Head to head comparisons of various types of kit, ranging from desktop and notebook PCs to MP3 players, printers, monitors and scanners. Not quite tested to destruction. Not intentionally, anyway.

Interface cards and other adapter hardware, for connecting internal and external hard drives, memory cards and all sorts of other paraphernalia. Some require a screwdriver, but with others you just plug in and go.

CD-ROM drives (or CD ROM if you prefer), the staple of a multimedia PC, plus CD-R and CD-RW drives for archiving - not piracy, please. Internal and external drives are included.

Once upon a time they were 'IBM compatibles'. Now they're just PCs, although we're mostly concerned with the Intel/AMD/Cyrix/etc. varieties here. Desktops PCs are covered here, for consumers, SMEs and corporates. Do you really need 1.5GHz to do the accounts?

They may have started life, like Polaroids and VCRs before them, in the bedroom, but digital still and video cameras are now useful in all sorts of walks of life. Add a decent quality photo printer and kiss those trips to the chemist goodbye.

Hard drives for data storage, high-capacity floppy drives for document backup. Plus a few oddities for good measure.

Storing an entire feature film on a disc the size of a CD is what it's all about. Some of these drives can copy, too.

Graphics cards. The be all and end all for games players, especially the 3D action types who treasure frame rates above all else. The number of true manufacturers is dwindling, but the cards get faster and faster.

They used to be much slower than their desktop counterparts, but not any more. The latest machines are every bit as quick, and sexy with it. Good enough for sales people, developers and (almost) hardcore gamers.

Communications with the outside world, via analogue line, cable, ISDN or even satellite. USB, serial, PCMCIA, two yoghurt pots and a piece of string...

The gentle invasion of LCD is portrayed here, with flat panel displays getting bigger and cheaper. CRT monitors are here too, along with a selection of projectors for home and business use.

The heart of a PC. Motherboards and processors are like car engines - the more powerful they are, the more expensive they are. Included here are all the main board formats and chip types.

MP3, the cause of so much litigation and irritation on the part of record companies, and a way for punters to track down old favourites. Or rip off copyright, if you're a cynic. MP3 players - use them responsibly, now.

Not traditionally an exciting area of the computing world, but an essential one nonetheless. Without this kit, there'd be no Internet as we know it. Doesn't bear thinking about, does it?

The executive's toy, the professional's necessity. Life without an external plastic brain would be so much harder. Choose from palmtops with touch-sensitive screens to phones with built-in mail clients and browsers. And look forward to yet more phone convergence.

The plug-in bits. Used to be called 'input devices', but that's a bit cheesy. Keyboards, mice, joysticks and steering wheels.

Who needs printers in the digital age? Everyone. Home users need to print their photos, and as for business... the paperless office? I don't think so.

How to get photos and documents into digital form. Flatbed scanners (from peanuts to silly money) and a couple of tranny scanners too.

It's not really a substitute for the home hi-fi, but the PC has helped in the chart success of more than a few individuals. You probably won't follow in their footsteps, but at least your games' sound effects will be thumping.

All the other stuff goes here. Tape drives, video editing equipment, switches for running several PCs via one monitor/keyboard/mouse. Others for running several monitors/keyboards/mice from one PC. And a UPS or two.