Computer Shopper articles from July 2005

Computer Shopper archives from July 2005

Editor's note.(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... SINCE THE DAY I PLUNKED DOWN $450 for my first digital camera in 1999--a 1.5-megapixel Fujifilm MX-500 with no optical zoom--I've been an avid follower of the digital-camera market. Back then, I was the only one of my friends and family to own...

All in the family.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... As the go-to techie in an extended family, covering at least 1S computers in three countries, I greatly appreciated opening up the free-downloads disc attached to your May issue. Finally, a one-stop tool kit I can slip in my pocket that has...

Downplayed downloads.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Two programs that should have been on your list of worthwhile free downloads ("The Freeware 50," May, p. 81): AVG AntiVirus Free Edition (www.grisoft.com) and ZipGenius (www.zipgenius.it). AVG Free has a color-oriented, user-friendly interface...

New wheels, old tunes.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Your how-to article on digitizing records and cassettes ("Vinyl Resurrection," May, p. 104) couldn't have come at a better time for me. I recently bought a new car with a CD player, but no cassette-tape player. I've taped a lot of my...

Fight spam, but be polite.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I disagree with your encouraging people to use challenge/response e-mail software ("Fast Fixes for Pesky PC Problems," May, p. 96). A lot of my e-mail is spam, but I'm not rude enough to ask anyone to verify his or her e-mail address. It would...

Study shows the latest trend in spam: acceptance.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... FEWER PEOPLE find spare as annoying or unpleasant as they did a year ago, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Currently, 67 percent of e-mail users say that spare interferes with their online experience,...

Trendspotting.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... Inkjets are enrolling in medical school and may someday be repairing fractured arms. Scientists at the University of Manchester in England are trying to develop a technique through which inkier nozzles will spray live human cells onto a...

New sleepworking drive saves battery life.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Microsoft and Samsung Electronics recently showed a prototype hard drive that can record data while idling, a twist that has the potential to significantly cut power consumption in notebooks. The trick is that the hard drive contains a 1GB...

How fast is your PC?(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... How Fast Is Your PC? Survey of PC Owners 2GHz to 2.49GHz 20% 3GHz or faster 18% 1.5GHz to 1.99GHz 17% 2.5GHz to 2.99GHz 16% 1GHz to 1.49GHz 11% 500MHz to 900MHz 10% 200MHz to 500MHz 5% No...

Do you suffer from playlist anxiety?(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... IT'S THE LATEST WAY to study natives in their natural habitat: Check their iTunes music libraries. A group of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Palo Alto Research Center has presented a study outlining the...

Sony quests for better online gaming auctions.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)
July 1, 2005... SONY ONLINE Entertainment is launching an online marketplace where fans of its multiplayer games can buy and sell virtual artifacts, a practice it previously discouraged. The Station Exchange site, planned for launch in late June, is...

Microsoft to help Web developers with new IE.(internet explorer)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Microsoft has finally told Web developers what they've wanted to hear for years, promising support for graphics and stylesheet standards with its next version of Internet Explorer (IE). In a recent blog entry, Chris Wilson, lead program...

Hard-driving handheld.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... The $499 LifeDrive is PalmOne's, if not the world's, first organizer to feature its own hard drive. Its 4GB of storage space can hold plenty of data files, digital snapshots, music, or movies. The PDA runs Palm OS 5.4 and includes two flavors...

Chill tower.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... Cool your blazing PC components silently and efficiently with the Thermaltake Rocket Fanless Liquid Cooling System. This $249.99 rig consists of a CPU-cooling water block and an external cylindrical reservoir (left), along with a 12-volt pump...

Free your stereo.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... The $219.95 Bluetake Hi-Phono BT460EX conveniently transmits the rear channel of 5.1-channel audio systems wirelessly using Bluetooth networking, letting you remove the unsightly rear-speaker cables that might otherwise run across the center of...

Videoconference from anywhere.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... Conduct remote video meetings in style with Logitech's $59.99 QuickCam for Notebooks Deluxe. This attractive one-piece camera attaches to laptops via its USB 2.0 cable and captures video at 640x480 resolution. The QuickCam also uses Logitech's...

Power house.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... Install your high-end PC parts in the fittingly sophisticated Performance TX1050B enclosure from Antec. This $149 ATX case, seductively crafted in black, comes with a 500-watt SmartPower 2.0 power supply and features a side vent for cooling hot...

Visionary rocker.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... Weighing just 3.8 ounces, the tiny Zen Micro Photo portable music player from Creative has an advanced 262,144-color, 1.5-inch OLED screen and comes in 5GB ($299) and 6GB ($349) capacities. The Zen plays MP3 and WMA music files, screens JPEG...

WinBook PowerSpec MCE410: a top-to-bottom home theater PC package.(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... EDITORS' CHOICE IF YOU'RE LOOKING for a living-room-friendly Media Center PC, set your sights on the WinBook PowerSpec MCE410. Start with the sexy rack-mount case, which looks right at home among stereo components. Along with a big...

Archos Pocket Media Assistant PMA430: taking personal video players to the next level--price included.(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... ARCHOS HAS A HISTORY of raising the bar for personal video players, and with the $799.95 PMA430, the company has done it again. Featuring a touch screen, a Web browser, and Linux based PDA functionality, the PMA430 is one awe-inspiring device,...

Monarch Nemesis Custom Desktop: powerful processor, great looks, and a full spec list.(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... MONARCH'S NEMESIS Custom Desktop is both beauty and beast. Built around the Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard, the Nemesis packs dual 256MB nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics cards. This option makes up $1,080 of the PC's $4,586 cost as...

ZT Pro Gaming PC X6647: pricey processor fails to impress.(Pentium IV based computers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... ZT GROUP'S $2,999 Pro Gaming PC X6647 looks like a fast PC on paper, but it doesn't live up to expectations. With Intel's new 3.73GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition CPU and ATI's 256MB Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition graphics card, we expected...

Shuttle XPC I 8600b: BTX small form factor is hot--literally.(Pentium IV based computers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... WE ADMIRE Shuttle's ambition in trying to merge the new cooling-efficient BTX motherboard layout and a small-form-factor (SFF) case, but the cramped interior of the XPC I 8600b proved too much for the thermal refinements BTX brings. The PC runs...

iBuypower Gamer-SLI Special Edition: dual-GPU graphics card adds punch.(Pentium IV based computers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE IBUYPOWER Gamer-SLI Special Edition is the first PC we've seen using motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte Technology's GV-3D1 graphics card, an unusual card because it hosts two nVidia GeForce 6600 GT GPUs. Though this design is certainly...

IBM ThinkPad T43: advanced electronics and superb ergonomics.(laptop computers)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE IBM THINKPAD T43 features a bevy of cutting-edge components, along with a sturdy, thoughtfully designed case. Our $1,999 T43 arrived with a nice array of higher-end parts, including a fast 1.86GHz Intel Pentium M 750 processor, 512MB of...

Dell Inspiron 9300: heavy-duty performance without too much heft.(laptop computer)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... DELL'S INSPIRON 9300 is an excellent desktop-replacement laptop that's bursting with advanced features and blazing performance for games or business applications. Running Microsoft's Media Center Edition operating system, our $2,842 test...

Toshiba Satellite M45: sleek head-turner is no 3D pro.(laptop computers)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... BUILT TO PROVIDE discerning mobile users with a thin, light, and well-crafted machine for work or play, the Toshiba Satellite M45 is thoughtfully designed and fast enough to breeze through business tasks. Garners will find the laptop...

Acer Aspire 5000: affordable traveler propped up by new CPU.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... ACER'S WELL-PRICED $1,099 Aspire 5000 features a cutting-edge AMD processor but could use stronger components. Our 6.2-pound test model came configured with AMD's new 64-bit 1.6GHz Turion 64 processor, 512MB of memory, a slow 4,200rpm 60GB...

Dell Latitude X1.(FIRST TAKE)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Starting at $1,699, the new Latitude X1 takes its place as Dell's smallest and lightest laptop, shoving aside the formerly record holding Latitude X300. Built on the same design as Samsung's beautiful Q30 [sold only in Asia]), the Latitude X1...

APC Biometric Mouse Password Manager: logins, encryption at your fingertips.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... DESIGNED FOR THE WEB SURFER who's forever forgetting all those login IDs and passwords, American Power Conversion's $59.99 Biometric Mouse Password Manager incorporates a fingerprint scanner and a mouse into one inexpensive corded device. ...

Iomega Desktop Hard Drive Triple 400GB, Platinum Series: external drive offers massive space but mediocre transfer rates.(hard disk drives)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... DESPITE ITS MENACING, Darth Vader-like visage, the Iomega Desktop Hard Drive Triple 400GB, Platinum Series will charm you with its roomy 400GB capacity and abundant connection options. The $399.95 external drive attaches to your PC via...

Canon Selphy DS700 Compact Photo Printer: diminutive printer connects to your TV.(color printers)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... CANON'S SELPHY DS700 Compact Photo Printer doesn't require a computer to work its magic. This $179.99 printer connects to your television so you can view and print photos from the comfort of your living-room sofa using its small infrared remote...

Samsung CLP-510N: affordable color laser ably tackles daily tasks.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... SAMSUNG'S CLP-510N may not produce the best output we've seen, but at just under $500, you won't find a better bargain in a color laser. Not only is it network-ready, but it also includes a built-in duplexer. The CLP-510N trotted through...

Fujitsu ScanSnap FI-5110EOX2.(FIRST TAKE)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Fujitsu's $495 ScanSnap FI-511OEOX2 bears some similarities to Volkswagen's turbo-charged Beetle: Its body is rotund yet small, and it's deceptively fast despite its quirky looks. Upside: When it comes to speed, the ScanSnap means business....

Creative GigaWorks ProGamer G500: impressive system rocks the house.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE $249.99 Creative GigaWorks ProGamer G500 isn't the fanciest 5.I speaker system you can find, but its excellent sound quality with games and DVDs, as well as its high power output, make it a solid choice for audio enthusiasts. You'll...

Altec Lansing GT5051: 5.1 sound from a 3.1 setup? Not quite.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... ALTEC LANSING'S $149.95 GT5051 aims to deliver 5.1 sound from four compact speaker units, but its sound quality doesn't match that of a full-blown 5.1-channel system. The system emulates 5.1 by attaching the "rear" speakers to the top of...

Logitech Z-5300e: unexceptional sound from low-end 5.1 system.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE $199.99 Logitech Z-5300e is an adequate low-end 5.1 system. Like the other two sets on this page, it can upmix audio, but the similarities end there. Logitech's set lacks both digital and auxiliary inputs. What's more, the speaker...

Netgear RangeMax Wireless Router (WPN824): unique-looking MIMO router.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... NETGEAR'S $149 RangeMax Wireless Router (WPN824) is the latest of a growing number of wireless-networking devices to feature high-performance multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) technology. Unlike competing products, however, the WPN824...

D-Link DGL-4300 GamerLounge Wireless 108G Gaming Router: this router's got game--except in mixed mode.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE STANDOUT feature of the $150 D-Link DGL-4300 GamerLounge Wireless 108G Gaming Router is a GameFuel mode that puts data from games, teleconferencing, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and other high-bandwidth apps at the front of the...

Linksys Wireless-G PrintServer for USB 2.0 (WPS54GU2): network printing was never so difficult.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THEORETICALLY, a Wi-Fi print server is supposed to make your life easier by acting as a wireless conduit for network print jobs. The $99 Linksys Wireless-G PrintServer for USB 2.0 (WPSB4GU2) didn't make ours any easier, though. Don't buy it...

PalmOne Tungsten E2: no Wi-Fi, but a slim, trim, and long-lasting PDA.(personal digital assistants)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE $249 PALMONE Tungsten E2 is a sleek, affordable organizer for productivity and entertainment. Though it has its shortcomings, this lightweight handheld should satisfy mobile professionals and consumers alike. Sporting an attractive...

LG F9100: basic cell for advanced instant messaging.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE LG F9100 mobile phone lacks high-end extras but enables easy text chatting. Measuring 4.1xl.9x0.9 inches and weighing 4.4 ounces, the $99.99 F9100 is a bit bulky, but the size enables the handset to hide a full QWERTY keyboard behind its...

Novatel Merlin V620 Wireless PC Card Modem: swift connectivity costs a premium.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... IF YOU'RE LUCKY enough to live within Verizon's high-speed Evolution Data Only (EVDO) network, the Merlin V620 Wireless PC Card Modem from Novatel will supply broadband-like Internet access. At $49.99 after a $100 rebate, the V620 card...

SoniqCast Aireo 2: hard drive player with Wi-Fi support.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... EARLY ADOPTERS will appreciate the built-in Wi-Fi capabilities of SoniqCast's $299 Aireo 2, but this 20GB hard drive unit stumbles while playing music. The Aireo 2 connects to your 802.11b wireless network (both WPA and WEP encryption are...

Logitech MM22 Portable Speakers: flimsy, but inexpensive, mobile sound system.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... LOGITECH'S $59.99 MM22 Portable Speakers for iPod are flimsy in feel and design, but the sound quality is decent, considering their size and price. Unlike some pricier portable speakers, the MM22 neither comes with a remote control, nor...

Samsung Yepp YP-T7: a nearly perfect flash player.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE SAMSUNG YEPP YP-T7 is an outstanding, feature-rich music player. This 1.2-ounce flash-memory model is available in 512MB ($149.99) and 1GB ($199.99) capacities, and its glorious, if small, 65,000-color screen sets it apart. In addition...

Philips 32" Pixel Plus 2 (32PF9996): solid-performing LCD television brightens a room's ambience.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... THE PRICEY $3,499 Philips 32" Pixel Plus 2 (32PF9996) LCD television has a head-turning backlight, and it also performs surprisingly well. The Ambilight backlight feature consists of a pair of fluorescent lights on the 32-inch unit's rear....

ViewSonic WMA100: mediocre wireless media streamer.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... VIEWSONIC'S WMA100 wirelessly streams audio, video, and image files from your PC's hard drive to your home stereo and television. Although the $299 unit has some impressive attributes, particularly its support for high-definition DVI video...

Yamaha RX-V1500: a standout A/V receiver.(audio video)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... YAMAHA'S $799 RX-V1500 stands out from competing A/V receivers by offering automated room-tuning equalization, extra front-speaker channels, THX Select certification, and highly flexible digital signal processing (DSP). The RX-V1500's...

Adobe Photoshop CS2: vital app for digital-imaging pros.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... WHEN IT COMES TO professional digital image editing, Adobe Photoshop CS2 stands head and shoulders above the competition. Available for PCs running Windows 2000 and XP, as well as Macs running OS X, Photoshop CS2 includes new features that make...

Qurb 3.0: strong spare protection with extra tools.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... QURB 3.0 is one of the best spam blockers available. In our tests, its spam-fighting skills proved effective, blocking nearly all the junk mail inside Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. It initially trapped a high number of legitimate...

SafetyBar: inconsistent spam blocking.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... LIKE QURB, Cloudmark's SafetyBar installs directly inside Outlook and Outlook Express, sifts your mail as it downloads, and shuttles suspected junk into a folder where you can review it later. SafetyBar stops a ton of spam, but it's not as...

Your own personal soapbox: speak your mind online with one of these blogging apps.
July 1, 2005... HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Want to share it with the world? Blogging is not only a popular fad, but it's also starting to influence national politics. For better or worse, it's a vibrant, growing part of the Internet landscape. We looked at...

Top 25.
July 1, 2005... Top 25 This month's best desktops, Tablet PCs, camcorders, inkjet printers, and DVD- and video-editing software PRODUCT PRICE SPECS/REQUIREMENTS MAINSTREAM DESKTOPS >> Desktops that are capable yet...

10 ways to shop smart online.
July 1, 2005... 1 AN ENCRYPTION PRESCRIPTION Before you submit any private information, be sure that the data will be encrypted and transmitted over a secure connection. Both your browser and the shopping site's server should support industry standards...

Shooting gallery: budget shooters, ultracompacts, midrange models, and digital SLRS: our superguide to 78 digital cameras and digital-imaging products.
July 1, 2005... THERE'S NO STOPPING the digital-camera juggernaut. In fact, digital-camera purchases are projected to account for 82 percent of all camera sales in 2005, according to Photo Marketing Association International. Market-research firm...

Media center: diy edition: you don't have to settle for a preconfigured PC to enjoy the benefits of the latest media center edition OS. here's how to custom-build your own rig.
July 1, 2005... WHEN MICROSOFT RELEASED ITS Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) operating system, it made it clear the only way to get the OS was with a new PC. Through a loophole in its agreement, however, sellers who are considered PC builders, such as...

Maximum multitasking: dual-core CPUs double up for faster multithread processing.(Central processing units)
July 1, 2005... A NEW ERA FOR DESKTOP CPUs has arrived with the introduction of the dual-core processor. Simply put, dual-core technology places two independent execution units onto the same processor die--think of it as two processors in one. Some dual-core...

3D deathmatch: we test graphics cards using a range of ATI and nVidia chips within three price categories, and pick a winner in each.
July 1, 2005... nVidia blew the roof off the market for high-end graphics cards with the introduction of its dual-card Scalable Link Interface (SLI) technology. To build an SLI system, however, you need a motherboard that supports the technology, plus a...

Bad day drive c.(COMPUTER CURES)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... I have an older Windows 95 laptop, which was working fine until it recently crashed. The system prompted me to back up my Registry, run ScanDisk, and restart. It failed to boot properly, reporting a problem in the CONFIG.SYS file. I ran...

Windows to share?(COMPUTER CURES)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... I need an inexpensive laptop to use when I'm away from home for e-mail and Web access, and I'm wondering if I can use the Windows XP Home Edition disc that came with my desktop, and then upgrade online? If so, is there a Microsoft contact...

Please don't ask me!(Hard disk drives)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... I use external hard drives to back up my two Windows XP PCs. I power up the drives manually rather than running them all the time. Ever since I installed Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, an AutoPlay dialog box pops up every time I start the...

Transfer tales of the tape.(COMPUTER CURES)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I'm trying to convert some of my old VHS tapes to DVD. What's the best way to do this? CLIFFORD ADAMS The easiest way to do this yourself is to get a video-capture device for your PC. You can find capture cards that install in a PCI...

Dastardly DVD eats files!(COMPUTER CURES)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... I saved some important files to a DVD-R in Rich Text Format (RTF), and when I try to open them, I get an error message telling me that the filename or path is not valid. The strange thing is that I could access the files without a problem when...

One window won't do.(COMPUTER CURES)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... When I use Microsoft Internet Explorer, my original page closes whenever I choose a link, which means I can never have more than one page open at a time. No matter how I try to launch the second page, it doesn't work. I've restored the default...

Tip of the month: save files in a flash.(HELP & HOW-TO: TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE TECH EASIER)
July 1, 2005... It's safe to say that USB flash drives are the new floppies. They hold megabytes of data, easily move files from one computer to another, and don't require special drivers if you're running Windows XP. The only problem: It takes extra time to...

The sparkling desktop: your PC needs regular cleaning to keep it running smoothly. We show you how.(WEEKEND PROJECT: HARDWARE)
July 1, 2005... AT THIS VERY MOMENT, dust bunnies may have your PC in a death grip. Germs are certainly gathering atop your mouse and keyboard, ready to assault your immune system. And your screen--well, chances are it has become smudge central. Even great PCs...

Break into podcasting: become an overnight DJ by creating your own radio broadcast.(WEEKEND PROJECT: SOFTWARE)
July 1, 2005... FORGET BLOGGING--the hot topic right now is podcasting. If you've ever fantasized about hosting your own talk show, this is your chance. Podcasts are recordings distributed across the Internet as downloadable MP3 flies. Looking for a way to...

Sound blaster and commander: a merchant mariner sets sail in search of a sound card.(BUYING ADVISOR)
July 1, 2005... DAVID TRILLANES sails the seven seas, but he's fixated on sound waves. Serving aboard a supertanker anchored in the Caribbean, he's pondering a tech conundrum waiting back home. Trillanes is an A/V buff--his weakness is concert DVDs and...

Pharming cultivates new net fraud.(CONSUMER ALERT)
July 1, 2005... NOW THAT YOU'VE come up for air from the flood of phishing e-mails, it's time to prepare for the next wave of cyber scam. It's called pharming, and it makes phishing look like a day at the duck pond. Unlike phishing, pharming doesn't require...

Media center desktops.(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... PROCESSOR You don't need the fastest processor to take advantage of Media Center Edition's (MCE's) features. Look at CPUs one or two steps down from the fastest. Upgrade: Expect to spend $90 for every 200MHz-increment upgrade of Intel 3GHz and...

Ultraportable notebooks (less than 4 pounds).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... PROCESSOR Intel's Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Pentium M processors deliver the longest battery life. Save money by choosing a CPU speed a few notches below the fastest. MEMORY Because an ultraportable's system RAM often does double duty as its...

Flat-panel displays (18 inches or larger).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... ASPECT RATIO The standard proportion of width to height for a computer monitor is 4-to-3, although some monitors that double as televisions have a wider format of 16-to-9, designed for viewing movies or high-definition television (HDTV) in...

Home and small-office laser printers.(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... COLOR OR MONOCHROME With a few color-laser models priced under $1,000, some small businesses might find it worth the splurge to add some extra pop to its printed materials. For the most part, however, monochrome lasers are a far better value...

Wi-Fi routers.(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... NETWORKING STANDARD 802.11b has been the standard for home networks for some time now, but it's being replaced by 802.11g. While 802.11b, rated at 11 megabits per second (Mbps), typically moves data at speeds up to 5Mbps, 802.11g (rated at...

Portable digital audio and video players (hard drive).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... STORAGE Smaller "micro" hard drive players run 4GB to 6GB in capacity, while larger units can feature anywhere from 10GB to 100GB, good for thousands of songs. FILE FORMATS SUPPORTED Players will support native MP3 playback but diverge in...

Budget camcorders ($500 and less).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... FORMAT While camcorders store digital video in a number of ways, most users should opt for MiniDV, which has the broadest range of cameras and editing software supporting it, over a cheap, older alternative, Digital8. As with another older...

Smartphones.(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... SIZE AND CAPABILITY Smartphones come in a wide range of shapes and sizes but can be divided into three major styles based on primary function. Large PDA-like handsets tend to be powerful organizers first and cell phones second. Sleeker models...

Tech products.(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... acortech.com Inexpensive PC accessories abound at Acortech. com. We found 17 inch LCD monitors for under $300, flash drives for under $20, optical mice for less than $5, and other low-cost goodies for certified tech geeks. ...

Digital cameras and accessories.(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... beachcamera.com Focus on Beach Camera for a clear picture of camera options. The site has a full complement of digital cameras, camcorders, and accessories. Optional kits bundle memory, a carrying case, and other essential add-ons. ...

Cases and mods.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... www.circotech.com Circo Technology's large collection of attractive, functional, and colorful PC cases offers something for extreme modders and more conservative system builders alike. Check the case-lighting section for wiring, handles,...

Direct PC vendors.(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... 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. Visit the...

Software.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... atomicpark.com AtomicPark.com's entire selection of business and productivity apps includes free shipping. Plus, you'll never pay a restocking fee. The new Direct Downloads section lets you use new software in minutes, not days. ...

Software and parts for aging PCs.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... driverguide.com With more than 100,000 downloadable drivers for every conceivable operating system and piece of computer hardware, DriverGuide.com is indispensable when you're repairing a malfunctioning system or piecing together a PC from...