Computer Shopper articles from April 2003

Computer Shopper archives from April 2003

Have it your way. (from the editor in chief).(customized computers)(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... A recent tour of a build-to-order PC vendor's manufacturing plant reminded me of how logical a process it is to put together a computer. Large manufacturers employ assembly lines of people to set up the chassis, screw in the motherboards, plug...

Profiles encouraged. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... I read with interest your December 2002 feature "PC Profiles" (p. 128). I liked that the story gave five configurations geared toward five different types of user. It also gave me a heads-up on offerings from manufacturers other than the...

Sweet system deal--but for whom? (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Regarding Asa Somers' review of the Microtel Sysmar710 ("Linux PC's Low Price Matches Its Performance," February, p. 46), I think he missed the point of buying such a machine. This system is sold through Walmart.com, which should make clear the...

Linux and windows, apples and oranges. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... I was encouraged to read your review of the Microtel Sysmar710, which comes preloaded with Linux instead of Windows. I would like to point out, however, that it is misleading and even inaccurate to rate the performance of the PC using...

New lock and key for music CDs. (Trends).(Microsoft Windows Media Data Session Toolkit)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Music companies haven't had much success in the war against peer-to-peer file-sharing services such as Kazaa and Morpheus. But now, thanks to new CD-copy-protection software from Microsoft (www.microsoft.com), record labels may soon be able to...

Intel and AMD put more speed in the pipeline. (Trends).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Intel (www.intel.com) will increase the Speed of its Pentium 4 chipset in the coming months, a change that will likely boost the performance of top-end PCs. According to sources close to the company, the chip maker is releasing a new...

Flat-panel sales curve upward. (Trends).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... Sales of flat-panel displays [for monitors, televisions, and portable devices] will continue to grow over the next several ears, according to market-research firm DisplaySearch. The company forecasts that b9 2006, more than 80 percent of all...

Microsoft sees SPOT run. (Trends).(Smart Personal Objects Technology)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Microsoft's (www. Microsoft.com) latest plan to improve your life revolves around wristwatches and refrigerator magnets. Slicked-up versions of these common objects will be based on the company's Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT)...

Intel's new mobile processor: a chip off the old clock. (Trends).(Intel Centrino)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Intel (www.intel.com) has launched its new Pentium-M processor, a low-power mobile. CPU developed under the name Banias, under the brand name Centrino. Intel claims Centrino CPUs, which will be bundled with a new chipset and wireless-networking...

Internet phone calls still on hold. (Trends).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... Sending voice over Internet Protocol lines (VolP) was supposed to be the next big telecommunications revolution, producing big savings for consumers. Yet despite advances in audio quality and convenience, the revolution is still stuck in first...

A new kind of mod. (Trends).(OQO developing Ultra-Personal Computer)
April 1, 2003... This could be the year of the modular mini-PC, if executives at a company called OQO have their way. OQO (www.oqo.com) is set to launch a beefy little model called the Ultra-Personal Computer that straddles the line between handheld and...

New disc format quells media-file madness. (Trends).
April 1, 2003... Storing hundreds of photographs on a CD is certainly convenient. But trying to find that one special picture in the mix is a special kind of torture--particularly--when using a consumer-electronics device rather than a PC. Microsoft...

Pop-up smackdown. (Trends).(more successful according to GartnerG2)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In-your-face advertising mag rankle most consumers, but it's almost always effective. So it's no surprise that while a recent GartnerG2 survey found a far greater percentage of Internet users were bothered b pop-up ads rather than...

Companies dash to unveil in-car devices. (Trends).
April 1, 2003... Data in your car has typically been an under-the-hood affair. Now, several companies have rolled out devices that not only put more data on your dashboard, but in some cases, let you shuttle data wirelessly from your home network to the garage...

New wireless standard shuts off HomeRF networking. (Trends).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A new day has dawned for one wireless standard, while the sun has set on another. Although it has yet to be officially approved by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), 802.11g is already emerging as the popular...

Providers snipping wires for broadband delivery. (Trends).(BellSouth testing wireless network)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... BellSouth (www.bellsouth. com) has started testing a powerful wireless network it believes can help bridge the nation's digital divide. The telephone and broadband provider is using so-called "fixed-wireless" equipment to deliver...

Flip, swivel, and smile: Sony CLIE PEG-NZ90. (Gear).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Ultrafunctional fashion: Gadget jugglers and aesthetes alike will appreciate Sony's coolly convergent $799 CLIE PEG-NZ90. The slick, swiveling handheld takes a high-powered Palm-based PDA with wireless capabilities and a full-function...

Put-it-through-hell cell. (Gear).(Nokia 5100)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Those who play [and talk) hard will appreciate Nokia's rugged 5100 [$150 to $200, depending on carrier). This cell's rubberized shell protects against bumps, dust, splashes, and the other inevitable consequences of extreme outdoor activity. The...

Most valuable player. (Gear).(Panasonic PalmTheater DVD-LX9 )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Panasonic has your multimedia bases covered with its $999.95 PalmTheater DVD-LX9. This portable device plays CD-Audio, DVD-Audio, DVB-Video, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, CD-R, and CD-RW discs. Its compact 9-inch display is perfect for propping on an...

Lite music. (Gear).(Azio Technologies MP306 digital media player)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Azio Technologies has kicked portability up a notch with its itty-bitty MP306 digital-media player. Not much bigger than the AAA alkaline battery that powers it, this small wonder weighs a mere 1.3 ounces and still packs an LED, equalizer, and...

Have drive, will travel. (Gear).(Shecom Ikebana USB 2.0)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Sure, Shecom's $259 40GB Ikebana USB 2.0 Slimline Hard Drive is eminently pocketable, but you could just as easily toss it in a backpack without a worry. Measuring less than an inch thick, this sleek 14-ounce unit is rugged, shock-resistant,...

Speak and see, sans pc. (Gear).(D-Link 12 eye DVC 1000 video phone)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Exploit your broadband connection to transform your boob tube into a video-chat box with D-Link's $299 12eye DVC 1000 VideoPhone. The 14-ounce set-top box connects directly to your television via standard REA-type audio and video cables, and...

Gab and groove. (Gear).(Skullcandy's Link)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Never miss a call--or a beat--with Skullcandy's $29.95 Link headphone system. The Link connects your portable music player and mobile phone, letting you hear an incoming call ring over even the most deafening ditty, You can answer the call with...

Search engines rank revenue over relevance. the first results from any search engine will be paid advertisements. here's what you need to know to find real results. (opinions).
April 1, 2003... THINK SEARCH-ENGINE REsults are spun by robotic, unbiased spiders crawling URLs for the most relevant data? In reality, it's a much more tangled Web. The first results of any search on sites such as AltaVista, Yahoo, MSN, Lycos, and even...

Will your next phone be a camera? Image quality may be lacking, but the combination cell phone/camera offers other features that will make it a must-have for gadget lovers. (opinions).
April 1, 2003... TIME WAS, IF YOU HAD A FLIP phone in one pocket and a compact digital camera in the other, you felt pretty good about your high-tech mojo. Now that new phones with built-in cameras or optional camera attachments have arrived, that confidence...

When will we see high-definition DVD? The coming standards battle over HD-DVD is likely to be the messiest of them all. (opinions).
April 1, 2003... ONE OF HDTV PROMOTERS' biggest concerns is whether the DVD-distribution medium will adapt to high definition anytime soon. This is a two- or three-step process, and nobody expects the transition to be bump-free. The capacity of an HD-DVD will...

Editor's top 5: computer shopper editors handpick this month's best desktops, notebooks, optical drives, printers, and software. (top 50).(Illustration)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... Editor's Top 5 Computer Shopper editors handpick this month's best desktops, notebooks, optical drives, printers, and software. EDITORS' PRODUCT RATING PRICE SPECS DESKTOPS...

OS makes strong PC/TV combo a less entertaining `center'. (Alienware Navigator Pro).
April 1, 2003... WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER Edition (MCE)--the operating system Microsoft designed specifically for entertainment-oriented PCs--begs for creative hardware, and that's precisely what it gets from Alienware. The company's $2,997 Navigator Pro packs...

System struts its stuff, both inside and out: ABS Ultimate M4.
April 1, 2003... WITH ITS POWERFUL 3D PERFORMANCE AND blazing application speed, the $2,868 ABS Ultimate M4 will have gamers and graphics gurus drooling. Only an unusual cabling issue quells our enthusiasm for this barn burner. Clear panels on the top and...

Low-cost modular PC is sure to please IT: Gateway E-4000 Special.
April 1, 2003... GATEWAY'S BUSINESS-MINDED E-4000 SPECIAL lacks both corporate software and standout performance, but its IT-friendly modularity and unimpeachable service give it an edge over the competition. The $1,179 E-4000's slim black case sits...

Midrange price belies high-end components: Systemax Venture XX U24R.
April 1, 2003... THE MOST ENTICING THING ABOUT THE SYSTEMAX Venture XX U24R is its marriage of quality and affordability The $1,599 system combines ATI's excellent Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card with a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 processor and 256MB of DDR333 memory. Aside...

PC burns DVDs, but not benchmarks: MPC Millenia 910A Professional.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... YOU WON'T GET A HOST OF TOP-TIER COMPOnents with the Millennia 910a Professional from MPC Computers (formerly MicronPC), but at $1,692, it's one of the least*expensive systems we've seen with a recordable-DVD drive. It also has an excellent...

Fully functional, yet extremely affordable: HP Compaq N1015v series.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... HEWLETT-PACKARD'S NEW Compaq Evo N1015v-series notebooks don't possess earth-shattering design or top-of-the-line components, but they get the job done and start as low as $849. Dollar for dollar, it's hard to beat this series' offerings. ...

A feature-rich notebook that won't leave you poor: Toshiba Satellite 1410 Series.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... TOSHIBA AMERICA IS BRANCHing out into the realm of budget laptops with its Celeron-based Satellite 1410 Series. These notebooks balance the seemingly incongruent needs of power users who demand speedy performance on the go but may not have much...

Full-featured power that works for hours: IBM Thinkpad R40.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... THE $2,258 IBM THLNKPAD R40 STRIKES A DISTINCTIVE profile with its state-of-the-art components and new ergonomic options, plus a legendary comfortable design. The ThinkPad's specs are quite beefy, with a 2.2GHz Pentium 4-M processor and...

Pushing the edge of thin and light: Sharp Actius MM10.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... SHARP ELECTRONICS MAKES THE CASE FOR SLIPping into a slimmer notebook even more tempting with its thinnest portable PC yet, the $1,499 Actius MM10. Neat and elegantly styled, the Actius measures 0.8x10x8.1 inches, tapering off to a...

Inexpensively priced and eminently pocketable: HP iPaq Pocket PC H1910.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IT MAY NOT PACK THE LATEST AND GREATEST handheld processor, but Hewlett-Packard's iPaq Pocket PC h1910 is the first Pocket PC we've seen that truly rivals the small size of the pocket-friendly Palm V. At $299.99, it's also relatively...

Roam around town with sweet sound: Echo Indigo.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... COMPARED WITH NOTEBOOK USERS, DESKTOP owners have enjoyed superior sound quality from their machines for quite some time. Seeking to address this inequity and scratch your itch for a more sonically pleasing laptop is the $99 Indigo from Echo...

Fancy features Abound in diminutive digicam: Pentax Optio 430RS.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... PENTAX U.S.A.'S 4-MEGAPIXEL OPTIO 430RS WILL appeal to novices who want a compact camera they can grow into. At $499, it's competitively priced for its class, but it lacks some manual options and ships with just 11MB of fixed internal memory....

Using your PC from afar can be expensive: Viewsonic Airpanel Smart Display V110.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... VIEWSONIC'S AIRPANEL SMART DISPLAY V110 LETS you work a short distance from your wireless-enabled PC to conduct sessions of e-mail, Web surfing, and other computing activities. Its convenience is undeniable, but for now, the $999 price will...

Recordable-DVD drive blazes new trail: Pioneer DVR-A05.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... THE PIONEER DVR-A05 DVD-R/DVD-RW DRIVE smokes all of its competitors when burning DVD movies to write-once media. Selling for less than $300, it's currently your cheapest option for converting VHS collections and storing home movies. Our only...

Sleek camcorder can imitate a camera: Canon Optura 200MC.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... CANON U.S.A, DESIGNED THE OPTURA 200MC TO BE a high-quality, midlevel MiniDV camcorder, as well as a competent digital still camera. It's not a true hybrid of a video camera and a still camera, but it's still a reasonable deal at $1,499. ...

External CD burner is speedy but bulky: LaCie USB 2.0 CD-RW 52x24x52.
April 1, 2003... AT ALMOST 4 POUNDS AND MEASURING THE SIZE of a cigar box, LaCie's external USB 2.0 CD-RW 52x24x52 CD-RW drive is a hefty accessory. But this $169 drive has some less obvious advantages, including support for USB 2.0 and grooves for a stackable...

Wide-screen LCD fails to shine: Sony personal entertainment display SDM-V72W.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... GAMERS, TV BUFFS, AND MEDIA JUNKIES, TAKE note: Sony Electronics' $999.99 Personal Entertainment Display SDM-V72W provides you with the tools you need to hook up multiple input devices, simultaneously, as well as watch HDTV or letterbox movies...

Power lines provide Plug-and-Play networking: Siemens Speedstream 2502 Powerline Ethernet Adapter.(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HOMEPLUG NETWORKING device with an edge, power your network with an unassuming little dynamo: the SpeedStream 2502 Powerline Ethernet Adapter from Siemens-owned Efficient Networks. The smallest of its kind, this...

A new image for wireless: low-cost and easy-to-use: Netgear MR814 802.11B Cable/DSL Wireless Router.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... AT JUST $157 DIRECT (AND AS LITTLE AS $100 through online resellers), Netgear's MRS14 802.11b Cable/DSL Wireless Router is an excellent value. Although its performance leaves some room for improvement, the MRS14 admirably serves beginners and...

An OS juggler for advanced partitioning: System Commander 7.(from V Communications)(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... FEW TASKS ARE MORE DAUNTING THAN JUGGLING multiple operating systems on a single PC. V Communications' $69.95 ($59.95 download) System Commander 7 helps you configure a single PC to run many different operating systems, but only brave-hearted...

Fast, flexible jukebox software lets it rip: Musicmatch Jukebox Plus 7.5.(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... THE LATEST VERSION OF MUSICMATCH'S FLAGSHIP product, Jukebox, capably helps you build and organize your digital music, create CDs, rip MP3s, and listen to your music. Plus, now you can sync up your audio library to your MP3 player in a matter...

Remote-access service limits your control: LapLink Everywhere 1.5.(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IF ALL YOU NEED TO STAY PRODUCTIVE ON THE ROAD is to transfer files and read e-mail between a Windows host and another Web-enabled device, you'll find LapLink Everywhere 1.5 to be a great download at $9.95 per month (or $89.95 per year) for up...

Grease monkey for geeks in one complete suite: System Mechanic 3.7.(from Iolo Technologies)(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... SYSTEM MECHANIC 3.7, A UTILITY-SUITE NEWCOMer, is beginning to look like a genuine contender against Symantec's market-dominating Norton SystemWorks. Although it still lacks some basic tools needed to challenge SystemWorks, the selection of...

Video software simplifies movie-making tasks: Roxio Videowave Movie Creator.(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... LOOKING FOR A LOW-END, EASY-LIKE-SUNDAY-MORNing video editor? Roxio's bare-bones $49.95 VideoWave Movie Creator comes closer than any product we've seen to making the process a no-brainer. If you just want attractive results in a hurry and...

Internet pests check in, but they don't check out: Pestpatrol 4.1.(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... WHEN YOU'RE ON THE INTERNET, YOU'RE VULnerable to all kinds of malicious code. Your antivirus software will weed out some of the Trojan horses, and your firewall will stop some hackers from getting inside your PC. But to rid your system of the...

Linux distribution is comprehensive but costly: Red Hat Linux 8.0 Professional.(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... WITH ITS SUPERB SUPPORT FOR THE GNOME environment and wealth of applications, the $149.95 Red Hat Linux 8.0 Professional continues its run near the top of the growing list of commercial Linux distributions. But installation is still a chore,...

Animal farm: Impossible Creatures.(Relic Entertainment)(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... Relic Entertainment, developer of the acclaimed sci-fi-themed real-time-strategy (RTS) game Homeworld, is back with Impossible Creatures. More than three years in the making, Impossible Creatures eschews Homeworld's serious tone for a more...

It's a small world: The Sims Online.(EA Games)(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... You might expect The Sims Online to be a guaranteed success, simply because it's the online version of the all-time-best-selling PC game. Although it does take everyone's favorite virtual computer people in an interesting new direction, you'll...

The industrious age: Europa 1400: The Guild.(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... Europa 1400: The Guild consists of several simple parts that add up to an intriguing whole. On its surface, it's a basic economic simulation. But on a deeper level, it's a strategy game about politics and ambition. It's a bit difficult to...

A one-ghost town: Silent Hill 2.(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... Like most games in the so-called "survival horror" genre, Silent Hill 2 has unintuitive puzzles, confusing camera angles, and sporadic violence. But while many such games draw inspiration from B-grade horror flicks (so the silliness and bad...

The right sites: know what you want to buy, but not where to get the best deal? These 48 sites deliver the goods. (Shopping For Technology).(Directory)
April 1, 2003... SHOPPING ONLINE FOR PC COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES CAN ELICIT A sensory overload rivaled only by trawling the Mall of America for a week. That kind of breathe-into-a-paper-bag, lie-down-with-a-washcloth-on-your-forehead queasiness is a natural...

Less is more. (Budget Desktops).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... In these days of 3GHz powerhouses, DVD burners, and wireless computing, mining the depths of vendors' value lines might not sound terribly appealing. But the budget systems we've seen so far this gear have consistently surprised us by including...

Spam slammers: tired of sifting through garbage e-mail? These antispam packages will take the trash out of your in-box. (Antispam Software).(Sunbelt Software's iHateSpam 3.2, MailFrontier's Matador 1.0.1, Network Associates' McAfee SpamKiller 4.0 )(Software Review)(Information Service Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... If you have an e-mail address, odds are you've been deluged with offers to lower your mortgage rate, increase your sex drive, earn a university degree, secure a government grant, make millions working part-time from home, or lose inches from...

Photo finish: we expose six photo printers to scrutiny to see if they're worth the extra expense over conventional inkjets. (Photo Printers).(HP Photosmart 7550 Photo Printer, Canon i850 Photo Printer, four others )(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... So you finally got a digital camera and you're looking to print some nice family photos. Regular inkjets can do the job, but you've been eyeing a pricier dedicated photo printer. Are these photo-oriented inkjets worth the extra cash? To...

A show of handhelds: with the Pocket PC's more affordable pricing, and Palm devices offering more functionality than ever, choosing a handheld PC is no simple task. (Shopping For A PDA).(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2003... If you still think of handheld PCs as little more than fancy electronic organizers, it's obvious you haven't picked one up in a while. Although the handy handheld excels at managing your appointments, contacts, e-mail, and even desktop...

Roadside VPN assistance: at home or in the field, the last thing you need is trouble connecting to the office. Here's how to keep the lines of communication open. (VPN Troubleshooting).
April 1, 2003... Have you ever experienced an overwhelming urge to hurl your laptop through a hotel window? The feeling often takes hold after an hour or so of unsuccessful attempts to access corporate e-mail. Of course, thanks to your hectic meeting schedule...

The hard edge: how to save the phone (and PC) industry; April silliness; and is copying a DVD wrong? (Alice & Bill).(Industry Overview)(Column)
April 1, 2003... AFTER YEARS OF ENDURING ceaselessly cutthroat competition, the phone industry has somehow managed to take a lucrative business and gut it one cent at a time. Alice has watched in horror as this vibrant, towering industry did everything it could...

Blueprint for PC builders: last month we took you on a shopping trip for all the parts you need to build a PC. Now it's time to put them all together and fire up your creation. (Tune-Up).
April 1, 2003... BUILDING YOUR OWN SYSTEM IS A GREAT way to realize your PC dreams, whether you want a souped-up speedster or an eco-friendly workhorse. Last month we focused on gathering the components. Now it's time to put them all together. Before you...

More power, please. (computer cures).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... I built my own computer with an Athlon CPU and an nVidia-based graphics card. Although the system works fine for most apps, when I try to play high-end 3D games, my display becomes corrupted and the system crashes. Normally, this happens within...

Preventing pesky pop-ups. (computer cures).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... I typically get a large number of pop-up ads while surfing the Web. Sometimes I see them before I even have a chance to launch my browser. What would you recommend to help eliminate these intrusive ads? Because you're seeing pop-up ads...

Help! My system got soaked. (computer cures).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Two of my computers were damaged by water after a fire in my apartment. Is it possible to clean my hard drives so I can retrieve data from them? Also, my 21-inch CRT monitor was damaged. Any chance of saving it? If the power was off when...

Sound audio advice. (computer cures).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... I'm having trouble with my motherboard's onboard sound. The sound from an audio CD is loud when I plug headphones into the front headphone jack, but output from speakers plugged into the motherboard jack is very faint. Plus, the Windows CD...

Data-saving disk tricks. (computer cures).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... When I switched computers, I saved some important files on 20 floppy disks. Now, I can't open files on about five of them. Is there anything I can do to retrieve my data? Floppy-disk makers will tell you that the data on a disk should last...

It's not hip to be square. (computer cures).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... I'm running Internet Explorer 6 and Outlook Express 6 on my Windows 98 SE PC. Some of the characters on Web pages and in HTML-based e-mails appear as small squares. When I copy the text (with squares) onto the Clipboard, it appears correctly,...

The net benefits of backing up. (tip of the month).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Not long ago, local area networks were the provinces of tech wizards. These days, even PC novices set up peer-to-peer networks in their homes to share broadband connections and other resources. These networks also present an excellent solution...

Combing the market for the perfect scanner: a hairdresser scans the horizon for a heavy-duty, Mac-compatible device that digitizes slides and documents with style. (Buying Advisor).(Epson America's Perfection 2400 Photo, Canon U.S.A.'s CanoScan 5000F USB Flatbed Scanner)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... BRENT LAVETT IS A PROFESsional hairstylist and co-founder of New York City's Lavett and Chin Apothecaries, a manufacturer of high-quality hair-care products. His all-natural potions have been getting a lot of great press lately, so Lavett seeks...

Tech shopping.(Directory)
April 1, 2003... abesofmaine.com Abe's of Maine Cameras and Electronics specializes in all types of cameras, with a healthy dose of audio and video electronics thrown in for good measure. You'll get a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on everything you buy,...

Consumersearch.com. (site Of The month).(Information Service Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... ConsumerSearch makes being an informed shopper virtually painless. This savvy site cuts your legwork by assembling reviews for a vast array of products from major print and online publications. Even better, ConsumerSearch analyzes, ranks, and...

Sites for audiophiles.(Brief Article)(Directory)
April 1, 2003... abtelectronics.com Do you crave a 400-disc CD player or a surround-sound speaker system? Abt Electronics, in business for 67 years, has 'em. You'll also find big-screen televisions, home appliances, and computer products, all with great...

Printer ink.(Brief Article)(Directory)
April 1, 2003... buyrhinotek.com Does your printer ink seem to dwindle faster than an endangered species? Rhinotek Computer Products sells inkjet cartridges for Canon, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Lexmark printers. UPS ground shipping is free, and a...

Direct PC vendors.(Directory)
April 1, 2003... abspc.com Expect gaming, multimedia, and business PCs aplenty at ABS Computer Technologies. The company offers a choice of Intel or AMD processors, a three-year parts and lifetime labor warranty, and toll-free technical support. Every...

Tech-support services.(Brief Article)(Directory)
April 1, 2003... answers.google.com Ask a question and specify how much you're willing to pay for the answer, then 500 Goggle Answers researchers will have at it. You can get a refund if you're dissatisfied with the response. Computer categories include...

PC resources.(Directory)
April 1, 2003... annoyances.org Does Microsoft Windows have you on edge? Visit Annoyances.org, where you'll find information about living peaceably with Windows. Tip-laden categories include Customizing, Reducing Clutter, and Troubleshooting. If Windows...

Travel sites.(Brief Article)(Directory)
April 1, 2003... expedia.com At Expedia, travelers can book flights, hotel rooms, cars, vacation packages, and cruises. The Fare Tracker tool keeps tabs on price changes on your favorite mutes and sends e-mail alerts. Free "Stuck at the Airport" guides...

Software sites.(Directory)
April 1, 2003... academicsuperstore.com If you can produce a student or faculty ID, you'll qualify for big discounts on software at Academic Superstore. Each product-info page includes a chart that shows who's eligible for the discounted price. If you find...

Copyright justice for whom? IP Justice founder Robin Gross says when it comes to copyright laws, the United States isn't quite the land of the free. (Newsmakers).(Interview)
April 1, 2003... ROBIN D. GROSS THINKS INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT laws are out of step with the people--so much so that the former Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney is launching a new watchdog group called IP Justice. Gross says she wants to make sure people...