Computer Shopper articles from June 2003

Computer Shopper archives from June 2003

More than wireless. (from the editor in chief).
June 1, 2003... Here in Manhattan, where Computer Shopper's editorial offices are located, it's hard to walk more than a few blocks without seeing a billboard, bus stop, taxicab, or even the side of a bus sporting a pink-and-blue Intel Centrino logo. Though...

A not-so-bad egg? (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... In response to Rik Fairlie's May column, "When Ads and Prices Just Don't Add Up" (p. 34), plenty of online retailers are suspicious, but I wouldn't have singled out NewEgg.com. I've done business with NewEgg many times, and its prices are...

No-name, no problem. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... I applaud you on your May article "No-Name Recognition" (p. 98). I don't think most people realize there are a bunch of PC manufacturers out there that aren't household names, but are offering buyers great bang for their buck. Sure, common...

Clicks that count? (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... I take exception to your infographic "Pop-Up Smackdown" in the April Trends section (p. 22). The graphic, based on a GarmerG2 survey, states that pop-up ads are almost twice as successful as banner ads in generating click-throughs. This...

Kazaa-tastrophe. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... I was extremely surprised to see that you left Opera off your Top 50 Downloads list ("Top 50 Free for All," May; p. 83). After decades of working in the computer industry, I have yet to find a better browser, and neither Mozilla nor Netscape...

Next version of Windows leaks out. (Trends).(code named Longhorn)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... An early test version of the next major release of Microsoft Windows has been leaked onto the Net, offering a glimpse of the company's plans for the new software. The leaked version of the upcoming desktop operating system, code-named...

DVDs looking-kind of Blu. (Trends).(Blu-ray technology )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Look out, DVD: Blu-ray technology may power the next generation of recordable-DVD drives, which will be able to hold up to 27GB of data on each DVD-size disc. That's nearly six times the capacity of today's DVDs, and enough to store more than 2...

Its wash is your command. (Trends).(Speech Experts' Hermine)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A talking washing machine could pave the way for home appliances that respond to voice commands--and can even help inexperienced users operate them. German company Speech Experts (www.speech-experts. com) is demonstrating a prototype...

No entry to vice city. (Trends).(St. Louis County requires parental consent re video games)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... To kids in St. Louis County, Mo.: Pac-Man's okay, but Grand Theft Auto isn't. If a St. Louis law is upheld in appeals court, children under the age of 17 will be prevented from buying or renting Mature-rated video games, and from playing them...

AMD, Transmeta debut new mobile processors. (Trends).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Advanced Micro Devices (www.amd.com) recently debuted 12 notebook processors that compete with Intel's (www. intel.com) new Pentium M chip and Centrino mobile platform. The new notebook chips, which will be sold under the Athlon XP-M...

Music to burn? (Press play: listen.com).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Online music sites supported by the major record labels were slow coming out of the gate, but the five for-fee services have recently boosted their song selections and plan options. All offer users the ability to stream songs, and most let...

AOL's Mystro TV to challenge TiVo devices. (Trends).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... AOL Time Warner (www. aoltimewarner.com) is testing a TiVo-like digital recording service that it is considering offering to its cable-TV subscribers, according to sources close to the company. The service, called Mystro TV, lets customers...

Notebook drives grow up. (Trends).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Notebooks are gaining more onboard capacity for storing data, thanks to recently introduced 80GB hard drives. Fujitsu's (www.fufitsu.com) new MHT line of notebook hard drives offers manufacturers the ability to boost their notebooks'...

Flash! Memory cards go giga. (Trends).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Lexar Media (www.lexarmedia.com) has released two new CompactFlash cards that far exceed the memory capacity of other flash cards on the market, while rival SanDisk (www.sandisk. com) has unveiled a line of CompactFlash and Secure Digital (SD)...

How long will your photos last? (Trends).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... If you hope to display photographs produced on an inkjet printer for years to come, you'll need to choose your printer and printer paper with special care. Many variables--such as UV radiation, pollution, and humidity--work to degrade image...

Intel inside ... McDonald's. (Trends).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Wireless hot spots may be a sweet spot for Intel (www.intel.com), if a new string of deals for the chipmaker is any indication. The list of companies teaming up with Intel to help promote "hot spots" for wireless Internet access has grown to...

Antipiracy support going soft. (Trends).
June 1, 2003... Plans to hardwire copy protection into popular digital music and video devices are being shelved as the consumer-electronics industry grapples interminably with antipiracy policies, standards, and consumer rights. Until recently, many chip...

WinTel cell with high IQ: Samsung SPH-i700. (Gear).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Don't just call, do it all: Samsung sends a shout out to gadget gurus with its newest smartphone, the SPH-i700. This highly capable and compact handset hosts a CDMA cell phone, a powerful PDA, and an integrated digital camera. One of the...

Rock your radio. (Gear).(Belkin's TuneCast Mobile FM Transmitter )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... 1 rock your radio Belkin's $29.99 TuneCast Mobile FM Transmitter will make you want to hang up your headphones for good. This cool battery-powered device uses FM signals to transmit tracks from any personal audio device to receivers within...

Square cam. (Gear).(Nikon's Coolpix SQ)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... 2 square cam Put a new twist on your digital photos with Nikon's Coolpix SQ. This 6.3-ouncer carries Nikon's signature swivel-lens design, and its square body makes it even more pocketable than its predecessors. You'll get great shots with...

Drop-in drive. (Gear).(Iomega's Mini USB Drive)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... 3 drop-in drive Store more with Iomega's $159.95 Mini USB Drive. With a whopping 256MB capacity, this tiny keg-chain drive lets you transport all things digital, including text, image, audio, and video files. Simply plug the 0.7-ounce Mini...

Wabbit twacks. (Gear).(Philips JackRabbit32 optical drive )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... 4 wabbit twacks * Multimedia fans will want to hop on the Philips JackRabbit32. Connect this highly portable optical drive to your television, PC, or stereo system to play your favorite DVD movies, audio CDs, and MP3 discs. When plugged...

Follow the palm. (Gear).(Garmin iQue 3600)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... 5 follow the palm Stay the course with the $589 Garmin iQue 3600. In addition to being a fully functional Palm device, the iQue's built-in GPS gets you where you want to go. Not only can it produce electronic maps on its brilliant...

Say and play. (Gear).(eDigital's Odyssey 1000 portable digital jukebox)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... 6 say and play Personal audio fulfillment couldn't come any easier than with eDigital's $349 Odyssey 1000 portable digital jukebox. Simply say the name of the track you want to hear, and the device's VoiceNav technology works to queue up...

In matters of privacy, whom can you trust? Efforts to develop trusted-computing technology are bringing to light questions about what's getting secured and who's getting suckered. (opinions).
June 1, 2003... TRUST MUST BE EARNED. THIS hard lesson is being learned by the five tech giants behind "trusted computing" initiatives aimed at securing user privacy Depending on whom you believe, the companies developing trusted-computing technology are...

From the boardroom to the living room: as prices drop, the business projector is becoming an attractive alternative to pricey big-screen and plasma displays. (opinions).
June 1, 2003... ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, WHEN I was tech editor for a small-business magazine, projector companies used to come around with their $6,000 and $7,000 lightboxes and tout their portability, brightness, and knack for delivering PowerPoint...

Are realistic games terrifying our children? The violence in today's advanced games could be turning kids into killers, but more likely it's scaring them into submissiveness. (opinions).(Column)
June 1, 2003... SINCE EARLY GAMES BEGAN depicting some form of crude violence, people have been concerned about the effect these games have on children. Back in the early '80s, I wrote an editorial suggesting the societal impact of computer games may be...

The top 25: computer shopper editors handpick this month's best desktops, notebooks, inkjets, cameras, and software. (Top 25).(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2003... The Top 25 GAMING DESKTOPS PRODUCT PRICE SPECS Falcon Northwest $4,645 3.06GHz Pentium 4; 512MB RDRAM; Mach V * dual 120GB hard drives; 19-inch www.falcon-nw.com...

Decked-out gaming rig priced for frugal fun: iBuypower Phantom XP.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... ITS TRANSPARENT PLASTIC CASE AND BLINKING lights may remind you of a Fisher-Price toy, but the iBuypower Phantom XP delivers a level of performance grown-up gamers and hobbyists on a budget will appreciate. At $1,889, the Phantom XP is a...

Ready-to-ship budget PC misses the boat: HP Compaq Presario 6400nx.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... HEWLETT-PACKARD'S ENTRY-LEVEL COMPAQ Presario 6400nx proves that appearances can deceive. Sure, it looks sharp, and it even ships with lifetime phone support. But this PC performed woefully, and its $624.98 price is high for what you get. ...

Speedy media center suffers identity crisis: Cyberpower Media Center PC.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... CYBERPOWER'S MEDIA CENTER PC IS THE JEKYLL and Hyde of PCs. Its case is clearly designed to fit into your entertainment center, but the peripherals are better suited to desktop use. Overall, this $2,025 system is most appropriate for...

Multimedia features for very little money: Sony Vaio PCV-RS100.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... SONY ELECTRONICS' $799 (WITHOUT MONITOR) VAIO PCV-RS100 is no heavyweight in performance and support, but its DVD-RW drive makes it an enticing deal for budding multimedia enthusiasts. The real meat of this low-cost system, the 2x/1x/4x...

Plasma TV/PC package exhibits image problems: Gateway Media Center PC with plasma TV.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... COMBINING A BEAUTIFUL 42-inch plasma TV display with a powerful computer, Gateway's $4,459 Media Center PC is positioned to strike a balance in the entertainment/desktop-convergence equation. But the package doesn't add up for either use. The...

Gamers get big guns in powerful notebook: Alienware Area-51M.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... [Editors' Choice] ALIENWARE'S $2,999 AREA-51M NOTEBOOK ARRIVES on earth offering otherworldly style and stratospheric performance. Of course, this system makes some sacrifices for its gaming prowess. Its hefty weight and short battery life make...

Save money with only a few sacrifices: HP Compaq Presario 2100T.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... MOST BARGAIN NOTEBOOKS HAVE A FEW FLAWS you have to overlook in favor of a rock-bottom price. Hewlett-Packard's $1,099 mainstream Compaq Presario 2100T is a refreshing exception to this rule. The Presario packs a 2GHz Celeron processor,...

A desktop replacement that's up to the task: Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... TOSHIBA AMERICA'S $2,333 SATELLITE PRO 6100 IS A notebook built strictly for business. Within its demure design, however, you'll find nearly everything you need to replace your desktop machine. This no-nonsense notebook comes with a fast...

This wireless roamer can go the distance: IBM Thinkpad X31.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... IBM'S $2,369 THINKPAD X31 PROVIDES A DEPTH OF CONNECTIVITY features not commonly seen in a notebook this svelte. It also delivers impressive uptime for an ultralight system and a small size well-suited for serious travelers. This ThinkPad...

Redesigned notebook line displays great graphics: Dell Inspiron 8500 Series.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... [Editors' Choice] DELL COMPUTER SHOULD bundle a big supply of popcorn with its new Inspiron 8500 Series, because the awesome 15.4-inch, wide-aspect display will have you watching DVD movies all night. Starting at $1,699, this completely...

New phone rings up pics and flicks: Nokia 3650.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... NOKIA FINALLY HAS SOMETHING TO REALLY show off in the United States with the arrival of its 3650 handset. While its sub-S400 price certainly isn't low, the 3650 is competitive when you consider its compelling capabilities. At 5.1x2.2x1...

Palm misses the call for some phone features: Palm Tungsten W.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... IS THIS THE WIRELESS PALM THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN waiting for? Well, sort of. The $549 Tungsten W is a useful communications tool, with strong PDA features and decent e-mail functionality, but its phone abilities warrant improvement. The...

Mobile Audio, DVD Player also burns CD-RW discs: Sony MPD-AP20U.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... HERE TO INCREASE YOUR MOBILE MEDIA FLEXIBILITY is Sony Electronics' new $299.99 MPD-AP20U. At first glance, this handy audio device may look like an average CD/MP3 player, but its CD-RW capabilities enable you to tackle most of your...

Advanced portable gaming for big boys (and girls: Game Boy Advance SP.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Editors' Choice ALTHOUGH YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH THE SUCCESS of the original Game Boy Advance, Nintendo's popular mobile gaming gadget wasn't exactly flawless. Hoping to quell the critics, the company has released its improved $99.95 Game Boy...

Drive champ burns fast, right out of the box: TDK Indi DVD 420N.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Editors' Choice TDK ELECTRONICS' INDI DVD 420N, ONE OF THE first drives to write DVD+R media at 4x, delivered excellent performance in almost all of our tests. Best of all, the drive's low $299.99 price and first-rate support fit the bill...

Skinny digicam swears off hefty controls: Minolta Dimage XI.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... YOU CAN'T BUY A CAMERA MUCH COOLER OR more portable than Minolta U.S.A.'s innovatively designed DiMage Xi. Still, you won't find many manual controls in this $449 3.2-megapixel model. You're paying for the convenience and the wow factor, not...

Easy on the wallet, but hard on the eyes :Winbook C1900.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... AT FIRST GLANCE, WINBOOK COMPUTER'S C1900 LCD monitor looks like an excellent value. For $669; you get a 19-inch screen with built-in speakers and a surprising degree of adjustability. But a closer look reveals some cut corners, in addition to...

A fast, low-cost laser that's lacking the frills: Brother HL-5040.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... BROTHER'S ENTRY-LEVEL HL-5040 LASER PRINTER sells for just $299.99 but still manages to offer easy installation, fast print speeds, and decent text quality This laser would be at home on any small- or home-office desk, although it has fewer...

The aged keyboard gets a face-lift: Ideazon Zboard.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH CALL FOR REDEFINING the keyboard, but Ideazon's Zboard does just that, allowing you to swap out your standard keyboard interface for a variety of application-specific boards. We're impressed by the ingenuity of the...

Mighty mouse flies from the palm of your hand. (Gyration Ultra Cordless Optical Mouse).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... A LOT OF MICE HAVE COME THROUGH OUR doors recently, but Gyration's Ultra Cordless Optical Mouse is the first we've seen that works on the desktop or in the air. Although not our first choice for day-to-day computing, the $79.95 Optical Mouse...

Well-rounded camcorder stumbles in the dark. (Canon ZR65 MC).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... WITH ITS ON-TARGET FEATURE SET AND GENERALLY good video quality, Canon U.S.A.'s $699 ZR65 MC is a compelling purchase for first-time buyers or cash-strapped videographers looking for value in a MiniDV camcorder. Night owls beware, however:...

802.11g-based router hits a speed bump. (D-Link Airplus Xtreme G DI-624).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... ALTHOUGH 802.11G YIELDS THEORETICAL WIRELESS access speeds of 54Mbps and backward-compatibility with 802.1 lb devices, products based on the unratified spec have fallen short of our speed expectations. D-Link Systems' $149 AirPlus Xtreme G...

Audio player's upgrade should fall on deaf ears: Winamp3.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... THE LATEST VERSION OF AOL'S POPULAR FREE audio software, Nullsoft Winamp3, runs on an entirely new code base that's intended to pave the way for third-party plug-ins and skins, but the accompanying redesign compromises this player's famous ease...

Drawing app illustrates handy improvements: Macromedia Freehand MX.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... MACROMEDIA FREEHAND 10 DIDN'T IMPRESS US, but the latest version of this professional-level illustration app, the $399 FreeHand MX, is much improved over the previous edition. Although Cord's CorelDraw 11 has a better i interface, designers who...

Move your paperwork into the digital realm: Paperport Pro 9 Office.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... THE OCR SOFTWARE PAPERPORT HAS BEEN HELPING home users sort through the morass of paper and digital documents for years. Now, by adding network support and adopting Adobe's PDF as the software's native document format, ScanSoft has made the...

Photo app give users too much handholding: Roxio Photosuite 5 Platinum Edition.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... YOU MIGHT WONDER WHETHER THE $49.95 ROXIO PhotoSuite 5 Platinum Edition is the choice for you in a market crowded with software for editing and managing photos. On the plus side, it's amazingly easy to use, has decent photo-management skills,...

Video-editing program needs better direction: MovieShop Deluxe 6.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... THE $69.99 VERSION 6 OF THE ENTRY-LEVEL VIDEO-EDITING tool MovieShop Deluxe from Riverdeep (formerly Broderbund) hides a raft of pleasing features behind an excessively complicated interface. But competing programs Pinnacle Expression and Roxio...

Browser deserves audition as a stand-in for IE: Opera 7 for Windows.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... OPERA WON'T UNSEAT INTERNET EXPLORER AS THE number-one Windows browser in the foreseeable future, but judging from its latest version, Opera 7 for Windows, the plucky Norwegian browser is gunning for Mozilla/Netscape's number-two spot. You will...

Compression utility brings ZIP to your files: PKZip for Windows Professional Edition 6.0.(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... THE $99.95 PKZIP FOR WINDOWS PROFESSIONAL Edition 6.0 may not be cheap, but it's a safe and easy-to-use archiving solution, offering drag-and-drop capability and integration with popular e-mail programs, Web browsers, and antivirus software....

Let this utility become your PC's taskmaster: WinTasks 4 Professional.(from Liutillties)(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... LIUTILITIES' WINTASKS 4 PROFESSIONAL ($57 FULL version, $37 download) uncovers Windows' many inner tasks, letting you monitor what's running inside your PC and tweak its performance. This utility provides a simple interface, several...

Doin' the monster mash: I was an Atomic Mutant.(from Canopy Games)(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... At first glance, I Was an Atomic Mutant seems wildly successful at staying true to its subject matter: 1950s giant-monster movies. It has funny, great-looking menus, clever cinematics, an incredible original score, and lots of impressive...

A new world order: Ultima Online: Age of Shadows.(from Electronic Arts)(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... After five years of commercial longevity, Ultima Online is still going strong. Age of Shadows, the game's fifth expansion pack, further invigorates the aging role-playing game, but it also reintroduces some previously addressed server problems....

Out-of-sight suspense: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... One of the most popular and best-looking games for the Xbox has made its way to the PC. And, in some ways, it's even better than the original. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a stealth-driven action adventure that sends you, as operative Sam...

Dead on arrival: Post Mortem.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Although its varied, choice-determined gameplay and cool character role-shifting could have distinguished Post Mortem from its competition, the game falls to consistently implement these features and essentially comes off as just another...

The fast & the wireless: Intel's Centrino architecture fuses great performance, outstanding battery life, and integrated wireless connectivity. (Pentium M Notebooks).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... A LONGTIME ADVOCATE OF CPU SPEED AT ANY PRICE, INTEL IS SLOWING THINGS DOWN WITH ITS NEW CENTRINO mobile platform--and that's a good thing. Rather than simply raising the clock speed, Intel has figuratively turned back the clock in its initial...

Be afraid but not very afraid: the Internet has its share of people who would like to do you harm, but there's no reason to live in fear. With a small measure of security, you can safely and confidently surf the world over. (Online Security).(and related article)
June 1, 2003... Kevin Downey, a New York-based creative director, recently received a denial letter for a Gap credit card that he never applied for. More bewildering was the fact that the letter explained his application was being denied because he already had...

See it in print: from the amazing color reproduction of today's inkjets to the crisp text and fast print speeds of the latest personal lasers, a new printer can be one of your best investments. (Shopping For A Printer).(includes chart of printers)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2003... Sometimes the biggest problem with an old printer is not that it has stopped working, but that it hasn't. When you're finally ready to cope with the guilt of consigning your old croaker to a second PC or a favorite charity, get ready for a...

Dynamic duets: we present the perfect sonic pairing of sound card and speakers for six user types. (Audio Hardware).(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Today's computer sound systems do more than deliver superb sound at a great price. They come in an unprecedented range of styles and configurations designed to meet the needs of almost any type of user. In addition to supporting special...

Financial assistants: you don't have to a CPA to master today's accounting apps. These four packages crunch the numbers so you can focus on the big picture. (Accounting Software).(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... It might be a stretch to say Henry Czubkowski found religion when he converted to Simply Accounting 2003 Pro, but the owner and president of New Jersey-based HPC Business Consultants, whose clients are primarily churches, is definitely a...

The hard edge: video editing gets better; Alice goes all digital; and some GR8 MSGs. (Alice & Bill).
June 1, 2003... WE START OFF THIS MONTH'S "Hard Edge" with a reminder: June, especially toward the end of the month, is an excellent time to buy a computer. Why, you ask? Because the "hollowed" halls of academia release their hordes unto the world for the...

Candid cameras: protect your home and family with PC-based video security. (Tune-Up).
June 1, 2003... Sometimes you just have to know: Is your home safe from intruders? Is the baby-sitter as trustworthy as she seems? Who's swiping your Sunday paper? Setting up a multicamera PC-based video-surveillance system can cost as little as $250, using...

Noisy net connections. (computer cures).
June 1, 2003... I live in a rural area, and my 56Kbps modem connects me to the Internet at a maximum of 24Kbps. My neighbor uses a newer modem and gets 30Kbps or faster connections. Would a modem upgrade help me get faster connection speeds? William...

Open up the window! (computer cures).
June 1, 2003... When I open an e-mail message in Outlook Express or launch a new Internet Explorer window by right-clicking on a link and selecting "Open in New Window," the resulting windows occupy only a portion of my screen. How can I get them to open at...

PC amnesia? (computer cures).
June 1, 2003... I have 128MB of memory installed on my PC, and this is the amount that appears during the power-on self-test. But System Properties in Windows XP reports that I have only 96MB installed. This wasn't a problem until recently, when a message...

The ABCs of video CDs. (computer cures).
June 1, 2003... How can I convert VHS tapes to CDs? Bill D'Aprile Detailed instructions on this process can--and do--fill whole volumes, but I'll explain the basics, and you can take it from there. VHS players output a composite-video signal that...

Finding a folder's former home. (computer cures).
June 1, 2003... I deleted a couple of the Office apps from the Programs menu under Start on my Windows XP laptop. When I returned to the desktop, a folder appeared labeled "Startup." Every time I try to remove it, a message appears saying that the folder is a...

Stalled-shutdown solution. (computer cures).
June 1, 2003... When I try to shut down my Windows XP-based PC, it occasionally freezes, and a message pops up stating that "Per, ct Font" is not responding and needs to be shut down. I have no idea what this program is or what it does. Obviously, I would like...

New Mobo is the way to go. (computer cures).
June 1, 2003... My ancient, self-built computer has a 120MHz Pentium processor and 48MB of RAM, and I'm running Windows 98 SE. Of the motherboard' s three PC/slots and two Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) slots, only one of the EISA slots is...

Smart file shuttling. (tip of the month).
June 1, 2003... A friend or family member who doesn't have a CD burner took a great photo you'd like to have, and the file is too large to send via e-mail. How can you get your hands on the pic? This month's tipster has a clever solution. Sure, I've...

A capable, portable refurb for a cash strapped scholar: our advisor helps educate a college student on the ABCs of buying a remanufactured notebook. (Buying Advisor).
June 1, 2003... FOR RYAN YIU, A FRESHMAN AT the University of California at Davis, paying for college hasn't been easy; and scaring up the funds for his own PC has been even tougher. As a result, Yiu has been at the mercy of limited hours, heavy crowds, and...

Tech shopping.
June 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,...

Site of the month.(PlanetFeedback)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... planetfeedback.com If you've ever purchased anything, you probably have opinions about all kinds of companies, from airlines to software publishers. But writing to a large corporation to share your experiences and comments isn't always...

Budget PCs.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... ibuypower.com iBuypower Computer's build-to-order value PCs start at less than $400. Even the company's cheapest PCs include DDR RAM, large hard drives, USB 2.0, and other impressive specs. All systems are backed by a 30-day money-back...

Price-comparison sites.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... addall.com Read all about it: AddAll is a price-comparison site dedicated to books. It quickly searches for new and used volumes at more than 40 online bookstores. Prices include shipping anywhere in the world and can be shown in 20...

Direct PC vendors.
June 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...

PC resources.
June 1, 2003... catalogs.google.com Search or browse mail-order catalogs with Google Catalogs. The site presents online-viewable editions of 5,700 paper catalogs in categories from computers to automobiles to gourmet food. Search them all in one fell...