This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.
Unlike the other Copilot Pro tools, Copilot for Excel is labelled prominently as “beta”. But even in this qualified state, it has the promise of being a game-changer for anyone who needs to work with data but doesn’t want to become an expert in writing formulas, working out the best way to pivot data or spotting trends in large data sets.
Copilot for Excel exists in the toolbar, but sometimes it’s greyed out. That’s because it only works on . xlsx or .xlsm files saved in OneDrive or SharePoint. When the button is green, hitting it allows you to write natural language instructions to create formulas, analyze data or highlight cells according to whatever criteria you want. If you’ve ever struggled with creating a complex formula (or even a simple one), you’re going to love it.
The first thing to note is that Copilot only works within tables; if your data is unstructured, it won’t let you do anything with it. This probably isn’t a big deal for most people (every serious Excel user I have known has lived or died by tables), but it’s a limitation that may affect some users of large and disparate data sets.
If your data is in a table, though, Copilot is miraculous. You can ask simple queries, such as how much you spent between two dates, or what categories you spend the most on. It’s also great at creating graphs: just type, “make a pie chart showing expenditure based on month”. And you can manipulate existing data, say by asking it to use conditional formatting to highlight specific ranges of numbers, something that’s easy to get wrong for people who aren’t Excel experts.
(Image credit: Future)
You can also use Copilot to look for outliers in the data and highlight them, which helps if you’re trying to clean up a dataset or are finding results just aren’t what you think they should be. If you’re using a big dataset, that’s a wonderful time saver. It’s nothing that you can’t do with Excel’s existing tools – but for users who don’t live in Excel, it would involve quite a bit of searching online to know where to start.
Where the real power kicks in is when you ask it to make formulas for you. I created a simple table of expenditure for a small business, tracking spending across a range of categories. But I also wanted to have a column indicating the running total of my expenditure. This isn’t an easy formula to make if you don’t know much about Excel because it involves a SUMIF function that’s based on the row’s date, comparing it to others in the table.
I asked Copilot to “add formula columns to summarize total expenditure so far in this date sequence”, and within seconds it had created a formula and added it to the end of the table.
This kind of formula creation is going to save users of Excel hours, and if you regularly work with data but wouldn’t call yourself an expert, it’s probably worth the money on its own. Even on occasions where I wanted to do something that I knew how to do, I found myself using Copilot instead because it created better results than the various hacks, shortcuts and cheats that I have learned over the years.
This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.
Long before the arrival of Copilot, Microsoft Teams became my go-to app that was always active on my desktop. It’s the central tool I use to stay updated about my organization’s activities and it’s where I plan my daily tasks, share content, have meetings and plan long-term goals. Now Microsoft has added Copilot, it has become even more indispensable.
This is most obvious in meetings. The responsibility of capturing important meeting details typically rests on a single person, a task that’s rarely enviable and often challenging. Even with transcription features enabled in Teams, sifting through conversations to find pertinent information was daunting. This is an area where Copilot excels, making it easy to summarize the discussion and draw up action points.
I also find it useful with conferencing, especially long meetings that drag on, when your attention can wander. If I briefly zone out, or I need to head off for any reason, Copilot can offer summaries at any juncture. If you arrive late, or simply don’t get to the meeting at all, being able to ask Copilot for a summary of the meeting with the key action points and follow-up tasks is a huge boon. As is its ability to revisit discussions and extract insights.
This isn’t just theory. Over the past six months I’ve asked Copilot to pinpoint staff disagreements, outline specific risks discussed, verify project timelines and summarize crucial decisions with pros and cons. Using Copilot for these kinds of enquiries saves time by reducing the need to consult busy colleagues, delivering on two fundamental promises of AI: it streamlines communication and enhances my efficiency.
Copilot packs in several other useful features, too. Managers may love (a little too much, perhaps) its ability to analyze participation in meetings by generating metrics showing the percentage of words spoken by each colleague, shedding light on both the most and least active participants. And one standout feature in Teams Premium, not available in the standard version, is the intelligent meeting recap. It parallels Copilot’s meeting notes and holds the information for 30 days. The “follow meeting” function in Teams Premium allows users to capture meetings, pose questions to Copilot post-event, and even analyze the sentiment, although this yields mixed results and is a little creepy.
Copilot in Teams can also save you time. It adeptly transforms meeting notes into Office 365 documents and drafts emails from discussions. And it uses Microsoft Graph to efficiently link and track communications across documents, meetings and chats on specific subjects. This is great if your memory isn’t too good, so this is my favorite feature. As Microsoft states, however, “Copilot is an assistant, not a replacement for human oversight”. It’s crucial that you review Copilot’s output, particularly when it pertains to significant decisions, to ensure accuracy and relevance. So while Copilot boosts efficiency, there is a risk that users may become too dependent on the tool, which could lead to a decline in critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Finally, in organizations where cybersecurity is paramount, outputs generated by Copilot don’t automatically carry over the security classifications of the original files. This poses a significant risk when dealing with sensitive information. Consequently, it becomes the responsibility of the employee to meticulously review the AI-generated content to confirm that the data is correctly classified and evaluated for potential risks.
To misquote a certain masked superhero, with great AI power comes great responsibility to check its results.
SABnzbd is a free and open-source NZB downloader that simplifies downloading from Usenet with an intuitive, browser-based interface. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, NAS devices, and even Docker containers, making it widely accessible and easy to integrate into various setups.
Built on Python, SABnzbd prioritizes flexibility and ease of use, offering a range of automation features and a web-based interface that works across multiple platforms. However, it is not as lightweight as NZBGet, which is written in C++ and optimized for minimal system resource usage. While SABnzbd may consume more CPU and memory, it compensates with an extensive feature set and broad compatibility.
With helpful automation tools like RSS filtering, custom scripts, and integration with popular NZB indexing services, SABnzbd is a favorite among Usenet users. It automatically handles unpacking, repairing, and organizing files, making Usenet transfers easy.
To access Usenet newsgroups with SABnzbd, you’ll need a Usenet subscription. Check out our best Usenet provider guide for our top recommendations.
SABnzbd: Features
(Image credit: SABnzbd)
Cross-platform compatibility: Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, NAS devices, and Docker, making it easy to install on virtually any system.
Web-based interface: Manage and monitor downloads from any browser.
Automation-friendly: Supports RSS feeds, API access, and integration with automation tools like Sonarr and Radarr.
Smart download management: Handles NZB queueing, prioritization, and automatic retries for failed downloads.
Automatic unpacking and repair: Uses built-in PAR2 verification and unpacks files automatically to save time.
Multi-server support: Allows users to configure multiple Usenet servers for improved reliability and speed.
Extensive plugin support: Works with third-party scripts and add-ons to enhance functionality.
Supports over 18 languages: SABnzbd's web interface is available in more than 18 languages.
SABnzbd: Performance
SABnzbd is a well-optimized downloader capable of handling high-speed Usenet connections with ease. However, due to its Python-based architecture, it consumes more system resources than lightweight alternatives like NZBGet. In contrast, NZBGet’s C++ foundation allows it to run with minimal CPU and memory usage, making it a better option for lower-powered devices.
Despite this, SABnzbd’s robust feature set, built-in queue management, parallel connections, and post-processing capabilities offer an efficient experience. Users with fast Usenet providers will benefit from SABnzbd’s ability to fully utilize their bandwidth.
SABnzbd: Installation and setup
Installing SABnzbd is simple, with dedicated installers for Windows and macOS. Docker, Snap, Flatpak, Ubuntu, Debian, and FreeBSD users can also deploy it easily using images and guides, which can be found on the SABnzbd downloads page.
(Image credit: SABnzbd)
Once installed, the initial setup is guided through a wizard that helps users configure their Usenet server settings, download preferences, and automation features.
Adding Your Usenet Server Settings:
To start downloading, you need to add your Usenet provider’s server details:
1. Open SABnzbd’s web interface in your browser.
2. Click on Servers
3. Enter your Usenet provider’s details, including:
Server address
Port number (typically 563 for SSL, 119 for non-SSL)
Username and password for your Usenet account
Connection limit
Click ‘Save Changes’
4. Click ‘Test Server’ to ensure connectivity.
5. Save Settings: Once the connection is successful, click “Save Changes’ to store your server settings.
SABnzbd: Pricing
SABnzbd is free and open-source, with no fees or premium upgrades. You can download the latest version directly from its official website or the SABnzbd GitHub page.
SABnzbd: Support
The SABnzbd website offers comprehensive guides on installation and configuration, along with detailed step-by-step instructions and FAQs to help users optimize their setup. There is also an active community forum where users can ask questions, share tips and ideas, and receive support from both experienced users and developers.
SABnzbd: Final verdict
SABnzbd is an excellent choice for both beginners and advanced users, thanks to its user-friendly web interface and deep automation capabilities. While it may require more system resources than some alternatives, namely NZBGet, seamless integration with popular Usenet tools and hands-free downloading features make it a reliable NZB downloader.
With plenty of office, ergonomic and gaming chairs on the market, FlexiSpot gives it a go with the oddly named BS12B-Pro, let see what makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Having used this chair for over two weeks now after using an old 11-year-old Ikea Markus office chair here are my thoughts on the FlexiSpot’s take and how it compares to the best office chairs we've reviewed here at TechRadar Pro.
The chair arrived in a large plain cardboard box which was a bit beaten up by the courier, the outside informing you what it was, model and colour with the “FlexiSpot” branding and motto in blue, at least some color.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
FlexiSpot BS12B-Pro: Assembly
Opening up the box, everything appeared to have been either haphazardly thrown in the box or the courier gave it a bit of a tumble around. Not much was securing anything in place like you would find on a monitor for example being in case in foam. It appears that FlexiSpot knew that this was the case as each component of the chair had its own plastic or cardboard wrap or foam added in places likely to be pointy.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
Removing everything and laying it out flat allows you to see how it all goes together; I noted that the seat and backrest are made of a mesh like fabric to enhance breathability where it’s needed the most.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
The wheels are notably plastic castor wheels which were freely spinning, both the wheel and spindle. They appeared sturdy enough for the chair but I do wonder about their longevity and how they fair on my laminate flooring.
Inspecting the part that will take nearly all the combined weight of the chair and the seat, which is the spider-like legs, I saw that they were made from plastic. Coming from an Ikea Markus Chair which for £100 less has a steel base that provides both better strength, material quality and feel as well as weighing the chair down so that it should be hard to tip over.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
Putting it together was rather quick and easy. FlexiSpot provides some Allen keys and a small spanner to get the job done if you have absolutely no tools whatsoever, but with proper tools I had this chair up and assembled in about 15 to 20 minutes. One good thing I noticed was that the screws used to assemble the chair all had a blue coloured thread glue already applied to prevent the screws from backing out, a nice touch.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
The one-part I found a bit fiddly to put together was the head rest, this was a bit difficult as the space for your fingers is very narrow
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FlexiSpot BS12B-Pro: In use
The main seat of the chair is almost a 50 x 50cm square (51 cm wide by 49cm back to front) pad contoured at the corners and edges with a front curve for under thigh comfort. The seats minimum height is 46cm and at max is about 54cm. The seat can be moved forwards and back about 4cm of movement depending on how much or little under thigh support you want or need to have. Lastly the seat can be tilted from a flat 90 degrees to a backwards 135-degrees, there is no forward tilt which is a miss as some people do prefer seating slightly forwards.
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Adjustments are all done by the use of three buttons or mini levers on the front right-side of the chair. Made of metal for the premium feel, they are a nice touch, rather than having to reach under the chair for a lever to make adjustments. Furthermore, I feel like they can be used blindly, no need for me to look at them. Nonetheless the symbols are quite self-explanatory from left to right, back and forth seat, tilt lock and seat height up and down. Tucked underneath is the tension adjustment but this is something seldom adjusted.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
The seat itself is covered in a mesh like fabric to allow breathability and prevent a sweaty backside, it is stretched tight over the frame of the seat to give it that “bounce” but it does mean that the edges of the seat are sharp corners on the sides and back, the front however does a have a small foam insert for under thigh support. Long term use will see if this fabric can hold up to daily use.
I expected more of the lumbar support; the fabric of the chair is so tight that fully leaning back I don’t even touch the lumbar support most of the time. It is also limited to 3 different heights and 0 front to back options.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
The armrests appear to be the standard shaped, plastic structure with firm foam tops, they can be adjusted using the lever under the arm rest from 16cm high (from top of seat to top of arm rest) to 23.5cm high. They can be rotated 1 click in and out from the straight and about 9cm of forwards and backwards movement, the rotation, forwards and backwards movement cannot be locked into place so bumping into the chair may move the arm rests.
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The headrest is where I was a bit disappointed by this chair a bit when comparing it to an Ikea Markus chair. The Markus headrest height was comfortable for me (at 6’1”) so that my head rested on a cushioned part at the top of the chair. The BS12B-Pro doesn’t have this, instead it feels like the headrest, at its maximum height setting, is jamming into my neck or shoulders giving my actual head no support. Any lower setting and it's now jamming into my shoulder blades. I suppose this chair would work well if you were 5’8” or 5’10” tall.
FlexiSpot BS12B-Pro: Final verdict
In the end the headrest being so low forces me to sit in a slouched position (i.e. not ergonomic), or if I sit in a proper position, my head has nowhere to rest. Right now, sitting bolt upright in the chair gives my lower and upper back support, but the headrest is below my lower neck. The headrest has no other tilt or rotation adjustments that can be made.
As for the price, at the time of writing this review the FlexiSpot BS12B-Pro is shown available for £399.99 but seems to be suspiciously on sale permanently for £249.99 which leads me to believe that this is the actual cost of the chair, £249.99 is the actual cost. Also I noted that save for the box and manual, nowhere on the chair is any FlexiSpot branding.
For more workspace essentials, we tested the best standing desks for the home and office.
This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.
SMBs that are worried about file-sharing security and privacy can rest easy with Tresorit. A great feature of this cloud service is its zero-knowledge policy, which delivers end-to-end AES-256 encryption, and the company never stores keys or passwords, so only account holders and users have access to their data.
Tresorit is good value, and it’s commendable that its prices haven’t increased for over four years, with the Business Plus plan on review holding steady at £12.83 per user per month when billed yearly. This is a good choice for SMBs: it takes all the features of the Standard plan and doubles cloud storage per user to 2TB, trebles the maximum single file size to 15GB and offers a 100 file-version history.
Along with file sharing, syncing, user and group management, and Outlook, Outlook 365 and Gmail integration, it enables custom portal branding and access audit logs. A choice of 12 global data center locations is also available for businesses concerned about data residency jurisdiction.
Deployment is swift. You use the Tresorit Admin Center to email invitations to your users and, when they click on the message link, they can create an account and choose a password. You don’t need to worry about users forgetting it as the Advanced Control feature includes password reset services.
Security policies provide extensive access controls(Image credit: Future)
Once users have downloaded the desktop app, it will create a personal “Tresor” – Tresorit’s name for a secure, encrypted folder. You can have an unlimited number of Tresors up to your storage limit, and the app also creates a quick-access Windows Explorer drive mapping or a macOS Finder favorites folder.
Users can share their Tresors with selected team members by choosing them from the desktop app contact list and setting manage, edit or view-only permissions. Two types of Tresors are supported: the entire contents of classic folders can be shared, while next-gen folders allow specific sub-folders within them to be shared.
Tresorit has brought next-gen features in line with classic folders as you can now create and email links to share their files and sub-folders. You can also use encrypted links to place files requested from external partners, including those without a Tresorit account, in next-gen folders.
Integration with third-party apps has also seen improvements. Tresorit now works directly with Microsoft Teams, and we used our Teams Admin console to decide which users could install the Tresorit add-in on their Teams desktop app. Once logged in, they were able to access and share selected Tresors with other Teams users, upload or download files and create file requests, all from their Teams app.
Tresorit offers great account management and monitoring(Image credit: Future)
Users can access the optional eSign digital signature service from both the Teams and Tresorit apps. Costing £45 per month for 100 signatures, you create an eSign request, select a PDF file and email it. Tresorit users can digitally sign the document with one click, while external users confirm their email address, enter the six-digit verification code provided and then sign the document.
Security features are extensive, with Admin Center policies controlling everything users are allowed to do. You can decide what types of devices they can access their account from, stop users from permanently deleting content, block their browsers from storing login details, use IP filtering to limit access from specific locations, enable single sign-on (SSO) and enforce two-factor authentication (2FA).
Tresorit doesn’t offer the same levels of integration with third-party apps as many rivals, but it rises to the top with its strict zero-knowledge encryption policy. Excellent value and ease of use make it a great choice for SMBs with cloud file-sharing security at the top of their agenda.
This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.
HP’s latest Spectre convertible is a pricey proposition – you could buy a decent laptop plus a separate tablet for the same cost. But if you’re looking for something that can fulfil both roles, this powerful, premium computer is a delight.
The two-in-one laptop design doesn’t compromise the aesthetics at all. Its deep blue chassis stands out tastefully from the swamp of monochrome laptops, while sliced-off corners give a pleasing minimalist aesthetic, as do the thin bezels around the display. In tablet mode, magnets hold the screen secure against the chassis, and despite the 14in screen it’s not too heavy to carry around at 1.4kg. My one reservation about the design is a lack of ports: you get one USB-A port on the right-hand side, two USB-C ports on the left – and that’s it.
The keyboard has a comfortable layout and I quickly found myself typing at full speed, enjoying the action as my fingers bounced positively from each keystroke to the next. The haptic touchpad simulates clicking by producing a vibration; I can take or leave this, but I definitely like its smooth texture.
A vibrant OLED screen and a superb keyboard give the Spectre a luxury feel(Image credit: Future)
The star of the design is the 14in, 2,880 x 1,800 OLED touchscreen. On paper it doesn’t appear all that exceptional: it covers 86% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with an average peak brightness of 366cd/m2. However, it delivers wonderfully vibrant colors, making games and videos look much richer, brighter and more solid than the numbers would suggest.
Tucked above the display sits a surprisingly good webcam. Excellent, in fact. Unusually, it offers an Ultra HD, 4K resolution, and image quality is a cut above most rival laptops: my cheeks looked rosy, my surroundings looked bright and colorful, and somehow the windows behind me weren’t blown out.
Audio performance is pleasing, too, thanks to a pair of top-firing speakers. I listened to “This Feels Like the End” by Nothing But Thieves and immediately got into the groove.
The opening percussion was thumping, vocals were crisp and loud and the guitar chords and riffs were bright and urgent.
Whether it’s in tent, laptop or tablet mode, the Spectre is a joy to use(Image credit: Future)
The basic Spectre x360 14 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for £1,499 inc VAT, but I reviewed the premium model with a Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Unsurprisingly, this high-end hardware let me open dozens of Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube videos all at once, without the slightest stutter. In Geekbench, the Spectre scored a soaring 12,358, even outpacing the M3 MacBook Pro’s score of 11,968.
The one area of compromise is graphics performance. The HP Spectre x360 14 relies on an integrated Intel Arc GPU, and in the Civilization VI:
Gathering Storm benchmark, it averaged a merely acceptable 36fps at 1080p. In other words, it’s fine for casual titles, but hardcore gamers will demand something more capable.
A final strength is battery life. With a power-efficient processor and no separate GPU to drive, the Spectre x360 14 lasted 11hrs 1min of web surfing, longer than almost any Intel laptop we’ve previously tested – although the M3 MacBook Pro lasted a ridiculous 17hrs 16mins. Heat is well managed, too: after 15 minutes of video streaming, we measured a maximum temperature of 39°C on the underside of the chassis, which is on the warm side but easy to live with if you want to use the Spectre on your lap.
(Image credit: Future)
The new HP Spectre x360 14 is hard to fault. It’s a fast, beautifully designed laptop, with a sumptuous screen, excellent performance and battery life, and the convenience of tent and tablet mode. Gamers will want a more powerful graphics chip, but as a general-purpose productivity and entertainment companion, this laptop is a star that manages to justify its high price.
This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.
It’s tempting to ignore the diagrams on the Philips 49B2U6900CH box that say, categorically, “this is a two-person job”. So tempting, in fact, that I did ignore them, and was soon struggling to attach the gigantic 49in panel to the gratifyingly sturdy metal stand. At least I had the good sense to clear my desk beforehand, as I looked like a weightlifter huffing and puffing it into place.
But it’s office workers rather than weightlifters that Philips targets here, particularly those who currently have two or three 27in monitors littering their desk. The idea is to replace such anachronisms with a single screen, allowing you to split your windows across the 5,120 x 1,440 pixels (32:9). Windows Snap does a great job of this, but I found I worked best with my windows scattered around; I could then drag the required window front and center as required. If your job involves research, you’ll love having everything in view.
It’s even possible to multitask across two different computers, with a KVM that allows you to switch between sources simply by pressing Ctrl three times. At least one of those sources will need to be connected over USB-C, and with up to 100W of power delivery (on both upstream USB-C ports) this monitor makes an ideal docking station. It even includes a 1GbE port alongside the four USB-A ports and a USB-C downstream port. Sensibly, Philips places that USB-C port, a 3.5mm jack and two USB-A ports on the left-hand side of the monitor for easy access.
The huge 49in VA panel allows you to have multiple windows open at the same time(Image credit: Future)
You’ll also find a flip-out headphone stand here although, for once, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of a monitor’s integrated speakers; I was happy to listen to music while working on the Philips 49B2U6900CH. Although not bass-heavy tracks, as even this pair of 5W speakers sound hollow.
Philips includes a 5MP webcam, which pops up like a periscope when you need it.
It makes sense to keep it up all the time as it can also log you into Windows using facial recognition, plus it includes a “Busylight”. So, if it knows you’re on a video call, a red strip light runs across the top and side to alert colleagues. Or you can activate this yourself using a button on the bottom left. It’s a nice idea, but I hope the next iteration is more prominent.
I also hope that Philips improves the camera. Detail capture is spot on, and the auto-framing option (albeit a tad over-eager) works well, as does the fact that it can accommodate several people in view. However, its color balance needs work, as everything has a strange, hazy blue quality to it. Hopefully this will be fixed via a software update, but in the meantime I recommend using a webcam and a separate mic, as even at maximum pickup I found the built-in option too weak.
I have no such complaints about the panel’s image quality. This is a VA panel with a minor curvature, and it’s tuned for the sRGB color space rather than DCI-P3. There’s even an sRGB preset, which produces excellent whites. Color accuracy is fine for its intended office use, with an average Delta E of 1.13. Keeping to the default mode gives you more colors than sRGB mode, covering 79% of the DCI-3 space compared to 68%, and while whites lose some whiteness it’s still a great everyday choice.
Connections include a 1GbE port alongside four USB-A ports and USB-C(Image credit: Future)
Brightness goes all the way up to 500cd/m2, which is overkill in an office and also consumes more power. At a more sensible 200cd/m2(33% in Philips’ brightness setting) it consumed 44W, while pushing it to 100% eats 71W. Philips also offers a bunch of its SmartImage options, including Eco (125cd/m2, 37W) and EasyRead, which are worth exploring.
There’s a Movie mode, too, with Philips earning DisplayHDR 400 certification for this monitor. Films look good so long as you ignore the huge expanse of black to the left and right. It’s in driving and FPS games, though, where you truly enjoy the wide expanse, and even though it has a peak 75Hz refresh rate this monitor pays extra dividends after hours.
In fact, it delivers in all key areas. Image quality is strong, it’s extremely well suited to office life (note the 150mm of height adjustment), and there are useful features galore. My only real criticism of this monitor is its price.
Working away at a standing desk in the office was once thought to be an odd practice, but standing desks are now believed to offer some health benefits, helping us to be less sedentary at our desk and reduce strain on our backs when working.
With current work from home practices still going strong (despite employers asking staff to return back to the office), more and more people are looking to outfit their personal work space or home offices with the best standing desks.
This is where FlexiSpot has come through with a range of standing desks with different desktop finishes, capable of lifting 100kg for the budget friendly E1 to 180kg for the flagship E9 and accessories to boot.
Today we are reviewing their flagship FlexiSpot E9B-UK which comes with a 140cm x 80cm white laminate desktop.
The desk was delivered in two packages with the FlexiSpot branding displayed proudly and model numbers. The desktop box was a little battered by the courier which left me somewhat worried about it knowing that laminate tops can be chipped or cracked if mal-handled. Point two note that the Standing Desk Frame box was very heavy and ideally you need two people for this job though I managed by myself.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Assembly
Starting with the Standing Desk Frame box and opening that I was greeted by ample packaging with all items wrapped or in soft closed cell foam. Lifting foam out revealed the two standing desk legs which were the main culprit of the heft. All other bits and bobs were in the small boxes you see tucked in between. Removing the second layer of foam brought me to the Standing Desk Frame which is the part that holds the legs and desktop all together, it is inside that where we find the control box, the brains of the desk effectively. Along with some rubberised, height adjustable feet pads.
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Taking everything out of packaging and boxes shows all the components of the desk, which gives you an idea of how it’s put together. FlexiSpot provides two little hex keys to assemble the desk, whilst these are a welcome for those with no tools, I on the other hand was armed with a combi drill and an assortment of bits.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
Assembling the desk was quick and easy, starting with screwing the desktop supports to the frame then the legs followed by the feet all upside down before (and make sure you have the space) opening the desktop box. The legs are what make this desk, they are made of a solid steel construction with a column front to back thickness of 95.6mm.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
On opening the desktop box, I was pleased to find that the desktop and fully intact with no damage to it. It appears that FlexiSpot knows how couriers sometimes treat boxes, especially one as heavy as this. I noted that FlexiSpot had placed hard plastic corner protectors. We have opted for the 140cm x 80cm desktop.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
There are already pre drilled holes on the underside of the desktop which line up to the screw holes of the standing desk frame and control panel. It is simply a matter of placing the frame on the desktop, locating the holes, screwing it together before flipping the entire desk over so that the desk is the right way up.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Operation
Once completed, the desk will be at its lowest setting, too low for my liking. Checking the control panel, we have the usual “up” and “down” buttons. Next to them is the “M” button which has two uses, lightly pressing on it will allow you to set a memory setting, pressing and holding it will lock the desk height preventing accident height adjustment.
Between the cluster of buttons is the height display. The cluster of buttons to the right are memorised heights of “1” and “2” as well as a memorised “standing” and “sitting” heights. These are adjusted by setting the height first, say 114, pressing the “M” button then the “standing” button. Thereafter every time you press the “Standing” button, the desk will raise itself to 114.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
Lastly, at the end of the control panel is a USB-A port for charging various items, I don’t have any equipment to test the wattage of the port, but trying to charge the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga laptop didn’t work, which requires at least 65W. Plugging my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in showed it as fast charging, this leads me to believe that it is capable of 25W. It would have been nicer to see a USB-C port as that’s becoming the standard with at least 100W output, a missed opportunity.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
About the display, the numbers do actually mean height. At say 110, it means that the bottom of the desktop will be 110cm from the floor. The numbers tick up in centimetre with anything under 100 shown as 99.9cm, anything about 100 shown as whole centimetres. Minimum height is 68.5 and max height is 128cms.
Playing around with the desk on initial setup I was presented with an “E01” error, on reading the manual, it appears that this desk doesn’t like to be adjusted too often and it appears I “overworked” it. This despite the desk being empty. Switching off the desk at the mains and then switching it back on after a few minutes solved the issue, I haven’t seen the error since then for over two weeks of use.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
FlexiSpot E9B-UK: In use
After assembly, I loaded the desk with a very light load of a laptop, monitor and a few other bits and bobs. The desk performed flawlessly, silently, swiftly and most importantly, smoothly too. And it should do too as this desk has brushless motors which have better longevity, speed and weight capacity when compared to their brushed brethren.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
Confidence gained, I loaded the desk with my main set up, whilst I knew that the desk would have no issue in lifting my 25Kg+ desktop PC, I decided not to place it on the desk for the sake of cable management. It did however have to lift and lower the Innocn 49Q1S monitor which we reviewed a few months back, this weighs in at a not heavy but bulky 12Kg as well as a few accessories.
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(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
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(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
I set my sitting height at 74cm and standing height at 114cm, I found desk had no issue lifting the entire setup as shown with little to no wobble from the monitor. I have noted that the desk also has a collision detection system where if any part of the desk encounters resistance whilst going in either direction, the desk will stop and back off a few centimetres.
On to cable management. The cables for the desk such those that connect the legs and control panel to the central box in the frame are a little too long so had to be tucked away. Thankfully, FlexiSpot provides a little magnetic cover that hides those cables. For my desktop PCs cables I used a cable sleeve for the cables and then from there used lots of sticky cable tacks to hold them against the underside of the desktop neatly.
(Image credit: FlexiSpot)
FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Price and availability
Lastly, the cost at time of writing the frame of the E9B-UK alone costs £499.99, our combination to white laminate desktop at 140 x 80cm brings this to £629.98. the most expensive combination coming in at £749.98 for a 180 x 80cm desktop made from Bamboo. And, that’s before we add any accessories such as a cable management tray, power plugs or drawers. If that’s too costly, then FlexiSpot also sells the E1 desk, with the same desktop colour finish and size it retails for £239.98 but with a lower load capacity and missing some features.
FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Final verdict
So, what’s the verdict of the FlexiSpot E9B-UK standing desk? Overall, a well-made, sturdy, smooth and hefty desk with a heavy load capacity. There's not much to dislike about this desk if you’re in the market for a standing desk then this should definitely be on your shortlist.
Supremely comfortable. That was my first thought after assembling the Boulies EP200 office chair and sitting down for the first time. And after a month of constant use - for at least eight hours a day, sometimes more - this initial assessment still holds true.
This is a delightful mesh seat which feels at all times supportive, relaxed, and one of the best office chairs I’ve ever tested. I’ve long been a fan of mesh office chairs, which are a lot more breathable and far less sweaty than fabric and leather (or worse, so-called PU or faux leather) options you’ll often find on even the best gaming chairs. If you’re using your chair for long hours at a time, to my mind mesh is the way to go. On this score, the Boulies EP200 ably fits the bill.
My real concern was whether that mesh seat would suffer from a general sagging or whether it would be too firm - either can lead to discomfort and fatigue during the work day. I’m happy to report that it hits the Goldilocks spot, neither too hard nor too soft, but just right.
There are a handful of features lacking here, which you’ll find on higher-priced desk chairs. Notably, the lumbar support is fixed to one spot - although you can move it back and forth, it isn’t height-adjustable to accommodate for taller users (as a man of average height, this wasn’t an issue for me).
Nonetheless, it does boast decent lower back support, 3D armrests, a pleasant headrest, and overall, I had no real problems positioning these to make it as comfortable as possible for all-day use.
Boulies EP200: Price & availability
(Image credit: Boulies )
The Boulies EP200 Series retails for $300 via the Boulies.com website by clicking here.
In the UK, the chair is available for £280 from the Boulies.co.uk site which you can visit by clicking here.
Right now, only the black cold-cured foam version is available in the US, while the UK offers both gray and black models.
At the time of review, this chair is currently discounted to $200 / £190, which is more in-line with budget-price office chairs - and an excellent price for what’s on offer, I feel. You can also pick it up from Amazon and other online retailers.
Boulies EP200: Specs
Boulies EP200: Design
Close-up of the mesh weave on the Boulies EP200 (Image credit: Boulies )
The EP200 Series is available in black or gray, with the choice of a mesh or a cold-cured foam seat. Both models possess a tightly woven, single-piece mesh backrest. I selected the gray mesh variant for review, which I found unimposing in the home office.
Design-wise, it’s of the classic office chair look, not dissimilar to the likes of the Sihoo M57 (read our review here). Smart and professional, it won’t look out of place either in the home or in the office, and I have no complaints with its appearance. At 51cm, the backrest itself is relatively wide compared to some at this price-point, giving it more utility for those with a larger frame.
Around the back, it’s similarly unfussy, with a Y-shaped plastic support where, within the nub, you’ll find the adjustable lumbar support. The only sign of decoration comes from a silver piece of plastic stamped with the Boulies signature. This is a separate piece, fitted post-assembly, and entirely optional depending on your tastes.
Boulies EP200: Assembly
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(Image credit: Boulies )
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(Image credit: Boulies )
Taking around twenty minutes from start to finish, constructing the Boulies EP200 is about as simple as any I’ve tried. Plug the wheels into the aluminum base, bolt the backrest to the seat, then affix the contoured headrest. Connect the armrests, add the gas lift to the base, and rest the chair on top. All par for the course when it comes to office chair assembly.
While the box is admittedly heavy, I had no issues hauling it upstairs into the office, and assembling the entire unit on my own. The included manual is straightforward and easy to follow, and if you have any experience piecing chairs together, you’ll have no trouble here whatsoever.
Boulies EP200: Comfort & adjustability
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(Image credit: Boulies )
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(Image credit: Boulies )
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(Image credit: Boulies )
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(Image credit: Boulies )
I was impressed with the comfort of this office chair - in fact, I’d find reasons to sit at my desk outside of work hours just to use it. I found the suspended mesh seat firm without being too hard, and supportive in all the right places.
As a chap of average height and build, I didn’t struggle with finding the sweet spot here. Like all gas-lift office chairs, you’ll find a lever beneath the seat to adjust the overall height. Pulling this lever outward unlocks the backrest so you can recline - just push back with your body weight until you find the appropriate angle, then lock it into place again. Easy stuff.
A second lever beside this is where you can control how far back the seat can go, and I found I had to have it moderately far forward in order to get into the lumbar support in the correct position. After making this adjustment, the foam lumbar support pushing through the mesh offered consistent lower back support.
I was expecting the unpadded armrests to be a bind, akin to resting one’s elbows on a slab of warm concrete. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the foam, while relatively thin and somewhat hardened, provided an excellent balance between comfort and support - much like the rest of the chair, to be fair. As typical 3D armrests, these can be moved up and down, backwards and forwards, and outward and inward.
However, I would’ve liked to see a few more adjustability options. Specifically, the lumbar support, which can be repositioned on the horizontal plane by turning the screw cap, but not vertically, which would be useful for taller users. The headrest, too, can be moved up and down, but won’t shift forward, back, or angled in any way. Perhaps I’m being greedy, since for the price, I don’t consider these deal-breakers.
Boulies EP200: Final verdict
If you’re looking for a decent ergonomic office chair that won’t break the bank, there’s a lot to recommend about the Boulies EP200. It might not boast all the bells and whistles you’ll find on chairs twice the price, and it would’ve been nice to have a few extra adjustability points here and there. But for a modern, uncomplicated seat, I found it supremely comfortable and ultra-breathable even when used all day.
Should I buy the Boulies EP200 Series office chair?
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(Image credit: Boulies )
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(Image credit: Boulies )
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(Image credit: Boulies )
Buy it if…
✅ You want an affordable ergonomic office chair: Considering the price, the Boulies EP200 is extremely comfortable, offering good all-round support,with most of the key features I’d like to see in an office chair.
✅ You demand all-day comfort: I used this chair for at least eight hours a day for a month during testing, and never once felt fatigue set in. If you’re planning on being at your desk for work, rest, or play, it’s an effective choice.
Don’t buy it if…
❌ You need more adjustments: While you can reposition plenty of parts of this chair, it lacks height adjustable lumbar support, 4D armrests, and an angled headrest. That may be a deal-breaker for some.
❌ You need a padded backrest: Both versions in the Boulies EP200 Series of office chairs feature a mesh backrest, and while I found it snug and comfortable, many prefer a cushioned option for additional comfort.
For more workspace essentials, we tested the best standing desks for the home and office.
PebbleHost has been around since 2017 and despite not often featuring among best Minecraft server hosting provider lists it is still a great host. It offers three different types of plan encompassing budget, premium, and extreme. Understandably, the prices vary wildly depending on what you choose here with the budget servers proving the highlight for those on a tight budget.
PebbleHost sticks to focusing on its Minecraft server hosting rather than including other games, but you can also sign up for VPS hosting or dedicated server hosting if you want more freedom. For gaming communities, there’s also Discord bot hosting. If you’re looking for the best dedicated server hosting, it could be worth checking out PebbleHost but in this review, we’ve focused on its dedicated Minecraft server hosting options. Here’s how we found the PebbleHost experience to be.
Plans and pricing
PebbleHost offers three tiers of Minecraft server plans. All its plans offer 24/7 customer support via Discord, a free MySQL database, full FTP access, unmetered storage, a free subdomain creator, unlimited slots, and global server locations. Where plans differ is in terms of the hardware involved.
The budget range uses older CPUs such as the Intel i9-9900k and Ryzen 5700X, and DDR4 memory. The premium range uses the Ryzen 7900 CPU and DDR5 memory, with the Extreme range using the same hardware but also offering dedicated CPU threads. The two pricier plans also provide a one-click Modpack installer and free automatic backups which are bordering on essential for any Minecraft server admin.
For all servers, you can use a sliding scale to increase the RAM involved, and whether you want any additional CPU threads for your server. The cheapest budget server offers just 1GB RAM but costs only $3 per quarter. A more mid-range option comes from the Premium server with 5GB RAM which is $11.25 per month. The cheapest Extreme server has 6GB of RAM and 3 threads and starts at $37.50.
PebbleHost offers a 72 hour refund policy which isn’t the longest but is fairly standard with other competitors like Shockbyte offering similar.
During the signup process, Advanced DDoS mitigation is added onto the price tag but you can unselect it. Another options include a dedicated IP, and additional MySQL databases. Whatever you decide, payment is possible via credit or debit card, Apple and Google Pay, as well as Paypal, FastSpring, and crypto currencies. Costs can ramp up (more on if it’s worth it later) but everything is laid out in a clear and obvious manner.
Ease of use
A screenshot of the PebbleHost control panel - running a low-end server. (Image credit: Future)
The sign up process with PebbleHost is straightforward and instantly offers up access with passwords for the client side of things and the control panel. During sign up, you’ve already picked what server type you want installed so that’s one step removed. All you really need to do is get the server started and operational.
On the control panel, there’s a list of options on the left hand side with easy ways to check out the file manager, set up your MySQL database, and add subusers which is great if you want to add admins or even a co-owner to your plan. The jar manager helps you switch between different versions like Paper, Vanilla, or Spigot.
For the most part, everything is clearly laid out so you won’t get confused. Opt for anything but the budget plan if you want a one click install for mod packs as well as automatic backups, and there’s even less work involved for you.
Adding another user/admin to PebbleHost. (Image credit: Future)
PebbleHost offers servers located in North America (Canada), Europe, and the UK. Premium server users also have the option of a server located in Australia or Singapore, as well as the US. When signing up, keep an eye on what’s available as some server locations sell out.
I used a server based in Europe, as am I, and saw a steady 30-35 ping. There was no downtime either which is always welcome news.
How well the server operates really does depend on the plan you choose. While $3 per quarter seems like a bargain for the cheapest plan, in reality, you won’t get far with it. Even with no one active on the server, half the RAM is allocated, and once someone logs on, the CPU usage soars. It’s best to invest a little into something that actually suits your needs.
That’s even more important if you plan on installing mods or plugins (and you should). Still, even at its most basic, PebbleHost demonstrates what it offers. Just make sure you opt for a Premium plan at minimum if you want to gather together friends with no hassle. Although, bear in mind that if you opt for one of the more expensive plans, it could work out cheaper to go elsewhere.
Support
PebbleHost has two main forms of support -- a ticketing system and a Discord server. The Discord server is reasonably active and useful for quick advice from both staff and experienced users. It can also prove useful if you need advice about mods or other community elements which PebbleHost isn’t equipped to advise on.
When using the ticket system, I received a response within less than 10 minutes. It was both friendly and informative. If you’re truly stuck, you can pay $10 per month for advanced Minecraft support so someone on the PebbleHost team will setup up to 30 Forge/Fabric mods, as well as setup many other key additions for your server.
Besides direct support, PebbleHost also has a knowledgebase which is helpful and incorporates some YouTube videos. PebbleHost is also transparent with uptime with its server status page breaking down every server and part of the company’s infrastructure. At time of writing, its 7-day average uptime is a very respectable 99.992%.
Final Verdict
PebbleHost’s speciality is offering well performing Minecraft servers for those looking for something cheap or mid-range. It gets a little expensive for the most premium/Extreme options which makes your decision a little harder. When it comes to the budget price point though, it’s hard to fault PebbleHost.
I was particularly impressed with how quick and efficient support was (without being cold or unfriendly), and how straightforward the PebbleHost Control Panel is to use. The addition of a Discord server is always useful too.
The sweet spot here is going for a PebbleHost Premium server. Anything pricier is a little too expensive for all but the most high-end user, and the budget option is a little too basic and slow. Stick with the Premium server and you can have a good quality Minecraft server set up in no time. The backup of speedy support will ease any worries newbies to being a server admin may have.
