PC Pro

The UK’s biggest selling PC monthly magazine, and your source of professional IT news, reviews and tests. Combining in–depth industry comment and analysis with rigorous product testing.

An editor and his money are soon parted

PC Pro

Brits spin up 4K stream of Earth • UK firm starts streaming Ultra HD footage from space

Affinity takeover leaves customers wary • Canva moves in for British software firm that took on Adobe

Dial M1 for murder • There’s an unpatchable flaw in Apple silicon. James O’Malley investigates whether Mac owners should be concerned

The A-List • The best products on the market, as picked by our editors

Would the last one in the West please turn off the lights? • Beware: technological progress is being squeezed on two fronts, with the rise of regulation in the US accompanied by a brain drain in academia

Sorry Amazon, retail needs people – just ask Apple • We may not need help when scanning our basket of groceries or packing our bags, but real-world shopping requires old-fashioned humans

The fightback against punitive subs starts here • Companies think they have us on the subscriptions hook with hardware tie-ins, but there are ways to break free – and it’s worth the effort

Readers’ comments • Your views and feedback from email and the web

Readers’ poll • To tie in with our monitors’ group test on p78, we asked: which of these best describes your monitor setup?

SLASH YOUR BILLS BUILD YOUR OWN SMART HOME GRID • There are huge savings to be made on energy bills if you can take control of your home grid. Barry Collins reveals how it’s done

How to set up a Home Assistant • You don’t need solar panels and batteries to get something from Home Assistant – it has a huge range of potential uses. Here’s how to get cracking with the software.

7 Habits of highly Effective IT Pros • The PC Pro team combine their collective wisdom to create seven tips for keeping on top of your IT game

GIGABIT INTERNET Get the speeds you’re paying for • Is your premium internet service not racing along like it should? Darien Graham-Smith goes in search of faster downloads on every device

TURN YOUR DUMB TV INTO A SMART ONE WITH A RASPBERRY PI • Enjoy video on demand and more – Nik Rawlinson finds out how the humble Pi can transform your TV

Brilliant business comms at zero cost • Whether you choose 3CX Free or 3CX SMB V20, it’s time to say goodbye to per-user pricing and bundle rip-offs

Lenovo ThinkVision 27 3D • It’s expensive and niche, but this glasses-free 3D monitor opens up a host of exciting possibilities

Dell XPS 16 (2024) • You’ll love the top-end 4K OLED touchscreen and thin design, less so the keyboard and the price

How we test

HP Omen Transcend 14 • If you’re sticking with Asus or Razer gaming laptops out of habit, the HP Omen Transcend 14 may just change your mind

PCSpecialist 17in Recoil • A basic design, but you can’t argue with the power you’re buying for the price – including liquid cooling

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) • A budget laptop with bags of battery life and strong performance, even if there are inevitable sacrifices

Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (2024) • A mobile workstation in disguise, this is a great alternative to far more expensive “pro” machines

Asus Vivobook S16 OLED • A sleek laptop that couples powerful components with a high-quality screen – and the price is right

Netgear Orbi 970 • This ultra-premium mesh is loaded with potential, but Wi-Fi 7 isn’t mature enough to justify the huge price

Asus RT-AX57 Go • Tiny, lightweight and surprisingly speedy, this portable router does far more than you’d expect

Your bonus software • We scour...