Products of the Year 2006

The first had that initial wow factor and I was eager to see it in the UK. Sony’s LocationFree TV box, the rival to the then unheard of Sling Media’s Slingbox, looked a winner at CES.

But when it arrived in the UK, what a disappointment. Other than its looks, it had nothing to beat the Slingbox. Sony should have trounced Sling Media, but instead brought out a product that was at launch twice as expensive, more difficult to set up, lacked Freeview and worse, could only be used on one machine. If you wanted the software on more than one computer, that cost £20 a pop.

The other CES product was a  Wifi Skype phone , which finally appeared towards the end of 2006. Having tested three Skype phones, all are a let-down.

They cost too much at launch (prices have started dropping already) and have too many restrictions. The biggest is that they can’t be used on all commercial hotspots and that the Skype instant-messaging function doesn’t work.

Hopefully, in 2007 we’ll see some big improvements in these phones, such as the inclusion of video calls, Skype IM and more widespread use of commercial hotspots. Until then, they are very much a niche product even in the niche world of Skype.

Will Stapley
Reviews Editor
This year I've seen some truly innovative products pass through the PCW Labs, with the diminutive Samsung SP-P300ME projector coming relatively early on in the year.

Unlike traditional bulb projectors, the SP-P300ME uses LEDs, which means it's not only whisper quiet (LEDs don't require much cooling) but also incredibly small and light.

As you'd expect, there are drawbacks, not least the fact that it requires pretty dark conditions for you to see the projection. That said, it's the first of a new breed and I look forward to seeing how LED projectors progress in 2007.

Later on in the year, Intel's Core 2 Duo processor launch created waves of excitement across the industry - it's rare that a new line of CPUs manage to outshine their predecessors by such a wide margin.

We had a number of Core 2 Duo PCs come into the Labs, but the one that caught my eye was the Chillblast Fusion Hardcore Crossfire PC. All too often we see mundane, run-of-the-mill PCs, but Chillblast made a real effort to make its PC stand out.

Not content with the power offered by the 2.67GHz E6700 processor, Chillblast overclocked it to 3GHz, which resulted in a massive power boost. As you'll see from our PC performance tables, its Sysmark score of 424 still holds pole position.

Although by no means a massive release, my next product is one I've used time and again, so it has to be worthy of a mention.

Sky+ Remote Record is a small app for Java phones that lets you send record requests direct to your Sky+ box. The setup process is a little fiddly, and I had a few occasions where the record request never made it, but it's still a terrific service for Sky+ owners and, best of all, it's free.

As far as disappointments go, 2006 had its fair share of let-downs. The biggest shock was to see how Sony's LocationFree internet-TV streaming device paled in comparison to little-known Sling Media's Slingbox.