Your bonus software

We scour the globe to negotiate the best software deals for our readers, from extended licences to full programs you don’t need to pay a penny for. Here’s this month’s lineup

How we test

C hromebooks can’t run all of our

View from the Labs

In 2024, Microsoft and 500 500 Google went big with AI rebrands, but Stuart Andrews wants more

Bag a software bargain

Don’t pay full price for software when we can offer you huge reductions on genuine products

Is gas running out on search engines, asks a perplexed Jon Honeyball?

X@PCPRO FACEBOOK.COM/PCPRO O n e of

The mobile web is broken and I know how to fix it

D a mn, I did it again. Clicked

The A-List

The best products on the market, as picked by our editors

Gigabit Britain deadline pushed back

Background and analysis on all the important news stories

Open-source firms stir up Windows 10 backlash

EndOf10 campaign highlights Windows alternatives

Garfield AI no legal fat cats Philip Young, Garfield AI

A new AI law firm handles the small claims court paperwork for you

Colour me olo, there’s a new kid in town

Laser-wielding scientists have discovered a new colour, but unlike sci-fi equivalents it’s unlikely to turn the world into ash

Tech is changing work. It’s time for schools to follow

The way many people work has changed forever, but until these moves are followed by the rest of society we’ll be left with awkward gaps to fill

Tim’s Apple has been over-cooked

With so much money in the bank, it’s time for Apple to find another visionary for its next CEO

Readers’ comments

Your views and feedback from email and the web

Star letter

Hard pass on passkeys

Readers’ poll

Do you want your next laptop to be a Copilot+ PC?

YOU AND AI ARE GONNA

AI is offering people a shot at digital immortality. Barry Collins investigates where it might all lead

MY DEATHBOT’S A COMPULSIVE LIAR

Or, how to build a deathbot that leads a more interesting life than you do in less than an hour

Auracast Bluetooth, but better

It means an end to garbled station announcements, makes it easier for friends to share music, and enables deaf people to return to the theatre. Phil Creighton explains the new Bluetooth standard

Google Docs and Sheets HIDDEN FEATURES

There’s more to Google’s free online office applications than meets the eye: Nik Rawlinson explores the advanced capabilities you might have missed

INSTANT EXPERT DISPLAYS

Confounded by contrast ratios? Doubtful about Delta E? Darien Graham-Smith takes a close look at the specs and capabilities that allow the best screens to shine

Chillblast Poseidon

Ryzen 9 RTX 5090 Water Cooled Gaming PC

PCSpecialist Frostbyte Elite

A solid foundation for Nvidia’s RTX 5060 graphics, this is a stylish PC that can be dispatched within a day

Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13-inch

Not the fastest, but the stunning design and extreme portability add up to fantastic value for undemanding users

Microsoft Surface Pro, 12-inch

The value-focused 12in form factor is new and welcome, but it’s best suited to less demanding users

Alienware 16 Area-51

Strong performer with a unique colour and a ton of ports, but its heavy design binds it to the desk

Asus ProArt P16 (2025)

A brilliant laptop for creatives thanks to its top-end panel, AMD Ryzen CPU and RTX 5070 graphics

ACER SWIFT 14 AI

A stylish, sleek all-rounder that makes an awful lot of sense if you can find it for under £800

ASUS ZENBOOK A14

Not particularly powerful, but more than makes up for this with its gorgeous, thin and light design

PCs: the state of play in mid-2025

If you recall Recall, then you’ll know its launch was far from smooth. But good things are finally happening, with Copilot+ PCs slowly gaining new talents

DELL 14 PLUS

Impressive Core Ultra 7 performance, though you’ll find better screens elsewhere

HP OMNIBOOK ULTRA 14

Superb overall performance turns a decent laptop into a serious contender, but opt for the £999 version

LENOVO YOGA SLIM 7X

With a stunning screen, cool design and excellent performance, this is a great everyday PC

SAMSUNG GALAXY CHROMEBOOK PLUS

The Chromebook king, with strong design and a killer OLED screen that meant we triple-checked the price

ACER CHROMEBOOK PLUS 514 (2025)

An improvement on the old model but not the most exciting Chromebook Plus device you can buy

ACER CHROMEBOOK PLUS 516 (2025)

A solid 15.6in alternative to the Samsung Chromebook Plus if you’re on a more limited budget

ACER CHROMEBOOK SPIN 312

A flexible, compact Chromebook with several handy features, but it’s just too slow to recommend

Chromebook Plus & Gemini

We reveal the state of play with Google’s AI-enhanced operating system

HP CHROMEBOOK PLUS X360 14B-CD0000NA

A large 2-in-1 but it’s let down by a dull screen and a dated CPU, leaving us questioning the “Plus”

MSI MODERN 15 F1MG

A great specification for the price, but rivals offer more quality in every meaningful area, so buy with caution

OnePlus Pad 3

OnePlus continues to lead the way for Android tablets with this 13in beauty, and it’s a genuine iPad alternative

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+

A perfectly nice tablet, but it’s made to look expensive and underpowered by the OnePlus Pad 3

Dell Pro Compact Silent Keyboard and Mouse (KM555)

It’s impossible to argue with the price or the software, but the keyboard’s lack of precision can be irritating

Dell Pro Wired Collaboration Keyboard (KB525C)

A near-silent keyboard that’s a great choice for workers who spend their days on Teams and Zoom calls

Logitech Slim Wired Combo MK620 for Business

Pricey for what you get; the scissor key switches are crisp but noisy and the mouse slick but basic

Shootout Wi-Fi 7 routers

These Wi-Fi 7 routers both offer strong performance and features at great prices – you can’t go wrong

Honor 400

Superb value thanks to a mesmerising display, decent performance and an affordable 512GB option

Honor 400 Pro

The AI-enhanced camera, superb display and judicious compromises make this is a great alternative to flagships

Motorola Edge 60 Pro

A well-rounded Android phone that offers (almost) all the trappings of a flagship at a much cheaper price

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

Notably thinner and lighter than your average phone, with battery life its biggest and predictable shortcoming

EVERYDAY LAPTOPS

Whether you’re after a Chromebook or a Windows system, one of these dozen bargain-priced laptops should meet your needs

Buyer’s guide: embrace the everyday

Much as manufacturers would love you to buy their most expensive laptops, there are some great choices for under a grand – if you follow our advice

Cloud backup for small modern businesses

Practical buying and strategic advice for IT managers and decision makers

The ins and outs of INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Your stock, and the data pertaining to it, are crucial business assets. Steve Cassidy dives into the IT challenges of managing it all

BackupVault Enterprise Server Edition

A great hybrid backup choice for Windows server protection with smart recovery features

Barracuda Backup Vx

A hybrid backup solution that’s ideal for SMBs looking to virtualise on-premises data protection

IDrive Business

This smart hybrid cloud backup service has top platform support and is perfectly priced for SMBs

Synology C2 Backup for Business

A secure backup solution that teams up unlimited device support with MS365 protection at a good price

TP-Link Omada EAP725-Wall

Modest performance, but this dual-band Wi-Fi 7 AP delivers lots of easily managed features in a palm-sized package

UnifyDrive UT2

Perfect for mobile users, the UT2 puts a fully featured NAS device in your pocket with a connection for every occasion

“Apple’s headset still delights me, one of the few products that has the capability to make me gasp in wonder”

In a month where Wi-Fi 7 starts to deliver on its promises and a six-year-old Mac mini listens to its master’s voice, only one thing irritates Jon – and it isn’t his Vision Pro

Real world computing

Expert advice from our panel of professionals

“If you’re ever up against a sales rep pushing the eco-message, ask them about spare parts”

One customer is asked to perform unspeakable horrors on an innocent mouse, while another desires much noisier buttons

“We’re often asked to sign up to crazy liability terms in the tech world”

An invitation to a child’s birthday party makes Olivia consider being a party-pooper over the liability terms she has to sign

“Everything I have heard points towards these attacks starting with an old chestnut”

In light of the ransomware attacks on M&S, the Co-op and Harrods, Davey analyses how it happened and what you can do to stop it happening to you

“It’s not new, the denigration of IT personnel as interchangeable, incompetent drones”

After a chance meeting with an accusatory MP, Steve is forced to defend the much-maligned reputations of IT staff and journalists

Enter the Dragon

It entered with a roar and left with barely any fire in its belly, but there’s no doubt Dragon’s computers ought to be celebrated, as David Crookes explains

What idioms teach us about AI and its evolution

Research into how AI interprets idioms into images and text reveals a lot about the technology – and us, finds Nicole Kobie