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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 3)

Readers' Choice Awards - Computing (Part 3)

 

Best SSD Brand - SanDisk

While there’s no dispute that traditional spinning hard drives (HDDs) still hold the capacity per dollar advantage, there’s also no denying that when it comes to speed, solid-state drives (SSDs) totally mop the floor with HDDs. This year, the Readers’ Choice award for Best SSD Brand lands again in the hands of SanDisk (22%). But unlike last year, its closest competitor isn’t Intel; but rather, Samsung, whose 19% of votes propels it from fourth to second place.

And before we forget, if you’re looking to buy an SSD, do yourself a favor and check out our 2014 high-end SSD shootout, which features eight top-of-the-line SSDs. For something more wallet-friendly, we also settle once and for all the question of which is the best mainstream SSD in the market today.

 

 

Best External HDD Brand - Western Digital

When it comes to HDDs, there’s no bigger brand than Seagate and Western Digital. In recent years, they’ve grown even bigger, with Seagate acquiring Samsung’s HDD business in 2011, and Western Digital acquiring Hitachi Global Storage Technologies in 2012 (the company later sold to Toshiba the 3.5-inch business). As such, it doesn’t come as a surprise to us that both companies grabbed the majority of the votes in this category. After tabulating, Western Digital retains its trophy with 38% of the votes. For those who demand control over their own data in the cloud, you can check out the company's latest My Cloud personal cloud drive solution. And for those who like to live on the edge and are looking for the best of both SSD and HDD worlds, be sure to check out the Black2 Dual Drive. And oh, for WD Red series fans, be reminded that it now comes in 2.5-inch form factors.

 

 

Best Removable Flash Storage Brand - SanDisk

Flash memory storage leader SanDisk has comfortably walked home yet again with the Best Removable Flash Storage Brand award with a 60% share of the votes. Its nearest rival is still Kingston, whose 14% share is the same as last year. While it’s no secret that SanDisk has increased focus on its SSD business, the company is keen to stress that it’s still very much committed to removable flash memory products. In fact, just last week, the company announced the Extreme Pro SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card, which the company says is the world’s fastest SD card, and the Extreme Pro USB 3.0 flash drive with write speeds up to 240MB/s and read speeds up to 260MB/s.

 

 

Best NAS Brand - Seagate

The network-attached storage (NAS) category has always been hotly contested, and this year sees more than 11 brands competing. Much to our surprise, this category turned into a replay of the HDD duel involving Seagate and Western Digital. In the end, Seagate edges out Western Digital with the narrowest of margins (20% vs. 19%). It looks like Seagate’s Business Storage series of NAS solutions are well received by office and enterprise users. 2011 and 2012 winner D-Link comes in third with 16%.

 

 

Best LCD Monitor Brand - Samsung

The LCD monitor category is another category that involves a lot of players. Last year, the winner was Samsung with 48% of the votes. This year, the award still goes to the Korea giant, though with a smaller 40% share. Like its TVs, the company continues to churn out new monitors on a frequent basis. Just this past CES, we saw the 31.5-inch UD970 and 28-inch UD590 4K UHD monitors, as well as the world’s first curved monitor. The other ‘winner’ this time round is ASUS, who sees its share of votes jumped from 5% to 13%, thus landing it in third place and within touching distance of second-placed Dell that has 16%. Like Samsung, both ASUS and Dell have recently announced new 4K monitors.

 

 

Best Keyboard Brand - Logitech

The contest for our new Best Keyboard Brand award involves more than 18 brands, but the top three already garnered 75% of the votes. The inaugural winner is Logitech (40%), who led Razer (19%) and Microsoft (17%) right from the start. Clearly, Logitech has achieved considerable mindshare with its wide range of keyboards and related offerings. From wireless keyboards, to gaming keyboards (featuring both mechanical and non-mechanical key switches), to keyboard cases for iPad Air and iPad Mini, the company seems to have something for everyone who wants to type.

 

 

Best Mouse Brand - Logitech

Another PC accessory that both PC and Mac users can’t do without is the mouse. Again, we asked for your favorite mouse brand, and most of you have voted for Logitech (35%). Similar to its keyboard products, Logitech has a comprehensive mouse lineup, be it for gamers, notebook-toting road warriors, or power users who crave the highest performance. There’s arguably more Mac-compatible mice than keyboards too. In second place is Razer with 27% of the votes.

 

 

Best PC Components Retailer (Singapore) - Fuwell

Sim Lim Square has always been the go-to place for DIY enthusiasts building their own systems, as this is the mall that gathers numerous PC components retailers under the same roof. For the fifth straight year, you’ve voted Fuwell your favorite PC components retailer. Its 21% share is consistent with what it achieved last year. Its nearest rivals are Best Bargain and Best Buy, each getting about 13%.
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