Computer Shopper articles from August 2007

Computer Shopper archives from August 2007

Editor's note.(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... BEFORE WORKING ON THIS ISSUE'S build-a-desktop cover story with editors John Burek and Matthew Murray, I had never assembled a PC from the motherboard up. I've upgraded hard drives, RAM, graphics cards, and other components, as well as edited...

AMD, Intel set to boost speeds with new CPUs, chipsets.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... THE RIVALRY between AMD and Intel is heating up again, with both companies preparing to launch powerful new processors and chipsets. AMD is prepping its Phenom platform, which will develop native, "true" quad-core performance based on AMD64...

Trendspotting.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Gleemax' social networking site to cater to gamers)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Social networking sites like MySpace may be all the rage, but they've grown so large that nobody is truly socializing with one another. Make way for specialty sites that focus on specific topics, such as religion and hobbies. One upcoming site...

Dell brings the Inspiron name to its line of desktops.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... After more than a decade, Dell has ditched the Dimension brand name for its popular consumer desktops. The Texas-based computer maker will now sell mainstream consumer desktops under the Inspiron moniker, and its performance models will fall...

Intel, Apple get the toxins out.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... INTEL SAYS its future processors will be 100 percent lead-free starting with the company's series of 45-nanometer (nm) high-k metal gate (Hi-k) CPUs. Production of the 45nm Hi-k family, which includes the company's next-generation "Penryn" Core...

HP sees the future of printing: the Web.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... HEWLETT-PACKARD is looking to the Web for the next evolution in printing technology. Touting the initiative as "Print 2.0," HP notes that Web-based printing will soar to an estimated 53 trillion printed pages in 2010 alone, a business valued at...

Sony puts web access on LCD TV.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... To date, making your home entertainment system Internet-ready hasn't been easy because the setup typically involves clunky set-top boxes or hulking Media Center PCs. Media enthusiasts should take heart, however: Sony has a new solution that's...

DDR3's company.(NEW PRODUCTS: PCs)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Polywell is jumping right into the swing of things with the new DDR3 memory standard. (This memory consumes less power and runs faster than DDR2.) The $2,999 Poly P3503 uses it, making for a gaming machine as cutting-edge as the titles it...

Blu-ray to go.(NEW PRODUCTS: PCs)(Sony VAIO FZ)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Intel's Santa Rosa platform promises increased performance for laptops, but in the case of the Sony VAIO FZ, it also brings high-definition (HD) movies. The line's $1,999 premium model features a Blu-ray drive for watching, recording, and...

By the book.(NEW PRODUCTS PCs)(Dell Inspiron 1520)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Whether you need a spare system for around the house or one the kids can take to school, Dell's Inspiron 1520 fuses convenience, cost, and capabilities. Weighing less than seven pounds, this notebook (available in eight colors) ships equipped...

A PC for your TV.(NEW PRODUCTS PCs)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Users of Alienware's gaming PCs know the company never does anything halfway--and that's especially true of its Hangar18 HD Entertainment Center. Powered by an AMD Athlon X2 processor, this A/V-rack-ready PC can be configured with up to 2...

Video star.(NEW PRODUCTS: PCs)(Gateway M 150X)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... If you worry about finding yourself in a critical boredom situation, consider the Gateway M 150X. This laptop was designed to be a fully mobile entertainment hub, with its HDMI interface for full 1080p viewing, integrated Webcam, Windows Vista...

Keep your ion the game.(NEW PRODUCTS: PCs)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Radioactive PC wants to help everyone get in the game--regardless of their budgets. The company's new Ion is an entry-level gaming system with a price to match ($1,500). You'll get a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 E6320 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB...

ABS Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme: above-average performance for less.(REVIEWS: THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... THE ULTIMATE X8 STEALTH EXTREME is neither the least-expensive nor the highest-performance computer we've seen from ABS, but it's one of the company's best price-for-performance offerings. Our $3,774 test model isn't the fastest PC you can...

ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT: noisy, power-hungry choice for fast gaming on big screens.(THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... AFTER MONTHS OF ALLOWING nVidia to own the DirectX 10 (DX10) market with its GeForce 8000-series cards, ATI has finally launched its own DX10 card: the 512MB Radeon HD 2900 XT. It's priced at $399, the same as the 640MB version of nVidia's...

HP Compaq DX2300 Business PC: basic business PC is a sluggish performer.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THOUGH IT'S PRICED at $499, the HP Compaq DX2300 Business PC isn't much of a bargain. The bare-bones configuration we received seemed determined to prove that old axiom: You get what you pay for. In this case, that includes a 3.2GHz Pentium...

Acer Aspire L310: appealing price, performance for non-gamers.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THE $749 ACER ASPIRE L310 isn't just light on your wallet, it's also just plain light. At 2.4x9.8x7.9 inches and just six pounds, the L310 is only slightly larger than a Mac Mini, so it's a natural for use in tight quarters, as part of a Media...

Lenovo 3000 J115: an expandable entry-level PC.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... THE LENOVO 3000 J115 surprised us: It's a little PC that could, delivering lots of expandability at a reasonable $728 price. You don't get a floppy drive or monitor, but you do get a keyboard, mouse, and pair of functional powered speakers,...

Gateway FX530XT: jump on the HD DVD bandwagon.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... WE'RE STILL NOT SEEING many desktops with HD DVD drives, even performance machines outfitted with complementary hardware. So we were a bit surprised to see one on the Gateway FX530XT when the $4,479 test unit arrived. Otherwise, our...

Fujitsu LifeBook E8410: good-looking business laptop packs lots of power.(LAPTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... BUILT MORE FOR WORK than play, the Fujitsu LifeBook E8410 delivers cutting-edge security features and productivity prowess that will satisfy most business users. Housed in a classy-looking silver-and-black case, the 6.1-pound LifeBook...

Acer TravelMate 2480-2153: low-cost notebook is good for only basic tasks.(LAPTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THE ACER TRAVELMATE 2480-2153 is a no-frills laptop with a matching price. Don't expect impressive performance or many extras for your $539, but if you need a notebook for e-mail, Web surfing, and office apps, it will suffice. The...

Lenovo ThinkPad R61: capable thin-and-light excels at all but battery life.(LAPTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... THE FULL-FEATURED ThinkPad R61 would have its business thin-and-light competition beat if it wasn't for its disappointing battery life. The 5.6-pound R61 offers superior durability features, including a spill-proof keyboard and a...

HP Pavilion DV2500t: sleek notebook does media well.(LAPTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... HP'S SANTA ROSA-BASED Pavilion DV2500t delivers powerful parts and excellent performance in a slick-looking, multimedia-friendly package. We were less impressed with its battery life, however. Outfitted in a sleek, piano-black case, the...

Asus P5K3 Deluxe: excellent foundation for high-performance PCs.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... EDITOR'S CHOICE YOU'RE LOOKING for a performance edge when building your next PC, take note of the Asus P5K3 Deluxe. Asus is known for performance-oriented board designs and BIOS features, and the P5K3 Deluxe follows that tradition,...

PNY Verto GeForce 8600 GTS: DirectX 10 performance for the everyday gamer.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... THE $199 PNY VERTO GEFORCE 8600 GTS graphics card features the same 3D eye-candy support of the more-expensive GeForce 8800 series, but it costs $100 less than the least-expensive 8800 card and still offers plenty of power for gaming,...

Lexmark Z1420: great prints for the price, plus built-in Wi-Fi.(PERIPHERALS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THE $79.99 LEXMARK Z1420 is one of the least-expensive color inkjets we've seen with built-in Wi-Fi, and it offers performance and print quality on a level with wired-only printers that cost the same amount. Print quality was excellent on...

Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950: HDTV for $99--just add a PC.(PERIPHERALS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... WATCHING TELEVISION on your PC used to mean having to install a PCI-card TV tuner or connect a bulky external USB box. But with a compact dongle like Hauppauge's $99 WinTV-HVR-950, getting over-the-air broadcasts on your computer is as easy as...

Antec MX-1: a cool, quiet, and stylish external hard drive case.(PERIPHERALS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THE ANTEC MX-1 is a good-looking external hard drive enclosure that offers an unprecedented combination of noise reduction, cooling, and performance. With the MX-1, you can install your own Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive and use it for additional...

Western Digital My Book World Edition: access your files anywhere through the Web.(PERIPHERALS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... IF YOU'RE DISAPPOINTED by free online media-storage services that have slow speeds and cap your storage, Western Digital's My Book World Edition may be a better alternative. This $279.99 external drive gives you 500GB of secure, shareable...

Westinghouse LCM-22w3: a 22-inch basic view at a bargain price.(DISPLAYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THE WESTINGHOUSE LCM-22W3 is a 22-inch wide-screen LCD with a handsome minimalist design--but an equally basic feature set that doesn't always shine in performance tests. Nonetheless, this $349 monitor is a pretty sweet deal for average users....

ViewSonic VA1903wb: low-cost display delivers on performance.(DISPLAYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... WE GENERALLY DON'T HAVE high expectations for budget displays, so we were surprised when ViewSonic's $199 1903wb--a no-frills, 19-inch wide-screen model that's part of the company's Value Series line--turned in strong results in our tests. ...

Kodak EasyShare V803: takes great pictures at low ISOs.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THE 8-MEGAPIXEL KODAK EASYSHARE V803 offers easy operation, good image quality at lower ISO settings, and preset modes that take the guesswork out of adjusting for different lighting and activities. Considering the low $199.95 price, however,...

Canon PowerShot TX1: little hybrid cam shoots stills and HD video.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... CANON'S $499.95 POWERSHOT TX1 packs in 7.1-mega-pixel resolution and a 10x optical zoom lens, and it shoots high-definition (HD) video, too. To cram in all those features, though, Canon had to make some compromises. The camera is a trim...

T-Mobile Sidekick iD: budget messaging device is short on features.(CONSUMER TECH)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... IF YOU'RE LOOKING for a cheap, easy-to-use, no-frills messaging gadget, the T-Mobile Sidekick iD has plenty to offer, including a budget-friendly price: $100, after a mail-in rebate. The 6.2-ounce iD features a low-resolution...

Archos 404 Camcorder: great media player, poor shooter.(CONSUMER TECH)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... IGNORE ITS LOW-QUALITY VIDEO CAMERA: The Archos 404 Camcorder's nice price, beautiful screen, and excellent feature set make it a compelling portable media player. Encased in a stylish yet durable brushed-metal body, the $299.95 404...

Video editing for less: these two suites can help you turn your home movies into works of cinematic art.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... PINNACLE STUDIO 11 and Ulead Video Studio 11 have more in common than their version numbers. Both are low-cost, mature, full-featured video editors available in multiple versions to fit the needs of beginners and experts alike. The difference...

Microsoft Math 3.0: efficient extra help with math--at any level.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... AVAILABLE AS A SMALL DOWNLOAD from Microsoft's Web site for only $19.95, Microsoft Math 3.0 offers lots of tools for simplifying and clarifying math and science questions. You get a graphing calculator optimized for standard and linear...

BeInSync 3.0: free, multiple-computer data redundancy and backup.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... IF YOU'VE EVER suffered a major data loss, you know how catastrophic it can be to your work or home life, as well as your psyche. But even though modern operating systems (notably Windows Vista) make backing up easier than ever, the expense of...

Top 5 midrange desktops: these well-configured machines won't bust your budget.(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... 1 HP Pavilion Media Center m8000n www.hp.com $949.99 (as tested) Editors' Rating: (8.1) Specs * 2.66Hz Athlon 64 X2 5200+ * 2GB DDR2 memory * 500GB hard drive * Double-layer DVD [+ or -] RW drive *...

Top 5 gaming laptops: game on the go with these mobile powerhouses.(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... 1 Hypersonic www.hypersonic-pc.com $3,748 (as tested) Editors' Rating (8.5) [check] Specs * 2.6GHz Athlon 64 FX-60 * 2GB DDR * Two 100GB hard drives * Two double-layer DVD [+ or -] RW drives *...

Top 5 network-attached-storage devices: save and share files over a network with one of these versatile drives.(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... 1 Seagate Free Agent Pro FireWire 400/USB 2.0/eSATA www.seagate.com $340 Editors' Rating (8.0) Specs * 750GB capacity * 7,20Orpm spin rate * 8MB cache * USB 2.0, FireWire 400, eSATA ports * 2...

DIY desktops for any budget: it's easy to build a PC that will meet your needs--and your budget. Here's how we did it.(Cover story)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... Whether you re looking for an inexpensive computer to get you started in the build your-own world, a solid machine for everyday use for you and your family, or a desktop optimized for many of today's hottest games, you can build a PC that will...

Tech tools for school: ace your back-to-school shopping with these affordable campus essentials.(buyers guide)(Buyers guide)
August 1, 2007... Getting back into the school groove is tough enough, but heading off to campus without the right technology can make your studies even harder. Sure, most students could easily come up with a lengthy shopping list of must-have tools for...

Free vs. fee.(SOFTWARE SLUGFEST)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... Whether you're purchasing a budget desktop or investing in a fully equipped laptop, the spending doesn't stop with the hardware purchase. You Have to shell out some bucks for software to make that new PC truly useful. Or do you? You can...

Computer cures.(HELP & HOW-TO: TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE TECH EASIER)
August 1, 2007... REPORTER THWARTER How do I turn off Windows XP's Error Reporting? BOB BYRNE If you've ever had a crash in Windows XP (and who hasn't?), you're familiar with Windows Error Reporting. It pops up a dialog box when a software or...

Tapes and LPs, meet CDs and MP3s: transfer your old analog audio to discs or digital files--practically for free.(HELP & HOW-TO: WEEKEND PROJECT)
August 1, 2007... THAT STACK OF DISCO SINGLES (1977). Those college-band concerts you recorded on the sly (1987). That tape of your 4-year-old channeling Celine Dion ("My Heart Will Go On"--shudder--1997). You'll never part with them, but those tapes and LPs are...

Fan favorite.(Build Your Own: NEW PRODUCTS FOR BUILDING A CUSTOM PC)(Zalman ZM-MFC2)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The Zalman ZM-MFC2 strikes a nice balance between flash and function. Mountable in any 5.25-inch drive bay, this case-temperature monitor and fan-speed controller adds an unusual third function: a meter that shows power consumption in real...

Extreme graphics racer.(Build Your Own: NEW PRODUCTS FOR BUILDING A CUSTOM PC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Gaming fanatics, start your wallets. The PNY XLR8 GeForce 8800 GTX OG is a limited-edition DirectX 10-compatible graphics card that comes overclocked for extreme speed right out of the box. Both the shader and core clocks have been cranked up...

Power aplenty.(Build Your Own: NEW PRODUCTS FOR BUILDING A CUSTOM PC)(Thermaltake Toughpower Gable Management 1000W)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Extra-big power demands call for an extra-hi power supply. Thermaltake's $329.99 Toughpower Gable Management 1000W comes ready for just about any conceivable modern configuration, whether it uses quad-core CPUs, multiple dual-GPU graphics...

It's all cool.(HELP & HOW-TO: BUILD YOUR OWN)('RAM Fan' and 'PCI Cooling Booster')(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... If your graphics cards rely on passive cooling--or you're a memory-overclocking fiend--two fans from CoolIT might be your cool new friends. The RAM Fan ($19.99, top) mounts over your memory modules to direct airflow straight onto them, while...

Keep (and cool) a low profile.(HELP & HOW-TO: BUILD YOUR OWN)(Freezer 64 LP )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Compact PCs present special cooling challenges. The $24 Freezer 64 LP from Arctic Cooling lays low to clear the low-slung lid of a small-form-factor (SFF) or slimline Media Center case. Its two vertically oriented cooling fans whisk heat away...

Ready-for-anything RAM.(HELP & HOW-TO: BUILD YOUR OWN)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Overclocked, low-latency RAM is the last hardware frontier for most speed freaks, and U.S. Modular's got the specs they seek: 800MHz or 1,066MHz. Its Cold Fusion overclocked DDR2 RAM modules come in either speed and get tested at extremes of...

Budget laptops (less than $1,000).(NEED TO KNOW)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... PROCESSOR Many budget notebooks ship with a low-powered Intel Celeron or AMD Sempron processor. More-powerful processors, such as AMD's Turion 64 and Intel's Core Duo and Core 2 Duo, are starting to trickle down into budget models, however....

Desktop memory.(NEED TO KNOW)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... RAM AMOUNT The more memory you have, the better your PC will handle running multiple applications at once. If you have Windows XP, you can get away with 512MB, but 1GB is the minimum for any version of Windows Vista--and if you have one of the...

Wi-Fi routers.(NEED TO KNOW)
August 1, 2007... NETWORKING STANDARD 802.11g is the current standard for home networks, having replaced the slower 802.11b. 802.11g is also compatible with 802.11b, so you can use it with older equipment running that standard. 802.11a has speeds similar to...

The right inkjet printer.(HELP & HOW-TO: BUYING BASICS HOW TO BUY)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... It can't beat a laser printer on speed, but an affordable mainstream inkjet printer--one designed to output text and graphics documents, as well as photos--will top an entry-level color laser in photo-output quality. Here's what you need to...