You may not have noticed but you spend a lot of time with a mouse in your hand. A high quality model produces less strain, has gains in precision and reactivity as well as automating the most common tasks. In this arena, the competition between Logitech, Microsoft and the others is ferocious.

Ditching the keyboard supplied by your computer manufacturer and replacing it with a new model is hardly an essential upgrade, but it can prove useful. Many of the models in this survey come bundled with a wireless mouse, but we've found a lot of variation in quality amongst these supposedly basic products.

Why go for a gaming headset when you can get one you will be able to use with VoIP software as well? Our round-up of headphones with microphones shows you exactly what you can get.

These speakers target MP3 players -mainly iPods- but can now be used with some phones too.

All-in-one, or multifunction printers, are just that: they combine inkjet printing with a built-in scanner to offer color copying, and, increasingly, other features too. With a starting price of just 39 euros, they're a tempting offer for all sorts of users and are no longer relegated to their traditional status as home-office workhorses.

Using a multimedia hard drive is supposed to be easy: fill it up with music, movies and photos, plug it into your TV, sit back, relax and enjoy the show. But with so many models available now, it's hard to know which is the best for you: do you really need HD? And what about connecting to your home network?

Whether you've just run out of space or want to finally want to get round to sorting out regular back-ups for your data, then adding an external drive is an attractive solution. There's nothing to take apart and nothing to put back together again: just plug it in and off you go!

Once seen as a powerful application for professionals, videoconferencing is now within reach of the majority of computer users thanks to the widespread popularity of USB webcams. Our Product Survey looks at which will really help bring you closer to your contacts ...

How about switching from an inkjet to a laser printer to start the New Year? This move that could actually make you save quite a lot on ink (about five times). Personal lasers have indeed become increasingly affordable, and for the first time, colour laser too is available at a price that won’t send you broke.

More compatible than joysticks and much easier to handle, gamepads are the ideal interface for sports simulations, first person shooters and all sorts of other PC games, especially for converts from the world of console gaming.