go
The Minx Go has excellent battery life, is great value for
money and is very easy to use. Although it doesn’t have the extra features of
other, more expensive speakers, its sound quality is excellent, producing
powerful volume with no distortion.
Cambridge Audio Minx Go
Specifications
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Price: $166.88
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Two speakers
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3.5mm stereo
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Bluetooth (SBC) input
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3.5mm headphone input
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237 x 123 x 60mm
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1.1kg
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One-year return-to-base warranty
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Multifunction printer: Canon Pixma MX925
Oustanding quality combined with good print speeds and
impressive specifications make this an excellent inkjet device. It's not cheap
but its five-cartridge system makes it economical to run.
Canon Pixma MX925
Specifications
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Price: $200.35
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9,600 x 2,400dpi print resolution
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2,400 x 4,800dpi scan resolution
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7.5cm color screen
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250-sheet tray capacity
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USB, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11n Wi-Fi
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11.5 pages-per- minute mono print speed
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3.5 pages-per-minute color print speed
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491 x 396 x 213mm
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11.7kg
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Budget laptop: Toshiba Satellite C50-A-156
This no-nonsense laptop has a standard keyboard and a matt
screen, but its lack of external frills is more than made up for by its fast
processor and graphics, large 1TB hard drive, DVD rewriter and USB 3.0 port.
Toshiba Satellite C50-A-156
Specifications
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Price: $584.34
·
Windows 8
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2.5GHz Intel Core i3-3120M processor
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4GB memory
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15.6in standard (non-touch) screen
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1,366 x 768 pixels resolution
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1TB hard drive
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10/100 Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi
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380 x 240 x 32mm
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2.3kg
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E-reader: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
The updated Kindle Paperwhite is still the best ebook
reader, with a superb, paper-like screen, a long battery life and the biggest
selection of titles to download.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Specifications
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Price: $181.99
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6in screen
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758 x 1,024 pixels resolution
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Eight-week battery life
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802.11b/802.11g/802.11n Wi-Fi
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Built-in light
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2GB internal memory for 1,100 books
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169 x 117 x 9.1mm
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206g
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Supports AZW3, AZW, TXT, PDF, MOBI and PRC ebook formats
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Full-size tablet: Apple iPad Air
The iPad Air is Apple’s best tablet so far. It's slim, light
and beautiful to look at and use, with a better battery life than previous
models. It also has a super-fast processor and an amazing touchscreen.
Apple iPad Air
Specifications
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Price: $666.17
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9.7in screen
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2,048 x 1,536 pixels resolution
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16-128GB internal storage
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A7 dual-core processor
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5-megapixel and 1.2-megapixel cameras
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Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
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Bluetooth
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240 x 169.5 x 7.5mm
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469g
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Smart TV: LG 42LA690V
Although the LG 42LA690V doesn’t have I TV catch-up, it
offers a good selection of subscription-based alternatives. The TV is easy to
set up and picture quality is excellent.
LG 42LA690V
Specifications
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Price: $1,083.57
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42in screen
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1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution
·
3D support
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2 x 12W speakers
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3x HDMI ports
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1 x SCART (RGB) socket
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3 x USB ports
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Ethernet
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Freeview HD and DVB-S2 turners
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Eight-day EPG
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Wi-Fi extender: TP-Link TL-WA850RE
This Wi-Fi extender is easy to set up and use, with an
informative display and a clean, sleek design. It managed to treble the speed
of our wireless network, boosting a weak signal to every corner of our house.
Best of all, it’s very cheap, making it a superb choice all round.
TP-Link TL-WA850RE
Specifications
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Price: $45.08
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Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
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Fast Ethernet (10/100)
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Single-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
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WEP, WPA/WPA2 security
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110 x 75 x 66mm
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7in tablet: Google Nexus 7
The latest Nexus has a sharp screen and runs the latest
Android software smoothly. It's a perfect balance of price and performance, and
is the king of Android tablets.
Google Nexus 7
Specifications
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Price: $332.25
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1.5GHz quad-core processor
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16GB/32GB internal storage
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7in screen
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1,920 x 1,200 pixels resolution
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5-megapixel and 1.2-megapixel cameras
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Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
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200 x 114 x 8.5mm
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290g
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Android 4.3
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GPS
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NFC
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Bluetooth
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Laptop: Acer Aspire S3
The super-stylish Acer Aspire S3 looks far more expensive
than it is. Although its internal specification is slightly out of date, its
performance and battery life are impressive. It also has a clear, bright screen
and a compact case, which makes it much lighter than most other laptops.
Acer Aspire S3
Specifications
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Price: $651.14
·
Windows 8 64-bit
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1.4GHz Intel Core ¡3-2377M processor
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4GB DDR3 memory
·
13.3in screen
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1,366 x 768 pixels resolution
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500GB hard drive
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1.38kg
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Dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi
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No touchscreen
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323 x 219 x 18mm
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Smartphone: HTC One
The HTC One is a top-of-the-range smartphone with an excellent
design. It works smoothly, is capable of taking impressive photos and features
all the latest technologies for connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile phone networks.
It's also cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S4.
HTC One
Specifications
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Price: $801.41 SIM-free
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4.7in screen
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1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution
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1.7GHz quad-core processor
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2GB memory
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32/64GB storage
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3G/4G/Wi-Fi
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4-megapixel camera
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137 x 68 x 9mm
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143g
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Android 4.1.2
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Mi-Fi device: EE Huawei E5776 Mobile Wifi
The EE Mi-Fi device has a built-in screen that usefully
displays the strength of your connection; tells you whether you’re using 3G or
4G; and shows how many devices are connected via Wi-Fi. It isn’t as cheap as
rival devices, but its impressive speed makes it well worth paying for.
EE Huawei E5776
Mobile Wifi
Specifications
·
Price: From $21.69 per month
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4G, 3G and 2G connectivity
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802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
·
WPA security
·
1.45in display
·
10 hours battery life (500 hours standby)
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106 x 66 x 16mm
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149g
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