Year in Review: Top 10s of 2009

Everybody loves a list (we've got the stats to prove it).

Whether it's a quick and easy way to rank tech tools and gadgets, or an argument for why open source might be right for your business, it's handy to be able to cut through to the core of what you need to know: what are the options out there, and which is the best.

In case you missed any of them, here’s our top 10 list of our best top 10 lists of the year – don’t think about it too hard, okay?

A buyer's guide to the top 10 netbooks

Netbooks have been one of the big success stories of the tech sector over the past two years. As the recession took hold, the cheap and cheerful form factor was one of the main areas of growth for PC retailers.

In this feature, we run down the many choices out there, and help you pick the best one to buy. Also check out our guides to laptops, smartphones, and must-have gadgets.

The top 10 Microsoft Windows 7 features

The release of Windows 7 was one of the biggest stories of the year. Any new Microsoft operating system is a news-worthy event, but this one attracted headlines by actually being pretty good.

The shiny new OS introduced a host of new features, including faster speeds, better compatabilty, and more. As our writer noted at the time: “Some are small, and some are major, but taken all together it makes for the most exciting upgrade for Windows users since the arrival of Windows XP.”

Top 10 iPhone business apps

As Apple’s adverts like to promise, there’s an iPhone app for everything. While the iconic handset first arrived as a consumer handset, it’s been firmly welcomed by business users – and not just because it’s the must-have gadget of the past few years.

Not all the two billion-plus downloads from the App store are for games. Many developers have created impressive business productivity applications, letting you work on the go. Here’s our list of the top 10 free and paid-for business apps for the iPhone.

Top of the flops: 10 pieces of tech that died before they’d lived

When we go on and on about the iPhone and other successful gadgets, it’s easy to forget how many devices fail completely. We run down the top tech flops that never really took off – and for good reason, too.

10 reasons to use open source in business

Open source is seen as a good option for businesses because it’s often cheaper than propretary alternatives, but there are many other reasons to consider it too.

Quality and security come into play, as does better interoperability. But of course, a lower total cost of ownership doesn’t hurt, either.

A buyer's guide to the top 10 smartphones

It seems like there’s a new smartphone coming out every week lately, all with different operating systems like Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian.

With this buyer’s guide, we unravel the features and specs to help you make the right decision from the iPhone, HTC Hero and more.

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