A collection of the websites, tools and services we use, trust and recommend. Some are handy utilities we reach for every day, others are places we turn to for parts, information or support. All of them are worth a look.
Software & Tools
DWService
www.dwservice.netFree, open-source remote support software. This is the tool we use for remote assistance — it works through your browser, requires nothing permanent installed, and you can end a session at any time.
BleachBit
www.bleachbit.orgA free system cleaner for Windows and Linux. It wipes the files you don't need and didn't know you had — caches, temporary files, browser history — freeing up disk space and helping protect your privacy. A genuinely useful bit of housekeeping.
Apache OpenOffice
www.openoffice.orgThe free, open-source office suite from the Apache Software Foundation. Writer, Calc, Impress and more — fully compatible with Microsoft Office documents, and completely free to download and use.
Void Linux
voidlinux.orgAn independent, rolling-release Linux distribution built from scratch rather than forked from another distro. Fast, stable, and refreshingly simple — one for the more adventurous Linux user.
Linux Mint
www.linuxmint.comThe friendly Linux desktop. Designed to work out of the box, it comes fully equipped with everything most people need — and it's the one we'd point a Windows user toward first if they wanted to try Linux.
GIMP
www.gimp.orgThe GNU Image Manipulation Program. A free, open-source alternative to Photoshop for photo retouching, composition, and graphic design. It has a learning curve, but the price is right and the feature set is genuinely serious.
The Chromium Project
www.chromium.orgThe open-source browser project behind Chrome and many other browsers. If you want the engine without the Google account tie-in, Chromium itself is worth a look.
Mozilla Firefox
www.firefox.comThe fast, private browser from Mozilla. Built by a non-profit rather than a data-hungry corporation.
Mozilla Thunderbird
www.thunderbird.netThe free, open-source email client that has been around for over 20 years. It works with your existing accounts, keeps your mail on your own machine. Does email, calendars and news feeds without asking for a subscription.
Parts & Suppliers
Scan Computers
www.scan.co.ukOne of the UK's largest and longest-established component retailers. We use them for everything from a single stick of RAM to a full set of build components — solid stock levels and reliable delivery.
The Pi Hut
www.thepihut.comThe UK's best-known Raspberry Pi and maker retailer. If you need a Pi, a Pico, a HAT, or anything Pi related, this is the hut to hit.
Pimoroni
shop.pimoroni.comSheffield-based makers of Raspberry Pi accessories and their own microcontroller kit, designed and assembled in-house. A great companion to The Pi Hut for anyone tinkering with Pis and Picos.
PC Specialist
www.pcspecialist.co.ukUK-based build-to-order systems — laptops, desktops and gaming rigs configured to your spec. A good option if you'd rather have someone else do the assembling, with a proper UK warranty behind it.
Overclockers UK
www.overclockers.co.ukOne of the best-known UK enthusiast hardware retailers, with a strong range of high-end components, cooling and pre-built gaming systems. A good place to compare prices before committing to a build.
CCL Computers
www.cclonline.comBradford-based retailer with a long track record in the UK market. Competitive pricing on components and their own pre-built systems — worth checking alongside Scan when pricing up a build.
Novatech
www.novatech.co.ukPortsmouth-based, and unusual in that they both sell components and manufacture their own custom systems, workstations and servers. Useful when you want a supplier who understands the whole build, not just the parts list.
Quiet PC
www.quietpc.comYorkshire-based specialists in silent and fanless computing — quiet coolers, fanless power supplies, soundproofing, and fully silent builds. The UK name to know if noise matters to you.
Further Reading
Alterslash
alterslash.orgSlashdot without the noise. Alterslash pulls the most interesting stories from Slashdot and strips out the editorial clutter, leaving a clean, readable feed of tech news and discussion. Ideal if you like the Slashdot community but not the front page.
The Register
www.theregister.comEnterprise IT news with a distinctly British sense of humour. The Register covers the serious end of the industry — enterprise systems, security, vendor trouble — with the cynicism it deserves. A daily must-read for anyone working in IT.
Ars Technica
arstechnica.comLong-form technical journalism for people who want the why, not just the what. Deep reporting on security, hardware, policy and science, written by people who actually understand the subject. Slower than a news feed, and better for it.
BleepingComputer
www.bleepingcomputer.comPractical security and malware news, plus a genuinely helpful tutorials section. Often the first place to report a new ransomware strain or a Windows update breaking something — the kind of news that's actually useful to a working sysadmin.
The Hacker News
thehackernews.comDedicated cybersecurity news covering vulnerabilities, exploits and threat intelligence. Nothing to do with Y Combinator's Hacker News despite the name — this one is squarely focused on keeping you informed about the security cycle.
ZDNET
www.zdnet.comA long-established IT news site covering enterprise software, hardware and practical tech advice. Broader and a little more consumer-adjacent than The Register, but a reliable catch-all for what's happening in the industry.
O.K COMPUTER provides these links as a convenience, and because we genuinely think each site is worth your time. Once you click away from this page, though, you're in someone else's hands: we don't control, maintain or endorse the content on any external site, and we can't be responsible for anything you find there — including content that's inaccurate, out of date, or changes after we've linked to it. Any purchase, agreement or dealing you have with a third-party site or supplier is between you and them.