Tried and tested: the best gadgets to boost productivity

From Apple’s new MacBook to Microsoft’s lightest laptop, we’ve tried the top gadgets and these are the best ways to boost your productivity (without caffeine).

There are many ways to boost your productivity. These are some of the best that don’t require coffee.

APPLE MACBOOK PRO (2022)

Apple’s smallest pro laptop gets a power boost

$1999-$2299, apple.com/au

Apple released a 13-inch MacBook Pro laptop with M2 chip in June 2022.

PROS

– Speedy new M2 chip

– Better graphics performance

– 17-hour battery life

CONS

– No design changes

– Modest upgrade for M1 owners

– Webcam not full HD

Sit this new MacBook Pro beside its 2021 predecessor and you won’t be able to tell the difference. That changes, however, when you fire them up. Apple’s newest laptop is the first to debut with an M2 chip inside, boasting an extra four million transistors on the M1, a higher CPU clock speed, up to 35 per cent more graphical grunt, and greater memory bandwidth. Users will notice the changes most when powering up demanding games, video and photo-editing software, and opening multiple apps at once, triggering its advanced cooling system. This small Pro is not as powerful as its M1 Pro and M1 Max siblings, but it’s quite the handful.

VERDICT: ★★★★½

MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP GO 2

The baby of Microsoft’s family grows up a little more

$1099-$1299, microsoft.com

PROS

– Slim, travel-friendly form

– Fingerprint sensor option

– Touchscreen display

CONS

– Limited grunt

– Not the latest chip

– Webcam not full HD

There’s a lot to like about the new baby of Microsoft’s laptop family. Designed for those who need a basic or travel-friendly computer, this model is the lightest of the bunch, at 1.1kg, but packs in a full-sized keyboard with plenty of travel beneath its keys, a generous touchpad, and USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting accessories. Unlike its slim Apple rival, this model also features a 12.4-inch touchscreen, and it comes in four colours including the new Sage. It doesn’t feature the latest Intel chip or a full high-definition display or webcam, but its price reflects that.

VERDICT: ★★★½

AMAZON EERO 6+

An easy way to ensure Wi-Fi reaches the corners of your home

$479, amazon.com.au

PROS

– Very easy to set up

– Supports speeds up to 1Gbps

– Covers up to 460 sqm

CONS

– Requires Amazon account

– Security extras cost extra

– Big outlay

If your home Wi-Fi signal doesn’t reach your computer, these three white boxes could boost your productivity and reduce swearing. Amazon’s new Eero 6+ Mesh Wi-Fi system is its cheapest to handle internet speeds of up to a gigabit per second and is pleasingly simple to install. One plugs into your router, while the other two are placed around the home to create a network and boost its signal. The system can be established in minutes, will cover up to 460 sqm, and its app will let users test their speed and the network’s reliability. Security extras, such as threat detection, will cost extra though.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 stars

XENCELABS PEN TABLET

A design and editing kit for your existing computer

$340-$470, xencelabs.com

PROS

– Cheaper than Wacom rival

– Connects wirelessly

– High-quality hardware

CONS

– Costly accessory

– Specific uses

– Recharge daily

If you’re planning to step up your graphic design skills, or you just want to be able to finely edit photos without wrangling a mouse, Xencelabs delivers a new option. The Wacom competitor has small and medium-sized Pen Tablets that come packaged with two pens (including a thin stylus normally sold separately) and, in its bundles, a control unit that lets users program their own shortcuts in to suit the graphics program they’re using. These can include a quick undo option, for example, or way to save. The tablet and pens are well made, simple to use, and undercut its major competitor.

VERDICT: ★★★★

LOGITECH PEN

A way to unlock more features in your Google Chromebook

$115, jw.com.au

PROS

– Designed for Chromebooks

– Spill and drop-proof form

– Rechargeable battery

CONS

– Not for all Chromebooks

– Comes without charger

– Pricey for a stylus

Budget-friendly Google Chromebooks are gaining popularity and this simple accessory can unlock new features inside them. The Logitech Pen is a stylus that works with Chromebooks that are Universal Stylus Initiative-certified, allowing users to scribble on their touchscreens’ to take notes, make selections, or draw objects. The tool is lighter than a Microsoft Surface Pen and easier to use than an Apple Pencil, thanks to an ergonomic rubber grip. Its rechargeable battery promises 15 days’ use between charges, and it responds to different levels of pressure for sketching.

VERDICT: ★★★½

Originally published as Tried and tested: the best gadgets to boost productivity