Australian PC World articles from April 2007

Australian PC World archives from April 2007

Free loaders: our roaming reviewers leave the labs behind to road test the latest high-speed 3G data cards and USB offerings, and reveal real-world performance in metropolitan areas. But wait there are free services in store!
April 1, 2007... Free ISP services were quite popular seven years ago, although many of the products made you watch advertisements through the built-in browsers. You'd probably be hard pushed to name any of the ISPs who ran the services. Do any of these players...

Best of both worlds?(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I've read a lot of forums, reviews and news sites talking about the toss up between Firefox and IE7, and which one you should use and why (PC World ranked its favourites in the January 2007 issue). Personally I had been using Firefox since 2003...

e-shopping experiences.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I found the January issue articles on e-shopping (Shopping Annoyances, page 57) and GPS (King of the Road, page 82) very interesting. I frequently purchase items online and usually have no complaints. Though I have recently had one...

Digital SLR feedback.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... In the December edition you published an article headed Shoot like a Pro, which enticed me to purchase the magazine. My interest in the article extended to the Sony Alpha as I had heard that this body could also handle the old K-mount of either...

Missive of the month.
April 1, 2007... Congratulations to Joe Straczek! You are this month's winner of a year's subscription to Australian PC World magazine--that's 12 months of all the best PC news, reviews, tutorials and opinions from Australia's leading magazine for PC...

Vista not slow: first speed tests.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... With Microsoft's Windows Vista finally released to retail, we can at last get down to the business of examining precisely how well the new OS performs. In our first tests, we discovered that while Vista's hardware requirements may be steep, it...

Microsoft pledges support for OpenID.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Microsoft has thrown its weight behind OpenID, an emerging Web authentication standard the company has pledged to work to integrate OpenID with its CardSpace identity management software, now available in conjunction with Windows Vista. ...

Samsung launches touchpanel mobile phone.(Samsung Electronics Company Ltd., Samsung F700 smart phones)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Telephones with touch-screen displays that occupy most of their front face are the next big thing in the mobile phone market. Samsung's F700 joins Apple with its iPhone and LG Electronics, with its K850 "Prada" handset. The F700 is the...

Memory matters.(operating systems upgrading)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Frequently an OS upgrade comes with a hidden cost: to maintain an acceptable level of performance, you must upgrade your computer's memory. Microsoft calls for a minimum of 1GB of RAM on Vista Premium Ready PCs, and our tests indicate that that...

Vista RAM boost: 2GB not a huge help.(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
April 1, 2007... TEST REPORT VISTA RAM BOOST: 2GB NOT A HUGE HELP Adding to the recommended 1GB of memory sped up Photoshop a bit, but did little otherwise. Photoshop (seconds; ...

Quantum computer debut.(D-Wave Systems)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Canada's D-Wave has demonstrated a quantum computer that can carry out 64,000 calculations simultaneously (in parallel "universes"), thanks to a new technique of quantum computing. D-Wave is the world's only "commercial" quantum computing...

RSS mashup creator for the masses.(rich site summary)(Yahoo has launched a service called Pipes)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Yahoo has launched a service called Pipes designed to let regular users mix different RSS and Atom feeds and create data "mashups", a process that so far has required programming knowledge. Pipes features a drag-and-drop interface that the...

Aero overhead.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Let's be honest: much of Vista's appeal is tied to the operating system's flashy new interface. But what good is a slick new look if it slows your system to a veritable crawl? The Aero interface may look as though it requires loads of...

It's still early.(Microsoft Windows Vista benchmarks)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... As we continue to develop Vista-ready benchmarks and to test as many systems with Vista preinstalled as we can get our hands on, we'll update you with additional findings. In the meantime, if you are contemplating an upgrade, our...

All-in-one family PC: HP TouchSmart IQ770 PC.(personal computers)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Turning computing into a hands-on experience, the HP TouchSmart IQ770 PC has plenty of power for the home user. But with a 19in widescreen, touch-screen monitor, it also functions as a user-friendly organiser, photo kiosk and entertainment...

Well featured small performer: Acer TravelMate 6465WLMI.(laptop computers)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Unlike previous TravelMate models we've seen from Acer, the TravelMate 6465WLMi comes in a black casing that has a wax finish, otherwise it has most of the features we're used to seeing from the TravelMate range. The TravelMate's Intel...

Functional and future-proof: Toshiba Portege R400.(tablet computers)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... The Portege R400 tablet PC brings to the market some innovative technology thanks to the collaboration of Microsoft and Toshiba and shows off some of the new features of the Windows Vista operating system. This tablet PC features front...

Good performance, silent operation: Western Digital WD1600AAJS.(hard disk drives)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... At 160GB, this 3.5in internal Serial ATA hard drive is definitely not the most capacious desktop drive on the market, but it's aiming to be one of the quietest and coolest. The key feature of this hard drive is its disk platter. Most hard...

Tiny, portable projector: Toshiba TDP-FF1AU.(digital light processing projector)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... A projector that can fit in your pocket, Toshiba's TDP-FF1AU presentation package offers mobile users the ultimate in portability. You can use the palm-size projector and bundled screen almost anywhere without being tethered to a power source...

Fast DVD writing performance: Asus DRW-1814BLT.(DVD recordable drives)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... If you've ever wanted to completely rid your PC enclosure of flat ribbon cables, take a look at ASUS' new DRW-1814BLT. It's the first Serial ATA-based (SATA) burner that we've tested and it worked like a charm. The burner supports the...

Compact and functional: Fujitsu LifeBook P1610.(laptop computers)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Pick up the svelte Fujitsu LifeBook P1610, and you'll barely feel as if you are carrying a notebook PC. And no wonder: weighing 1kg, the $2999 P1610 puts the "ultra" in ultraportable. The P1610 is similar in heft and size to its...

Good price and quality: MiTAC MIC2D63120DLH.(personal computers)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Compared to other PCs around $1600, the MiTAC's biggest letdown is that it doesn't include a monitor. Instead, MiTAC throws in a media card reader and a pair of small speakers. A Gigabyte GA-945GM-S2 motherboard houses the Core 2 Duo E6300...

Powerful media centre PC: NEC Powermate X8500.(personal computers)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... The Powermate X8500 is a media centre PC that features plenty of useful connectivity options and storage space. An 802.11g wireless adapter is installed, which makes it easy to connect the machine up to the Internet if you've got a wireless...

Internet radio and streaming device: Terratec Noxon iRadio.(Audio system)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Despite the clever and thoroughly modern technology lurking inside, Terratec's Noxon Internet radio has been styled with one eye firmly on the past. And it manages to nail the retro look, fusing clean lines with an old-fashioned wireless...

Affordable dual-TV tuner: DViCO FusionHDTV DVB-T Dual Digital 4.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... This digital TV tuner from DViCO contains dual-tuner capabilities and is a very neat piece of hardware. It's a PCI card and it only requires one antenna input for both of its tuners. This means there are aren't any messy pass-through cables or...

Great colour, low-cost laser: Konica Minolta Magicolor 2500W.(color laser printers)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Combining surprisingly good print quality with decent specifications and a $499 price tag, the Konica Minolta Magicolor 2500W is a fantastic deal. The styling won't be to everyone's taste--we quite liked the flash blue top, but more sober...

Media-enabled PDA: Hewlett-Packard IPAQ RX4240.(personal digital assistants)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Pitched as a 'Mobile Media Companion', this is HP's latest attempt at breathing new life into the flagging PDA market. The rx4240 runs the Windows Mobile 5 operating system and includes Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, Messaging (for push and POP...

Stylish and easy to use: Palm Treo 680.(smart phones)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Building on the trademark Treo ease of use, the 680's QWERTY keyboard makes typing an absolute joy: just grab the device with both hands and use your thumbs. Contacts are easily found, while text and e-mail conversations are threaded and...

Skype cuts the cord: Logitech Cordless Internet Handset.(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... The best thing about Skype's VoIP (voice over IP) Internet phone service is the price: calls to other Skype users are free. But you don't want to be tethered to your PC while making and receiving calls--hence the current spate of handsets that...

Quality at a low price: Nikon D40.(digital cameras)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Only a few years ago, $2000 was a firm barrier for digital SLRs; now vendors are racing to produce a $500 model. No camera has reached that goal, but Nikon's D40 comes close. For $937, you get a nice SLR camera with impressive image quality....

Feature-rich, 10Mp shooter: Canon Powershot G7.(digital cameras)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... The G7's comprehensive feature set includes a 10Mp (megapixel) sensor, face-detection autofocus, optical image stabilisation and a maximum ISO light sensitivity of 1600. This is a sturdy-looking, sophisticated successor to the G6. However,...

Top of its class: Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP.(liquid crystal display monitor)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... The Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP, a 27in widescreen LCD monitor, is a stunner. It delivers great image quality, features a thoughtful design, and has several useful and unusual inputs. But at $1999, it's also pricey, especially considering that you...

20in widescreen, strong audio: ViewSonic VG2030WM.(liquid crystal display monitor)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Big, brash and startling, if not exactly a work of beauty, the VG2030wm commands your attention. In part, this is due to the massive speakers in the bottom half of the flat-panel. Offering fairly strong audio quality, these make a good riposte...

Professional design, affordable price: NetObjects Fusion 10.0.(web development software)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... NetObjects' Fusion series has long garnered praise for hitting the sweet spot between complex output and intuitive use. Professional designers may prefer DreamWeaver or GoLive, but for all-round designers and serious amateurs, Fusion 10.0...

Virus slayer packs a punch: Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2007.(network security software)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... A decade ago, life was much simpler--the only threat to PC security came from viruses. Today, the situation is very different. A mere antivirus program is nowhere near sufficient. PC-cillin provides protection from viruses, spyware, spam and...

Raising the dead: Acronis True Image 10.0 Home.(backup software)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Acronis True Image is a tried-and-tested backup program that creates a complete copy of your hard drive. Should your PC be hit by disaster, True Image will restore your OS, applications and data. Previous versions have been fairly slick and...

Great, budget photo software: Sony Photo Go 1.0.(image processing software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Sony has entered the digital-imaging software fray, putting its Photo Go 1.0 application up against titles such as Adobe Photoshop Album and Corel Photo Album. Photo Go has an ace up its sleeve--it's genuinely intuitive and simple to use. ...

Office suite in your palm: DataViz Documents To Go Premium Edition 9.(business application suite)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... One of the best features of PDA phones is their ability to handle not just e-mail, but also the attachments that invariably come with it. For years, DataViz's Documents To Go has been the utility of choice for editing Word, Excel and...

Free and easy photo synch: Sharpcast Photos.(image processing software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... For an intriguing combination of image editing and organising software, plus a Web service for sharing your images, Sharpcast Photos is the ticket. But what makes Sharpcast Photos special is the way it automatically updates your data wherever...

The Web's most useful sites: you have lots of stuff to get done. And these next-generation services can help with everything from wrangling passwords to throwing a party.
April 1, 2007... The lowly browser is becoming the most powerful piece of software on your computer. Despite the promises of chip makers and PC manufacturers, a Web application like Gmail running on a massive server farm thousands of kilometres away can often...

The complete guide to YouTube: however modest your movie-making aspirations, if you've the slightest urge to create a magnum opus, the success of YouTube has surely got you thinking. Rosemary Haworth and Jason Whittaker tell you how to become an online video star.(video editing software)(Cover story)
April 1, 2007... Rock-solid broadband connections and inexpensive digital camcorders make sharing your movie-making efforts an affordable pastime. At a pinch, you can even use a digital camera that can record video clips, as well as stills. Over the...

Greater graphics for your system.(display adapters)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... A new graphics card can give an ageing PC a new life, opening up fresh possibilities for gaming and improving overall system performance. But the question always remains: what should you look for when buying a new graphics card? It all comes...

Broadbank on the go: do you want to be connected to the Internet when you are on the road? Good news is it is easier than ever to get broadband on the go. But what sort of speeds do you get, how do the mobile services perform, and importantly, how much does it cost? We take the latest mobile service for a spin and find out.
April 1, 2007... Staying constantly connected to the Internet has gotten easier thanks to the emergence of a faster 3G protocol that allows for download speeds of up to 3.6Mbps via the telecommunications network, depending on the type of device you are using....

The ultimate FAQ: PC World solves common PC problems to keep your system out of trouble.
April 1, 2007... In my years of writing for PC World, I've seen some questions that readers ask repeatedly. The following tips solve the problems that nearly every PC user will encounter eventually, so if you don't need these answers right now, keep 'em handy:...

PCs.(Buyers guide)(Table)
April 1, 2007... PCs [pc world TEST CENTRE] SUB-$1500 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Plus Corporation Inspire 6400 DUO Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 CPU Price: $1499 (LGA775); Intel 945G chipset;...

Notebooks.(Buyers guide)(Table)
April 1, 2007... NOTEBOOKS [pc world TEST CENTRE] SUB-$2500 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Acer Aspire 5634WLMi Intel T5600 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo Price: $1999 CPU; 1GB 533MHz...

Wireless routers.(Buyers guide)(Table)
April 1, 2007... WIRELESS ROUTERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] WI-FI SPEEDS MIMO ROUTERS WI-FI SECURITY 1 Netgear RangeMax WPN824 11Mbps, 54Mbps, 108Mbps Price:...

TV tuners.(Buyers guide)(Table)
April 1, 2007... TV TUNERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Nebula DigiTV PCI PCI interface; SDTV, HDTV; DigiTV Price: $175 software, BDA driver in...

DVD burners.(DVD recordable drives)(Buyers guide)(Table)
April 1, 2007... DVD BURNERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL CD SPEEDS DVD SPEEDS 1 Asus DRW-18148LT CD-ROM 48x DVD-ROM 16x, DVD-R 18x, Price: $79 CD-RW 32x DVD+R 18x, DVD-RW...

Motherboards.(Buyers guide)(Table)
April 1, 2007... MOTHERBOARDS CHIPSET MEMORY SLOTS AMD-BASED CPU SUPPORT MAXIMUM MEMORY MOTHERBOARDS CPU SOCKET PCI EXPRESS SLOTS 1...

Inkjet-based multi-function devices.(BESTBUYS)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... INKJET-BASED MULTI-FUNCTION DEVICES [pc world TEST CENTRE] DIMENSIONS (WXDXH)/ ...

Vanishing points.(WINDOWS XP)(hard drives)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q My PC runs XP SP2 with a 160GB hard drive, divided into partitions. I use F-Secure AntiVirus. The system will not automatically create restore points outside an application install/uninstall. When I create one manually it disappears after a...

Explorer error.(Microsoft Service Pack 2 for Windows XP)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I think one of the files on my PC running XP SP2 is corrupt. Explorer will not start, even in Safe mode. I get a message "Explorer. exe--bad image. The application or DLL C:\ Windows\System32\BrowseUI.dll is not a valid Windows image". Can I...

Plane crash.(Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro)(Microsoft Flight Simulator)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I'm running Windows 2000 Pro with 1GB RAM. When I use MS Flight Simulator a blue screen states "STOP: 0x0000001E (0x0000005,0XBA4C5DE3, 0x00000000, 0x00000125). KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_ HANDLED. Address BA4CSDE3 base at BA4B3000, DateStamp...

InactiveX.(internet settings)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q When I visit Web sites, I receive a message that says "Your security settings prohibit running ActiveX controls on this page. As a result, the page may not display correctly". I haven't changed any settings. --Astrid Stephen A We...

Security warning.(McAfee Firewall and Windows Firewall )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I have installed McAfee Firewall, but Windows Firewall is blocking access even when disabled. I get the message "AOL Security Warning. Windows has blocked this software because it can't verify the publisher. Name: www.AOL.co.uk. Unknown...

Mystery activity.(internet tips for preventing virus)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q Recently I have noticed that my ADSL modem is constantly sending and receiving data, even when Outlook Express and IE are inactive. I have checked for viruses and spyware--nothing was detected. ZoneAlarm doesn't find any problems either. Is...

Identify that process.(TOP TIP)(using Quick Access )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... If you have often wondered what the processes running on your PC and listed in Task Manager actually do, then you need the free Quick Access add-in for Task Manager from ProcessLibrary (www.processlibrary.com). Quick Access is a small...

Vanished.(files that were deleted )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q During a recent spring clean I decided to delete some large Nero NVE video files. A message warned "These files are too big for the Recycle Bin. Do you still want to delete them?" I clicked Yes and they vanished in a flash. I then opened the...

Invalid serial number.(computer using a Compaq motherboard)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I built my own computer using a Compaq motherboard. When I switch it on I get the message "invalid Electronic Serial Number" and I have to press F1 to boot. --David MacLaughlin A This message means that a valid serial number has not...

File transfer.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I have three computers. The first is a Dell and runs Windows 3.1, and has a floppy drive to copy data. The second runs Windows 98 SE and the third is a laptop running Windows XP. Can you advise how to transfer data from the Dell? ...

Change the default opener.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Here are two ways to change the default program that's used to open a file when you double-click on it. If the program you want to use is listed on the menu when you right-click the file, for example "Open with XYZ", you simply need to change...

Vista-like XP: in less than an hour, these freebies can transform XP into an Ersatz Vista.
April 1, 2007... Not thrilled about spending a bundle on Vista--and dealing with potential bugs and hardware upgrades? Stick with XP, and use these tools to emulate the Vista experience. The Hassle: I'm trying to resist moving to Vista. How can I make XP...

Bookmark duds.(AM-DeadLink, web authoring software)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Do you collect Favourites. Me too--so I use AM-DeadLink (www.aignes.com/deadlink.htm). This brilliant tool checks your browser's bookmarks to see if they're alive and well (or dead and in the 404 bit bucket); it also spots duplicate links....

Fix flaws in IE: Microsoft Word and Acrobat are also vulnerable to attacks from poisoned files.
April 1, 2007... The explosion of user-generated multimedia content has made the Web more fun, but unfortunately the bad guys get to play, too. These days some of the easiest venues for an attack are sites that let users post their own material. For...

Patch critical Acrobat reader holes.(Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat Standard and Professional)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Security company Sophos found critical cracks in the ActiveX control for versions 7.0 through 7.0.8 of Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat Standard and Professional. No attack exists yet, but if one arises you'd have only to visit a contaminated...

Bug slows IE 7.
April 1, 2007... A Phishing Filter bug can reduce your computer to a crawl on Web sites with many frames. Get the fix at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928089.

Vista battery drain.(laptop computers using Microsoft Windows Vista operating system decrease battery life)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Notebooks with the new OS will have default settings that help connect to public hotspots but decrease battery life. To get more info--and change the settings--go to http://windowsvistablog. com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2006/12/08...

A gift for selling: jump on the eBay bandwagon with top tips to selling online.
April 1, 2007... Call me cynical, but I reckon very few of us make it through the festive season without acquiring one or two well-meant but unwanted gifts. For me, it's usually socks--I've got enough to kit out a team of millipede footballers. Thank...

Memories: ensure your old family photos get preserved for future generations to enjoy.
April 1, 2007... Let's face it, there's not a lot to do at this time of year, My prize Christmas present of a Nintendo Wii has lost its novelty value and now lives in the cupboard below the stairs, so it must be time to warm up the notebook and carry on with...

Remote possibilities: connect to a remote PC from anywhere.
April 1, 2007... No matter where you are, so long as you have Internet access, you can work as if you were sitting at your home PC. This isn't a new idea, but it did get a major boost with the release of XP Pro in 2001. Earlier versions had the ability to...

A sight for poor eyes: adjust your PC settings to fit your health.(HERE'S HOW: WINDOWS)(Column)
April 1, 2007... Working in front of a monitor, day-in, day-out, can make your eyes deteriorate--or at least accelerate the process. And some of us didn't have the best eyesight to begin with. But the good news is that Windows has plenty of workarounds....

Time-saving tips: improve workflow by automating tedious or common Office tasks.
April 1, 2007... When they launched, Office XP and Office 2003 were big leaps forward, breaking away from the look of Windows 95 and offering far greater integration between applications. If you're using Office 2003, you're probably more than content, though we...

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.(computer strategy games)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... It's hard to think of The Burning Crusade as an expansion pack. It brings enough new content to the World of Warcraft (WOW) experience to beat out most other games in their entirety, but it's an expansion, nevertheless, and as such, it delivers...

Visual learning.(Teach Yourself Visually Office 2007)(Visual Quick Tips, Windows Vista)(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... If a picture tells a thousand words, then these books have plenty of tales to tell. Getting you up to speed with all that's new in Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 is the name of the game here, and these books do it well. Although aimed at...

Indoor Fore.(Golf Launchpad computer game)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... Golf can be a frustrating sport, so anything that can be used to improve your swing can only be good, right? Golf Launchpad is your personal indoor driving range, and is very simple to set up. Once out of the box--and after bolting the ball...

Here's looking at you.(Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The latest webcam from Logitech is one of the first to ship with a glass lens, which makes for an almost perfect picture. Include a built-in microphone and 1.3-megapixel sensor (with intelligent face tracking) and you have one of the better...

Cringely capable.(Microsoft Windows Vista)
April 1, 2007... Vista debut Consumers have barely smudged the shrink-wrap on Vista, but snafus are already starting to appear. For example, just last week Intuit warned users of QuickBooks 2006 that their software may be "adversely affected" when running under...