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Bag a software bargain

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

NORTON 360 PREMIUM for £19.99

10 DEVICES 2YR LICENCE 75GB CLOUD STORAGE

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We’ve negotiated this exclusive deal for PC Pro readers. No subscriptions, just a one-off bargain price of £19.99 compared to the regular £179.99 charge. That buys you two years of cover from the powerful Norton Security suite across ten devices, and there’s no danger of being hit with hiked renewal fees.

Because it’s the Premium version, you get a host of extra tools. Top of the list is the full version of Norton VPN, both to protect your identity and provide a way of watching British TV while you’re abroad.

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PC Pro
January 2026
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Other Articles in this Issue


PC Pro
LET AI TRANSFORM THE TONE OF YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH 3CX
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
UPGRADE TO FIRST-CLASS WI-FI
Fast, centrally managed, campus Wi-Fi – the perfect solution for education and business environments
REGULARS
Let’s stop the endless moaning and start thinking positively
I t takes a lot to get me
CONTRIBUTORS
Stuart Andrews If you’re looking to buy a
The A-List
The best products on the market, as picked by our editors
Readers’ comments
Your views and feedback from email and the web
Readers’ poll
If PC Pro was going to give you one gift worth £3,500 this Christmas, what would you want?
PCPRO Next month
ON SALE Thursday 2 January 2026
The latest bother at the BBC is only the start of changes that need to happen, says Jon Honeyball
I t seems that our Auntie is in
BRIEFING
Winter is coming for streaming services
Slowing growth and higher prices threaten survival of streaming firms
Three new ways to stash your data
New storage devices bring fresh ideas
Affinity reborn free
Ash Hewson, Affinity CEO
VIEWPOINTS
Substacked to the max
Substack is now home to some brilliant thinkers, so it’s a shame that subscribing to them all would bankrupt a small country
Social media gave us brain rot and AI is making it worse
Put down the phone, switch off ChatGPT and go and do something more interesting instead – your brain will thank you
AI agents need a web of their own
Watching AI navigate around websites designed for humans highlights the hurdles we must surmount and suggests a new web is on the way
FEATURES
GIFTS FOR GEEKS
Whether you’re looking for yourself, need to drop a hint to a loved one or are searching for inspiration for friends and family, this is your one-stop guide
5 RETRO GIFTS THAT GO BACK IN TIME
With a little help from Retro editor David Crookes, we pick out five gifts that will bring a smile to those who love a touch of nostalgia
THE BEST THING I BOUGHT IN 2025
Our team pick their favourite tech purchases of the past year
WHAT’S NEW IN MICROSOFT EXCEL
It’s 40 years old, but the venerable spreadsheet software just keeps getting smarter. Nik Rawlinson explores all the latest features
BIOMETRICS FACE THE FACTS
Today’s devices can log you in instantly with a fingerprint or a smile. But how do biometric technologies work, and can they really be relied upon? Darien Graham-Smith finds out
MIXED REALITY HEADSETS
Samsung Galaxy XR
Not available in the UK at the moment, but that should give Samsung time to smooth out the early bugs
Apple Vision Pro M5
It’s faster and comfier than the original, with longer battery life too, yet that still doesn’t feel like enough
LAPTOPS & CONVERTIBLES
Apple MacBook Pro M5 (14in)
No big changes, but a superb display, chart-topping speed and long battery life are hard to argue with
Acer Predator Triton 14 AI
A top-quality creative laptop with superb styling, plenty of GPU acceleration and a clever touchpad
Framework Laptop 16 (2025)
The most repairable and upgradable gaming laptop gets RTX 5070 power, albeit for a chunky price
Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX
This supercharged version of the already brilliant ProArt P16 delivers for speed, less so for value
Dell Pro Max 14 Premium
The mobile workstation previously known as Precision benefits from superb build quality, solid performance and Thunderbolt 5
MINI PC
Asus ROG NUC (2025)
Smaller than a PS5, yet delivers some of the best gaming performance you’ll find from any pre-built PC
DESKTOP PCs
Dell Tower Plus Desktop (2025)
Great customisability, quiet running and a discreetly designed case make this a jack of all trades
Medion Erazer Recon E40
A modest system in terms of price, spec and expansion options, so only buy it if it’s exactly what you want
KEYBOARDS
Cherry Xtrfy K33
High-quality “mem-chanical” keyboard that feels like it should cost twice the price
Lofree DOT 1970s
Surely the prettiest mechanical keyboard, and it’s beautiful to type on too
SMART DISPLAY
Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen)
Sets a new standard for Amazon’s smart displays with a striking redesign, smaller bezels and vastly improved audio quality
SMART SPEAKERS
Amazon Echo Studio (2025)
With booming bass, spatial audio and Alexa+, this is the best smart speaker for an Amazon-centric home
Amazon Echo Dot Max
Better audio than the Echo Dot, and ideal if you want to beef up your Amazon-powered smart home
SMARTPHONE
OnePlus 15
Brilliant battery life, stellar performance and top-notch cameras, in an understated yet durable design
BEST PRO & CREATIVE TABLETS
While the iPad Pro remains the king of the tablet castle, if you can’t pay the enormous price that Apple demands then one of its dozen rivals here may well tempt you
TABLETS
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When looking to find your ideal device, it helps to first prioritise what matters to you most – whether you’re choosing from this month’s selection or not
Apple iPad (A16) 11in (M5)
With improved performance and excellent software, this is still the best mainstream device you can buy
Apple iPad Air 13in
High speeds and a great display make this a formidable option for business and creative use
Apple iPad Pro
Ludicrously powerful and close to perfect, though you may baulk at the whopping price
Lenovo Idea Tab Pro
Performance is only adequate, but value is off the scale thanks to a simply superb 12.7in screen
Lenovo Yoga Tab 11.1
The best of the small-screen Android tablets when it comes to performance and price
OnePlus Pad Lite
Quite simply the best tablet for under £200, even if compromises mean it misses out on an award
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
King of the big-screen Android tablets, with a stunning 14.6in panel, albeit at a king’s ransom price
Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro)
Lightweight and compact, it’s the ideal iPad for gaming, reading and media on the move, and it’s speedy too
Honor Pad X7
This tiny budget tablet almost punches above its weight, but performance is too weak
Huawei MatePad 12x
The hardware is fantastic, but getting the software you need might not be easy due to Huawei’s own OS
Lenovo Idea Tab Plus
A decent tablet for work or study, but the Idea Tab Plus is too slow to make its mark in this competitive Labs
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11
A great, lightweight and beautifully constructed tablet, but the competition leaves it looking overpriced
TCL NXTPaper 11 Plus
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AI in tablets: the state of play
How does AI in iPads compare to that in Samsung’s tablets and other Android devices? Here’s what you need to know
How we test
W e run each tablet through a fearsome
View from the Labs
Are tablets becoming too big for their own good?
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Video conferencing meeting room solutions
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Biamp Parlé VBC 2500a
This big meeting room solution offers great video quality, outstanding audio output and slick setup
Insta360 Connect
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Logitech Rally Bar and Sight
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THE NETWORK
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RETRO
Ctrl-Alt-Del
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FUTURES
Who’s winning the smartglasses race?
And does anyone care?
Chat
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