Computer Shopper articles from March 2004

Computer Shopper archives from March 2004

D-I-Y or buy?(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... In last month's issue of Computer Shopper, we turned the tables on our readers. Rather than serving up our own reviews as usual, we asked you to vote on your favorite products and reported the results. For our March issue, we've turned the...

Fair play for music, please!(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Rik Fairlie's February column, "Streaming Isn't Stealing, So Set My Digital Audio Free" (p. 30), echoed many similar concerns for me. Ironically, I went through a comparable buy-burn-rip do-si-do the day before reading that article--yet another...

Cartridge concerns.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I love your magazine. I especially like the uniform design and format used throughout your product-reviews section. It makes it much easier to evaluate the products against each other. l have one suggestion, however. In tour January review of...

Games "people" play.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... While reading John Dvorak's January column, "Technology's Catalyst Is About to Implode" (p. 37), one point in particular caught my eye. He describes "kids" building their gaming rigs and LAN parties as a place where "kids" get together to play...

Will game consoles be kings of convergence?(Trends)(PlayStation 2, Xbox Music Mixer)
March 1, 2004... One of the most heavily touted concepts of the Internet boom was "convergence"--the notion that many home consumer technologies could operate out of a single box. To the surprise of many, that box of the future may end up being the humble game...

Identity is only skin-deep.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags aren't just for pallets of goods in warehouses anymore. Applied Digital Solutions (www.adsx.com) is hoping that Americans can be persuaded to implant RFID chips under their skin to identify...

PDA prerequisites.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Top Five Features CNET Users Are Looking for in a New Handheld: (1) Long battery life (2) Ability to sync with Microsoft Outlook (3) Lots of memory/expandability (4) Sharp color screen (5) Reliability

Taking windows for a ride.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... After swerving off the road a few times, Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) is gearing up for another try at the automotive market. The software maker has persuaded a number of carmakers to use its Windows CE operating system to power a variety...

Smart Displays flunk out.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Little more than a year after launching its Smart Display technology, which provides access to a PC from anywhere within Wi-Fi range, Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) has dumped the project. Microsoft says it made the decision after looking at...

Information in, money out.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... $122 Average Monthly Spending on Information Services Information may yearn to be free, but content and communications providers have other ideas. According to a recent survey, Americans spend more than $100 per month on average for...

Searching for like-minded music matches.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A new generation of music recommendation services is emerging, aimed at helping listeners navigate the often bewildering mass of music now legally available online. One of the most ambitious, dubbed Soundflavor and produced by Siren...

Tech superstores go mod.(Trends)(components for PC builders and system modders now available at computer megastores)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Do-it-yourself PC builders and system modders have traditionally had to shop for high end cases, cold cathode lights, and other enthusiast components online, at a handful of Web stores catering to that niche. But increasingly, these PC...

DVD technology does red, write, and blue.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... NEC has developed technology to record and read both current and next-generation DVDs with a single optical head, adding to the momentum of blue-laser DVD products. NEC's new optical head combines red lasers used in today's DVD players and...

Gyms ban camera phones.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Forget towel snapping. A new, more high-tech anxiety is spreading around gym locker rooms these days. Cell phones with embedded cameras have created privacy concerns that have gotten all cell phones banned from a growing number of...

Hanging on to Windows 98.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... 29% Percentage of Web searches made from Windows 98 PCs, September 2003 Microsoft may have stopped distributing Windows 98 late last year, but people are still clinging to the archaic operating system. A recent study by AssetMetrix even...

Is tech support coming home?(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... When Dell announced late last year that it was moving some of its corporate technical support from India to the United States due to customers' complaints, followed by MPC Computers' decision to move all of its tech support back from overseas...

Rest in peace, VCR, VHS.(Gear)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Pioneer DVR-810H-S So long, VHS: The $1,199 Pioneer DVR-810H-S represents the final nail in your VCR's coffin. This choice piece of consumer electronics intelligently mixes with your home entertainment center and is the first device to...

Mission control.(Gear)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Gamester FPS Master from Radica may give you a decisive edge over your enemies. An Xbox game controller specially crafted for first-person-shooter-style games, the $29.99 FPS Master's button arrangement lets you keep both thumbs on its...

MP3s unplugged.(Gear)(Slim Devices)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... While other digital audio receivers use the television as an interface, the $299 Slim Devices Squeezebox has a large, bright LED display and lets you access your computer's music collection from any room where a wireless home-network signal is...

Solitary sounds.(Gear)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Cushion yourself from the world at large with Shure's $179 E3c headphones. Shure, well-known for manufacturing professional-grade audio devices, has designed these earbud-style phones to be remarkably compact white also offering high sound...

Personal digital radio.(Gear)(AmbiCom)
March 1, 2004... In case your PDA isn't powerful enough, the $39.95 AmbiCom Radio FM-CF CompactFlash Module provides even more functionality. The device slides into the CompactFlash slots of compatible Pocket PC handhelds and equips them with FM-tuner...

Cool as ice.(Gear)(Clear Computer Case (C3), C3 CT-1430 Blue Ice Acrylic Case)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Wrap your PC components in cool blue ice. The $237 midtower C3 CT-1430 Blue Ice Acrylic Case accepts standard ATX motherboards, and is decked out with five 5.25-inch external and three internal drive bags. Most notable, though, is the Blue...

Mega phone.(Gear)(NEC America Inc., NEC 525 HDM)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The 525 HDM is the second handset in NEC's High Definition Mobile line to hit American shores. This advanced $299 device, available through AT&T Wireless, is NEC's first foray into the U.S. camera-phone market. Differentiating itself from other...

How a custom PC can come with some very alien payment policies: configure a truly custom rig from smaller computer vendors, and you just might find yourself paying for the machine before it's even built.(opinions)(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... WHEN YOU CLICK UP A STACK of CDs from Amazon.com, your credit card isn't charged until the order ships. When buying a PC online, shouldn't you expect the same? As John Qin found out, that all depends on the merchant. Qin configured a slick...

The desktop's successor will conquer the entire home: by ditching the desktop, the PC is looking for a new lease on life. But what exactly is a "lifestyle PC"?(opinions)
March 1, 2004... THIS IS TRADITIONALLY THE time of year for bold predictions, so here's mine: By the end of 2004, the desktop as we know it will be DOA. Everyone knows notebooks are coming on strong. By 2007, portable PCs are expected to account for nearly half...

The dot-com retailer as global niche marketer: you may not be able to find a yak-powered windmill at Wal-Mart, but if such a product existed, you'd be sure to find it online.(opinions)
March 1, 2004... IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, A lot more dot-com commercials are on television now than in the Internet's heyday, when it seemed like a good idea to drop $500,000 for a one-time Super Bowl ad. This time it looks as if sensibility will take over...

The top 25.(top 25)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Computer Shopper editors handpick this month's best desktops, notebooks, MP3 players, digital cameras, and combat games. The Top 25 GAMING DESKTOPS PRODUCT PRICE SPECS Velocity Raptor $5,094...

Souped-up gaming box merits its lofty price: Falcon Northwest Mach V FX-51.
March 1, 2004... CONFIGURE A SYSTEM IN Falcon Northwest's Mach V line, and rest assured you're getting the latest technology, superior craftsmanship, top-notch peripherals, and a strong warranty. You're also getting gaming and graphics performance second to...

Strong feature set from mainstream PC: iBuypower Value Pro PC.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... ALTHOUGH IT LACKS SOME ACCOUTREMENTS, iBuypower's $1,299 Value Pro PC is a versatile desktop at an attractive price. A peek inside the windowed side panel reveals a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512MB of 400MHz memory, and nVidia's GeForce FX...

Lackluster components in spiffy business attire: HP Compaq d530 Ultra-Slim Desktop.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... HEWLETT-PACKARD'S COMPAQ D530 ULTRA-SLIM Desktop offers a design and accessory bundle that deftly caters to cubicles, call centers, and customer service operations. It's also backed by an excellent warranty. The $1,730 d530 is as notable...

See-through powerhouse clearly has potential: Vicious PC Assassin SE.(Vicious PC)
March 1, 2004... YOU WON'T FIND ANYTHING STEALTHY ABOUT THE Vicious PC Assassin SE, with its dazzling transparent tower. The system's performance muscle backs up its appearance. We'd like to see a better keyboard and monitor, however. Though blue LEDs...

Stylish tower PC ups Media Center ante: Sony VAIO Digital Studio PCV-RZ44G.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... SONY ELECTRONICS' FIRST SYSTEM TO USE MICROsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 was worth waiting for. The $1,949 (without monitor) VAIO Digital Studio PCV-RZ44G is housed in a traditional tower, but it has a few media tricks up its...

Hefty business notebook delivers slim performance: Toshiba Satellite A25-S279.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... IN AN AGE WHERE SLEEK, SWIFT, light Pentium M notebooks are starting to dominate the business scene, Toshiba America's Satellite A25-$279 is an anachronism. This affordable but clunky $1,449 machine is much too heavy and slow to fulfill its...

Fast laptop is packed with capable components: HP Pavilion ZT3000.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... HEWLETT-PACKARD PUTS A SLICK SPIN ON ITS NEW Pavilion ZT3000 notebook, with cool blue-and-green status lights and bright-silver accents. This $2,224 thin-and-light laptop offers more than a pretty face, however. It also has plenty of useful...

A solid, speedy traveler with staying power: IBM Thinkpad T41 (2379DJU).(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... IBM'S THINKPAD NOTEBOOKS HAVE NEVER BEEN the flashiest around, and the upgraded ThinkPad T41 series continues the staid black-slab tradition. Fortunately, IBM doesn't need a lot of bling, because this fast, solid-thin-and-light delivers all the...

Elegant Apple is easy to take along: Apple PowerBook G4.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... THREE YEARS AFTER THE DEBUT OF THE POPULAR PowerBook Titanium, Apple Computer's new $2,599 PowerBook G4, with its anodized-aluminum case, improves on the original in nearly all areas except battery life. Like its predecessor, this...

Gateway goes convertible with new tablet PC: Gateway M275XL.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... MOST TABLET PC MAKERS ARE NOW CONCENtrating on making over their first tablets, but not Gateway. Instead of refreshing its slate-style tablet, the company has released a new convertible tablet, the $2,099 M275XL. Our test unit came to us...

PDA's new design proves less is more: Dell Axim X31.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... DELL'S FIRST AXIM, THE X5, OFFERED A FAST processor, dual expansion slots, and great battery life, but it had a bulky design and lacked extras. With a lighter body and a faster processor, the $379 X3i addresses those shortcomings, and does so...

Versatile Palm PDA puts games on tap: Tapwave Zodiac 2.(Personal Digital Assistant)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... IF YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW PALM AND have gamer genes in you, check out Tapwave's $399.99 Zodiac 2 entertainment console, a groundbreaking PDA that doubles as a portable gaming device. Running on a zippy 200MHz ARM9 processor and a...

Hassle-free phone dialing: Siemens Headset PTT Bluetooth HHB-500.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... Known for its stylish cell phones, Siemens once again melds form and function with its Headset PTT Bluetooth HHB-500. Although it's a bit larger than other headsets and, at $150, slightly more expensive, we like the way the headset is designed...

Good Karma spins tracks back well: Rio Karma 20.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... ARMED WITH 20GB OF HARD DRIVE storage, the beautifully designed $349.99 Rio Karma 20 portable music player rivals the Apple iPod in ergonomic attention and ease of use--but at a lower price. The Karma gives you the freedom of carrying...

A simple cell phone for basic service: Sony Ericsson T226.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... SOME PEOPLE SIMPLY NEED AN affordable phone, not a fancy, complicated device or one with a camera. Behold the $49.99 Sony Ericsson T226. The T226 has a boxy design. At 3.9x1.7x0.7 inches and 2.8 ounces, this attractive phone is small and...

Multimedia speaker set rocks PC games, DVDs: Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1.
March 1, 2004... AN UPDATE TO KLIPSCH AUDIO TECHNOLOGIES' ProMedia 5.1, the ProMedia Ultra 5.1 speaker set is notable for several appealing design refinements, including slicker satellites, a restyled command module, updated crossovers, and a larger, retuned...

Decent 19-inch CRT won't wow graphics pros: ViewSonic G90fb.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... VIEWSONIC DELIVERS ACCEPTABLE IMAGE QUALITY, rich colors, and extremely user-friendly adjustment controls with its G90fb, and at $244, it's less expensive than many other 19-inch CRTs. If you're a graphics professional, however, you may want to...

Scan, copy, print at home with stylish printer: HP PSC 1350 All-in-One.(Hewlett-Packard)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... IF YOU NEED A MULTIFUNCTION PRINTER FOR FUN rather than work, Hewlett-Packard's PSC 1350 All-in-One may be for you. This $149.99 device adeptly scans, copies, and prints, and it has handy built-in slots for reading most common digital-camera...

Multiformat DVD drive is fast and flexible: Iomega Super DVD Writer All Format Internal Drive.(Digital Versatile Disk Drives)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... DO YOU ORDER THE SURF AND TURF AT RESTAUrants because you can't choose just one dish? If so, the $179.95 Iomega Super DVD Writer MI Format Internal Drive will make your day--it's one of the first five-format drives, reading and writing all the...

Easy cam for digital beginners: Kodak EasyShare DX6440.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... Eastman Kodak's midrange EasyShare DX6440 takes the fear out of digital photography. In addition to a 4x zoom lens and a 4-megapixel sensor, the $399.95 DX6440 provides almost effortless image transfer and postprocessing via its bundled...

Budget model delivers a scan for all reasons: HP Scanjet 3970.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... THE HP SCANJET 3970 MAY NEED A design update, but its $99.99 price, good selection of features, and ability to produce quality images make it a great utilitarian scanner for students or first time users. The Scanjet doesn't look too bulky,...

A stylish scanner saved by software: Canon CanoScan LiDE 80.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... FIRST-TIME FILM AND PHOTOGRAPH scanners who can afford Canon's fashionable-looking $149.99 CanoScan LiDE 80 will enjoy its design, ease of use, and ample software bundle. Pros, however, will not be impressed with its output quality. With...

Miniature USB Stick lets you share the web: Ashton Airdash Wireless USB Stick WRUB-2011i.(AirDash Wireless USB Stick WRUB-2011i)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... ABOUT THE SIZE OF A DISPOSABLE CIGARETTE lighter and weighing less than an ounce, Ashton Digital's AirDash Wireless USB Stick WRUB-2011i is as unobtrusive as Wi-Fi networking gear gets. Plus, it's easy to install, delivers excellent throughput,...

Firewall/print server great for home offices: Netgear FWG114P.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... NETGEAR'S $193 FWG114P IS AN INTEGRATED ACCESS point, firewall, and print server that's easy to set up via any standard Web browser, making it ideal for multiplatform networks. Although it lacks some security and scalability options, the...

Protecting your system from outside influences: Norton Internet Security 2004.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... SYMANTEC'S $69.95 NORTON INTERNET SECURITY 2004 is a great buy for those trolling the Internet without defenses. It includes the 2004 versions of Norton AntiVirus, Personal Firewall, and AntiSpam, plus a few Net-privacy features. Internet...

Firewall app safeguards your PC's entryways: ZoneAlarm Pro 4.5.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... IN ZONEALARM PRO 4.5, A $49.95 FIREWALL/SECURIty suite, zone Labs now incorporates expert-style rules that let advanced users fine-tune Internet-access privileges and also includes a way to report Web intruders. Plus, the program remains so...

Let your PC be your tax accountant: TaxCut Premium 2003.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... A TAX ACCOUNTANT MAY BE THE EASIEST SOLUtion to April 15, but why pay someone hundreds of dollars to fill out IRS forms when today's tax software makes it a breeze to do it yourself? The $39.95 TaxCut Premium 2003 from H&R Block E-solutions...

Adobe turns the page on layout design: Adobe Indesign CS.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... IN ITS FIRST TWO ITERATIONS, INDESIGN WASN'T quite the "QuarkXPress killer" page-design program Adobe Systems had promised. But with the $699.95 CS version's better type, layout, and editing features, as well as its workflow integration, you...

Venerable drawing suite remains picture-perfect: Canvas 9 Professional Edition.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... ACD SYSTEMS' CANVAS IS AN OLD TIMER IN THE PC graphics arena--the original program was first released 16 years ago and has matured into a powerful, total graphics solution at a reasonable price. The $399.95 ($349.95 download) version 9...

Give your videos a blast of style: Screenblast Movie Studio 3.0.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... SONY PICTURES DIGITAL'S $99.95 SCREENBLAST Movie Studio 3.0 offers a sophisticated timeline interface that allows you to lay out multiple overlapping tracks of video and text. Though it doesn't have the flourishes or flexibility pros require,...

Surround phones deliver an earful: Zalman Theatre 6 ZM-RS6F.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... Though no substitute for open-air Surround speakers, Zalman U.S.A.'s $69.95 Theatre 6 ZM-RS6F surround, sound headphones deliver reasonably immersive audio for gaming. The Theatre 6 has three discrete speakers in each earcup, for front,...

Brainy sci-fi actioner proves out of sight: Deus Ex: Invisible War.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... SCIENCE-FICTION ACTION AND intrigue intertwine in Deus Ex: Invisible War, the sequel to 2000's Deus Ex, a cyberpunk thriller lauded for its cerebral story line and role-playing-game (RPG) elements. Invisible War looks like a sci-fi-themed...

Ruling Britannia could give you agita: Victoria: an empire under the sun.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... VICTORIA: AN EMPIRE UNDER THE Sun opens with a clip of a locomotive barreling down the tracks toward you. It's fitting: This game is so complex you might feel like you've been hit by that big train. This empire-building simulator depicts...

The D-I-Y desktop challenge: with only a minimal amount of profanity and nary a drop of blood spilled, our two desktop editors succeed in building a PC from the ground up.(Build Your Own PC)
March 1, 2004... After sitting back and critiquing vendors' efforts to deliver the perfect desktop year after gear, we decided it was time to test our own PC-building skills. Instead of calling on a freelancer with years of experience, we decided to trade in...

The flat pack: it's time to chuck that clunky CRT in favor of a svelte, flicker-free flat panel. We're betting at least one of these 15 LCDs will catch your eye.(LCD Monitors)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... INTRODUCTION BY MARY BEHR With LCD monitors priced so reasonably, is there any reason to endure that flickering desk hog a moment longer? Maybe if you're a graphic artist who requires exacting color fidelity, or an avid garner who demands...

20 ways to shop smart online.(Essential Guide)(Secure Electronic Transaction)(Secure Sockets Layer)
March 1, 2004... Shop Safe, Not Sorry 1 make sure your connection's 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...

The alternative paths to saving: the road to great technology deals doesn't necessarily have to be the one most traveled. Here's how to solve the puzzle of finding a bargain without ending up in a mall or superstore.(Alternative Shopping)
March 1, 2004... THE MALL, FLASHY ELECTRONICS MEGA-stores, and those big-name dot-corns all have their place when you're shopping for computers and other electronics. Nevertheless, alternatives--some mainstream, some off the beaten track--can sometimes give you...

Tech makeovers: we picked four very different types of people, gave them a new PC, and changed their lives.(Tech-Life Upgrades)
March 1, 2004... EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK ON TELEVISION these days, someone, or something, is getting a makeover, whether it's a mousy-looking housewife or a diamond-in-the-rough ranch house. Always ready to capitalize on a popular trend, we at Computer Shopper...

Songs for sale: the online music industry is finally catching up to peer-to-peer networks, with new services offering more of what consumers want. We take five for a spin.(Music-Downloading Services)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... INTRODUCTION BY SEAN PORTNOY It's taken far longer than it should, but the record industry has finally figured out that to beat Kazaa, Lime Wire, and the other peer-to-peer networks that have allowed millions of MP3s to be swapped for...

The hard edge: RSS is the new push; Bill builds a computer; and Alice and Bill go blogging.(help & how-to)(Really Simple Syndication)
March 1, 2004... LICE AND BILL HATE TECHnology fads, so when the term "blogging" began seeping into everything from news articles to conversations overheard on the subway, they knew to steer clear. After all, they've both been publishing information online in...

Let's get optical: installing a DVD or CD burner into your PC opens up a world of possibilities.(Tune-Up)
March 1, 2004... A disc burner easily qualifies as a must-have PC accessory these days, whether you're interested in mixing your own audio CDs, sharing videos or slide shows, or using CDs or DVDs simply to move or archive data. If your system's getting a little...

Squeaky-clean web printing.(computer cures)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... How can I remove the header and footer that show up every time I print a Web page in Internet Explorer? Janina Mohr In most versions of Internet Explorer, you can simply choose File > Page Setup, and clear the text boxes beneath Page...

PC as P.A.?(personal computer as a public address system)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Is there any way to set up my PC as a public address system, sending sound directly from the microphone to the speakers? Ted Sandoval Sure. Double-click on the speaker icon in your Taskbar, which should open a sound-mixer window....

Clearing up fuzzy fonts.(computer cures)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Text on my new LCD monitor looks fuzzy. I'm disappointed, because I thought the benefit of LCDs is that they deliver sharper images than CRTs. I have ClearType enabled in Windows XP. What else can I do to unfuzz my images? S.R. Arslan ...

CPU switcheroo?(computer cures)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... I have two notebooks, one with a 366MHz Pentium II processor and the other with an AMD K6-2. Are the CPUs upgradable? Robert Marchand Unlike desktop PCs that are designed to work with a range of processors and use socketed processor...

This is (a) RAID!(computer cures)(Redundant Array of Inexpensive or (Independent) Disks)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... I just upgraded my system with a new motherboard, and the documentation mentions it has RAID capabilities. What is RAID, what can it do for me, and how can I take advantage of it? Alberto Morales RAID stands for Redundant Array of...

Making sense of CD-RW speeds.(computer cures)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... My PC's CD-RW drive is rated at 48x/24x/48x. What do these numbers refer to? Also, what speed of blank CD-R and CD-RW discs should I purchase to use with this drive? Tim Ryan Those speeds refer to the maximum speed at which the drive...

Sharp pointer tips.(tip of the month)
March 1, 2004... Marching technology has created all sorts of new consumables that never existed before, and, as a result, replacing worn components can sometimes be a challenge. This month's tipster has come up with a way to extend the life of an expendable...

Quest for best CD burner is a truly ripping yarn: an iPod initiate needs to rip 2,000 CDs as fast as he can. Which optical drive is up for the challenge?(Buying Advisor)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2004... WE'VE DIAGNOSED THE first tech related injury for the 21st century: iPod Elbow. You don't get it from dancing wildly to catchy tunes on your digital audio player--it strikes Apple iPod owners like Robert Toth, who has 2,000 music CDs to swap in...

Tech shopping.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2004... abtelectronics.com Consumer-electronics retailer Abt Electronics has been in business for a whopping 67 years. The bountiful inventory includes home theater gadgetry, automotive electronics, and appliances. allstarshop.com Set...

overstock.com.(site of the month)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2004... MARCH COMPUTER SHOPPER Anyone who loves a great bargain loves an outlet mall--those cavernous, usually out-of-the-way deal havens where retail stores slash prices on surplus merchandise in the hopes of it finally flying off the...

Gaming PCs.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2004... alienware.com Alienware won't leave hieroglyphic messages in your backyard grass, but the company can custom-build you a gaming dream machine--in desktop or laptop form. Both are available with out-of-this-world cases and in a rainbow of...

Linux hardware and software.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2004... icewalk.com Give your PC the gift of ice cold Linux software courtesy of IceWalkers, a site that puts free downloads of popular apps on tap The Software Map arranges programs by type, and the Best Rated section sorts them by popularity....

Direct PC vendors.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
March 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)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2004... bbb.org The Better Business Bureau fosters honest relationships between businesses and shoppers. If you have a problem with a merchant, you can file an online complaint, and the organization will help to resolve the issue as an impartial...

Tax resources.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2004... bankrate.com/brm/itax The plain-English articles at Bankrate.com are bound to make the season a little less taxing. Check them out to learn how to cut your taxes, adjust your withholding, and keep tax records organized without headaches....

Software sites.(Web buyer: the best sites for online shopping)(Buyers Guide)
March 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. cws.internet.com For Windows downloads without...