TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2020
Best PC Manufacturer
Chillblast, PC Specialist Scan
If you want to buy a custom-built PC using the latest components, it makes a whole lot of sense to buy British. Not only do British PC makers often beat multinational giants for value, but they have the flexibility to build around your desires, whether that be tackling specific tasks or including that newly announced Nvidia card.
In a first for this category, three British companies tied for top-dog position. Each outscored their international rivals for customer support, reliability and value for money, and each evidently has a loyal contingent of fans. “I had a couple of issues with the PC when it first arrived,” wrote one satisfied customer, “but the technical support guys at Chillblast were amazing and got my issues sorted out in record time.”
Meanwhile, Curtis McKee praised PC Specialist for how easy it was to “configure [the] desktop to my needs. Good customer support (I changed my mind on a component and they changed this no problems).” And all for the right price: “I priced up all components individually before purchasing and the overall price was £400 cheaper from PC Specialist.”
One recurring comment was that, once people had found a PC manufacturer they could trust, they stuck with them. Perhaps none more so than one reader: “I’ve purchased PCs from Scan for over 22 years,” Ket Kansara wrote, “its service is exemplary from start to finish and it’s lovely speaking to the staff about best choices for hardware and software!”
Best Laptop Manufacturer
Apple
HIGHLY COMMENDED Asus
Whatever you think about Apple, there’s no doubting the quality of its products. Nor the way it connects its different families together, so that you get a seamless experience between phone, tablet and laptop or desktop in a way that rivals struggle to match.
“I never had a MacBook before,” wrote subscriber Richard Francis, “but I don’t think I’ll go back
