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HWM+HardwareZone.com Tech Awards 2014: Readers' Choice Results

By Ng Chong Seng - 20 Feb 2014

Readers' Choice Awards - Computing (Part 2)

Readers' Choice Awards - Computing (Part 2)

 

Best Desktop PC Brand - Apple

For the past three years, this category was a fight between HP and Apple. This year though, HP’s contender position is usurped by ASUS. After tallying the votes, the trophy goes to Apple (29%), purveyor of sleek desktops like the iMac and the super-powerful-yet-super-small Mac Pro. ASUS comes in second with 22%. HP, the world’s second largest PC vendor behind Lenovo, drops to fourth place with 15%, behind Dell who has 16%. With worldwide Mac sales still going strong (well, at least better than PC sales, which are disappearing fast under the quicksand), Apple’s lead may even widen come next year.

 

 

Best Inkjet Printer Brand - Canon

With 43% of the votes, Canon remains your favorite inkjet printer brand. Just a couple of weeks back, the company introduced the Pixma iP8770, a 6-ink color inkjet printer that prints photos up to A3+ size. For those looking for AIOs, the company has also refreshed its Pixma AIO photo printer lineup last October with the new Pixma MG7170, MG6470, MG5570, MG3570, and the highly compact MG2470 and MG2570 that cater to consumers’ varying output needs and price points. The second and third place go to HP (20%) and Epson (18%) respectively.

 

 

Best Laser Printer Brand - HP

Last year, Canon snatched the trophy that HP has been holding for two years. But the maker of the Imageclass line of laser printers couldn’t do it this time, and the trophy is now back in the hands of HP, who garnered 27% of the votes. Second place goes to Fuji Xerox (22%), while Canon drops to third (21%). Brother, who harbors an ambition of a 25% monochrome laser printer market share in Asia by 2015 comes in fourth with 14% of the votes.

 

 

Best LED Printer Brand - Fuji Xerox

Fuji Xerox has long been a strong proponent of LED printing, and for many years now, the company has been aggressively bringing its award-winning S-LED print head technology into products targeted at home/SOHO and SMB users. Compared to a laser printer that uses an optical scanning system, an LED printer uses a print head that’s made up of an array of light emitting diodes, and these LEDs flash to create the image. And since an LED printer also applies toner to paper during printing, it has print quality as good as a laser printer. With 38% of the votes, Fuji Xerox is once again the winner of our Best LED Printer Brand award.

 

 

Best Wireless Networking Brand - ASUS

In the last few years, ASUS has proven that it’s capable of making networking products that go up against the very best from Linksys, Belkin, and D-Link. As we’ve noted in our RT-AC68U dual-band wireless-AC1900 router review, ASUS’ flagship router impresses with a blazing fast 5GHz band performance and tons of features. With 32% of the votes, the Taiwanese company has edged out three-time winner Linksys (21%) this year. D-Link is third with 19%.

 

 

Best Security Software Brand - Symantec

Yes, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 are very much more secure than their predecessors, and a large part of it is due to the improved Windows Defender. But if you need more granular control and the best protection, chances are you’ve to turn to a third-party solution. For the fourth year running, you’ve chosen Symantec (with 21% of the votes) your favorite security software brand. In second place is McAfee with 18%.
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