Australian PC World articles from August 2003

Australian PC World archives from August 2003

A little more action! With Telstra's sale back on the agenda, rural Australia is understandably seeing red as regional teleco services are still not fixed. (Editorial).
August 1, 2003... No doubt many of us heard the recent response of the Government and Senator Richard Alston to last year's independent inquiry into regional communications, also know as the Estens Inquiry. The great news for the bush is that the Government has...

Winners.
August 1, 2003... The winners of the Iomega competition in the May issue are: F. Lin, T. Thomson, D.E. Harris, J. Lannan, J. Van Vierson, C. Pereira, A.C. Read, E. Tan, R. Rossi, W.E. Harrison, C. Tabor, J. Hannemann, G. Skyring, V. Leong, T. Parker, K. van de...

Roxio buys Pressplay for Napster relaunch.
August 1, 2003... Roxio has snapped up online music subscription service Pressplay for cash and stock estimated at $US39.5 million, in a step aimed at launching a new online service under the Napster brand. The deal follows Roxio's purchase of the remaining...

Toshiba, SanDisk look to 4Gb flash chips.
August 1, 2003... Toshiba and SanDisk have announced the development of a high-density NAND flash memory cell structure that will allow the manufacture of 4Gb flash chips using a 90-nanometre semiconductor manufacturing process. Current NAND flash memory...

Microsoft's virus jab. (Analysis News).
August 1, 2003... In an announcement that could send reverberations throughout the antivirus software world, Microsoft said it was acquiring antivirus technology from a small Romanian company, GeCAD Software of Romania. GeCAD makes RAV Antivirus, a family of...

Wireless fix on the way. (Analysis News).
August 1, 2003... By combining software with its existing chips for 802.11b wireless LANs (WLANs) and Bluetooth networks, Texas Instruments (TI) says it has found a way to limit interference between the two wireless technologies in handheld devices. ...

Intel turns off VPN-crashing Centrino software.
August 1, 2003... Intel says it has turned off software in its family of mobile processors that could cause some Centrino-powered notebooks to crash when used with a virtual private network (VPN) under the Windows operating system. Nortel Networks said it...

Microsoft enhances FrontPage, SQL Server.
August 1, 2003... Microsoft has announced efforts to support development of XML-based Web sites in Office FrontPage 2003 and to extend SQL Server database capabilities to more than 50 proprietary databases and files. Part of the Microsoft Office System,...

Palm buys Handspring. (Analysis News).
August 1, 2003... Palm has announced its intention to buy Handspring in a deal that will expand Palm's presence in the market for converged devices that combine voice and data with traditional handhelds, according to executives and analysts. Palm is...

Spooks target IT security. (Analysis News).
August 1, 2003... Cyber security will be a priority under the Prime Minister's new National Security Division, which has been dubbed Australia's equivalent of the US Department of Homeland Security. Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and...

IEEE approves 802.11g standard.
August 1, 2003... A long-awaited standard for wireless LANs that offers more carrying capacity than the current IEEE 802.11b specification while using the same frequencies has won final approval. The new standard, 802.11g, lays out the ground rules for...

Chip revenue forecast revised down.
August 1, 2003... The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has revised its predictions of growth in revenue from semiconductors for 2003, slashing their prediction by nine percentage points without providing details. Last November, the SIA predicted...

Broadband: complaints on the rise. (Analysis News).
August 1, 2003... The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsmen (TIO) is warning broadband users to beware of file sharing software and to be mindful of usage download limits, following an increase in the number of complaints across broadband Internet services. ...

Broadband users glued to screens. (Broadband Briefs).
August 1, 2003... Statistics released by Internet audience analyst Nielsen/NetRatings Australia have shown broadband users are significantly heavier Internet users than their narrowband counterparts, returning to the same Web sites more often, downloading more...

Lufthansa offers inflight broadband. (Broadband Briefs).
August 1, 2003... Passengers on Lufthansa will soon have wireless broadband access on the airline's entire long-haul fleet. Lufthansa has signed a deal with Boeing to fit about 80 long-haul jets with the Connexion by Boeing wireless Internet system, the...

Reigning supreme: Pentium 4 3.2GHZ. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... Last month we looked at AMD's new Athlon XP 3200+ processor, which operates at an actual clock speed of 2.2GHz (see page 21, July). This month we test Intel's new 3.2GHz Pentium 4 processor, and our results indicate that the AMD equivalent CPU...

Leading at high resolutions: GeForce FX 5900 Ultra. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... NVIDIA promotes its new GeForce FX 5900 Ultra chip as "the fastest GPU in history". It may be, but if so, it isn't by much. In tests with current games, our 5900 Ultra reference card, equipped with 256MB of SDRAM, gave a relatively small...

Springdale motherboard: 8PENXP (1865PE). (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... Choosing the wrong motherboard can limit the PC upgrade path severely, but selecting the right board can maximise a PC user's experience. Targeted at the mainstream market, the Gigabyte 8PENXP motherboard is based on the i865PE chipset...

Comfortable, sturdy camera: LS633. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... A good camera should feel comfortable and sturdy, and Kodak's latest offering is both. It is solidly built with an impressive range of features, but it is a little heavy (210g), This may be due to the main feature Kodak is pushing in this...

Eye catching flat-pane: X215. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... The X215 is quite simply the sexiest flat-panel we've reviewed. There's a real lack of ostentation in the sleek minimalist design, and the blue-tinted glass front serves a purpose beyond aesthetics, incorporating AG Neovo's own...

Colour scan directly to PDF: ScanSnap. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... It's hard to imagine cleaning up a messy desk by putting one more thing on it, but that could happen with Fujitsu's useful and innovative ScanSnap colour scanner. At the touch of a button, this $995 device, which doesn't claim much desk...

Virtual backyard blitz: 3D Home Landscape Designer Deluxe 5. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... A chance to try out 3D Home Landscape Designer Deluxe 5 was a wish come true for someone with a backyard like mine. 3D Home Landscape Designer Deluxe 5 lets you set up the natural environment of your yard (slopes and grades, orientation, etc.)...

The other office suite: Wordperfect Office 11 Standard. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... If you think that your only business productivity software options are an old version of Microsoft Office or a new version of Microsoft Office, think again: Corel has released a new edition of its venerable WordPerfect Office suite. ...

Powerful media production: Vegas 4.0 and Vegas+DVD. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... Sonic Foundry's latest Vegas 4.0 and Vegas+DVD applications have been released into a brave new world, where control is wrestled away from the real-time effects card makers and given to the PC processing chip. Vegas 4.0 provides integrated...

Video authoring bundle: Studioquartet. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... The competition is becoming fierce in the video editing market, with Ulead StudioQuartet providing a video editing/DVD authoring bundle at a price point well below the cost of purchasing the applications separately. The two central...

Bargain PDF creation: PDF Creator 3.0. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... As any Internet user will have noticed, the use of Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) has proliferated. And it's little surprise why: PDFs offer a safe and reliable way to share documents on multiple platforms. Although Adobe offers...

Plan and brainstorm visually: Inspiration 7. (First Looks).
August 1, 2003... Brainstorming usually involves hours of mind-numbing conversations with colleagues, scribbling notes on small pieces of paper, and transcribing those notes at a later date. As an alternative, try the latest revision of Inspiration Software's...

Waterchill KT03 CPU cooling kit. (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... Overclockers and performance enthusiasts are no strangers to the world of watercooling. As enthusiasts push the performance envelope, dealing with the resultant heat seems to be the common problem. Most case fans cannot disperse the heat...

10,000rpm Serial ATA hard disk. (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... Western Digital has just released a 10,000rpm (revolutions per minute) 36GB hard disk drive. The Raptor (WD360GD) is the first 10,000rpm drive to hit the market that features the Serial ATA interface and an 8MB disk cache. Featuring a...

Get smart (without a shoe phone). (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... As many PDAs take on phone capabilities and phones become better at data management, it's hard to know what to shop for in the personal communications gadget market. Microsoft looks like it's having an each way bet with Windows Pocket PC...

MP3 player, FM radio, voice recorder. (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... Solid-state digital audio devices are ideal for active people who want to enjoy skip-free music while jogging or walking, yet they are also suitable for people who want a tiny device that they can stealthily hide in their shirt or pant pocket....

Sony DCR-PC105. (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... Sony's latest ultra compact handycam, the DCR-PC105, features a new blue-grey metallic finish plus a vertical design which should fit more comfortably in your hand. Thanks to the bundled software you can new burn your movies directly to a CD by...

Canon MV650i. (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... Like most camcorders, the MV650i is designed for right-handed use, with the main functions (record, zoom and so on) just a thumb-push away. More configuration buttons are hidden under the 2.5in fold-out LCD display. There are also transport...

Slim, stylish and Centrino-savvy. (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... Road warriors take note. Here we look at three notebook models from Toshiba, Fujitsu and Sony that all have an emphasis on battery life and portability, coupled with striking designs that will help you make a decidedly professional impression....

Epson EMP-7800 projector. (Quick Takes).
August 1, 2003... A high-end multimedia projector that's ideal for permanent installations from the boardroom to the classroom, Epson's new EMP-7800 can be mounted from the front, rear or ceiling. It can project images with a contrast ratio of 700:1 at a maximum...

Ximian Desktop 2. (LinuxWorld).
August 1, 2003... The GNOME 2 desktop environment was released over a year ago, and during that time version 2.2 has seen the light of day. The Ximian Desktop, a heavily modified version of GNOME for corporate and casual users, has been rebuilt for the GNOME 2...

PC-savvy students. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... I am a teacher at a public school in South Australia. Can you please tell me--if I would like to try a free program from the CD on an issue of the PC World magazine in my classroom (which has five computers), do I need to buy a copy of the...

Ready to bag a bargain. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... I would like to say a very heartfelt 'thank you' to you and your staff. I am in need of a new PC tower. Even though I have only basic recognition of 'computer speak', recently, when shopping around, I was able to easily understand the...

Making sense of support. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... After reading the article on Windows 98 support (In Depth page 144, June issue) it states that general Windows 98 support ends in June 2003. This is incorrect--in June 2003, hotfix/updates support will end, but general support ends on 16...

Dilbert[R].
August 1, 2003... THIS PLAN IS IMPRACTICAL. MY PHILOSOPHY IS THAT IF IT ISN'T HARD, IT ISN'T WORTH DOING. THAT'S EASY TO SAY. SO ACCORDING TO YOUR PHILOSOPHY, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID IT. AND IT'S EASY TO WALK AROUND. MAYBE YOU SHOULD HOP...

Cracking down on spam. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... As I see it, most e-mail programs work in reverse of what they should be doing ("Natural-Born Spam Killers", page 57 July issue). That is, when you install an e-mail program in your machine, it should not let any information in unless you give...

Limit e-mail accounts. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... News reports say AOL, MSN, and Yahoo are cracking down on spammers. But these Net services all miss one key point: spammers often create a fraudulent free e-mail address through them, spam thousands, and then kill the address, knowing that it...

MailWasher fan. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... I feel that your evaluation of MailWasher Pro 3 does the program a grave injustice. Filters have sometimes deleted messages I wanted. My ISP has spam-fighting software on its servers, yet I kept getting more spam. But 11 months ago I heard...

Help on the cheap. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... Recently, I activated my cable modem. My installer noted that I had half, or less, of the expected bandwidth. I spent the next several days e-mailing my PC vendor and trying various fixes and downloads, to no avail. Then PC World [July...

Missive of the month. (Readers' Forum).
August 1, 2003... Congratulations to Mark Taylor! You are this month's winner of a year's subscription to PC World worth $66. We are pleased to receive your letters, but please keep them to less than 300 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for...

Slim-down your site: a leaner, meaner Web site means faster pages for visitors--and lower costs for you. (Web & You).
August 1, 2003... The dream of every Web site owner is be successful, but an influx of visitors can come at a cost. The more popular your site, the more it's going to cost you to deliver the pages. This month, PC World reveals techniques for cutting back on the...

Put it on DVD: with affordable burners and easier video editing software, there's never been a better time to turn videos into slick discs you can share.
August 1, 2003... Your long-winded CEO insisted on introducing your company's newest product. Trouble is, he rambled for a good long hour, and now he wants his breathtaking speech to be seen and heard by all your customers. Luckily, falling rewritable DVD drive...

How to troubleshoot the worst PC disasters: vanishing files? Flaky connections? Don't panic! Here's what to do when technology turns evil.
August 1, 2003... What do you do when your computer suddenly seems possessed? Whether it's satanic software or a hard drive from hell, there are hundreds of vexing problems that can make it devilishly difficult to get anything done. Don't call for an...

Happy snaps the digital way: take better digital pics--and more easily manage your photo albums--with these tips and tricks.
August 1, 2003... With digital cameras you no longer have to buy film, think in terms of 24-exposure photo sessions or pay to process any dodgy shots. That probably means you're taking more photos than ever before, shooting the same scene from three different...

External storage device round-up. (Storage Options).
August 1, 2003... In the world of external storage, two things are certain: there is a plethora of products available for all purposes and situations and, for the most part, they are very easy to set up and use. Pretty much any type of drive that can reside on...

Peripheral connectivity. (Tech.Files).
August 1, 2003... About six or seven years ago, if you bought a new peripheral for your computer system its interface would have been parallel or serial, maybe SCSI. Users would often have to configure their resources in order for their system to correctly...

Bargain GPUs and mobos. (Sweet Spot).
August 1, 2003... Resellers are indicating that the availability of ATI-based graphics cards and Intel-based motherboards initially announced in May are translating into bargains for consumers now. Resellers have hotly contested the graphics cards sweet spot...

Over $3500. (Best Buys).
August 1, 2003... Plus Corporation Astra H31 [1] The Astra H31 from Plus Corporation has dark, chic styling and luminous lights within the case. It would definitely appeal to the gamer, audio enthusiast or digital video buff, and the included components...

$1500-$3500. (Best Buys).
August 1, 2003... Trinity International AMD Pro Pack [1] An ASUS A7N8 Deluxe motherboard based on the nForce 2 chipset houses an AMD Athlon XP 2800+ processor. Two 256MB modules of PC3200 DDR SDRAM, totalling 512MB of memory, occupy two of the three...

Sub-$1500. (Best Buys).
August 1, 2003... PC eXpress Avatar 2600 [1] NEW Another first-time entrant in the PC Best Buys, PC eXpress, has snatched the first place ranking in the Sub-$1500 category. The Avatar 2600 has an AMD Athlon XP 2600+ processor running at a 333MHz front side...

Over $4000. (Best Buys).
August 1, 2003... Hi-Grade UltiNote M6600 [1] Hi-Grade's UltiNote M6600's writing drive can write DVD-RW and DVD-R discs at 1x and rewrite at 1x, and write and rewrite CDs at 16x and 10x, respectively, in addition to reading DVDs at 8x and CDs at 24x. For...

$2500-$4000. (Best Buys).
August 1, 2003... Hi-Grade Notino C1000 [1] Using the Centrino platform to deliver a high-performance (220 in SYSMark 2001), portable (at 2.4kg) and long-lasting (80-minute battery life) product, Hi-Grade's C1000 also has integrated 802.11b wireless...

Sub-$2500. (Best Buys).
August 1, 2003... Hi-Grade Notino 4400 [1] UPGRADED The Notino 4400 has gone through a bit of an upgrade this month, helping it just keep hold of the number one spot. The 8x8x8x24x DVD-ROM/CD-R/RW drive has now been made a slot drive, and the Pentium...

Notebooks: over $4000, $2500-$4000, sub-$2500. (Best Buys).
August 1, 2003... VALUE BENCHMARK MAKE/MODEL RATING SCORES REAL WORLD TESTS OVER $4000 (1) Hi-Grade 82 214 45s UltiNote 4852 4m34s M6600 ...

External storage. (Best buys).
August 1, 2003... The advantages of external over internal storage devices are two-fold. They are very easy to install and can be shared very easily across multiple computer systems. The downside of these devices is their cost. The added hardware and...

Best buys.
August 1, 2003... ANYPAK ZIV300K3 PORTABLE HARD LACIE DATA USB HARD DRIVE DRIVES BANK 20GB 40GB Price $699 $695 ...

1.5in portable. (Hard drives).
August 1, 2003... LaCie Data Bank 20GB The Data Bank is ideal for carrying around in a shirt pocket and it offers the flexibility of both FireWire and USB 2.0 connectivity. It ships with very short data cables, so if used on a PC, plugging it into suitable...

2.5in portable. (Hard drives).
August 1, 2003... AnyPak ZIV300K3 USB Hard drive 40GB An elegant device with slight dimensions for extreme portability, the AnyPak drive has a hefty capacity of 40GB in its 2.5in hard drive. It is the only drive in the review to come with a clip and chain...

Desktop drives. (Hard drives).
August 1, 2003... Iomega HDD 80GB This unit provides up to 80GB of space via its 7200rpm drive and features the USB 2.0 interface. It was the fastest USB 2.0 drive in the review during our tests. It was also the most expensive, but that may have...

CD-RW drives. (Optical drives).
August 1, 2003... Imation IMW402440EA Slightly bulky in its design, the Imation offering is a top-loading CD rewriter which is competitively priced at $235, has good speed specifications and performed reliably in all our tests. In terms of its design,...

Portable combination drives. (Optical drives).
August 1, 2003... AOpen Combi IT ESV-188i (CD-RW + DVD-ROM) AOpen's Combi drive is a CD-RW and DVD-ROM drive in one, with the same form factor found in such drives in notebook computers. Connection to a PC or notebook is via e FireWire cable that is...

DVD writers.
August 1, 2003... Addonics AEPDRRWUM (DVD-R/-RW) Unlike the other two DVD writers in this review, the Addonics external DVD writer is based on a notebook form factor drive and has excellent portability. It connects to a PC or notebook via a USB 2.0 port,...

System enhancements: optimising internal and external devices. (Here's How).
August 1, 2003... Computers are moving away from being just a means for work or gaming as users embrace the many different tools and utilities that can enhance their multimedia experience. In line with this month's features on troubleshooting PC problems,...

DIY external storage. (Upgrader).
August 1, 2003... In this month's article, I thought it would be pertinent to go through the process involved in building your own external storage device from readily available parts. You'll find reviews of available devices in the Best Buys (page 113), but you...

Dual booting Windows 98 & XP. (In Depth).
August 1, 2003... Have you ever wished you could keep your old operating system and run XP on the same computer? For many years, such a nifty two-OS trick has been available to users of NT, 2000 and Linux, but Windows XP provides the first chance for most home...

Remote assistance. (Windows XP Home).
August 1, 2003... Remote Assistance is a feature found in both the Home and Professional versions of Windows XP. Designed for when you may have a problem you can't solve, the feature lets you enable someone else--such as a colleague or IT support person--to...

Boost performance with a RAMdisk. (Windows XP Pro).
August 1, 2003... Windows likes RAM and, generally, the more you have, the more snappily your operating system and applications will run. The starting point for Windows XP Professional is 256MB but a 512MB system runs very smoothly, at a fairly minimal cost...

iTunes 4: beyond music playback. (Mac OS).
August 1, 2003... Apple has enhanced its iTunes 4 software so that now it can link album cover art, stream music over networks, convert file types, and be used to shop for music online. This month we'll look at how to perform these tasks, in addition to using...

Advanced SpamAssassin techniques. (Linux).
August 1, 2003... Last month I introduced the SpamAssassin e-mail filtering tool. This intelligent spam detector employs a large number of techniques to accurately identify and tag unsolicited bulk e-mail (spam). This month, we will examine some of the...

Authoring a surround sound DVD. (Audio).
August 1, 2003... On page 138 of the last month's issue we looked at the requirements and fundamental methods of mixing audio in 5.1 space, using Sonic Foundry's fantastic Vegas 4+DVD software (available at www.sonicfoundry.com and reviewed this month in First...

Using Jaws PDF Creator. (Graphics).
August 1, 2003... This month's cover CD includes a free copy of Jaws PDF Creator 2.11. If you are ready to create your own PDFs, this month's Here's How will show you how to get up and running in no time. Registration Before getting started, you will...

A closer look at arrays. (PHP).
August 1, 2003... Over previous months, we have occasionally made use of arrays without going into much detail about exactly what arrays should be used for, which kind of arrays are supported by PHP and the routines the language provides to simplify array usage....

Making a DVD or Video CD. (Digital Video).
August 1, 2003... Over the past few issues we have looked at how to make a movie using Microsoft's Movie Maker 2 (available on this month's cover CD). Now show your movie to others by creating your own DVD or Video CD. Authoring an interactive video is now a...

A better way to manage sound and image files. (Windows).
August 1, 2003... Whether you're managing a Web site, preparing a business presentation, creating a newsletter, or just assembling a family photo album, today's huge media can soon overwhelm your system--and you. Windows provides tools for identifying, sorting...

Wipe your drive clean of all its sensitive data. (Hardware).
August 1, 2003... [Q] I'm replacing my hard drive. How do I totally obliterate sensitive data on the old drive? --Jim Mercer [A] To truly erase data, you need to write over it. Simply deleting files or reformatting the drive won't do. Luckily, plenty of...

The knock-down pop-ups 2003 compendium. (Internet).
August 1, 2003... You don't need me to tell you how hateful pop-ups and their evil twins, pop-unders, are. But I need to do it anyway, just to get it out of my system. These unwanted advertising browser windows are annoying and often crass. They waste time,...

Back up e-mail settings? (Internet).
August 1, 2003... [Q] How can I back up my e-mail account settings in Office XP? I know how to back up my messages and addresses but I can't find a way of saving my account details, although I'm sure it was possible in the previous version. --Name not...

How to do everything with your tablet PC. (On The Shelf).
August 1, 2003... Mobility may be nothing new to many people happily toting notebooks, PDAs or (increasingly) fully-featured phones, but Tablet PCs represent both a new platform and new software (the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition). If you've just bought one--or...

Build your own PC recording studio. (Backbytes Books).
August 1, 2003... Publisher: Osborne (McGraw Hill) Price: $44.95 Phone: (02) 9900 1800 URL: www.mcgraw-hill.com.au ISBN: 0072229047 BYOPC Recording Studio sets out to be an all-in-one beginner resource for home recording and music production, requiring only...