Articles by Mark Pickavance

Mark is an expert on 3D printers, drones and phones. He also covers storage, including SSDs, NAS drives and portable hard drives. He started writing in 1986 and has contributed to MicroMart, PC Format, 3D World, among others.

Articles by: Mark Pickavance

Testing the GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra made me realize just how flexible an entry-level mini PC can be

By Mark Pickavance published 13 January 26

The GMKTec M5 Ultra delivers plenty of functionality at an affordable price for those willing to source their own memory, storage and OS.

I tested Ulefone's loudest rugged phone - but while the RugKing offers exceptional value, there are limitations I can't overlook

By Mark Pickavance published 11 January 26

The Ulefone RugKing is a lightweight, rugged design ideal for those who need a tough device occasionally.

I tested the Geekom A7 Max - a mini PC built around a punchy platform, but the installed memory is an issue

By Mark Pickavance published 10 January 26

The Geekom A7 Max is a high-quality NUC that needs some extra expenditure on memory to truly shine.

I tested the Alliwava GH8 and rolling out the newer Ryzen technology delivers a truly useful mini PC

By Mark Pickavance published 10 January 26

The Alliwava GH8 offers excellent performance and functionality at an affordable price

Testing the Alliwava U58 mini PC, I realized I’d seen this platform before - and with a little effort, this could have been great

By Mark Pickavance published 5 January 26

The Alliwava U58 offers plenty of functionality, but lacks the performance of mini PCs with more modern chips.

I tested the RugOne Xever 7 Pro - a lightweight rugged phone with removeable battery that’s dragged down by its processor

By Mark Pickavance published 5 January 26

The RugOne Xever 7 Pro is a lightweight, rugged design that uses swapable batteries to extend its operating life.

Best mini PCs of 2026: Compact desktop power for business, creative, and gaming set-ups

By Steve Clark last updated 2 January 26

Buying Guide We tested the best mini computers, thin clients, and NUC boxes to find out which Windows and Apple machines come out top.

The Chuwi CoreBook X 7430U is a cheap but useful Windows AMD laptop - but my tests prove you'll want to upgrade it for better performance

By Mark Pickavance published 21 December 25

The Chuwi CoreBook X 7430U is a low-cost laptop and tablet using a 7000 series AMD Ryzen mobile processor

For a relatively cheap device, the I found the Alldocube IWork GT Ultra is an impressively specified Intel 2-in-1 tablet

By Mark Pickavance published 18 December 25

The Alldocube IWork GT Ultra is an Intel-based tablet that, with a flexible keyboard, can be used as a highly mobile laptop.

I tested the HHKB Professional Classic Type-S — a niche option for those prepared to learn a new keyboard layout to get Topre key mechanisms

By Mark Pickavance published 13 December 25

The HHKB Professional Classic Type-S is a radically deconstructed keyboard design that focuses on compact layout rather than easy adaptability.

Best rugged phones: The most durable drop-proof and waterproof smartphones for tough jobs

By Steve Clark last updated 13 December 25

Buying Guide From drop tests and battery life to performance benchmarking, we tested the best rugged smartphones for durability and work.

I enjoyed testing the Doogee S200 Ultra rugged phone - it gets almost everything right but the price

By Mark Pickavance published 8 December 25

The Doogee S200 Ultra is yet another evolution of its S200 line of rugged smartphones

I tested Doogee's V Max LR - a rugged phone that's identical to the V Max Play with one big difference that also makes it cheaper

By Mark Pickavance published 7 December 25

The Doogee V Max LR is a monster rugged phone built for those in the construction industry.

I tested out the Doogee V Max Play - a monster rugged phone built for adventurers (and weight-lifters)

By Mark Pickavance published 7 December 25

This rugged phone is half a house brick of Android power.

I tested the AGM G3 Pro and it stands out as a classy rugged phone with a neat thermal camera but it can be way too expensive

By Mark Pickavance published 7 December 25

The AGM G3 Pro is a rugged phone built for those who need thermal imaging on a regular basis.

The CZUR ET24 Pro isn’t a perfect book scanner, but those who need one don’t have many choices

By Mark Pickavance published 4 December 25

The CZUR ET24 Pro is a scanner designed to efficiently capture books up to A3 in size.

A close-up of a person typing on the keyboard of their laptop

Best virtual machine software of 2025

By Mark Pickavance last updated 3 December 25

Updated We list the best virtual machine software, to make it simple and easy to set up multiple operating systems on a single machine.

Best transcription service of 2025

By Jonas P. DeMuro last updated 27 November 25

Updated We list the best transcription services, to make it simple and easy to manually or automatically convert audio and video files into text form.

Business performance monitoring concept, businessman using tablet and laptop Online survey filling out, digital form checklist, blue background.

Best survey tool of 2025

By Mark Pickavance last updated 21 November 25

Updated We list the best survey tools, to make it simple and easy for businesses to improve upon existing products and services with direct and detailed customer response data.

ECS EliteGroup LIVA Z11 Plus mini PC review

By Mark Pickavance published 12 November 25

Another flagship design from ECS Group, the ECS LIVA Z11 Plus is a high-performance system inside a tiny NUC enclosure.

Thermal Master P1 mobile thermal camera review

By Mark Pickavance published 9 November 25

The Thermal Master P1 is a thermal camera that connects to a phone or PC using USB.

QQH Z12-4 portable 4K monitor

By Mark Pickavance published 8 November 25

The QQH 4K Portable Monitor is a cheap and cheerful portable monitor that considers the scenarios in which these devices are most likely to be used.

Ugreen NASync DH2300 review

By Mark Pickavance published 8 November 25

Recommended

The Ugreen DH2300 is a basic two-bay NAS at a low price that makes it a great choice for home and small business users who need a Cloud backup device.

Acer APS322 portable power station review

By Mark Pickavance published 8 November 25

The Acer APS322 uses LiFePO4 chemistry to provide limited powering of mains AC appliances while away from the grid

GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1) review

By Mark Pickavance published 2 November 25

Recommended

The GL.iNet Comet is a simple-to-deploy device that can open a remote portal to a system from the other side of the world.

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