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

8849 Tank X rugged phone review: A feature-rich design built around a 1080p DLP projector and a whole lot of weight

By Mark Pickavance published 6 April 26

The 8849 TANK X is a substantial design with plenty of power, memory and storage that’s ideal for an adventurer.

Oscal Pilot 5 rugged phone review: A retrograde step for users who rely on their camera

By Mark Pickavance published 3 April 26

A collection of odd hardware choices.

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI laptop review: Another lightweight wonder from the Acer stable

By Mark Pickavance published 24 March 26

The Acer Swift Edge 14 AI is a lightweight laptop that leverages a 200-series Core Ultra processor and LPDDR5X memory.

I tested the TP-Link Omada EAP787 - an Enterprise-class Wi-Fi 7 ceiling access point for those with infrastructure ambitions

By Mark Pickavance published 20 March 26

Recommended

The TP-Link Omada EAP787 is an Enterprise-class ceiling access point that uses 10GbE PoE++ technology for easy deployment.

I tested the Jabra Evolve3 85 - a professional headset built for the office, priced for the boardroom, yet styled for the street

By Mark Pickavance published 20 March 26

Recommended

The Jabra Evolve3 85 offers all the bells and whistles of a call centre headset while retaining the styling and elegance associated with retail-focused products.

My testing of the Oukitel WP61 Plus revealed that while it’s not a daily driver, this rugged walkie-talkie phone could be perfect for operating off-grid

By Mark Pickavance published 17 March 26

The Oukitel WP61 Plus is a rugged, heavyweight design ideal for those operating in harsh, remote environments.

D-Link D501 review: This 5G travel router made me wish for better local 5G connectivity, because without it, this is an expensive LTE dongle

By Mark Pickavance published 13 March 26

Recommended

The D-Link D501 is a 5G USB dongle made for home and small-business use that doesn’t require drivers or special ports.

UPERFECT UFree V Battery Wireless Portable Monitor

UPerfect UFree V wireless portable monitor review: Great specification, low price, but a few caveats

By Mark Pickavance published 11 March 26

This wireless portable monitor is an affordable and flexible second monitor designed for those who travel.

Kensington SD7100T5 EQ Pro docking station review: Easier to buy than a laptop or PC that has the ports you need for the full Thunderbolt 5 experience

By Mark Pickavance published 5 March 26

The Kensington SD7100T5 EQ Pro Thunderbolt 5 Dock doubles down on features, but you pay more for it.

GMKtec NucBox K16 mini PC review: A curious mixed bag that doesn’t quite justify the asking price

By Mark Pickavance published 4 March 26

The GMKtec NucBox K16 uses an older AMD Ryzen 7 architecture but remains an effective mini PC.

I tested the GMKtec NucBox K13 - and this AI mini PC is an excellent example of what Intel does well

By Mark Pickavance published 3 March 26

The GMKtec NucBox K13 uses a modern Intel Lunar Lake processor and showcases its strengths in the mini-PC space.

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

By Steve Clark last updated 26 February 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.

GL.iNet Slate 7 portable Wi-Fi 7 travel router review: A brilliant travel router with a few strategic flaws that the makers need to fix

By Mark Pickavance published 25 February 26

Recommended

The GL.iNet Slate 7 is a Wi-Fi 7-capable router designed for home and small-business use that punches above its weight.

I tested the Blackview Xplore 2 Satellite - and this rugged phone can call from remote places, if the stars align

By Mark Pickavance published 21 February 26

The Blackview Xplore 2 Satellite is a heavyweight rugged phone built with the ability to make calls and send messages via the Skylo satellite service.

I tested the Blackview Oscal Tank 1 - a rugged phone that sports some neat features, but it's also implausibly big and heavy

By Mark Pickavance published 17 February 26

The Blackview Oscal Tank 1 is a heavyweight rugged design ideal for those who need extended battery life.

Hands on: Acer Veriton GN100 AI mini PC workstation - another AI development system using the same Nvidia Grace Blackwell foundations

By Mark Pickavance published 14 February 26

Designed for the development of and use of AI models, the Acer Veriton GN100 uses the Nvidia Blackwell architecture to deliver ultimate performance.

Zettlab D6 Ultra NAS review: Ironically, AI might not be the best feature of this network-attached storage device

By Mark Pickavance published 10 February 26

The Zettlab D6 Ultra is a high-performance NAS with aspirations to become a full-blown AI.

TP-Link Omada SG3218XP-M2 review: TP-Link is moving the bandwidth dial with a switch for Wi-Fi 7 PoE access points

By Mark Pickavance published 9 February 26

Recommended

TP-Link Omada SG3218XP-M2 is an industrial network switch that can be cloud-managed and is perfect for WiFi 7 PoE deployments

Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI laptop review

By Mark Pickavance published 6 February 26

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI middle-of-the-road laptop that uses a 200-series Core Ultra processor to maximum effect.

StationPC PocketCloud portable NAS review

By Mark Pickavance published 1 February 26

The StationPC PocketCloud is a mobile NAS that offers multi-layer backup possibilities.

KYY X90E portable monitor review

By Mark Pickavance published 31 January 26

The KYY X90E Portable Monitor is an easy way to give more screen space to a laptop

Hands on: Asus Ascent GX10 mini PC

By Mark Pickavance published 27 January 26

Designed for the development of AI models, the Asus Ascent GX10 breaks conventional PC design rules to deliver a focused solution.

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra mini PC review

By Mark Pickavance published 23 January 26

The GMKtec M7 Ultra is a replacement for earlier M7 designs, but it fails to perform as well

GTBox T1 mini PC review

By Mark Pickavance published 22 January 26

A uniquely styled mini PC, the GTBox T1 has a powerful platform inside its speaker aesthetics.

Bosgame BeyondMax M6 mini PC review

By Mark Pickavance published 16 January 26

Recommended

Ryzen AI system for under $900

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