Computer Shopper articles from October 2005

Computer Shopper archives from October 2005

Editor's note.(configuration management)
October 1, 2005... "ONE SIZE FITS ALL" is a great concept for T-shirts and baseball caps, but when you're buying a PC, the perfect model for your nephew probably won't be the best fit for your mother-in-law. It doesn't make sense to pay for components you don't...

Underpowered, overpriced processor.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I just read your article on the new Intel dual-core chips ("Maximum Multitasking," July, p. 96). Why is it that Intel and AMD release new technology in small, incremental amounts? Money. It really irritates me that Intel's new release is an...

Always keep rebate records.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... After reading Nancy Feldman's column about rebates ("Just Say No to Rebates," August, p. 122), I agree that stores and manufacturers should simply mark down a product's price and be done with it, rather than mess with rebates. But I still do...

Picked the perfect PC, thanks!(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I'd been considering purchasing my very first computer for some time, but I didn't know which model was right for me, especially since I had a tight budget. I saw your magazine, bought it, read it cover to cover, and found myself able to make a...

Correction.(LETTERS)(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... We incorrectly stated that Lenovo does not offer accidental damage protection [ADP] as a warranty-service upgrade CrechMarket: "Warranties & Service Plans for Desktops & Notebooks," August, p. 147]. The company does sell warranties with ADP for...

Samsung to produce MP3 players that store satellite-radio content.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... SAMSUNG is looking to the skies for its future generation of portable digital audio players, developing MP3 units that can also record satellite-radio programming. Samsung is producing two flash-memory players that can store content...

Lens cap?(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Growth in U.S. digitalcamera sales is starting to slow down. First half of 2003 to first half of 2004 50 percent growth First half of 2003 to first half of 2004 20 percent growth

Trendspotting.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Rapid Serial Visual Presentation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Stanford University researchers have devised a technique, known as Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP), to help people read the tiny text on their cell phones. The researchers' RSVP-based Buddy Buzz demo software displays one word at a...

WiMax provider calls on Vonage for VoIP.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(TowerStream)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... TowerStream, a provider of high-speed Internet services using cutting-edge WiMax technology, has begun selling Vonage's Internet-telephony plans as part of its regular lineup of services. It's the first such partnership between a major Internet...

Cybercrime spreading via free online services.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Websense)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... CYBERCRIMINALS are increasingly using blog sites and other free online services to spread malicious code, according to security firm Websense. From January through mid-July, the company found a total of 2,S00 incidents of such attacks, but...

HP offers inkjets better fit to print.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... HEWLETT-PACKARD has introduced a new inkjet-printer technology it hopes will help fend off rivals. The company is using a new photolithographic process to create inkier print-heads as a single unit, instead of welding different components...

Jaw-dropping DVR features 3.2 terabytes of storage.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Promise TV)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Promise TV, a United Kingdom-based startup, has developed a prototype digital video recorder [DVR) that can record and index an entire week's worth of British digital-television programming. According to Dominic Ludlam, Promise TV's lead...

Reflex upgrade.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)(Saitek Industries)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Increase your PC-gaming agility with the $39 Saitek Pro Garner Command Pad. Outfitted with four function buttons, 14 keys, and a four-way hat switch, the controller lets you replace commonly used keyboard functions with a much smaller keypad....

Cordless chords.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Cut the audio cord with Logitech's $129.99 Wireless Headphones for MP3. This nifty headset hooks up to any 3.5mm stereo jack and works in conjunction with its small Bluetooth 1.2 transmitter to broadcast audio wirelessly over a range of 30...

Always in touch.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... The $450 (depending on your Cingular wireless plan) HP iPaq HW6500 Mobile Messenger is well-equipped to tackle your voice- and data-connectivity demands while traveling. The 5.8-ounce device is not only a GSM cellular phone, but it also packs a...

Computer undercover.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... Brooklyn Industries' $52 Atlastech laptop bag lets you tote your ultraportable notebook around in style without advertising that you're carrying expensive hardware. The bag features an interior protective sleeve for portables with 12-inch...

Mass media.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)(US Modular)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Equipped with a huge 100GB hard drive, the $499 iScreen Media Fusion isn't cowed by large music or movie collections. The palm-size portable device plays MPEG-4 video and MP3 audio files, connects to your PC via USB 2.0, and can double as an...

Speed for thought.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... Designed to be overclocked stably, Mushkin's aptly named Extreme Performance Redline memory costs $111 for 512MB of DDR RAM and operates at 500MHz right out of the box--blazing enough that extra cooling is necessary. Though tested on PCs based...

HP Media Center m7070n Photosmart PC: solid bet for an entertaining living-room PC.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... IT'S A GOOD THING Hewlett-Packard's $1,249 Media Center m7070n Photosmart PC is loaded with features, because it's sold at retail and isn't configurable. Though it's tough to please a broad range of consumers with one PC, HP has done right with...

Sony MFM-HT75W: upgrade your monitor and television to the 21st century.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... HIGH TECH and high style come together in Sony's eye-catching MFM-HT75W, a 17-inch wide-screen LCD. Designed as a dual-purpose display, this $599.99 LCD comes with a built-in TV tuner, speakers, and a 5-watt subwoofer. With its smooth...

Sony VAIO VGC-RB44G: admirable midrange Media Center.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... SONY HAS BEEN pushing the "media center" PC concept since it launched its VAIO PC line in the 1990s. Helped now by Microsoft's OS-level support, the $1,650 VAIO VGC-RB44G is a solid, briskly performing computer that reflects years of careful...

ZT Pro A7055: business essentials with room to grow.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... RATHER THAN TRYING to be everything to everyone, ZT Group's $999 Pro A7055 strives to excel in a few key areas. The PC uses a low-end graphics card but offers dual optical drives, gobs of storage, and solid performance. The case provides...

Overdrive Gemini.SLI.(FIRST TAKE)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... If Hummer built PCs, we imagine the systems would look something like Overdrive PC's Gemini.SLI. Assembled in an imposing, tall black box, the Gemini.SLI features some of the most powerful components available, precisely overclocked, expertly...

Sys MediaMax S2600: budget entertainer with subpar performance.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THE $999 Sys MediaMax S2600 is reasonably priced for a home entertainment PC, but it lacks a few key components and the sheer horsepower to make it worthwhile. Its flashy home-theater-friendly case and accompany ing A/V accessories--including a...

HP Pavilion d4100e: a flexible PC platform.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THE AMD-BASED HP Pavilion d4100e desktop sits near the top of the Pavilion line, but with a wide variety of configuration options, you can easily tailor it to suit your budget and needs. Prices start below $1,000; our well-configured $2,049...

Hypersonic Cyclone OCX limited edition.(FIRST TAKE)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Given the abundance of boutique gaming PCs, companies such as Hypersonic are using design to edge out challengers; offering the latest components in drool-inducing boxes. That's certainly the case with the Hypersonic Cyclone OCX. Upside:...

Alienware Area 51m 7700: desktop-level performance, but barely portable.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THE ALIENWARE AREA 51M 7700's big price tag and massive size will scare off many buyers, but it delivers undeniable desktop-level performance. Our $3,727 test machine arrived with a robust 3.4GHz Pentium 4 550J desktop processor, a...

Averatec AV1050-EB1: speedy, small laptop is priced to move.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THE AVERATEC AV1050-EB1 is one of the least-expensive ultraportables we've seen, yet its performance, surprisingly, matches that of much costlier models. Our $1,379 test machine carried a 1.1GHz Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M 733 processor,...

Sony VAIO VGN-A790: large laptop is feature-rich, media-savvy.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... SONY'S VAIO VGN-A790 is an entertainment-rich notebook full of both multimedia and standard personal-computing capabilities. With a speedy 2GHz Pentium M 760 processor and 256MB of dedicated video memory for its ATI Mobility Radeon X600...

Toshiba Portege R200-S234: stylish and svelte, but sluggish.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THE TOSHIBA Portege R200 is elegant, easy to carry, and long-lasting. Our $2,099 test unit came with a 1.2GHz Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M 753 processor, 512MB of 400MHz RAM, and a 60GB hard drive. A 12.1-inch screen displays 1,024x768...

ABS Mayhem G4: great for games, not travel.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THE ABS MAYHEM G4 is a solid thin-and-light notebook with beefed-up graphics. Our $2,199 test model was equipped with a 2.1GHz Pentium M 770 CPU, 1GB of DDR2 memory, a double-layer DVD [+ or -] RW drive, and a 5,400rpm 100GB hard drive. A...

Seagate Pushbutton Backup Hard Drive: noisy drive packs capacity, not punch.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... BIG, BOLD, AND BOXY, Seagate's Pushbutton Backup External Hard Drive makes a solid first impression. Unfortunately, its performance ultimately keeps us from recommending it. Available in 200GB ($200), 300GB ($245), and 400GB ($330) flavors,...

Adesso CyberTablet 8600: eye-catching tablet provides accurate control.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... WITH ITS attractive iMac-white exterior, including a matching pen and mouse, Adesso's $129.99 CyberTablet 8600 easily complements any modern workstation. It also presents a great option for anyone in need of precise pointing control. The...

Sony DRU-720A: capable burner saves cash.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... IT'S NOT the fastest double-layer DVD drive out there, but Sony's $119.99 DRU-720A is certainly one of the best-priced. Plus, thanks to its small chassis, it's ideal for PC cases tight on space. Installing the DRU-720A is simple, despite...

Sony SDM-HS75P/S: razor-thin LCD suffers from glare.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... IF YOU LIKE THE GLOSSY appearance of plasma televisions but don't have the budget for one, feast your eyes on Sony's 17-inch SDM-HS75P/S. This $399.99 LCD produces rich, brilliant colors from within a wafer-thin chassis--provided you don't mind...

Lenovo ThinkVision L191P: bland display is best suited for office work.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THOUGH ITS TRADITIONAL design looks dated, Lenovo's ThinkVision L191P 19-inch LCD offers good image quality for business purposes. The $549 display supports both analog and digital connections, but besides that, you won't find any other...

Philips 200W6.(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... Change is afoot in the world of flat-panel displays, and Philips, purveyor of all that is stylish and sleek, has just introduced a $699.99 203-inch wide-screen display that's sure to whet your LED appetite. Upside: Capable of 1,680x1,050...

Lexmark X3350: MFP is fast and photo-friendly.(multifunction printer)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... DON'T LET ITS GAWKY SIZE fool you. Lexmark's X3350 all-in-one printer may not offer the polished look of its pricier competitors, but this $99.99 unit nimbly handles photo printing, scanning, and copying. Although it lacks memory-card...

HP Color LaserJet 2600n: entry-level print speeds wash out unit's appeal.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THINK YOU CAN'T AFFORD a color laser printer? Hewlett-Packard would like you to meet the Color LaserJet 2600n. Simple to use and network-ready, this $399 printer is yours for the taking--if you can tolerate text print speeds that are slow for a...

Dell Laser Printer 1100: Dell pushes forward with sub-$100 laser.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... DELL MAY BE YOUR BARGAIN ticket to affordable desktops, but now it's adding laser printers to its budget brigade with the $99 Laser Printer 1100. Though the 1100 comes with only 2MB of RAM, its text and graphics print speeds should suffice...

Samsung SCH-i730: robust communicator with blazing cellular speed.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... PORTABLE, powerful, and flexible, Samsung's SCH-i730 is an excellent tool for staying in touch via voice or its swift data connection. It's available from Verizon Wireless for $599.99 with a two-year contract or $649.99 with a one-year...

Gennum Zen Z-470: tricky to wear, but functions well.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... ALTHOUGH Gennum refers to its $249.99 Bluetooth headset as the Zen Z-470, the device's style and design aren't exactly soothing. The headset's large size and boxy form factor make it rather conspicuous when worn. Also, even though it's...

Nokia 770 Internet Tablet.(FIRST TAKE)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Neither a smartphone nor a traditional handheld, the $350 Nokia 770 Internet Tablet is designed to provide a mobile user with easy Internet access via integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi networking or by connecting to a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. It...

Cowon iAudio X5: small multimedia player is no iPod killer.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... ON PAPER, the $349 Cowon iAudio X5 looks like an iPod killer. In reality, this palm-size video and music player makes a few too many missteps. Smaller and lighter than an iPod, the black-and-silver X5 packs a 30GB hard drive (also...

Oregon Scientific MP120: flaws dampen waterproof player's appeal.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... RUGGEDIZED and waterproof, Oregon Scientific's MP120 is built for the life aquatic. Available with 128MB ($89.95), 256MB ($109.95), or 512MB ($129.95) of storage, this palm-size flash player works underwater, playing stored tunes and 30 preset...

Shure E4c: top-of-the-line earbuds best the competition.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... [EDITOR' CHOICE] THE LATEST in Shure's popular E-series head phones--and the best in-ear models we've heard to date--the $299 E4c set outclasses the competition with rich, tonal sound, a compact design, and superior performance. Like the...

Nikon D70s: impressive 6.1-megapixel dSLR.(digital single-lens-reflex)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... WITH THE D70s, Nikon upgrades its popular D70 consumer digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) model to keep it competitive with smaller rivals, such as the Pentax *ist DS, and ones with higher pixel counts, such as the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT....

Samsung Digimax V700: a 7-megapixel camera that skimps almost everywhere.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... THE $409.99 Samsung Digimax V700 offers point-and-shoot simplicity and 7-megapixel resolution at a low price, but it does so by cutting corners in all areas except for its striking, compact design. The V700's pictures lack uniform sharpness...

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7: sleek cam, but so-so images.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... SONY'S $499.95 5.1-megapixel Cybershot DSC-T7 will appeal largely to fashion-conscious snapshot photographers. Measuring just 0.6 inch thick and weighing only 4.7 ounces with battery, media, and wrist strap, the DSC-T7 invites photographers...

Sling Media Slingbox: watch live television on a distant PC.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... IF YOU CAN'T live without your favorite TV programs when you're moving about the house or the world, consider Sling Media's $249.99 Slingbox. It digitizes the shows, then beams them to any broadband-connected PC. Simply hook the video...

Panasonic DMR-EH50: excellent hard drive/DVD recorder, mediocre EPG.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... PANASONIC'S $449.95 DMR-EH50 hard drive/DVD video recorder features excellent recording quality and a comprehensive set of features, making its one key fault--its glitchy electronic programming guide (EPG)--somewhat excusable. The device's...

LG 32LX1D: a high-performance LCD set.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... WITH ITS comprehensive feature set and classy styling, LG Electronics' $2,999 32-inch 32LX1D is a solid pick among high-end LCD high-definition televisions, even though it's costlier than most of the competition. The 32LX1D is one of the...

Searching high and low: these three apps will help you find what you're looking for on your PC.(Copernic Desktop Search, DtSearch Desktop 7.0, Google Desktop Search)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... FEW THINGS are more frustrating than trying to find a data file, image, e-mail, or MP3 on a cluttered computer. Even the most fastidious person is capable of forgetting where he or she saved something. And while Windows Explorer's Search...

ZoneAlarm Internet Security 6.0: complete protection for your PC.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... [EDITORS' CHOICE] ZONE LABS' $69.95 ZoneAlarm Internet Security 6.0 puts the Norton and McAfee security suites to shame with its easy to-use triple-layer firewall, antivirus, antispam, and now antispyware features. The Control Center, a...

Webroot Spy Sweeper 4.0: set-it-and-forget-it spyware scanning.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... ONE OF THE BETTER antispyware programs available, Webroot Spy Sweeper offers improved speed during system scans in version 4.0 while still supporting an impressive set of advanced features and options. Its $29.95 price, which includes one year...

Onfolio 2.0: RSS research made easy.(really simple syndication)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... ONFOLIO 2.0 is an excellent tool for gathering, browsing, and organizing Really Simple Syndication (RSS) news feeds. It comes in two versions: Onfolio Personal Edition costs $29.95, while the $99.95 Professional Edition adds plenty of extras,...

Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06: free antispyware app is among the best.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... ONE OF THE FIRST applications built to find and remove adware and spyware, Ad-Aware has an excellent reputation that's well-justified. The latest version, Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06, runs faster than previous ones, and it finds and...

WindowBlinds 4.5: new skins for old XP.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... NO MATTER which themes, backgrounds, or colors you choose, certain aspects of Windows always remain the same. Stardock's $19.95 (free for the shareware) WindowBlinds 4.5 doesn't revolutionize the functionality of Windows XP, but it does give...

Win2PDF 2.8: extra steps hurt PDF creator.(portable document format)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... WIN2PDF 2.8 lets you easily create PDF documents via the Print button in any application. While its interface is weak, its performance is strong. In our tests, it churned out quality PDF documents at a good pace. Still, extra steps at the...

Top 25: this month's best desktops, notebooks, LCD televisions, USB flash drives, and antispyware software.(Illustration)
October 1, 2005... Top 25 This month's best desktops, notebooks, LCD televisions, USB flash drives, and antispyware software. ALL-IN-ONE DESKTOPS >> Save space on your desk with one of these all-in-one machines. PRODUCT ...

All the right parts: components by component, we find the sweet spot between performance and price in four popular PC categories.(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... IT'S A QUESTION THAT INEVITABLY COMES TO MIND when shopping for a new computer: How much do I really need to spend? Before you attempt to answer this question, ask yourself another one: What do I need my new PC to do, both now and down the...

Wide-ranging Wi-Fi: MIMO technology boosts the throughput and range of wireless networks. We test six router/PC card pairs to see which makes the most of it.(Belkin Wireless Pre-N Notebook Network Card, Belkin Wireless Pre-N Router, Buffalo AirStation MIMO Wireless Cable/DSL Router WZR-G108, Buffalo AirStation MIMO Wireless Notebook Adapter WLI-CB-G108, D-Link Super G With MIMO Wireless Notebook Adapter DWL-G650M, D-Link Super G With MIMO Wireless Router DI-624M, Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless-108G MIMO Router With AMP Technology, Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless-108G PC Card With AMP Technology, Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router With SRX WRT54GX, Linksys Wireless-G Notebook Adapter With SRX WPC54GX, Netgear RangeMax Wireless PC Card WPN511, Netgear RangeMax Wireless Router WPN824)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Are you disappointed with the range of your current 802.11b or 802.11g wireless network? Are you ready to start a home network and want today's cutting-edge technology? Either way, you'll want to take a serious look at wireless-networking...

Memory matters: a RAM upgrade is one of the most economical, effective performance boosts around. here's everything you need to know to buy the right memory.
October 1, 2005... IF YOU KEEP A DESKTOP PC LONG ENOUGH, sooner or later it's going to need a memory upgrade. Although Microsoft recommends a minimum of 128MB to run Windows XP, it also recommends an additional 8MB for each Microsoft Office program running...

Tech rescues: we pick the best tech-support alternatives for out-of-warranty PCs.
October 1, 2005... IF A VIRUS TAKE5 DOWN your PC the day after its warranty expires, you're likely to find yourself wondering, with a creeping sense of dread, where to turn. And those error messages--inscrutable alphanumeric codes and machine-generated...

Faster folder access.(use of Microsoft Windows XP)
October 1, 2005... When I click Open under the File menu in most Windows programs, a dialog box opens, listing files that I can choose. On the left side of the box are icons for Desktop, My Recent Documents, My Documents, My Computer, and My Network Places,...

Getting the boot.(use of Microsoft Windows 98 and methods to reformat a hard drive)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... I have an older laptop that was running Windows 98 I had to reformat its hard drive, but now I cannot access the CD-ROM drive to reload Windows. I have several machines in the house; most run Windows XP, but I have an additional laptop that...

DVD+MP3 sans PC.(use of MP3 players)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... I've copied lots of MP3 files onto DVD-R discs, letting roe listen to over 9 hours of uninterrupted music. But I can only listen to the discs using the DVD drive in my PC. I'd like to be able to play the DVDs on my stereo without using my...

Memory markings.(latency specifications of the memory )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... I recently saw some memory modules with a "memory timing" of "4-4-4-12." What does this mean? ALLEN ROSINY Simply put, the four numbers refer to the latency timings of the memory. For a full explanation of these specs, see the feature...

Tip of the month: phish phighter.(management of the internet security)
October 1, 2005... If you get e-mail, chances are you've received an urgent message from eBay, PayPal, your bank, or even a bank where you don't have an account warning of dire consequences if you don't click on a certain link and update your personal...

Go with the flow: the ultimate in computer cooling isn't difficult or risky.(HELP & HOW-TO: WEEKEND PROJECT: HARDWARE)
October 1, 2005... TWO PARTS WATER, one part coolant, and one part guts are all it takes to watercool your PC. It may seem a little extreme for a garden-variety desktop, but if your CPU runs hot or you've overclocked parts of your system, nothing beats the...

Picture-perfect prints: these printer tweaks will help you create sharp digital photos.(HELP & HOW-TO: WEEKEND PROJECT: SOFTWARE)
October 1, 2005... MOST OF TODAY'S digital cameras are capable of shooting stunningly sharp photos. Sometimes, though, what you see onscreen is not what you get on paper. If WYSIWYG-caliber output is eluding you, it doesn't necessarily mean you need a new...

The thousand-dollar dilemma: a decent gaming notebook for under a grand? Our Advisee's budget is so close, yet so far away.(HELP & HOW-TO: BUYING ADVISOR)
October 1, 2005... WARNING: This story has an element of tragedy. "Once a dot-com highflier in San Francisco, I'm now an attorney with dreams of writing the Great American Novel." So wrote advisee Tim Peterson, of Boston. "To do that (and remain competitive in...

An OS on disc beats an OS on disk.(not all computer makers are shipping operating system CDs with their products)
October 1, 2005... IF YOU'VE PURCHASED A PC recently, you may have noticed something was missing. It's the operating system CD. Top PC vendors have stopped including the OS CD, and, in most cases, your first clue is when you unpack the box. Worse still, many are...

Performance desktops ($1,500 and higher).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... NEED TO KNOW PROCESSOR Power users need the best. Go with a top-notch Intel or AMD processor. You'll have maximum power and the best protection possible from system extinction. MEMORY Start with 1GB and make sure your motherboard...

Budget notebooks (less than $1,000).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... NEED TO KNOW PROCESSOR Most budget notebooks ship with a low-powered Intel Celeron or AMD Sempron processor. If you're lucky, you'll find a notebook running a robust Intel Pentium M. These advanced mobile chips have a full 2MB of cache and...

Home and small-office laser printers.(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... NEED TO KNOW 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...

Super heavyweight champ! Turbo-Cool[R] 850.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Introducing the Turbo-Cool 850 SSI, the biggest, baddest power supply available for next-gen computers! it produces 950W of peak power, handles brownouts down to 80VAC, and delivers voltages 10 times more stable than ordinary units. Perfect for...

Wi-Fi routers.(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... NEED TO KNOW 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,...

Digital cameras (4- to 5-megapixel).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... NEED TO KNOW RESOLUTION The quality of digital photos is measured primarily by the number of pixels a camera's image sensor can capture. A 5-megapixel camera, therefore, should capture more image detail than a 4-megapixel model. Still,...

Portable digital audio players (flash memory).(NEED TO KNOW)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... STORAGE Flash players store digital music in internal flash memory or on removable flash-memory cards in formats such as SD/MultiMediaCard, rather than on a portable hard drive. While they can't hold as many songs as their hard-drive-based...

Tech products.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... abtelectronics.com Do you crave a 400-disc CD changer or a surround sound speaker system? Abt Electronics, in business for 69 years, has them. You'll also find big-screen televisions, home appliances, and computer products. ...

Flat-panel monitors and televisions.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... drplasma.com If a tiny, fuzzy monitor or television is ailing you, Dr. Plasma has the right prescription. The site sells projectors, plasma and LCD monitors, and cables for hooking them all up. flatlcdmonitors.com The Advanced...

Memory.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... crucial.com One of the largest online providers of memory upgrades, Crucial Technology offers premium "performance" memory, flash memory, and graphics cards, with free shipping on every order. dealram.com Dealram is a dream for...

Direct PC vendors.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)(Buyers Guide)
October 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...