Blog posts in Networking

Five quick ways to boost your website's conversion rate

If you run an online shop, sometimes it can feel like you’re always trying to find the next big sales boost. What can you do to get more people buying from you on the web?

But when you’re throwing big ideas around, it’s easy to overlook the quick wins. Here are five things you can do in the short term to improve your conversion rate and boost your bottom line.

1. Stop relying on guesswork

When businesses are seeking to improve their conversion rate, the biggest mistake they make is to assume they know what will work.

You probably have access to lots of information that’ll help you determine what to change on your website. Use Google Analytics to try and identify where people are dropping out of your purchasing process. Are conversion rates markedly lower for people using mobile devices?

Use these insights to plan some simple tests. Run these past colleagues or trusted customers to see what they think, before you go to the trouble of implementing them.

2. Get feedback from your users

You might assume that it’s difficult to get people on your website to tell you what they think of it. But actually, it can be quite easy.

Tools like Qualaroo Insights, SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang let you ask users specific questions, giving you feedback straight from the people that matter most.

(You will, of course, get useless and sometimes abusive responses. That’s the internet for you, so be prepared to take the rough with the smooth.)

3. Build credibility and trust

Studies show human behaviour is advancing and the conversion funnel is getting longer, which means users are taking time to understand how much they can trust your business before they part with their cash.

There are lots of ways to appear more trustworthy on the internet. One of the easiest options is to show some online reviews of your company on your website.

You can also check key competitor websites to see what they do to boost credibility.

4. Write your call to action

The actions and psychological triggers that customers are exposed to can drastically affect conversion rates. So why not try testing some new call to action text? Here are some ideas:

• Inject some urgency by labelling buttons ‘Buy now’ instead of ‘Add to cart’.
• Incorporate hard facts and supporting information, like ‘90% of people prefer our product’.
• Make sure you’re reinforcing your strongest unique selling point when you want users to take that action.

5. Get rid of unnecessary steps

Long checkout or signup forms are unnecessary. Make sure there’s a concrete reason you’re asking for each piece of information.

For instance, do you really need the customer’s phone number or date of birth? Reducing the length of a form can significantly increase the proportion of people who complete it.

Also make sure your account signup process happens after the customer has completed their purchase. After all, getting the money in the bank is more valuable than the registration details. 

• Turn visitors into buyers with web analytics
• The cost of poor website performance
• How to track your website visitors

This is a post from Chris Turton, managing director of conversion strategy firm ClearVolume.

It's time to ditch the cloud

‘Cloud’ is one of the hottest IT buzzwords in years. Millions of people now make use of remotely delivered services – ‘cloud computing’, in the language of many IT firms.

But even the most popular cloud computing services such as iTunes and Google Mail haven't succeeded in educating the general public on how the technology behind these services actually works.

That’s fine when all you want to do is send an email or listen to music, but what happens if your needs are a little more specialised?

A low-cost alternative?

One of the undoubted benefits of cloud computing is its ability to deliver a low-cost alternative to many traditional business IT solutions.

But if people setting up a new company don't understand the principles of the cloud, are they really going to be aware of all it has to offer them?

More importantly, is the IT industry right to be so obsessed with the cloud as an overarching concept? After all, if you're launching a new business, your focus is going to be on the bottom line, not on some silly buzzword.

It’s about the service, not the delivery

So, instead of telling prospective customers a service will be delivered through the cloud, would it be a better idea for IT sales pitches - and the conversation in general - to focus on the merits of an individual service?

After all, few existing or potential small business owners are going to boast about the manner in which a service they used is delivered, but they will enthuse about something that works well and saves them money.

At Webfusion, we’ve created this infographic to show you the full extend of the public’s ignorance.

 Infographic from Webfusion.

So what do you think? Is it time the IT industry stopped talking about the cloud, or does the term still have value?

• Is cloud computing green computing?
• Should you host in the cloud or on the premises?
• Can the cloud make you more efficient?

How 4G broadband will revolutionise business

Since mobile phones first gained the capacity for internet browsing, they have become a priceless tool for business owners across the world. They keep you connected throughout the day, even when you travel around.

Most people are familiar with the term ‘3G’ by now (it’s the technology which powers most mobile internet access), but the idea of 4G may still baffle some.

Put simply, 4G is the fourth-generation communications technology which will allow much faster mobile internet connections. It’ll only be for mobile phones at first, but eventually laptops and portable gaming devices will benefit too.

It's an advance in technology that could drastically change the way we carry out business. Here’s why:

1. Connect for less

4G will be fast enough to allow you to use voice over internet protocol (VoIP) software reliably, enabling you to make calls over the internet rather than using up your mobile network’s allowance of minutes.

You can do this via services like Skype or Viber (which also allows you to send text messages via mobile internet).

Mobile networks will probably change their tariffs as mobile VoIP takes off, but if you can get an unlimited data plan then you may never need to worry about exceeding your call allowance again.

2. Collaborate on the road

If you need to check documents outside of the office, it can currently take anything up to ten minutes to download each file you want to view. Hardly ideal if you’re trying to get things done!

4G will make this much faster. You can take advantage of it even more by implementing a cloud computing system to share documents and software.

For instance, inTechnology, which provides cloud services ranging from file-sharing to payment systems, predicts that this year will be the year businesses make the switch. Many small and medium-sized businesses are already beginning to do so.

3. Create your own hotspot

If you carry a laptop or tablet with you, you might be please to know that most smart phones can be turned into a wireless hotspot. This means you can connect any other wireless device to your phone and use your phone's data service to browse the internet.

This is ideal if you spend long periods of time on the road or between meetings. When you do get a moment you’ll be able to sit down at a computer and get straight to work - without having to look for free Wi-Fi or pay a separate fee for a dongle!

While it’s true you can do this with existing 3G networks, the extra speed promised by 4G makes portable hotspots a much more attractive and useful proposition. 

Jordan Peck is a keen writer who writes about various topics including technology and business.

• Next-generation mobile broadband tested
• Data limits could make 4G for business costly
• 4G can really help your business, finds 4G network

Business tech bargain: extend your wireless network for under £30

We try to highlight a couple of business tech bargains each week so you can find the best value IT out there. After all, doesn't everyone like a good deal?

If you suffer from poor wireless network reception in parts of your business premises, a cheap way to extend your wireless network is to pick up one of these TP-Link wireless range extenders, currently available from Amazon for just £29.99 all in.

See it now on the Amazon site >>

About this tech bargain

It's easy to extend your wireless network with this tech bargain. All you need to do is plug it directly into a power socket that sits near the edge of your existing wireless network's coverage.

Then you just connect this wireless extender to your main wireless network. In most cases, you just have to press a button on your router, then press a button on the extender.

Once you've done that, the extender will rebroadcast your wireless signal, considerably extending your coverage if you've positioned it well.

This seems like a really good price for a wireless extender that gets good reviews. The next best price we can find it at is £32.99, from Expansys.

Visit and buy from Amazon >>

• See all our previous business tech bargains

Are we getting close to broadband Britain yet?

A new report into the state of UK broadband was released this week by independent think tank The Policy Exchange. By giving it the title of The Superfast and the Furious, they've already elevated it above many official reports.

What's more, its findings make interesting reading.

Availability or speed?

The report throws up an interesting contrast between the broadband priorities of businesses and those of individuals.

Of businesses questioned, 61% said they felt providing high broadband speeds in most (but not all) areas should be prioritised over ensuring basic broadband is available everywhere.

But when consumers were asked a similar question, 64% said that achieving good basic broadband coverage for the whole country is more important than chasing very fast speeds in some areas at the expense of others.

Can't we have both?

This dilemma seems to arise whenever the spectre of 'broadband Britain' hits the headlines. When culture secretary Jeremy Hunt pledged that the UK would have Europe's fastest broadband by 2015, the opposition's response was that this meant "millions of people will have to wait at least three more years for a broadband connection".

But isn't the choice something of a red herring? Doesn't the country that generates more money online than any other G20 nation deserve 100% coverage of superfast broadband?

Some way to go

While policy experts debate how best to spend the money allocated to our broadband infrastructure, things on the ground are still confusing. Back in September, research found only 34% of broadband users actually get the maximum speed that was advertised for their particular package.

What's more, a recent poll by broadband review site ISPreview found that a massive 42% of respondents are 'unhappy' with their current internet service provider (ISP).

Ok, that's a small improvement on when ISPreview asked the same question a year ago (44% of respondents were 'unhappy'), but it's still a long way from broadband nirvana, when we will all have super-reliable, superfast connections.

The internet contributes to over 8% of the UK economy, and the continued success of online businesses of all kinds is going to be vital if we are to see a return to strong growth in the coming years.

Affordable, reliable, fast internet connections are central to achieving that - so it's about time individuals and businesses in every part of the country were able to access the high-speed connections they deserve.

How's your internet connection? Could you do more with more speed?

• UK broadband still not good enough
• Why does moving a broadband connection take so long?
• Why your internet connection is slower than you'd hoped

(Image: Elliott Brown on Flickr.)

The future of the cloud - is it right for you?

There has been no shortage of analysis of the cloud, and the business benefits it can bring. Unsurprisingly for an emerging technology, there has been a great deal of confusion about what it is and how businesses can use it.

The uptake of cloud computing has even been slow among smaller businesses, which traditionally tend to be quicker to adopt new technologies. One piece of research found only 9% of small and medium-sized businesses were using the cloud at the end of 2011.

I think this is set to change and change dramatically. Our research found that one in four small businesses are transforming the way they work by embracing the cloud. Nearly half of these firms started using online software to run their business in the past 12 months.

The adoption of cloud technology amongst small businesses is really starting to gain momentum – something we have seen with our own cloud software. Reduced spending, more efficient use of time and the ability to stay connected regardless of location are factors that can improve business productivity, performance and - ultimately - stability and growth.

However, although adoption is increasing, confusion still exists. Many of our customers have needed advice about how to move services over into the cloud, and help to understand how it can best benefit their business.

If your business is considering a move to the cloud, here's my layman’s guide to what to think about before making the transition:

• There is no ‘one cloud fits all’ solution. Speak to experts who can help you understand how best to use the cloud and get advice on how best to implement the technology in different parts of your business. Analyse the risks and rewards involved, and the resources and support needed to deliver a smooth transition.
• Identify what existing services can benefit from the cloud. For example, should you focus on your file and email servers, storage systems and databases, office applications, or finance and accounting?
• Invest in your technology. Can your existing services handle the move? Is your internet connection fast enough? Have you got a backup plan in case your connection goes down?
• Make sure you have strong security. Keep internal and external security measures up to date, managed and monitored. Even if you aren’t using the cloud yet, your employees might be. Create a cloud security policy that covers the whole business. Choose your suppliers carefully, review their procedures, understand potential threats and how to avoid them.
• Plan, test and review. Talk to everyone and anyone you can about their challenges with the cloud, speak to staff ahead of a move and get their view on how it will impact their roles. Take it slowly – test the services and encourage feedback from staff, clients and suppliers. Conduct regular reviews to ensure you identify any potential issues before they happen.

Nick Goode is head of Sage One, a cloud-based accounts and payroll service from Sage (UK) Limited that requires no formal training and includes FREE 24/7 customer support and advice. Register for a FREE 30 day trial now or visit www.facebook.com/SageOneUK to find out more.

The seven layers that power the internet

Computer networks are complex things. But if you want to get beyond the ‘I plug it in and it works’ stage, it’s worth knowing a little about the Seven Layer OSI Model. It’s always good to have a bit of basic knowledge when dealing with IT suppliers too.

The Seven Layer OSI Model was created in the 1970s as an open standard for all networks and applications that exchange data. Since then, technology has changed a lot, so you will find that many books and articles on the subject contradict each other to some extent.

These days, it’s common for some of the layers to be blended together, but the principles of the Seven Layer Model do still stand.

How the Seven Layer OSI Model works

You can think of the seven layers in the Model as different stages of a production line. At each stage, something is done to the data passing through the network that gets it ready for the next. The seven layers are:

• Application layer: interacts with your software to send or receive data.
• Presentation layer: converts data into a standard format.
• Session layer: starts, maintains and stops network communication.
• Transport layer: makes sure all data reaches the right destination.
• Network layer: routes data to the correct place.
• Data layer: defines which how the data will be transmitted.
• Physical layer: the network cables and signals that pass down them.

Why do we need the OSI Model?

The OSI model is one of those important things that sits behind everything on any network. It provides a structure so the internet can function. Without the OSI model it would have been nearly impossible to connect networks together. We just wouldn’t have the internet as we know it today.

It aims to break down all network communications into smaller elements that are easier to create standards around. With these standards in place any IT developer - especially those involved in networking – can work to the same framework.

This means that a developer working for Facebook doesn’t need to know how the physical network cabling is laid, nor how an ISP routes its data. As long as everything sticks to the OSI Model’s standards, it’ll work fine.

• Read more about the seven layers in the 4D Data Centres whitepaper: The OSI Network Layer Model Explained.

David Barker is technical director and founder of 4D Data Centres, the green colocation and connectivity supplier.

• How to build a wireless network
• Remote network access
• Why your business needs IPv6

UK broadband: still not good enough

How fast is your broadband? (Image: krossbow on Flickr)

Come on coalition, pull your fingers out and get us the broadband we need. That could be the message to take from a recent ISPreview.co.uk poll, which found that of 1,600 broadband users questioned, only 34% actually received their desired internet connection speed.

Yes, that is the reality of the 'broadband Britain' we live in today. Most internet connections still rely on shonky old copper telephone wires, a technology which has been around since Alexander Graham Bell invented the dog and bone. As a result, we're stuck with connections that regularly fail to meet our expectations.

Broadband frustrations

Just to muddy the waters further, internet service providers frequently use best-case connection speeds in their advertising, even though most people don't have the slightest hope of ever achieving them.

It's no wonder we get frustrated. And that's before you bring the government into the picture. It has set a target minimum connection speed of 2Mbps (megabits per second), saying everyone in the country should be able to achieve it by 2015.

But to put things into perspective, the average connection speed in Latvia is 8.8Mbps. In South Korea it's over 15Mbps. (Source: Akamai State of the Internet.)

What's more, only 4.7% of the poll respondents said that 2Mbps was adequate for their needs. As Mark Jackson, founder of ISPreview.co.uk, explains: "Clearly 2Mbps isn't enough with only 4.7% of respondents claiming to need such a speed and everybody else wanting something far faster."

Perhaps the EU's Digital Agenda for Europe is more realistic. It wants 100% of people to have access to broadband at 30Mbps or above, but not till 2020.

Broadband bright spots

Although much of the UK still isn't getting the broadband it deserves, there are some bright spots. BT continues to roll out its Infinity service. Business packages start from £30 a month and include a prioritised service so your connection doesn't suffer at peak times. Its biggest competitor is Virgin Media, which offers its 60Mbps service for under £30 a month.

Both these services are good deals and should seriously outperform any broadband connection based on old-fashioned ADSL technology. But - of course - they're only available if your business is based in an area these providers cover. And that's the sticking point for many companies, particularly those based in more rural locations.

Is your broadband connection adequate? Do you pay through the nose for it? Leave a comment and let us know.

• The broadband lottery: why your connection is slower than you hoped
• How to cope without broadband
• How to speed up your broadband connection

Friday Donut tip: how to speed up your broadband connection

The most common form of internet connection in the UK comes down a standard telephone line. It's often called ADSL, and while it does the job, it can be a source of speed-related frustrations.

This is because it relies on hundred-year-old technology (copper telephone wires) to deliver fast, modern broadband.

Connection speeds are determined by a range of factors, including the distance between your premises and the local telephone exchange and local electrical interference. Our internet speed checker will indicate how fast your connection is.

To make sure you're getting the best connection your phone line can manage, here are three things to try:

1. Plug your router into the master phone socket

The master phone socket is the telephone socket on the wall where your phone line enters your business premises. It's best to plug your broadband router in here, because the master socket is least suscecptible to interference. 

If the master socket is a long way from your business computers, plug the router in there anyway and run a network cable from it to your computers. Network cables are not affected by interference in the same way.

2. Use a good quality phone cable

The quality of the wire between your phone socket and broadband router can have an influence on speed too. Use the shortest wire you can - usually the best option is to use the wire supplied with your router.

Keep the wire away from sources of intereference, like other cables, mobile or cordless phones.

3. Disconnect the bell wire

This step is a little fiddlier and means taking the front off your telephone socket. If you're not comfortable doing that then skip it!

The bell wire (also called the ring wire) is a hangover from the days when old-fashioned telephones required an extra wire to make them ring. Many phone lines still have this wire, but the only thing it's good for is causing interference.

You can remove it quickly and easily - there's a really good online guide here, which even has nice clear photos.

How's your broadband connection speed? Have you found any easy ways to speed it up?

• Get the software you need in one go
• The little box that can save you lots of time
• How to stay on top of your Outlook inbox

Why your business needs IPv6

One of the internet’s fundamental technologies is changing. David Barker, founder and technical director of 4D Data Centres explains IPv6 and why your business should be deploying it.

IP stands for internet protocol. It’s a key part of the technology that enables most internet-connected computers to communicate.

An IP address is the unique label given to every device connected to a network (or to the internet). In the same way that your home address enables letters to reach you, an IP address enables devices on a network to send data to each other. An IP address looks something like this: 192.168.12.4.

From IPv4 to IPv6

IPv4 is (unsurprisingly) the fourth revision of the internet protocol and the most widely used today. However, it is also fairly old - it was originally ratified in 1981.

In total IPv4 has capacity for 4,200,000,000 unique IP addresses. Back in 1981 they assumed that would be enough to cover any possible eventuality. It’s lasted three decades, but there are now so many devices in the world that need to connect to the internet (each requiring its own, unique address) that we’re running out of room.

Step forward IPv6 (IPv5 was an experiment). It provides a massive increase in the number of addresses available. This means an IPv6 address looks very different to an IPv4 address – usually something like: 2001:cdba:0000:0000:0000:0000:3257:9652. Sometimes all zeros are omitted to save space, leaving a colon marking the gap: 2001:cdba::3257:9652.

IPv6 was designed from the ground-up to allow for an enormous number of IP addresses. There are enough for computers and mobile phones and household appliances and cars.

In total it provides roughly 340,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 unique addresses. To put it into perspective, that’s 480,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 addresses for each of the seven billion people on the planet.

Should you worry about IPv6?

It’s vital your business starts thinking about IPv6 sooner rather than later. If you don’t introduce it to your network then over the next few years there will be parts of the internet that you simply won’t be able to access.

Once we’ve completely run out of IPv4 addresses, companies will be forced to deploy new services as IPv6-only. This is already starting to happen in Asia. For instance, operators in countries such as China are running on IPv6-only as they don’t have enough IPv4 addresses to support the number of people going online.

What’s more, if you introduce IPv6 early, you’ll have more time to learn how to make use of new features that IPv6 includes. A lot of these are technical features to improve data routing and security but there may also be ways to make money from IPv6. Perhaps you can take advantage of new services, or drive your own markets by showing your customers that you are an early adopter.

What you can do next

After reading this article you should know that IPv6 exists and it’s important you adopt it sooner rather than later – that’s a good start!

Now, here are four more steps to help your business get ready:

• Start by testing your existing internet connection to see if it is IPv6-enabled. You can do this easily online, right now. This website is especially helpful because it will tell you how prepared your internet service provider (ISP) is for IPv6. You can use the test results when talking to your ISP about its plans for IPv6.
• Make sure that your office network will run on IPv6. Firewalls are the key here as IPv6 support on firewalls has been fairly limited until recently. Your PC and ISP might be IPv6-enabled but if the firewall only talks IPv4 it will need replacing. It’s worth raising this with your IT supplier now, so you can budget for changes if required.
• Make sure your website (plus any other public servers) are running on IPv6 as well as IPv4. Over time, devices will begin to only support IPv6. You don’t want your website to drop off the internet as this happens. Your web hosting company should be able to advise.

Has your IT supplier mentioned IPv6? Is this the first you’ve heard of it? Leave a comment to let us know.

• For more information about IPv6 and how to switch, download 4D Data Centre’s white paper: IPv6: A Primer.
• The internet is running out of room

Are you ready to discard your computers?

If I told you that you’ll soon have no need for individual business computers, you’d probably think I was mad. But that’s what virtual desktops could do – and within the next year or two I think they’ll be commonplace in smaller businesses.

Virtual-what? Ok, here’s how it works. At the moment, most businesses have a number of separate computers, each of which uses its own processing power to run programs and its own space to store files.

But with a virtual desktop system, all that processing power and storage space is centralised. Your computers are replaced with terminals. Little more than a screen, keyboard and mouse, they enable you to log in to a central server where your data is stored and your software run.

Virtual desktops look the same

From the user’s perspective, there’s very little different about using a virtual desktop. The system will remember your preferences, your programs, your icons and everything else. It looks and feels just like a normal computer.

The only difference is that instead of things happening on a box under your desk, they’re happening on a server. That server might be on your premises, but most businesses will find it makes more sense to log in to a virtual desktop system over the internet.

Virtual desktops: nothing new?

Virtual desktop systems have been touted for years, but until now they’ve mostly only been used by big companies for specific applications. For instance, the sales team of a big firm might use a virtual desktop system to access the customer database.

But cloud computing has become more accepted, internet connection speeds have grown and server technology has reached a point where it’s possible to run a number of virtual desktops from a single physical server. In short: using virtual desktops has become more convenient and practical.

Like other cloud computing services, virtual desktops store your company data outside of your business. As a result, the main perceived risk always seems to be around data security.

It’s almost like if people can’t see or touch their data then they think it isn’t somehow safe and secure. But that’s a fallacy: would you rather have your core business data on your premises, where it could be susceptible to fire, theft and flood, or stored on servers in a purpose-built data centre with round-the-clock security, strict access control – plus multiple internet connections and backup power supplies?

Actually, these precautions mean the question of security really boils down to whether you can trust your virtual desktop supplier with your data. To a large degree, that just means you taking the same security precautions as with any other cloud computing service.

Significant benefits

Virtual desktops offer some significant benefits for smaller companies. They’re flexible, cost-effective, and don’t involve the same level of capital expenditure as buying new computers.

Businesses are becoming more comfortable with the idea that they can use other IT suppliers to store and process data without losing control over it. As a result, over the next year or so I expect smaller companies to start trying virtual desktop systems in greater numbers.

Watch this space, because it could transform how you think about your business computers.

• Can the cloud make you more efficient?
• Beginner’s guide to the cloud
• Cut your costs with virtualisation

Two alternative ways to do tablet computing

It’s interesting to see how tablet computer manufacturers have lined up behind the indisputable industry leader, Apple. In some ways it feels like the iPad doesn’t have many head-on competitors.

Some tablet makers have tried to be a bit canny. Knowing Apple products aren’t cheap, they’ve aimed towards the budget end of the market – offering a tablet experience without the iPad’s price. Others have changed or added features – for instance, by making the display much smaller, including a detachable keyboard or adding an extra screen.

We’ve tested two tablets recently. The first is the Archos 101 G9. Available for a little over £200, this is a 10” tablet for the cost-conscious that fits squarely into the first category. The second we tried is the Fujitsu Stylistic Q550. At around £700 it ain’t cheap, but it’s one of the few tablets you’ll find running the full version of Windows 7.

Archos 101 G9: cheap but capable

The Archos 101 G9 is no iPad in looks or build quality. It’s made of fairly flimsy plastic and feels cheap. But when you’re paying half the price of an iPad, you have to tolerate the odd compromise. And although it might be plasticky, the Archos case has some nice touches.

The screen is responsive to touches and swipes, there’s a built in slot to add an optional 3G data card (to get online via a mobile phone network), and the convenient fold-out stand props the tablet up at the right angle to read or watch. It sounds like a small thing but it makes a real difference to this tablet’s usefulness.

Sure, the charging cable is far too short (would it have killed them to make it just a bit longer?), but the battery lasts well and the screen is fairly crisp, if lacking in contrast. Maybe most importantly, this tablet has reasonable power. With a proper dual-core processor, it runs the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, allowing you to access loads of different apps and they’ll run at a decent speed.

We did run into some quirks with the standard web browser. Tapping links didn’t always seem to register first time and there were a few stutters and judders that might put you off if you’re used to a smooth iPad.

In all, this is a capable tablet for the money. Although its features are geared more towards home than business users (Archos bill it as an ‘amazing multimedia’ machine for photos, videos and music), there’s no reason you can't use it for email, documents and more.

Fujitsu Stylistic Q550

Not to be confused with this Philadelphia soul group, and quite in contrast to the Archos, the Stylistic Q550 feels really solid. Fujitsu is clear that this tablet is for business users and has included a full-blown version of Windows 7, enabling you to run the exact same software as on any other Windows PC. That means no cut-down apps and no nightmares trying to view websites in an awkward mobile browser.

It also means the Fujitsu should easily integrate into your existing network without compromising security or compatibility. Further boosting its security credentials is built-in encryption and a fingerprint reader, although we’ve yet to come across anyone who actually uses the latter.

Other notable features include excellent connectivity (there’s USB, HDMI for an external display, an SD memory card slot and more), front and back cameras and a stylus, which is basically a pen you can ‘write’ on the bright, crisp screen with. This is attached to the tablet by a cord, but frustratingly there’s nowhere to tuck it when you’re not using it. It also requires an oddly-sized AAAA battery (no, that’s not a typo).

The stylus adds an interesting dimension. It’s fantastically helpful if you’re doing jobs that require pinpoint accuracy, like editing photos. But in other circumstances it doesn’t offer many advantages over your fingers. We can see how it’ll serve a niche market well. But for most people, the stylus will be superfluous.

More useful is wireless USB. Not yet available on many tablets, it lets you connect to compatible devices wirelessly. It’s ideal for giving presentations without having to plug anything in.

This tablet takes a while to start up but once it’s going performance is reasonable, especially as you’re running demanding Windows software. Strangely, there’s no sensor to rotate the display, so Fujitsu has included a button to do this manually. There’s also a button for classic Windows key combination ‘CTRL-ALT-DEL’, which hardly inspires confidence in the operating system’s stability.

Value for money trumps unnecessary features

It’s true these two tablets aren’t direct competitors, but while we warmed to the Archos for its excellent value for money, we found the Fujitsu harder to like. If you’re looking for a really portable Windows computer, you could add a dock, keyboard and display and it might do nicely. But as a tablet, it’s flawed: unless you really need the stylus or strong security tools, you’d be better off with an iPad.

More content on tablets:

• Are tablet computers right for business?
• Now is when the tablet comes of age for business
• A cheap tablet computer for business?