Tempted by the fruit of another

I try (but mostly fail) to live my

AI agents are causing chaos. “Oh dear, how sad, never mind,” says Jon Honeyball

@PCPRO FACEBOOK.COM/PCPRO O ne of the upsides

Apple rips up its laptop rules

Apple adds iPhone processors to its laptop lineup, with a touchscreen possibly on the way

IPlayer to be UK’s Netflix?

BBC proposes making its streaming service an all-UK affair

Not the American Office

The entrepreneur trying to create a Microsoft 365 alternative

Down a digital rabbit hole we go

Retracing your early digital footprints can bring back memories as well as a few surprises, explains data time traveller Dick

Viewpoints Yes/no: will this be blockchain’s killer app?

The rise of so-called prediction markets could be the way blockchain goes mainstream, with billions of dollars up for grabs

Forget Windows 12, it’s time for DreamOS

Barry presents four features that will make the next version of Windows or macOS worthwhile

Readers’ comments

Your views and feedback from email and the web

Star letter

Don’t throw away your old NAS

Readers' poll

What do PC Pro readers think about the MacBook Neo?

RUNNING ON EMPTY

From low-end hardware to gaming rigs, Windows isn’t the default choice for many PC owners any more. We explore whether you really need Windows in 2026

Bag a software bargain

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

BEST OF MWC 2026

WE TRAWL THE MANY HALLS OF MWC BARCELONA 2026 TO PICK THE BEST PRODUCTS IN ALL THE KEY CATEGORIES… AND SOME RATHER LESS KEY

Firefox vs the world

The vast majority of browsing is done on Chrome – so why do we still need Firefox? Nik Rawlinson finds out why we have multiple browser engines, and why it matters

WHY AREN’ T MY DEVICES CHARGING MORE QUICKLY?

Ever wished your battery meter would get a move on? Darien Graham-Smith finds out why the watts aren’t flowing faster

Apple MacBook Neo

By no means fast, but an unprecedented entry-level route into the MacBook ecosystem that exudes class

Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro and Max

Whether you choose M5 Pro or Max, 14in or 16in, the new MacBook Pro is a supremely brilliant power choice

Apple MacBook Air M5

The performance-enhancing M5 chip and a faster, more capacious SSD make this a fantastic everyday laptop

How we test

Laptops and PCs We run a selection of

Nvidia DGX Spark

A well-rounded toolkit for local AI thanks to the proven CUDA stack, solid performance and a spacious 128GB of RAM

Corsair AI Workstation 300

A classy, compact, flexible Ryzen AI Max+ 395 system with plenty of performance for gaming and AI alike

PCSpecialist Zircon Nano

Not for those who hate fan noise, but an excellent and compact 1440p gaming PC based on AMD silicon

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

Honor MagicBook Pro 14 (2026)

We await a UK launch date and price, but the power and battery life are both excellent signs

Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-71T

A step up from last year’s model in terms of its screen, design and capabilities, but also more expensive

Honor MagicPad 4

Lots of business-focused features make this a great work choice, especially with a £100 off voucher

Apple iPad Air M4 (11in)

The changes Apple has made to the iPad Air M4 are minor, but that’s all it really needs – for now

Acer Vero B277 Gbmiprzx

Currently backed by a five-year warranty, this is a good choice for eco-conscious businesses

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Thinner, lighter and produces better photos than ever, but it’s the screen-privacy feature that really stands out

Samsung Galaxy S26

Weak battery life and a price hike, but everything else about this compact phone is impossible to criticise

Google Pixel 10a

No major upgrades, but the longer battery life and subtle design tweaks keep it as a great budget choice

Apple iPhone 17e

MagSafe and the A19 chip are both fine upgrades over the 16e, but most should pay £200 more for the iPhone 17

LINUX DISTROS WHICH TO CHOOSE & WHY

Whether you want to extend the life of your laptops and PCs, experiment with Linux or simply switch from Windows, we put eight great distros to the test

The best Linux for switchers?

We’re often asked which is the best Linux to choose if you’re moving from Windows, but that question hides several outdated assumptions

Fedora Workstation 43

A solid and dependable choice, especially for those already familiar with Red Hat

KDE Neon

Fans of the KDE desktop environment will enjoy KDE Neon, as will business users and developers

Manjaro 26

One of the nippiest distros in our tests, and also easy for Windows switchers to get to grips with

Linux Mint

Still a reasonable choice for Windows switchers, but it’s a little dated now compared to other distros on test

OpenSUSE Tumbleweed

With a choice of distribution models, openSUSE is a versatile option that’s let down slightly by its installer

Pop!_OS

This innovative distro’s COSMIC desktop offers a number of unusual and potentially useful features

Ubuntu 25.10

A great installer, plenty of flavours to choose from and a huge user base make this the best all-round distro

Zorin OS 18

An attractive Windows-like operating system available in GNOME and Xfce versions that covers the basics well

Why we chose our winner… and which should you choose?

Picking a favourite Linux distro is much more like choosing a favourite film than picking the best laptop, but at least you can try them all

View from the Labs

Fed up with AI? Then Linux might just be your perfect escape route

NAS appliances for business rollouts

Dave Mitchell explains what to look for in a NAS appliance – it’s not just about storage any more – and puts four top contenders to the test

Qnap TS-h1655XeU-RP

This speedy, short-depth NAS puts heaps of storage in small spaces, although a memory upgrade may be required

Qsan XCubeNAS XN1209-4A

This port-dense desktop NAS offers a high capacity, good performance and plenty of data integrity features

Synology RackStation RS2825RP+

A well-specified, capacious rack NAS with a good turn of speed, useful data protection features and a fair price

Ugreen NASync DXP8800 Plus

Short on apps but big on hardware, the DXP8800 Plus is an impressive NAS for the price with good performance

Canon i-Sensys MF754Cdw II

This speedy colour laser MFP delivers good output quality along with great access security features

Eset Small Business Security 19

A great-value small business cybersecurity solution that’s easy to manage and packed with strong security features

How AI agents will reshape your business

This isn’t just the return of Clippy – Steve Cassidy finds out why, this time round, software assistants are here to stay

Explainable AI

Want to know why AI gives a particular answer to your question? Darien Graham-Smith explains

“I almost squealed with delight when I found this, which probably means I’m quite mad”

As Apple provides a bunch of OS updates, Jon provides his own update on the updates that boils down to the good, the brilliant and the concerning

“I’m a mild-mannered chap. If you stand on my foot, I’ll apologise for leaving it in such a stupid place”

Once again, PC Pro asks the big questions: how much electricity should you touch before it hurts, and which lubricant is best for a friction hinge?

“I’m not here to shout ‘they’re behind you!’ I’m here to point out they’re already inside”

Don’t be distracted by dramatic reports of espionage, AI and nation state attacks – the cause of many cyber breaches is often much closer to home

“Attackers are shifting from logging in to breaking in. This is important and unexpected”

A report on the attack trends of 2025 provides an insight into the likely battlegrounds ahead. Some results are surprising, but the remedies aren’t

“Human judgement and monitoring remains a vital part of the response to attacks”

How do you tell the difference between spy hackers who are targeting your business on behalf of a nation state and commercial hackers?

The software that taught a generation

Fun School was a class act that shaped how parents thought about computers, says David Crookes

Driverless cars hit London

Driverless cars have finally arrived in the UK, but don’t bin your licence just yet, says Nicole Kobie