Computer Shopper articles from September 2004

Computer Shopper archives from September 2004

Smart budget buys.(from the editor in chief)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... When my palmer asked me what kind at PDA to buy this Paint V has been retired for a couple of years), I reflexively recommended the HP iPaq 1940. I've been using this sleek little PDA for more than a year now, and while plenty of new handhelds...

Up with outsourcing.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... It seems like I'm one of the few people who doesn't mind tech-support outsourcing ("Vote with Your PC Purchase for Stateside Tech Support," June, p. 40). This allows companies to cut most of their tech-support-staff salary by half. These...

Fighting the good fight.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Alice and Bill are right in saying that Outlook spare filtering is great for a while until the spammers circumvent the filter ("The Hard Edge," July, p. 144). Using regular expressions, or regexes--text strings you set for the e-mail program to...

False friends?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Your tip "Never open an e-mail attachment if you don't know who the sender is" made me see red ("The Hot 100," July, p. 109). The statement gives a false sense of security to the computing public. The fact that most viruses take over a person's...

Persistence pays off.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Like Nancy Feldman, when I was looking for a basic desktop, I saw incredible offers but had a hard time actually finding them ("In Search of the Elusive Bargain-Priced Desktop," July, p. 40). It seemed like every day, the same system had a...

Major ISPs develop battle plans for war on spam.(Trends)(Internet service provider)(Anti-Spam Technical Alliance)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Still got spare? A coalition of top Internet service providers is advocating a set of technical guidelines designed to stem the tide of spam. America Online, British Telecom, Comcast, EarthLink, Microsoft, and Yahoo recently announced a...

Organizer cancels Comdex 2004.(Trends)(Computer Dealers Exposition in 1979)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Computer trade show Comdex, once the biggest event on the tech calendar, has been canceled this year, a victim of the growing interest in shows emphasizing consumer electronics and specialist IT gear. Eric Faurot, vice president of Comdex...

Bluetooth worm burrows into smartphones.(Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Viral infection of smartphones may be on the way, based on a "proof of concept" worm recently released to antivirus companies. The worm program, dubbed Cabir by Russian antivirus company Kaspersky Labs, apparently uses the Bluetooth...

A smarter 'Smart' home.(Trends)(X10)(ZigBee Alliance )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... X10, after 30 of years helping out around the house by switching on lights and adjusting thermostats, has become a tired technology Smarthome (www. smarthome.com) has engineered a robust new protocol, called Insteon, that it believes will...

Come together? The Beatles and downloads.(Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The long and winding road to making The Beatles' song catalog available for digital distribution may soon be reaching an end. Talks have begun that could finally make the songs of The Beatles available for sale online, sources familiar with...

Making external hard drives a shared experience.(Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... If hard drive maker Maxtor (www.maxtor.com) and networking company Linksys (www.linksys.com) have their way, your external hard drive is about to become very external. The companies have partnered to debut a device that connects an...

New DSL tech to handle HDTV.(Trends)(Digital Subscriber Line)(Texas XL Instruments)(High Definition Television)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Texas XL Instruments (TI) has developed new DSL technology that will make it easier for phone companies to boost their bandwidth offerings, so they can offer new services like voice and video over broadband connections. The chip maker...

Apple begins to tell the tale of Tiger.(Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Seek and ye shall find: Apple Computer recently showed off Tiger, a new version of Mac OS X, due next year, that promises improved search capabilities. According to Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, Tiger will ship in the first half of 2005, more...

Adware's everywhere.(Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Spyware may be getting more attention, but the increase in users finding adware to be a threat is far greater, according to customer reporting compiled by the security-software company McAfee. Between August 2003 and March 2004, up to 97.1...

High-end camera chip filters down to masses.(Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Foveon, a relatively unknown semiconductor maker, has debuted a new image-sensor chip that will help bring its technology to consumer digital cameras this fall. The company has released the Foveon F19, a 4.5-megapixel sensor that is a...

The Everywhere Entertainer.(Gear)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2004... Archos Pocket Video Recorder AV400 Series Fun on the run: Get ready to revolutionize your relationship with portable entertainment in a big wag. The Arches Pocket Video Recorder AV400 Series is a true media multitasker that promises to...

High-class chats.(Gear)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Upgrade your current, lackluster cell with a stylish new $199 flip phone from Sony Ericsson. The Z500 features a 65,536-color display and a built-in VGA camera that can record still pictures as well as video clips. Operating on high-speed GSM...

Wrist watching.(Gear)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... If you've been longing for a wearable television since early childhood, your wait is over. NHJ's $218 VTV-101 TV-Wristwatch, available through Dynamism.com, is imported straight from Japan and features a 1.5-inch color TFT screen. It's rated to...

Power trip.(Gear)(APC TravelPower )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Designed with students and the highly mobile in mind, the $119.99 APC TravelPower Backpack 1900 is a standard knapsack that doubles as a portable charging station. Outfitted with an APC universal charger, the bag replenishes compatible laptop...

Roam at home.(Gear)(WHP Wireless)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The WHP Wireless Cellsocket is here to help those with spotty home cellular coverage and who also lack a landline connection. This $139.99 gadget, currently compatible with Motorola V120, V60, and T720 handsets, connects to standard telephones,...

A slim earful.(Gear)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... If you crave a sophisticated audio system that sounds as good as it looks, the Altec Lansing FX6021 is worth a gander. This $299 three-piece stereo-speaker combo consists of a 6.5-inch subwoofer and two 1-inch-thick flat-panel towers. The...

Light typing.(Gear)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Cut the bonds of more traditional PDA keyboards with the novel $99.99 Virtual Laser Keyboard from iBiz. Instead of using standard physical keys, the Virtual Laser projects a full OWERTY laser-light keyboard onto smooth surfaces. The keyboard...

Vendor takes the low road to block customer returns: tricking consumers into opening a piece of nonessential software so that they can't return their hardware is bad business.(opinions)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... MY FATHER USED TO JOKE I couldn't find my way out of a paper bag. He was right. I've lived in the same place now for four years and I still get lost going to the hair salon five miles away. That's why GPS navigation has so intrigued me. As...

Building my digital domain: the dirty little secrets: decking out a connected home isn't all that difficult, but it doesn't exactly come cheap.(opinions)
September 1, 2004... I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHO coined the phrase "digital home," but it seems to have seamlessly slipped into the American lexicon. Sure, I test these products in the course of my work here, but truth be told, I've never tried to put all the pieces of...

The Blog's better purpose: awesome information archive: not just digital bullhorns anymore, blogs will double as searchable, useful databases.(opinions)
September 1, 2004... OVER THE PAST YEAR I'VE been thinking about starting a blog, and now I finally have one at www.dvorak.org/blog (despite previous complaints about the usefulness of these darned things). Simply put, a blog appears to be nothing more than a...

The top 25: computer shopper editors handpick the best desktops, notebooks, monitors, wireless routers, and home productivity software.(top 25)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2004... SMALL-FORM-FACTOR DESKTOPS PRODUCT PRICE SPECS Polywell MiniQ Qbox $3,027 3.4GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition; 865T * 1GB DDR; 200GB hard drive; www.polywell.com DVD[+ or -]RW;...

A gamer that plays in the middle of the road: Cyberpower Gamer Infinity 8000 Dream.
September 1, 2004... THOUGH ITS NAME SAYS "GAMER," CYBER-power's $1,685 Garner Infinity 8000 Dream's mediocre test scores say otherwise. We liked its expandability, dual DVD drives, ample hard drive, and year of onsite service, but the Garner Infinity 8000's gaming...

Midrange PC may be dull, but it gets the job done: Dell Dimension 4700.
September 1, 2004... THE $1,486 DELL DIMENSION 4700 DEFINES midrange desktops: It's neither powerful nor stylish. It does have a full complement of the latest Intel technologies, however, including the 915G Express chipset with PCI Express (PCIe) support. At...

Business box thinks small in size and performance: IBM ThinkCentre A50 Ultra Small.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE $1,399 IBM THINKCENTRE A50 ULTRA SMALL is smaller than last year's model but considerably more powerful, still, that's not saying much. In our tests, this small-form-factor (SFF) PC turned in disappointing results. The modular,...

High-flying gaming rig bears stratospheric price: Hypersonic Sonic Boom.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE $3,526 HYPERSONIC SONIC BOOM IS QUIETer than its name implies, but it's still swift. Its 3.6GHz Intel Pentium 4 560 processor comes paired with 512MB of fast DDR2 RAM. Though its benchmark scores were not the best we've seen (see "More...

Modestly configured box wrapped in neon and silver: IBuypower Back To School PC.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... AT FIRST GLANCE, THE $899 iBuypower Back To School PC could easily be mistaken for a gaming system. The silver metal-and-plastic Raidmax Scorpio 868 ATX mid-tower case has a see-through side panel, sound activated green-neon interior lighting,...

Outrageously configured for exhilarating speed: PC Laptops Annihilator 897.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE $4,647 PC LAPTOPS ANNIHILATOR 897 MAY have a wallet-crushing price, but this over the top portable's features are more typical of a high-end desktop than your usual desktop-replacement notebook. Powered by Intel's coveted 3.2GHz Pentium...

Long days don't frighten this business-savvy laptop: Toshiba Tecra M2-S630.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... TOSHIBA HAS EXTENDED ITS FLEET OF CORPOrate thin-and-lights with the $1,899 Tecra M2-$630, priced and equipped to please not only IT managers but also self-employed entrepreneurs who compute on the road. A solid business laptop, the...

A lot of business power in a fit and lean machine: Fujitsu Lifebook S7010.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE $2,359 FUJITSU LIFEBOOK $7010 RETAINS A thin-and-light size while managing to squeeze in a decent screen and a state-of-the-art CPU. Offering fairly fulfilling features and power for a notebook this trim, the LifeBook came to us with an...

Attractive display, features tarnished by slow speed: Sony VAIO PCG-K15.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE NO-NONSENSE SONY VAIO K SERIES LAPtops will hardly turn heads, but these mainstream notebooks pack enough features to keep you productive. The $1,399 VAIO PCG-K15 model we tested came configured with a 2.8GHz desktop Pentium 4 processor,...

Gargantuan mobile gamer crushes the competition: Dell Inspiron XPS.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice DELL GETS MOBILE GAMING right with the $3,648 Inspiron XPS. The company designed this new desktop replacement specifically for gamers, loading it with choice components such as an unbelievably fast desktop...

Long on endurance, big on power and features: Dell Axim X30.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice DELL'S $349 AXIM X30 IS HIGH-END ALL THE WAY. Tricked out with a zippy new processor, robust wireless-networking options, and the latest Windows Mobile operating system, this heavy-duty PDA is quite a handful....

A pioneering player for hands-free liberation: Soniqcast Element Aireo.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... SONIQCAST'S INNOVATIVE $299.99 ELEMENT Aireo wireless MP3 player, though suffering from a few growing pains, is undeniably a forward-thinking machine. The Aireo's large, ruggedly built chassis measures 0.7x4.6x0.9 inches and weighs a full...

Find your way wirelessly: TeleType GPS Bluetooth Receiver.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice TeleType's $189 GPS Bluetooth Receiver, compatible with Bluetooth-equipped Pocket PC organizers, has everything you'll need for wireless navigation. Measuring 0.9x2x2.8 inches, the device is about the size of...

Sleek phone shoots movies and photos: Samsung VM-A680.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice SAMSUNG'S FIRST STATESIDE videophone/camera combo the $299.99 VM-a680, is one slick handset. Samsung managed to pack a lot into a compact (3.3x1.8x0.9-inch) and featherweight (3.5 ounce) package. A 65,000...

MP3 player rocks with good looks: IRiver IFP-790.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editors' Choice WITH ITS HEAD-TURNING style, great sound quality, and abundant features, the $179.99 iRiver iFP-790 MP3 player is hard to beat. Sculpted in smooth, molded curves and silver-and-metallic-red coloring, the iFP-790...

Two great 8-megapixel digicams for resolution, zoom fans.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... KONICA MINOLTA DIMAGE A2 EDITOR'S RATING 8.2 PROS Fast-shooting design, performance; Anti-Shake image stabilization; excellent manual-focus system CONS: Nonstandard hotshoe; lackluster continuous shooting specs c|net Editor's...

Stylish, pricey 17-incher is all that and no more: BENQ FP783.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... DRESSED IN AN EDGY COMBINATION OF BEIGE and off-white with blue (they looked purple to us) highlights, BenQ's $759 FP783 cuts a dashing figure. Its four-legged stand, reminiscent of Cingular's logo, makes the 17-inch FP783 one of the sturdiest...

Multitalented multifunction does text, images proud: HP Officejet 4215 All-In-One.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editor's Choice HEWLETT-PACKARD'S $149.99 OFFICEJET 4215 All in One is an attractive, affordable, and reliable color inkjet multifunction printer that delivers impressive print quality. You can't upgrade the small, lightweight unit's...

A sound value for casual gamers, audio fans: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy LS.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... The Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy LS is the solution to Audigy 2 sticker shock. The $49.99 sound card delivers high-quality 24-bit/96KHz playback, 5-1-channel output, EAX Advanced HD positional-audio effects, and Dolby Digital support for...

Quality prints on the go, but output is too slow: Epson Picturemate.
September 1, 2004... WITH IT'S CONVENIENT HANDLE, the $199 Epson PictureMate resembles a lunchbox, and it's almost as portable. Its output is sparkling, but the inkjet printer is slow, taking 2.44 minutes to produce a 4x6. You'll need an electrical outlet,...

Fast portable backup comes at a high price: Iomega Rev.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE $399.99 IOMEGA REV WAS designed with data backup, drive imaging, and extra storage in mind. Each of its cartridges stores a whopping 35GB (90GB with maximum compression). The device is compact and bootable, hut it's costly Because it's...

Affordable media player works well, despite quirks: Actiontec Wireless Digital Media Player.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... ACTIONTEC'S $199.99 WIRELESS DIGITAL, MEDIA Player connects to your network to stream video, audio, and image flies from your PC to your home-entertainment system. It has basic Web browsing capabilities and uses off-the-shelf PC Cards for...

Fast, feature-rich router covers all the bases: Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with Speedbooster.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE $99 LINKSYS WRT54GS WIRELESS-G BROADBAND Router with SpeedBooster makes setting up a home network easy. It has a wealth of advanced features, and it's fast, especially in networks with both 802.11g and 802.11b connections. The router's...

New net security suite stays in the zone: ZoneAlarm Security Suite.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editor's Choice ZONELABS' $69.95 ZONEALARM SECURITY SUITE is one of the best security suites we've seen. Its interface is far easier to use than the competition's, and its feature set puts the comparably priced Norton Internet Security...

Top accounting software accrues more features: QuickBooks: Pro 2004.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... c|net Editor's Choice WITH A COMBINATION OF ADVANCED AND novice accounting tools, as well as comprehensive (yet pricey) technical support and slick integration of online premium services, Intuit's $299.95 QuickBooks: Pro 2004 earns our...

Photo manager won't replace the shoebox yet: Paint Shop Photo Album 5 Deluxe Edition.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... JASC SOFTWARE'S $49 ($45 DOWNLOAD) PAINT Shop Photo Album 5 Deluxe Edition can help you manage and edit your ever expanding digital photo collection. Its quirks may leave you pining for your old shoebox, however. Although Photo Album can...

Antispyware app wipes out digital nasties: PestPatrol 4.2.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... PESTPATROL 4.2 AGGRESSIVELY SCANS YOUR PC for spyware, Trojan horses, and many other software pests, with its easy-to-use interface and extensive configuration options, the $39.95 utility is an excellent spy ware protection choice for home or...

DVD duplicator can't copy competition's features: InterVideo DVD Copy 2 Platinum.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... INTERVIDEO'S $79.95 DVD COPY 2 PLATINUM MAKES it extremely easy to copy both DVDs and CDs, but it lacks some of its competitors" advanced functionality. DVD Copy 2's simple main interface breaks the copying process into three steps:...

One-stop shopping for all your file-managing needs: PentaSuit 7.1.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... [Editor's Choice] PENTAWARE'S LATEST UPGRADE TO ITS FILE-archiving software can do just about everything with your files except serve them for dinner. The $99.95 ($49.95 upgrade) PentaSuite 7.1 is a versatile collection of programs that...

Keep all your IM buddies under one virtual roof: Trillian Pro 2.012.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... [Editors' Choice] THE TROUBLE WITH INSTANT-MESSAGING (IM) apps is that they simply don't play well with one another. That's why Cerulean Studios' $25 Trillian Pro 2.012 is a godsend. For a small fee, this program collects all the major IM apps...

Online music service fails to crack the chart: Sony Connect.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... ROUGHLY A YEAR AFTER APPLE COMPUTER came out with its iTunes Music Store, Sony has entered the music-download fray with its own 99-cent-per-track service, called Connect. But we can't find much reason to choose Connect over the many other...

Killer mouse is mostly harmless: MonsterGecko PistolMouse FPS.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... Built for first-person shooters, the $69.95 PistolMouse FPS from MonsterGecko puts gamers in its sights with its menacing look, but its unique design is, ultimately, s misfire. Shaped like a handgun, the PistolMouse replicates the feel of...

No shortage of pep in this 'rally': Colin McRae Rally 04.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... THE PC VERSION OF AN EXCELLENT Xbox racing title, Coin McRae Rally 04 strikes a superb balance between realistic and fun driving mechanics. It's one of the best racing games going. You choose among four rally-car types: four-wheel drive...

Smart-Aleck shooter, on-target laughs: Armed and Dangerous.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... PC-GAME HUMOR CAN BE SPOTTY, but Armed and Dangerous delivers laughs while also serving up a good--if somewhat simplistic--shootfest. As Roman, head of a group of thieves (among them a robot and a Scottish moleman), you're out to steal the...

More power to you: AMD and Intel have each launched powerful new desktop technologies. Find out which should your performance purchase.(Performance Desktops)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE SEEN A DESKTOP-TECHNOLOGY enhancement that has gone beyond a mere speed bump or incremental component improvement. That's why two developments, from AMD and Intel, are so exciting. Intel has introduced its Express...

Cheap thrills: you don't have to go broke buying new gear. From desktops to digital cameras, we dig up some incredible bargains.(Budget Buys)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2004... It would be nice to be able to buy top-of-the-line tech of every type, but, alas, we don't all have Bill Gates' bank account. Still, you don't have to blow the rent money to get great technology. We've unearthed 24 budget-price products (in...

Getting graphic: looking to add a new dimension to your games or some actual video to your video board? Here's how to pick the perfect graphics card.(Guide To Graphics Cards)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... YOU KNOW IT'S TIME TO CONSIDER upgrading your graphics card when you have a conversation that goes like this: "Hey, is that a slide show of that new flight-simulator game you were all excited about?" "Uh, no, that is the new...

Your ticket to home theater: as the living room quickly becomes the digital hub of the house, we bring you a guide to the best in home entertainment technology.(Guide To Home Theater)
September 1, 2004... Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you've probably noticed that the world of high tech is moving from the home office to the family room. You can now flip through digital photos on your television, record your...

Digital director's cut: let one of these six video-editing suites help you turn your home movies into award-winning DVDs.(Video-Editing Software)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... You bought that new camcorder for your summer vacation and dutifully shot all your family's high jinks while on holiday Now what do you do? If you want to turn raw video into artful family memories, you'll need some basic video editing...

Cut, paste, action! Some good video-editing software--plus a little work and creativity--can turn poorly shot vacation video into something worth watching.(Tune-Up)
September 1, 2004... Groans shouldn't he the first thing you hear when you pop in a home movie. Snoring shouldn't follow shortly after you hit "play," either. And if the room empties before you even cue up your video, you've got big problems. One of the easiest...

The hard edge: data gone wild; serial ATA drives gone lame; why PDAs are over; and Alice creates her own ringtones.(help & how-to)
September 1, 2004... FORGET THE FACT THAT THE world spent the summer watching blockbuster movies about the horrors of global warming. Alice decided the real action was happening right before our very hard drives: the rapid escalation of all things data. We are on a...

Computer cures.(help & how-to)
September 1, 2004... WHAT'S IN A USELESS NAME? In Internet Explorer, when I go to a site that requires me to provide a username and password, I can double-click the login area, and IE provides a list of entries to choose from. Some of the sites I visit,...

On the lookout for a significant other PC: a teacher has $1,800 to spend on a mobile mate for her desktop, and the Buying Advisor plays matchmaker.(Buying Advisor)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2004... SUSAN KESLER, OUR SEPTEMBER Advisee, writes: "I'm looking to marry a veterinarian with the same qualities I'm looking for in a laptop: reliable, no gaming, etc.--just kidding!" She's joking about the spouse, but not about her requirements...

Tech shopping.(Site Reviews)
September 1, 2004... altex.com With a big close of Texan pride, Altex Electronics has corralled enough computer and networking gear to fill a 1g-gallon hat. Mosey over to the Power Accessories section for line conditioners, power supplies, and uninterruptible...

Used and refurbished components.(Site Reviews)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... electrified.com Electrified Discounters win shock you with deals on discontinued, refurbished, and no-longer-state-of-the-art computers and consumer electronics. You'll find printers. PDAs, and plasma televisions, all with a 30-day...

Computer security.(Site Reviews)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... computersecurity.com Make sure your computer and data stay right where they belong Computer Security Products' PC-protection gear includes steel cables, stealth tracking and recovery software, and disk-drive locks. drivesavers.com ...

Direct PC vendors.(Site Reviews)
September 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 warrant, and toll-free technical support. Every...

PC resources.(Site Reviews)
September 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...

Free software.(Site Reviews)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... abandonwarering.com Lots of great software is gone but not forgotten. The Abandonware Ring is en index of sites that distribute PC and console games that are no longer sold or whose publishers have gone out of business. You'll find plenty...

Software sites.(Site Reviews)
September 1, 2004... academicsuperstore.com If you can produce a student ID or school-faculty card, you qualify for big discounts on software at Academic Superstore. Each product-info page includes a chart that shows who qualifies tar the discounted price....

How to buy the right DVD burner.(buying basics)
September 1, 2004... One of the hottest-selling peripherals ever to grace a PC, the recordable-DVD drive [or burner] is a great way to back up your hard drive's contents or to make copies of the home movies you loaded on your computer so you can watch them on your...