Computer Shopper articles from January 2001

Computer Shopper archives from January 2001

Computer Shopper 2001.(Editorial)
January 1, 2001... Longtime Computer Shopper readers know that 2000 has been quite a year for our magazine. The Internet has changed everything about "computer shopping," ranging from how you conduct initial product research, to the kinds of products you buy, to...

Feedback.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2001... It's in Here! I'm surprised you didn't mention any voice-portal technologies in your "Top 100" New Technologies section (November, p. 158). Is this a so-so sector? I was under the impression it's going to be the up-and-coming technology....

Coming Next Month.(Editorial)
January 1, 2001... Affordable Mobility Whether you're a road warrior or a civilian on the move, you don't have to spend a lot to buy a great laptop. Today's budget notebooks offer faster processors, better graphics, and larger hard drives than last year's...

'Tis the Season for Returns And Retribution.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... Past holiday seasons have underscored the uncertainties of e-commerce. And while this year brings no guarantees of fault-free shopping, you can take a few steps to avoid sweating out the final days of the season-or at least get retribution in...

Air Miles, Ground Goods.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... You've earned a fat stash of frequent-flyer miles by enduring jam- packed planes, shoddy customer service, and innumerable delays. Do you really want to get back on a plane to spend your miles? Get on the Web instead and put those miles to...

Truly Trashed E-Mail.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... One of the scariest things about e-mail is that it never really goes away. Dragging old messages into the trash bin is no guarantee that they're gone for good, especially in corporate environments. That fact has opened up a market for secure...

Gambling Seeks a Stake on the Web.(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
January 1, 2001... To many, online gambling is a seemingly harmless pastime for Web surfers. All you need is a credit card and an Internet connection to have a go at hitting the e-jackpot. Governments, however, aren't so sure this is a good idea. In fact,...

Sifting Swiftly Through the Fares.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... Just about every travel site trumpets its talents at finding the cheapest, most accurate airline fares in a flash. Many are good, but they're built on vexing, archaic architecture that's simply much too complicated to maneuver. A new...

Easy on The Ears.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Audio files are on everyone's ears these days, from MP3 to WMA to good old-fashioned streaming audio. Finding and downloading those files, however, can be a chore. Voquette (www.voquette.com) offers a great solution. The Voquette Web site...

Web Around the World.(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Think Americans are the most wired of all? Guess again. While 66 percent of U.S. citizens have Net access at home or work, the Web surf is up for 74 percent of Swedes. Other findings from an American Express survey of 11,410 people in 10...

Photo Shopping.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... You probably know someone with a digital camera who can shoot your next party, banquet, or reunion, then post the images to a public Web site. Chances are, however, you don't know a professional photographer who can do the same. One company has...

A Virtual Collection Of Catalogs.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... Buying six items from six online stores usually means entering your address and credit-card number six times-not to mention dealing with the idiosyncrasies of a half dozen different shopping-cart systems. A new site called MyOnlyCatalog.com...

Printing in Public, Wirelessly.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... Now Axis Communications (www.axis.com) is suggesting a new approach to mobile printing with a technology that takes advantage of wireless networking technologies to allow portable devices to print to a public printer. Axis plans to debut...

Hard Work Finding a PlayStation2.(Product Information)
January 1, 2001... If only Sony could press the Reset button on the history of its PlayStation2 game machine, an elusive holiday gift that is still playing hide-and-seek with shoppers. In late September, Sony announced that it would be unable to ship the...

Wireless Data, Warp Speed.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Can't wait for broadband wireless to roll out over the next few years? You may not have to: A fledgling firm named ArrayComm has developed technology that promises to deliver by midyear wireless data at speeds of up to 1Mbps. "The key is...

Connect the Dots.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... DoDots is betting that the future of the Internet is dot-size. The company has developed a technology that delivers small packets of Web information, called Dots, straight to your desktop. Any content that can be displayed or run from a Web...

Value Line: Inkjet Printers.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... A selection of inkjets found on computershopper.com Canon BJC-1000 $39 Parallel interface, 360x360 resolution, 4 ppm black, 0.6 ppm color, 50- page paper tray Epson Stylus Color 670 $86 Parallel/USB interface, 1,440x720...

Scholarship Funds for Small Dot-Coms.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... Application service provider EBZ.com has formed a not-for-profit division to award scholarships to small-office and home-office business owners. The SOHOcollege.com (www.sohocollege.com) division awards four to 10 business owners...

Elingo Makes 'Internet' a Universal Language.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... The Internet has excelled at breaking down geographic barriers, but language barriers on the Net still prevail. Elingo (www.elingo.com), along with a handful of other Internet translation companies, hopes to change that. Elingo's...

Consumers Tiring of Opt-In E-Mail - Elingo removes Internet language barriers.
January 1, 2001... Once revered for its affordability, opt-in e-mail could become a victim of its own popularity. A recent report by e-business research firm eMarketer (www.emarketer.com) revealed that average click-through rates for the vehicle, also known as...

Computer Shopper's Essential Guide: Buying PCs.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... Picking a PC That Works (or Plays) for You To choose the right PC, get a clear idea of the tasks you'll need the PC to perform, and the features necessary to successfully complete them. (For a comprehensive selection of PC reviews, go to...

Computer Shopper's Essential Guide: Buying Notebooks.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... Pinpointing the Perfect Portable To choose the right notebook PC, get a clear idea of the tasks you'll need the laptop to perform and the features necessary to successfully complete them. The specs break down pretty well according to...

The Stuff You Want.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... Grab Some Style Slim, stylish, and colorful, the $499.99 Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 is likely to make gadget hounds turn green with envy when you whip it out. Available in five playful hues and aimed squarely at fun-loving mobile- device...

Computer Shopper's Best Buys.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2001... New products representing the best value, performance, and technology we've seen. Games Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion Zdnet Price-it Code34061 A better way to build empires This add-on to last year's...

The Network Strikes Back - The LAN was working (I swear!) but then...not. Hello, tech support.
January 1, 2001... If you read my column last month, you may recall that my upgraded PCs and HomePNA network were humming (though I was grumbling about the time I spent on the project). There was a small problem, though. If the upstairs PC (the modem server)...

Telework's Future Looks Bleak - Young dot-com bosses with big egos are closing their minds to the benefits of working from home.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... Just a few years ago, we heard a lot about telecommuting-what many now call "telework." It was the answer to numerous social and workaday problems, including traffic snarls, the need for flextime for working moms, and expensive office space. In...

Shopping for Information - In the post e-commerce world, advice may be what visitors will pay for.(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
January 1, 2001... Data, data everywhere, and not a byte to eat. We've all felt this way after searching the Web in vain for information. For instance, I recently spent hours online pricing CAT 5 cable and wall jacks, and reading about new hub/router combinations...

Does the PDA Have a Future? In their present form, PDAs are not ready for the mainstream consumer market.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... Apple's 1993 launch of the Newton, the first pen-based PDA, was a milestone in the evolution of computing. The idea of a handheld device that could serve as a constant companion to store personal information was compelling, even if the Newton...

Computer Shopper's Essential Guide: Buting Printers.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... Getting the Perfect Printer Inkjet or laser? 600 dpi or 1,200 dpi? Considering the large number of printers available, it's essential to understand your needs before putting down money on one of your PC's most important peripherals....

Computer Shopper's Essential Guide: Buting.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... Getting the Perfect Printer Within the last year, true photo-quality inkjets have stormed the market, accompanied by superior resolution, lower cost, and long- lasting inks. Even some professional-quality inkjets are now available at...

Tiny Millennium Wave 800: Make a Wireless Splash With a Tiny Wave.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... You won't find any particularly innovative or high-tech components in Tiny Computers' Millennium Wave 800. In fact, it's a conservative performer for an 800MHz Pentium III computer. But Tiny has imbued this $1,799-direct system with a rather...

Dell Dimension 8100: Enter a New Age in Computing Power.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Less than six years ago, a 100MHz Pentium processor seemed like the last word in CPU power. But today's power users can get 15 times that processing speed-and a lot more-in a Dell Dimension 8100 PC, a $3,379- direct system powered by Intel...

Toshiba V3300D: Toshiba 'White Box' PC: The Frill Is Gone.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... How much should a company spend for a quality, no-frills desktop? If you pay too little, you may have to replace the system before its time. If you spend too much, the cost cuts into your company's bottom line. Like other PC manufacturers,...

Kodak DC4800 Zoom Digital Camera: Memories by the Megapixel.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... The Kodak DC4800 Zoom Digital Camera almost has it all: superior image quality, ample features, and good ease of use. If you can overlook two obvious flaws-unfocused macro shots under indoor lighting, and a body design that won't let you change...

Samsung ML-4500: A Laser Printer For Less Green.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Prices for personal inkjet printers have gotten so low, you can almost think of them as "disposable" printers. Now, Samsung Electronics America has introduced what may be the first disposable laser printer, the ML-4500, which has an estimated...

Maxtor DiamondMax 80: Putting the Byte On PC Storage.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... If you want a digital warehouse for your AV files or Web downloads, Maxtor Corp.'s new DiamondMax 80 will hold more than any other hard drive-81.9GB-and do it for less money. In fact, its list price of $299.95 translates to today's lowest cost...

Umax AstraNet e5470: Scanning Over The Rough Spots.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... To stand out from the crowd, a flatbed scanner needs more than just sky-high optical resolution, push-button operation, and an affordable price. Witness Umax Technologies' $199-estimated AstraNet e5470, which delivers all that, plus...

Matrox Millennium G450: Dual-Display Is Better Than One.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... After falling behind its competitors in the 3D-acceleration race, Matrox Graphics has focused most of its efforts on the corporate space- specifically on its economical dual-display capabilities, which debuted in 1999 with the Millennium G400...

Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 Ultra: Latest GeForce Chip Is a Killer.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... With dazzling 3D capabilities and frame rates, Creative Labs' 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 Ultra is clearly the fastest graphics card around. And with an estimated price of $499, it's also among the most expensive. The Annihilator 2 is the...

Toshiba Portege 3480CT: Paying the Price For Fast and Light.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... One wouldn't expect a 3.4-pound notebook to deliver leader-of-the-pack performance and battery life worthy of a mini-Methuselah. So we were all but amazed at the results posted by the Toshiba Portege 3480CT. We were equally astounded by its...

Compaq Presario 14XL240: Sharp Looks, Dull Display.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... With its molded edges, translucent plastic trim, and metallic finish, the $1,650 Compaq Presario 14XL240 certainly makes a striking visual statement. This entry-level silver-and-black wonder aims to attract home users who are both style- and...

Gateway Solo 5300CX: The Perfect Balance of Power, Performance.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Indecisive notebook shoppers, let go of your mouse and look no further. The new Solo 5300CX from Gateway delivers the perfect compromise between easy-on-the-shoulders portability and muscular desktop- replacement power. For an...

IBM ThinkPad A21p: Extreme Computing, Supremely Engineered.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... If Darth Vader needed a notebook, he'd probably buy the IBM ThinkPad A21p. With its high-tech industrial design, the $3,699 A21p looks like it would be perfectly at home in the hands of the Dark Lord. With its powerful 850MHz Pentium III and...

Creative Nomad Jukebox: 150 Audio CDs, Less Than a Pound.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Creative Labs' Nomad Jukebox wouldn't be out of place in the lab of James Bond's gadgetmaster, Q. "The case looks like that of a typical portable CD player, 007," he'd say. "But inside is a 6GB hard drive that stores more than 100 hours of...

Nokia 7190: A Phone and PDA In One Handy Device.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Want to check voice mail, schedule a meeting, and download the latest sports scores, all with a single device? Take a look at the Nokia 7190, Nokia's first WAP-compliant cell phone. Though surfing the Internet from a cell phone is still rather...

ACDSee 3.1: Click Here for A Better View.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Organizing and viewing the myriad media files on your PC is easy with ACDSee 3.1, a handy little program with an efficient interface and an abundance of goodies-such as speedy photo adjustment, versatile contact-sheet output, batch-file...

Complete MasterCook Suite 6.0 Featuring Betty Crocker: Turn on Your PC And Get Cooking.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... You probably don't need software to keep your recipes organized, but SierraHome's latest version of MasterCook does a lot more than coordinate your yellowed newspaper clippings and scrawled index cards. You can use it to import and scale...

Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 2001: Referencing the Next Millennium.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Though the traveling encyclopedia salesman is long gone, a good set of reference materials is still important. For $74.95, Microsoft Corp.'s Encarta Reference Suite 2001 puts more than 225,000 articles, 80,000 sound clips, and 25,000 photos...

Macromedia Flash 5: Animate Web Sites In a Flash.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... By combining quick-loading vector graphics with a drag-and-drop interface, Macromedia Flash has become the leading choice among professional Web designers for adding movement and sound to otherwise lifeless Web sites. Though Flash 5 is more of...

AnyWhereMobile: Access Your PC At Any Time.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... If you've ever arrived at a client's office only to discover you left an important file on your home PC, you may want to check out AnyWhereMobile. With AnyWhere Mobile and a Web connection, the data on your PC is available over the Internet....

Booktailor: Travel in Your Own Style.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... Most travel books are filled with both useful and useless information. Wouldn't it be great if you could design your own travel guide, tailored to your interests and the places you'll be visiting? That's the idea behind Booktailor, a U.K.-based...

Crimson Skies: Pulp Fiction In the Skies.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Editors' Rating: 7.8 It's the 1930s, an age of aerial swashbucklers and dramatic air battles between zeppelins. Well, not in our reality, but that's the way life is in the universe of Crimson Skies-along with stunts, last-second rescues,...

Radio Control Racers Deluxe: Traxxas Edition: Get Back On Track.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... If you're not feeling the need for speed and you've had enough midtown madness, perhaps you're ready for racing on a smaller scale. Sierra Attractions' Radio Control Racers Deluxe: Traxxas Edition takes you to farms, backyards, amusement parks,...

Age of Empires II: The Conquerors expansion: To the Victor Go the Spoils.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... It's quickly obvious that this is not your typical "more missions and a few new units" expansion pack. The Conquerors Expansion adds fundamental improvements to Age of Empires II's gameplay that make it worth owning even if you haven't finished...

NHL 2001: The Coolest Game on Ice.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Editors' Rating: 8.4 In the PC-hockey arena, EA Sports is competing with itself. The company's latest, NHL 2001, is another masterpiece, albeit one that's only marginally better than NHL 2000. New teams, more customization features, and...

20 Ways To Shop Smart Online.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... Make Your Connection Secure Before you submit any sensitive or private information about yourself- especially your credit-card number-make sure that the data will be encrypted and transmitted over a secure connection. Both your browser and...

The Shopper's Choice Awards.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... Anyone who reads Computer Shopper on a regular basis already knows what we consider the best computer products, services, and places to buy gear. But once a year we turn the tables and ask you, our readers, to tell us about your preferences. By...

The Shopper's Choice Awards: Best Computer Systems.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2001... Performance Desktop: Dell Dimension XPS B Dell Computer Corp. began an impressive winning streak in this year's polling by earning the Best Performance PC award for its blazingly fast Dimension XPS B line. Packed with top-shelf technologies...

The Shopper's Choice Awards: Best Peripherals.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Monitor: Sony Multiscan CPD-200SF (CPD-E200) Our readers' favorite monitor of the year was Sony's razor-sharp Multiscan CPD-200SF, a 17-inch model based on a superb vertically flat Trinitron CRT. Offering a 15.9-inch viewing area,...

The Shopper's Choice Awards: Best Software.(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2001... Office-Productivity Application: Microsoft Office 2000 Professional It's no surprise that readers once again selected the ubiquitous Microsoft Office 2000 as their favorite office-productivity application. The only difference is that this...

The Shopper's Choice Awards: Best Places to Buy.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2001... Best Place to Buy Desktop PCs: Dell Computer Corp. Buying a new PC? Computer Shopper readers think Dell's Web site should be your first stop. Dell has transformed buying a computer into an exact science. For example, when you first access...

Family Connections - Home networking lets you share the wealth.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... Last year's fervor over home-phone-line networks may have quieted down a bit, but that's not because interest in home networking has faded. On the contrary, thanks to factors like a growing range of options, the promise of higher speeds, and...

Publish Like a Pro - Make document creation simple and fun with these desktop-publishing programs.(Evaluation)
January 1, 2001... Looks do matter, and desktop publishing can help you make a favorable impression on paper and online. The titles reviewed here (Corel Print Office 2000, Microsoft Publisher 2000, and Print Shop Pro Publisher 2000) give home and small-business...

Log On for a Tune-Up - These Web sites let your PC do the walking, updating, and optimizing online.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... One of the neatest things about owning a computer, as opposed to a smart gadget or consumer electronics device, is that a PC can troubleshoot, diagnose, and even repair its own innards. Diagnostic utilities have been tracking down hard drive...

Other Online Optimizers - Check out these sites to tune up more than just your PC.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... For Your Internet Connection MSN Computing Central Bandwidth Speed Test (computingcentral.msn.com/topics/ bandwidth/speedtest500.asp) When you just want to monitor your Internet connection, MSN's Computing Central Bandwidth Speed...

You Asked For It - Voice Portals impart up-to-the-minute, albeit limited, Web-based data to anyone with a telephone-just dial in and make a request.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... If you're aiming to update your info-mining skills, get set to drop your mouse and pick up the phone. Your voice could turn out to be the next tool you use to navigate the Web. More than a dozen companies are racing to voice-enable the Web,...

Web Buyer: Winning Resolutions For the New Year - Resolve to use the Web for help, and this could be the year that you finally quit smoking, get in shape, and become a better person.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... People have probably been making New Year's resolutions since the calendar was invented. The Babylonians had only their own willpower to rely on, but you can turn to the Web for assistance in keeping those promises. And given the ample...

Web Buyer.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2001... PC Shopping Sites The sites in this listing sell products from multiple manufacturers. See the sites under "PC Direct Vendors," or check the Computer Shopper Source Directory (cgi.zdnet.com/slink?8145) for more information on PC...

Site to be Seen: SmarterKids.com.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... www.ibooks.com Many of the companies touting e-books don't understand that most of us don't want to read Moby Dick or the latest Stephen King novel on a computer. In contrast, ibooks.com offers online books that make sense. Its collection...

Tips for Maximizing Your Shopping Savings.(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
January 1, 2001... A steal of a price from an online store can quickly get bloated with added charges and fees. These tips will help you dodge paying those extra dollars, plus track down additional savings. Frugal folks don't pay for shipping. Some online...

Computer Shopper Best Site Award: Crucial.com.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... crucial.com A mammoth provider of memory upgrades, Crucial Technology is a superb site offering nearly 50,000 upgrade options for 10,000 computer systems. Its Memory Selector will help you find the right type of memory, whether you are...

Site to be Seen: Compgeeks.com.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... Geeks in search of PC goodies will love The Computer Geeks Discount Outlet-and not just because the visitor count is shown in decimal, hexadecimal, and octal numbers. The site sells discontinued and refurbished computer gear that's perfect for...

Big Sites For Small Biz - B2B portals help small businesses think big.(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2001... In the past, small companies looking for help on the Web had TO take an "any portal in a storm" approach. Now, the Web is rife with small- business portals that collect all sorts of information and services aimed at assisting this growing...

Get the Scoop on Site Visitors.(Product Information)
January 1, 2001... Visitors are the lifeblood of any business Web site. You have to get people to visit your site before you can show them you have what they want. But how do you know if your site is living up to its potential? By analyzing and quantifying what...

The Virus is in the Mail - E-mail is the conduit of choice for malicious mobile code. Here's how to mark those pernicious parcels "undeliverable.".(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... Remember when the only viruses you worried about were those hitchhiking into PCs through the floppy drive? When was the last time you used a floppy drive? Today, the single most common entry point for viruses, or, more accurately, malicious...

Help, the Online Way - You'll find a wealth of resources for OS and even hardware support on the Web-some of it free.(Industry Trend or Event)
January 1, 2001... A small business wants Linux as the basis for a Web infra structure, but after installing the operating system, the company finds it's too complicated. An independent software vendor is porting an application to Linux and needs help with code....

The Hard Edge - Alice and Bill Resolutions; Get Ready for V-Commerce; and More About AMD.(Column)
January 1, 2001... As the last seconds of 2000 ticked away, the ball dropped in Times Square, the confetti was tossed, noisemaker sounds echoed off the canyon walls of New York City, and all the champagne corks popped, the first thing Alice said was, "Another...

Windows Hopping - Tips on Making the Move to Millennium Edition.(Product Support)
January 1, 2001... Okay, so Windows Millennium Edition-commonly known as Windows Me-isn't the most earth-shattering Windows upgrade that Bill Gates and company have seen fit to release. Even so, there's a lot to like. In addition to new games and a new multimedia...

Alfred Poor's Computer Cures.(Questions and Answers)
January 1, 2001... Integration Situation Dear Alfred: I'm looking to buy a new system and have found one I like. But I'm puzzled by one feature: The motherboard has 8MB AGP graphics, sound- card capabilities, and the modem all built-in. Is this a better...

Alfred Poor's Tip of the Month.(Questions and Answers)
January 1, 2001... Speed Up Your Startup Hey, time is money, right? And now that the new millennium is stretching out before us, we don't want to waste a single second. Here's a simple tip that can save you a few seconds-and possibly a little...

Buying Advisor: Low Price at the High End - Our Advisor tracks down a perfectly configured performance desktop with a flat-panel display for less than $2,500.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2001... If you're a "home enthusiast"-someone who wants a desktop with high-end components to meet very specific needs-you know it's not easy finding exactly what you want at a bargain price. You can try Web specials or online auctions, but chances are...