Samsung Galaxy A3

A metal phone for the price of plastic one

Compared with Apple’s, it’s hard to see other smartphones without one word springing to mind: plastic. But Samsung finally went metal with last year’s Galaxy Alpha, and now you can get the same cool silvery durability (it also comes in black) in a mobile that costs less than £200 without a contract. It’s also available free with tariffs from under £20 a month.

Windows 10: Should You Upgrade?

Microsoft’s new operating system is finally here – but is it right for you? Jonathan Parkyn has all the information you need to decide whether to upgrade

After months of waiting, fuelled by expectation, rumour and more than a little confusion, Windows 10 is finally here.

As you’ll know by now, Microsoft’s new operating system (OS) brings a number of key improvements, but it will still feel familiar to all Windows users – which couldn’t be said for its predecessor, Windows 8, which was dramatically different from Windows 7. Windows 10, by contrast, is essentially a streamlined version of Windows as we’ve known it for years. It’s also safer, faster and, for a large number of people, completely free.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro

A giant tablet with a built-in projector

There’s a reason why we talk about the march of technology – not the sprint. When you look back 20 years, of course, it’s absolutely amazing what we have now. But that doesn’t mean every new gizmo that gets made arrives in the Computeractive office to a collective gasp of astonishment. Week by week, we can pretty much guess what Silicon Valley is going to throw at us next. A slimmer this. A faster that... yadda yadda. Sometimes – and don’t tell the boss we said this – but it can all begin to feel rather predictable.

Acer Aspire Switch 10 E

Laptop? Tablet? Windows 10 helps to blur the lines

On your first glance at this very compact portable PC, you might be forgiven for thinking the ‘netbook’ was making a comeback. On closer inspection, however, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 E is a ‘convertible’: a touchscreen laptop that also works as a tablet. It comes with the full Desktop version of Windows 8.1, and is ready for a free upgrade to Windows 10.

HP Pavilion Mini

A desktop computer, but smaller

There are two ways to make a desktop PC easier on the eye and therefore easier to live with: tart it up or stick it where the sun don’t shine. HP’s Pavilion Mini offers both options. It’s clinically curvy (like the equipment at a posh dentist’s) and it’s so small that, instead of wedging it under your desk, you can hide it behind a monitor, speaker or pot plant.