Computer Shopper articles from June 2004

Computer Shopper archives from June 2004

Slicker clickers.(from the editor in chief)
June 1, 2004... I bought my first digital camera three years ago. It was a 3.2-megapixel Kodak snapshooter that, at the time, fell right around the midrange mark. It wasn't top of the line; in fact, some of our reviewers took enthusiastic delight in dissing my...

Not so greatway.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Nancy Feldman related the story of a dissatisfied customer's problems with Gateway ("Computer Vendor to Customer: No New PC, No Refund, So Sue Us," April, p. 28). I'm impressed she took a stand and reported the situation. My story is similar...

Seller's remorse.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Alice and Bill are correct that postshipment events can make an eBay buyer regret leaving feedback first ("The Hard Edge," April, p. 144). Their "solution" of not letting the seller leave feedback after the buyer has done so appears to be based...

Carpal tunnel vision.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... You missed the boat by leaving a growing category out of your list of 26 worthy input devices ("Outstanding Input," April, p. 131): true ergonomic input devices. It would have been nice to see reviews of the top ergonomic keyboards and mice,...

Support should stay local.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Dell's director of public affairs says that customers are unconcerned about the location of support, and more concerned about whether their problem is resolved quickly ("Is Tech Support Coming Home?" March, p. 20). While they may be more...

Correction.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2004... In a review of the Iogear Memory Mini Mouse 800 ("Outstanding Input," April, p. 131), we mistakenly referred to the mouse's battery life. The Memory Mouse is a corded USB device and doesn't use a battery. Iogear makes a USB RF Wireless Optical...

FCC to energize broadband over utility power lines.(Trends)(broadband over power lines)(Federal Communications Commission)
June 1, 2004... Technical limitations have long frustrated attempts to deliver broadband over power lines (BPL), but the idea is once again sparking interest as its backers tout improvements. In February, the Federal Communications Commission proposed...

Video viewpoints.(Trends)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Top 5 Features CNET Users Want in a Camcoder 1 Video that can be edited on a computer 2 Affordable price 3 Excellent low-light performance 4 High-definition video capture 5 High-quality digital stills

Starbucks, HP begin brewing up music CDs.(Trends)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Starbucks is working with Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com) to create coffee shops with an available soundtrack, as the companies look to grow beyond their traditional businesses. The coffee-shop giant opened its first store with a digital music...

Psychoacoustic file-swap killer.(Trends)
June 1, 2004... A new political battle is brewing over Net music swapping, focusing on a company that claims to be able to automatically identify copyrighted songs on net works like Kazaa and to block illegal downloads. Audible Magic (www....

DVRs headed upstream.(Trends)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Having proved their popularity with American couch potatoes, digital video recorders (DVRs) are about to get a boost in features that will allow them to zap several video streams throughout networked homes. Engineers in the...

Spam law a sham law?(Trends)
June 1, 2004... If Congress thought the Can-Spam Act would slow the rising tide of spam, it will be disappointed by a recent study from MX Logic, a mail-filtering-software company. The overwhelming majority of unsolicited e-mail fails to provide a valid U.S....

Ring-tone vending machine gets the call.(Trends)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A cell phone ring tone vending machine introduced in March is the latest example of how major entertainment companies are selling versions of their products directly to America's 156 million cell-phone subscribers, rather than partnering with...

Sony thinks E-Ink for new e-book.(Trends)(electronic ink )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Sony is using electronic ink in its new e-book, marking one of the first consumer applications of the next-generation display technology. At press time, the company was planning to release the Librie in Japan in April. New startup E Ink and...

Pop-ups down, not yet out.(Trends)(Google AdSense)
June 1, 2004... If you've been waiting for pop-up advertisements to disappear from Web pages forever, you'll have to be patient. Not only will pop-ups remain on Web surfers' menus in the near future, but new types of online ads are also clamoring for your...

Changing the focus of cameras.(Trends)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Ever-tinier camera phones and digital cameras have usually come at a price: a fixed-focus lens that limits the shooting range of these minuscule products. But Philips Research has come up with a solution worth keeping an eye on. The...

System resources hog.(Trends)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Amount of Fossil Fuels Needed to Manufacture a PC 529 POUNDS The typical computing system gobbles up more resources than just storage space and CPU cycles. According to a recent survey, building an average desktop PC with a 17-inch CRT...

Digital TV awaits 'flag' day.(Trends)
June 1, 2004... Beginning next summer, watching digital TV programming will never be the same. DVD recorders, digital VCRs, and personal video recorders sold next year won't allow you to record and watch TV programs in the manner you're used to. The...

Camera ready, all the time.(Gear)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z40 * Starring you: Designed for high performance and portability, Casio's aggressively slim and light line of Exilim digital cameras now includes the $399.99 Exilim Zoom EX-Z40. With more features than previous...

Radio rollout.(Gear)
June 1, 2004... 1 radio rollout Connect any desktop or notebook to your wireless network in no time flat using the $79 Microsoft Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter. Able to link PCs with 802.11g and 802.11b Wi-Fi networks, the device needs only a computer running...

Laser guided.(Gear)
June 1, 2004... 2 laser guided Take serious control of your games and even mundane Windows tasks with the Logitech MX510 Performance Optical Mouse. The $49.95 MX510 has an 800dpi-resolution optical sensor that can capture 5.8 megapixels of image data per...

Slide talker.(Gear)
June 1, 2004... 3 slide talker For looking smooth while you speak, consider the Kyocera SE47. A slickly designed yet affordable cell ($99.99 before a $50 mail-in rebate, with two-year contract), the SE47 features an exotic sliding front faceplate that...

Wi-fi hi-fi.(Gear)
June 1, 2004... 4 Now that your Wi-Fi network is humming and tons of digital audio files are living on your PC's hard drive, let the party begin. The $129 D-Link Wireless Media Player connects to 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks, so you can enjoy...

Handy digits.(Gear)
June 1, 2004... 5 Store all your phone numbers where they should be: in your cell phone. FutureDial's Cell-Phone Data Cables ($29.99 each) and SnapSync Software ($29.99) let you quickly synchronize Microsoft Outlook contact information with handset...

Plug and play.(Gear)
June 1, 2004... 6 The perfect size for jogging or carrying to the gym, the BenQ Joybee 125, available in 128MB ($169) and 256MB ($229) versions, measures a compact 1.3x0.5x3.6 inches. The Joybee plugs into and directly charges its lithium-ion battery from...

Vote with your PC purchase for stateside tech support: everybody's complaining about offshore call centers. If you're mad as hell, here's how you can get your tech support made in the U.S.A.(opinions)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... I WANT ALL OF YOU TO SIT down right now, go to Windows, open it, take out your credit cards, and yell, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Have I gone Howard Beale on you? No. I just want you to know that if you...

From dusty old LCD to flat-panel TV: why spring for a thin-screen television when you can turn a relic computer monitor into one?(opinions)
June 1, 2004... I USUALLY WRITE ABOUT THE latest and greatest electronics gear, but this month, I'm going retro. It all started when my wife said she wanted to watch television while working out on her StairMaster at home. My first impulse was to run over to...

What's on Bill Gates' mind? Not many original ideas: Microsoft's annual Think Week proves the software giant doesn't need to rely on its own innovation to dominate.(opinions)(Microsoft Corp.)
June 1, 2004... ONCE A YEAR, BILL GATES goes off for a retreat he calls "Think Week." In this exercise, he supposedly isolates himself from the normal routine, the company, and its pests to contemplate the state of the state. He then comes back to the world...

The top 25.(Illustration)
June 1, 2004... Computer Shopper editors handpick the best desktops, notebooks, digital audio receivers, handhelds, and DVD-/CD-burning software. PERFORMANCE DESKTOPS EDITORS' PRODUCT ...

Out-of-this-world looks matched by performance: Alienware Area-51 Extreme.
June 1, 2004... ALIENWARE'S LATEST IN-CARNATION of its Area-51 line, a $4,506 tower harboring Intel's new 3.4GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition chip, maintains the brand's imposing design and backs it up with outstanding performance. Just don't plan on lugging this...

Small-case specialist scores with debut PC: Shuttle XPC G2 7500M.
June 1, 2004... THE XPC G2 7500M IS THE FIRST COMPLETE PC from Shuttle Computer Group, a company best known as a purveyor of small-form-factor (SFF) desktop cases and bare-bones systems. The $2,499 XPC uses fast, hot-running parts in a typically heat...

Speed and storage space for disk-hungry DV tasks: Velocity Micro Vision FX A/V/D.
June 1, 2004... WITH THREE HARD DRIVES AND A FAST 2.4GHZ Athlon 64 FX-53 processor, the $3,960 Velocity Micro Vision FX A/V/D has just the right recipe to satisfy digital-video editors. The silver-and-black case eschews neon lights for an understated...

Powerful business box for DV, graphics pros: MPC ClientPro 545.
June 1, 2004... THE MPC CLIENTPRO 545 IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE workplace workhorse. Our $3,745 test system arrived built for the most-demanding business applications: digital video editing, CAD, and other high-end graphics tasks. Its power may be overkill for most...

Bright lights, big system: this gamer's living large: ABS Ultimate X5.
June 1, 2004... MASSIVE IS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE $2,899 ABS Ultimate X5. From the gargantuan tower that radiates blue light when powered up, to the 19-inch CRT weighing in at just less than 50 pounds, to the six-speaker Logitech Z-680 speaker set,...

In a compact package, connectivity and speed: IBM ThinkPad X40.
June 1, 2004... BUSINESS TRAVELERS WHO LIKE TO TRAVEL light should consider IBM's sleek, full-featured $1,639 ThinkPad X40. The ThinkPad X40 has an exceptionally small footprint, measuring 1.1x10.5x8.3 inches and weighing a slight 2.7 pounds. Our test...

New thin-and-light has style and travels well: Sony VAIO PCG-V505.
June 1, 2004... SONY'S GREAT-LOOKING VAIO PCG-V505 IS A TOP thin-and-light for work or play. Although it's not the fastest portable on the block, it offers solid computing with copious amounts of style and flexibility. Decked out with reasonably fast...

An affordable Apple that's solid to the core: Apple iBook G4.
June 1, 2004... TO THOSE WHO THINK SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL, the $1,099 12-inch Apple iBook G4 offers good looks and attractive components. It's a rugged laptop well-suited for students and home users. As Apple's entry level portable, the 12-inch iBook G4 has an...

Thin-and-light laptop features style, not speed: Toshiba Satellite M30.
June 1, 2004... A SLICK THIN-AND-LIGHT, TOSHIBA AMERICA'S $1,649 Satellite M30 is one of the best-looking laptops around, but it falls short in a few areas, such as mobile performance. Also, it runs hot. Our test model featured a 1.4GHz Pentium M processor...

Dazzling big-screen star is a DVD and music pro: Acer Aspire 2000.
June 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice ACER AMERICA'S $1,799 ASPIRE 2000 IS A FAST, long-lasting notebook with great multimedia features. If you don't mind some minor ergonomic flaws, this is a solid choice for a desktop replacement. Filled with...

Sleek and advanced tablet missing business power: Electrovaya Scribbler SC-2000.
June 1, 2004... THE CANADIAN COMPANY ELECTROVAYA MAY be one of the smaller sellers of tablets, but it makes a big statement with its $2,299 Scribbler SC-2000. Perfect for a full day of work, this is one well-designed slate. Built around a textured...

Tiny, feature-rich player humbled by its software: Archos Gmini 220.
June 1, 2004... THE $349.95 ARCHOS GMINI 220 DIGITAL AUDIO player offers an unbelievable amount of features and is unquestionably small, but a confusing interface makes it difficult to use. Square-shaped and trimmed with black rubberized left and right...

Eye-catching organizer is expensive but robust: Toshiba Pocket PC e805.
June 1, 2004... THE $599 TOSHIBA POCKET PC E805, THE successor to the e750, is the company's most advanced model. While neither light nor cheap, the e805 offers road warriors powerful performance and robust software. Design wise, this new model relies on...

Headphones with high-end audio, low-end looks: Grado SR125.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Grado, the Brooklyn-based manufacturer of headphones and phono cartridges, has amassed a devoted following. Delivering top-notch performance, the company's flagship $150 SR125 headphones will satisfy even the most demanding audiophile. ...

A swiveling LCD is the focus of slick cell: Samsung SCH-A610.(Liquid crystal displays)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE $229.99 SAMSUNG SCH-A610 for Verizon Wireless, the latest in the carrier's effort to spruce up its offerings, delivers an eye-catching design and impressive features. At 3.5x1.9x0.9 inches and 3.7 ounces, the two-tone silver SCH-a610...

MP3-player perfection in a smaller form: Apple iPod Mini.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE $249 4GB IPOD MINI CARRIES on Apple Computer's tradition of excellent portable audio. Measuring 3.6x2x0.5 inches, the player's stylish anodized-aluminum shell is extremely tough. At 3.6 ounces, the device is also light in the pocket....

Professional-level LCD performs like a CRT: Eizo FlexScan L885.
June 1, 2004... IF YOU DEMAND CRT-QUALITY GRAPHICS IN AN LCD and are willing to pay for it, you're going to love the $1,499 Eizo FlexScan L885. The 20.1-inch LCD offers some of the best image quality and image-adjustment options we've seen in any monitor--LCD...

All-in-one has nice extras for digital-photo fans: Epson Stylus Photo RX500.
June 1, 2004... THE $249 EPSON STYLUS PHOTO RX500 ALL-IN-ONE has a bounty of features to please digital-photo enthusiasts looking for some advanced features. Text and mixed-graphics results, however, were merely fair. The six-color RX500 copies, scans,...

Feature-packed device for budding audio pros: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro.
June 1, 2004... THE $249.99 SOUND BLASTER AUDIGY 2 ZS Platinum Pro is Creative Labs' most capable audio-output device to date. Highlights include 7.1-channel output, 24-bit playback, high audio resolution, and support for advanced home audio standards. It...

Small boost for big bucks from new graphics card: XFX GeForce FX 5950 Ultra.
June 1, 2004... THOUGH IT'S BECOME THE ACCEPTED PRICE OF admission for those who crave top performance, $395 is a lot to pay for a graphics card. XFX's GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is one of the most powerful cards on the market, but its performance boost over the...

Digicam update yields so-so image quality: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The successor to the digital SLR-style Lumix DMC-FZIS, Panasonic's $599.95 Lumix DMC-FZ10 uses the same 12x, f2.8 Leica zoom lens and carbon-fiber-and-plastic body but adds some advanced functions. It also ups the LCD to 2 inches and the...

Bluetooth, IR photo printer is sized to hit the road: HP Deskjet 450wbt.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... IF YOU'RE A ROAD WARRIOR, HAVING a printer you can take with you is a big advantage. Even at a compact 3.2x13.3x7.3 inches (HWD), the $349.99 HP Deskjet 450wbt is capable of printing 8.5x11-inch documents, and at a mere 4.6 pounds, it won't...

8x multiformat DVD drive serves up super speed: Pioneer DVR-A07U.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... PIONEER'S $199 DVR-A07U IS ONE of the first drives to offer true 8x DVD [+ or -] R read and write, 4x DVD [+ or -] R rewrite, and 24x CD-write speeds. Besides reading and writing plus and minus media--as well as all CD formats--the drive can...

Network storage device doubles as print server: Buffalo LinkStation Network Storage Center.
June 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice WANT ACCESS TO YOUR MUSIC AND PHOTO FILES regardless of the computer you're using? The $349.99 Buffalo LinkStation Network Storage Center brings the convenience of network-attached storage home, giving you a central...

Low-cost, no-frills router packed with features: Gateway Wireless-G Router WGR-200.
June 1, 2004... GATEWAY'S $99.99 WIRELESS-G ROUTER WGR-200 is an inexpensive model that's easy to set up and use. It combines the speed of 802.11g with encrypted wireless connections, a firewall, and flexible parental controls. Though not the most capable...

Big-budget DV production with an indie price tag: Pinnacle Studio 9.
June 1, 2004... VERSION 9 OF PINNACLE SYSTEMS' $99.99 STUDIO is the most stable we've tested to date, and it adds a raft of powerful new features, including audio- and video-cleanup tools. We can't think of a better inexpensive tool for creating and...

The tools you need to perfect your DVD craft: Ulead DVD Workshop 2.
June 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice ULEAD SYSTEMS' $495 DVD WORKSHOP 2 SETS A new standard for under-$1,000 DVD-authoring packages. We love its deceptively simple interface, superior selection of disc-finishing options, and menu-creation tools--at least...

Face-lift makes burning suite easier on eyes: Roxio Easy Media Creator 7.
June 1, 2004... IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SUITE OF SOFTWARE that can handle almost any kind of CD or DVD project, look no further than Roxio's vastly improved $99.95 Easy Media Creator 7. Roxio has finally brought a common look and feel to Easy Media...

E-mail service holds key to stopping spam: ZoEmail.
June 1, 2004... EVER WISH YOU COULD LOCK UP SPAMMERS and throw away the key? with ZoEmail you can--almost literally. Use this Web-based e-mail service ($11.88 per year for 12MB of storage, $19.08 for 50MB) for a few weeks, and you may never read a piece of...

An old-school gaming mouse is reborn: BFG Sniper Boomslang 2100.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BFG Technologies' $49.99 Sniper Boomslang 2100 is a reincarnation of the popular, high-performance Boomslang gaming mouse manufactured by Razer back in the late '90s. It's faithful to the original--in both good and not-so-good ways. ...

Satisfy your inner casino kingpin: Vegas Tycoon.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ONE OF THE BETTER "TYCOON" games, Vegas Tycoon has plenty going for it, including beautiful graphics, oodles of detail, and lots of depth, though it doesn't quite hit the million-dollar jackpot. Essentially two games, Tycoon is both a...

A pigskin fiesta par excellence: Total Pro Football 2004.(.400 Software Studios)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... COLORFUL GRAPHICS, A HAND-holding interface, and fantastic depth make Total Pro Football 2004 the best new football sim in ages. This isn't a typical numbers first sports sim. You control a pro franchise from front office to sideline, and...

PCs for all reasons: whether you're a gamer, a starving college student, a media junkie, or a jack of all trades, one of these 14 systems has just what you need.(The Right PC For You)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... COOKIE-CUTTER DESKTOPS HAVE GONE THE WAY OF the beige box, and they've taken with them the notion of a single desktop for every type of user. Surf over to the average online configurator, and you're faced with an overwhelming number of options...

Snap decisions: check out the latest trends in digital photography and get the vitals on 50 of the hottest new cameras.(Digital Cameras)
June 1, 2004... It's not easy being an early adopter. Sure, you get points for having the coolest gadgets, but you've got to live with the bugs and kinks. Those who follow get the stuff that's faster, more powerful, easier to use, and less expensive. ...

20 top tech shopping spots: you know what you need for your PC; we know how to get you a great deal. Before you click "buy," check out our picks for the best Web tech stores.(Smart Tech Buying)
June 1, 2004... NOTHING'S BETTER THAN THE rush that comes from getting a new gadget or toy for your PC--except, of course, the bragging rights that come with getting an amazing price. And it's not difficult to score a killer deal when you buy online--all you...

Give your PC a lift: these 40 hardware add-ons and upgrades will boost power and functionality to any older PC.(PC Add-Ons And Upgrades)
June 1, 2004... THE OLD FAMILY PC IS showing its age. It takes 5 minutes to boot, startles you with frequent near death experiences, and crashes as often as it runs. Worst of all, it just can't cope with the latest games and software. But with a little sweat...

14 essential utilities: grab these programs to get the most out of your PC.(Vital Utilities)
June 1, 2004... Most casual PC users probably couldn't name more than a handful of utilities they'd consider paying for. But if you're reading Computer Shopper, you're not a casual user, and you know there are plenty of powerful utilities out there that can...

Serious speed with Serial ATA: for the fastest hard drive performance possible, set up a Serial ATA RAID 0 array.(Tune-Up)
June 1, 2004... Upgrading your hard drive is a great way to wring more performance from your PC, particularly if you frequently load large applications or files. Hard drive performance may be especially important with demanding applications such as video...

The hard edge: Alice's guide to must have storage devices; Bill's custom storage problems; and is DVD copying wrong?(help & how-to)
June 1, 2004... WITHOUT A DOUBT, HARD drive crashes are ugly business. They fill you with self-recrimination, bewilderment, and lingering regret. As drive capacities continue to increase, and the cargo gets more precious (personal photos, audio collections,...

Searching high and low.(computer cures)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... I've discovered something strange about how Windows 2000 conducts file searches, and I can't figure out how to get around it. If you conduct a search from the root folder of the C: drive and choose to search all subfolders, the contents of the...

SCSI and IDE together happily?(computer cures)(Small Computer System Interface)(Integrated Drive Electronics)
June 1, 2004... I pulled the SCSI PCI card from my now-defunct all-SCSI computer with the hope of using it in my new system to access some external SCSI devices. Windows XP Professional recognized the card and began the SCSI boot process, but then stopped with...

Guarding against broken windows.(computer cures)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... I have Windows XP Professional installed on my computer, but I don't have the system disk. I'm concerned about how I would reinstall Windows in the event that something goes wrong, Is it possible to burn a disk from my PC, or is there a way to...

Help! Type's too small.(computer cures)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... I bought a 21-inch monitor and set the Windows display resolution to 1,024x768 pixels. Now I find that everything I see in Internet Explorer is too small. Using the Text Size setting under the View menu temporarily fixes the problem. I think...

DOS does the trick.(computer cures)(Disk Operating System)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... I want to make a printout of the names of the files in a folder, but I can't find a way to do this using Windows 98 Explorer: I tried to copy and paste the list to a word processor, but it copied the contents of the files. I know you can do it...

A sticky solution.(tip of the month)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Wouldn't it be great to have a magic solution to solve many problems with your computer? A sort of do-it-all duct tape for PCs? This month's tipster has found an indispensable addition to his tool kit. One of my most useful PC tools is a...

Big LCD on campus needs to double-major: a college student seeks a flat-panel monitor ideal for both games and term papers. Which of our eight LCDs will graduate with honors?(Buying Advisor)(liquid crystal display)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... DAVID FISH HAS LITTLE space, but big ambitions: He wants a space-saving LCD monitor that isn't lame for games. "I'm shopping for a new PC and monitor for college," says Fish. "I'm looking at an LCD. It's mainly going to be used for games,...

Tech shopping.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... americal.com Burn, baby, burn! Americal Micro Products sells an array of blank DVD and CD media. Use the drop-down menus to zoom to the type of media you need, including colored, rectangular, and printable discs. audioadvisor.com ...

beststuff.com.(site of the month)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... JUNE COMPUTER SHOPPER Hungry for product news and high-tech-gadget gab? BestStuff.com is dedicated to news and reviews of consumer products, with lots of information about new PC peripherals, gizmos, and nifty lifestyle products that...

Gaming accessories.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)
June 1, 2004... arcadecontrols.com Trying to play Centipede on your keyboard should be declared a mortal sin. The Build Your Own Arcade Controls FAQ will show you how to build a set of real arcade-game controls--with trackballs, spinners, and...

Online bill-pay services.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... finance.yahoo.com/bp With Yahoo Bill Pay, you can make payments to more than 100 participating billers (including all major credit cards) for free--you can even opt to receive some of those bills online. Few $4.95 a month, you can send...

Direct PC vendors.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... 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.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)
June 1, 2004... annoyances.org Does Microsoft Windows have you on edge? Visit Annoyances.org, where you'll find information about living peaceably with Windows. Sections include Customizing, Reducing Clutter, and Troubleshooting. If Windows has moved you...

Low-cost PCs.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... cpusolutions.com The good news: the desktop-PC deals at CPU Solutions start at about $250. The machines are highly customizable, built with your choice of case, motherboard, CPU, hard drives, and case meals. The bad news: By the time...

Software sites.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)
June 1, 2004... buypcsoft.com Buypcsoft.com sells Windows software in categories from business management to voice recognition. It's an efficient site with a good selection of big-name applications. download.com Need instant software...

How to buy the right multifunction printer.(buying basics)(Lexmark X5150, Epson Stylus CX6400, HP PSC 2510 Photosmart All-in-One)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... Running out of room in your office for a printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine? You're probably in the market for a multifunction printer (MFP, or "all-in-one"), which can save you space and money by combining several office devices into...