Australian PC World articles from January 2003

Australian PC World archives from January 2003

Crystal clear. (Editorial).
January 1, 2003... As we ring in 2003, most of us wonder what the future holds. This month PC World dusts off its crystal ball, spreads its Tarot cards on the table, and canvasses the technology market to preview what really is on the radar for the year ahead!...

Sony pirate coughs up the treasure.
January 1, 2003... Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) Australia has won a $220,000 damages payout in its long-running Federal Court action against software piracy ringleader Mohamed Dannoun. Sony first commenced legal proceedings against Dannoun in April 1999...

Gamers descend on Melbourne.
January 1, 2003... Melbourne's Telstra Dome will host what is billed to be the Southern Hemisphere's biggest gaming LAN on 11 and 12 January, with 1000 gamers and their computers expected for a weekend known as The Big Day In. Organised by Melbourne gaming...

PDA frenzy on the way. (Analysis News).
January 1, 2003... A deluge of handhelds promising feature-rich portable devices for both consumers and business users will make their ways onto retail shelves in the coming months. Hardware makers including Hewlett-Packard, Dell Computer, Samsung, Symbol...

New Lindows OS. (Analysis News).
January 1, 2003... Renegade software vendor Lindows .com has unleashed its new Linux-based operating system, promising an affordable Linux offering for the mass market that is compatible with Microsoft's Windows file formats. With the release of Lindows OS...

New `cinematic' chip. (Analysis News).
January 1, 2003... NVIDIA's new addition to its flagship line of GeForce graphics processors promises studio-quality graphics on a PC, the company claims. The GeForce FX is designed for the high-end gamer, a user who is looking for as much performance as...

ACCC takes on Harvey Norman.
January 1, 2003... The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will lock horns with retail giant Harvey Norman in the Federal Court over allegations of bait advertising and conduct in breach of the Trade Practices Act. The ACCC has lodged proceedings...

Yahoo snaps at SMS.
January 1, 2003... Yahoo has announced a new Photo SMS service which allows its members to send photos or images from the Internet to mobile phones. The new SMS Photo service is Yahoo's response to MultiMediaMessaging (MMS), a new technology which gives users...

AltaVista puts on new face to lure users.
January 1, 2003... In a bid to woo new users and advertisers and to improve overall user experience, search engine company AltaVista has overhauled its Internet search service, enhancing search tools as well as introducing more targeted marketing opportunities....

New .info domain name proves popular.
January 1, 2003... Fifteen months after .info top level domain (TLD) names became available on the Internet, the millionth .info Web site was signed up in November, making it now the sixth largest domain online. Afilias, which maintains the registry for .info...

IBM rebrands PCs.
January 1, 2003... Looking to differentiate itself from the plethora of personal computer brands in the market, IBM's PC division is to rebrand its offerings under the Think brand. The marketing exercise will see IBM's notebook line remain under the ThinkPad...

New budget mobos.
January 1, 2003... When it comes to choosing a motherboard, users around the world will soon have a new choice: Asrock. A subsidiary of motherboard maker Asustek Computer, Asrock has been shipping several low-cost motherboard models to distributors around the...

SuSE Linux runs MS. (Analysis News).
January 1, 2003... A new business-targeted version of SuSE Linux AG's Linux operating system will incorporate software that allows users to run many of their favourite Microsoft Windows applications, such as Office 2000, right on their Linux desktops. SuSE...

Telstra invests $10m. (Analysis News).
January 1, 2003... Following the results of the recently released Estens Inquiry, Telstra has announced it will invest $10 million in improving broadband services for its outer metropolitan and regional customers. Part of the $10 million will be spent on...

IBM enhances Pixie Dust for 80GB mobiles.
January 1, 2003... IBM says an enhancement to its Pixie Dust technology has enabled it to break the current storage density record for hard disk drives and to produce the highest capacity mobile hard disk drive yet. The Travelstar 80GN, samples of which are...

OpenOffice, OASIS aim to create office standard.
January 1, 2003... A standards body known for creating key technologies around XML (Extensible Markup Language) has launched an effort to develop a standard file format that would allow office documents such as spreadsheets and word processing files to be opened...

Committee sees wireline/wireless future. (Broadband).
January 1, 2003... Using VHF and low UHF TV channels to provide broadband services to rural communities was one of several ambitious proposals put forth to the Federal Government in a new report on wireless broadband. According to the new "Connecting Australia!...

Optus launches VoDSL.
January 1, 2003... In a bid to attract Telstra's ISDN subscribers and build its profile in the SME space, Optus has launched a Voice over DSL (VoDSL) service that allows customers to access analog voice and data services via a single DSL network connection. ...

Quadtel: Retailers and ISPs must `educate the consumer'.
January 1, 2003... Retailers and ISPs have to share the responsibility of educating consumers on the benefits of high-speed Internet services to help accelerate uptake, according to broadband distributor Quadtel. Denis Orrock, who was recently appointed as...

Hi-Grade UltiNote M6600: notebook with DVD-RW drive. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... Hi-Grade's UltiNote M6600 is the first PC notebook we've seen to feature an incorporated DVD writer--DVD movie making and/or high-capacity data storage (4.7GB) on the road has now become a reality. This notebook in combination with software...

ViewSonic V1100, Fujitsu Stylistic ST4110: tablet PCs. (First Look).
January 1, 2003... These models are pure slate/tablet devices, i.e., they don't have connected keyboards that rotate back around to the traditional notebook style clamshell configuration. Keyboards instead, have been made optional ViewSonic has opted for a USB...

Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Platinum and Inspire 6.1 6600: sound card and speakers. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... Only a year has passed since Creative launched a new standard in consumer sound cards with the Audigy, but already it is improving upon this with the release of the Audigy 2. To test the power of the SoundBlaster Audigy 2, Creative also gave us...

NEC LT260: digital projector. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... Although LCD technology has been the traditional mainstay of the projector market, models are increasingly starting to grasp the potential of Texas Instruments' DLP (digital light processing) technology. Employing an intricate network of...

Logitech Z-680: THX speaker system. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... Boasting hefty specifications and a good range of connectivity and processing features, the Z-680 THX speaker system from Logitect is a powerhouse to be reckoned with. Its foundation is a 200W sub-woofer, which is very sturdy and featured a...

AX4B-533 Tube: mother board. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... A Open goes retro with its high-tech AX4B-533 Tube motherboard, complete with Intel's 845E chipset, a speedy 533MHz front side bus, USB 2.0 support, and an on-board vacuum tube for audio. That's right a vacuum tube that looks like it was yanked...

Nikon Coolpix 5700: digital camera. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... Digital cameras with zoom lenses HI that go beyond 3X are rare, which makes Nikon's 5-megapixel, 8X-zoom Coolpix 5700 worthy of note. Descended from Nikon's highly regarded Coolpix 5000, the $2599 5700 shares its predecessor's all-black,...

UnitedLinux 1.0 beta 3: linux operating system. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... UnitedLinux is the product of four major Linux distribution vendors (Connectiva, The SCO Group (formerly Caldera), SuSE and TurboLinux) combining development efforts to produce a single Linux distribution, upon which each vendor will base...

Signposter 4.0: search engine optimisation software. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... The increasing use of search engines has given rise to SEO (search engine optimisation) as a key part of Web site promotion strategy. In short, if you can't flag your Internet wares to the leading search engines, your site will wither and die....

Microsoft Office 11 Beta: productivity suite. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... In the next instalment of Microsoft's Office suite, the major improvements are led by a tighter integration of XML technology. Creating and working with XML documents is far superior than in Office XP, which is a fair indication of how...

Ulead PhotoImpact 8: graphics software. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... Ulead's latest graphics package is starting to benefit from a long history of development. PhotoImpact 8 is now packed with more tools than home users will probably ever use or need. Features include digital camera support, JPEG2000...

Pinnacle Expression, VideoWave Movie Creator: budget DVD movie tools. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... Camped out at the end of one of your local computer store's aisles--where it's likely to snare impulse buyers--a simple all-in-one video editing/DVD application such as Pinnacle Systems' $135 Pinnacle Expression or Roxio's $US80 VideoWave Movie...

IBM ViaVoice 10.0 windows Pro USB edition: speech recognition software. (First Looks).
January 1, 2003... IBM ViaVoice recognises speech and converts it into text or commands, enabling you to sideline the keyboard and mouse for common tasks such as creating documents, composing e-mail and browsing the Web. ViaVoice doesn't simply convert spoken...

Ezijobz Business Manager.
January 1, 2003... Ezijobz's $399 Business Manager is designed for small and medium-sized businesses averse to accounting lingo but still requiring a tool to manage all facets of a business enterprise. Business Manager combines in a single easy-to-use program the...

Toshiba e330 Pocket PC.
January 1, 2003... Following from the very successful e310 model, Toshiba has just released a successor in the Pocket PC range, the e330, Similar in design and functionality to the e310 model, the e330 has some new features and upgraded specifications. It houses...

Archos Jukebox Multimedia 20. (Quick Takes).
January 1, 2003... The $US390 Multimedia 20 measures 114x79x30mm and weighs a little over 280g. Its 20GB hard drive is big enough to store multiple movies or about 330 hours of MP3s encoded at 128Kbps. A USB 1.1 port makes the device truly plug and play--no...

Logitech MX700 Cordless optical mouse.
January 1, 2003... The MX700 comes with a rapid-charge base station in which you dock the mouse when you're not using it. Logitech says a 10-minute charge keeps the mouse going all day, and six to seven hours of recharging gets you 10 days of service. But that's...

PowerBook G4 with DVD burning.
January 1, 2003... Updating its range of notebooks just in time for Christmas shopping, Apple has increased the speed of its flagship Titanium PowerBook G4 notebooks to a maximum of 1GHz, up from a previous high of 800MHz. Sending out the message that not only...

Kodak EasyShare DX. (QuickTakes).
January 1, 2003... The 210g DX 4330 is a compact camera that could do with a sturdier body if it's to cope with the rigours of family holidays. The 3.1-megapixel CCD is generous for a novice camera and the DX 4330 has no trouble taking decent photos. 3.1...

Lexmark X75. (QuickTakes).
January 1, 2003... Multifunction devices have always offered good value for money, but the compact X75 Lexmark takes this to new heights. For $350 you get a combined colour scanner, copier and printer. Being a USB device, setup is simple, and the software is...

Maxtor personal storage 5000LE. (Quick Takes).
January 1, 2003... Business or individual users may be looking for a backup solution for the home or office that supersedes the current offerings of tape or disk backup. The latest external hard drive from Maxtor may be just the solution to your problems. ...

Motorola Bluetooth headset. (Quick Takes).
January 1, 2003... A cordless hands-free kit means you can keep the phone in your pocket or bag and simply use the headset to make and receive calls. Bluetooth ensures interoperability between different manufacturers' phones and headsets. As it's wireless,...

MadWaves Madplayer. (Quick Takes).
January 1, 2003... The Madplayer is hard to describe: it's an MP3 player and portable FM radio but also a cross between a Casio keyboard and DJ deck. This device composes music for you and then lets you manipulate it to create your own distinctive tune. ...

Macromedia Contribute. (Quick Takes).
January 1, 2003... Macromedia's new Contribute software allows users easily to update, publish and modify content of existing Web sites using straightforward, word processor like tools. This is ideal for users with only basic Web knowledge, but those with more...

Games round-up: penguin playtime. (Linux World).
January 1, 2003... Linux has long been a fantastic platform for servers and is rapidly becoming a viable desktop alternative, but gaming is an area of use in which Linux has never been particularly strong. Games for Linux are derived from a mix of...

Fixing automatic updates. (Readers' Forum).
January 1, 2003... Microsoft recently supplied an automatic download to my PC for Windows XP Home Edition. The download update contained a driver for flatbed scanners, which stopped my scanner from working. I rang Microsoft and they were not sure what to do,...

Local zone. (Readers' Forum).
January 1, 2003... I enjoyed reading the November 2002 issue of Australian PC World, particularly the "Protect Your PC" article (page 89). Is it possible to advise readers where these products are available, especially if it is nominated for an award? I am...

Dilbert.
January 1, 2003... SO THEY REPLACED OUR COMPUTERS AND NEVER TRAINED US. I TOLD THEM WE NEEDED A TRAINING CLASS BUT THEY IGNORED MY REQUESTS. SO OUR COMPUTERS SIT THERE UNUSED WHILE WE DO OUR WORK THE SLOW WAY. WHY DON'T YOU READ THE COMPUTER MANUAL?...

Service pack satisfaction. (Readers' Forum).
January 1, 2003... It seems I was one amongst many when I wrote to you several months ago about my dissatisfaction with Microsoft's refusal to let you put its Windows 2000 Service Packs on your CDs. I subsequently wrote directly to Microsoft and was fobbed off...

A worthy composer. (Readers' Forum).
January 1, 2003... In HelpScreen in the October 2002 issue, Australian PC World there was a query from an unnamed reader titled "Create your own sheet music", asking for a program that would print out music scores onto blank paper. I have been using a program...

End of PC life? (Readers' Forum).
January 1, 2003... I have been subscribing to your magazine for approximately 18 months now as I had an urge to learn how to build PCs, and from a limited knowledge initially, I have learned a great deal. Recently I had to upgrade to Norton AntiVirus 2003 and...

Sites for job seekers: you ideal job is out there! We show you how to use the net to make your next career move. (Web & You).
January 1, 2003... As a new year dawns we often think of ways to improve our lives. Beyond the ubiquitous (and often unsuccessful) new year's resolutions, you may be thinking of a job change to start 2003. If you are, or you're a recent school leaver or graduate,...

Triple XP play: Microsoft is spinning off three new windows variations--including one for the headline-grabbing tablet PCS--for specialised home and business uses. Should you give them a whirl?
January 1, 2003... Microsoft wants us to welcome the birth of three new Windows babies: Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, and Windows Powered Smart Display (the last, though based on Windows CE .NET, requires an XP Professional...

What's hot for 2003: the year in preview--from the tech gear you'll buy to some new things that may just be pie in the sky.
January 1, 2003... Predictions are always perilous in the PC industry, but one thing's certain: technology buying decisions won't become any easier in 2003. New gizmos--and old standbys with new shapes, sizes, and functions--will improve your communications, make...

Dynamic downloads: forget pricey shrink-wrapped software. We uncover 25 shareware and freeware gems--from office workhorses to must-have Web utilities and handheld apps.
January 1, 2003... Just as a cup of coffee in the afternoon can put a little pep in your step, so the right download can give your PC some added zip. We've located 20 freeware and shareware programs that promise help with an array of functions, from backing up...

Easy e-mail. (Business/Personal Productivity).
January 1, 2003... Delta Mail, 76KB, $US12 ****1/2 Two words people rarely use when describing e-mail software: simple and safe. Delta Mail's (www.zenzon.fsnet.co.uk/ download.html) clean interface recalls the days when e-mail clients weren't cluttered with...

View that document. (Business/Personal Productivity).
January 1, 2003... MakePDF for Word 4, 1.7MB, $US35 **** Maybe you need to convert your heavily formatted Microsoft Word documents to Adobe's Portable Document Format so people who don't have Word running on their PCs can read them, but you can't justify...

Maintain contact. (Business/Personal Productivity).
January 1, 2003... Wordware Personal Information Manager 2002a, 602KB, $US24 **** A cottage industry has developed around utilities that add functions Microsoft neglected to provide in Word. One of the most useful of these gap fillers is Wordware PIM...

My notes are here somewhere. (Business/Personal Productivity).
January 1, 2003... TexNotes, 2.6MB, $US15 *** For people who use Microsoft Word or Notepad as a scratch pad to scribble down quick notes, TexNotes (www.gemx.com/ texnotes.php) represents a flexible alternative that allows you to track your note-keeping. The...

At a loss for words? (Business/Personal Productivity).
January 1, 2003... Idea Magic, 1.92MB, $US20 **** If you're dissatisfied with the word choices offered by Microsoft Word's Thesaurus tool, this program is for you. Idea Magic (www.alcodasoftware.com) finds synonyms from a database of 30,000 words, and it...

Back it up. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... Handy Backup, 1.36MB, $US30 **** Everyone should back up data on a regular basis, but it's such a Herculean task that we tend to put it off. Enter Handy Backup (www.handybackup.com), an easy-to-use utility that employs a nifty wizard to...

Stay healthy. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... AntiVir Personal Edition, 3.45MB, free *** Antivirus software has become an essential utility that every PC needs to have installed. For the best protection and easiest controls, we recommend Symantec's Norton AntiVirus program ($100,...

Antivirus fire drill. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... EICAR Standard Anti-Virus Test File, 68KB, free **** The best time to learn how your antivirus scanner works most assuredly is not in the middle of an attack. Fortunately, you can run your PC through a test using the EICAR Anti-Virus Test...

Make photos feel manipulated. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... SuperBladePro, 4.1MB, $US30 **** All image editing applications come with vast assortments of filters for jazzing up photos, but many of them don't allow you to tweak the filters. Although SuperBladePro (www.flamingpear.com) is really a...

All-Stars. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... Looking for the very best downloads a little money can buy? Don't overlook these five must-have tools and utilities. 1 AD-AWARE: 872KB, free, www.lavasoftusa.com Protect your privacy and prevent the system crashes that secretly downloaded...

Shoo, ads, don't bother me. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... AdsGone Pop Up Killer, 2.53MB, $US19 ***1/2 Pop-up ads can drive you crazy, especially when you spend more time closing them than perusing Web pages. AdsGone (www.adsgone.com) runs while you browse the Web with either Internet Explorer or...

Spinning images. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... PanoStitcher, 6.2MB, $US30 *** Pixtra's PanoStitcher (www.pixtra.com) is the best of several relatively low-cost applications you can use to create 360[degrees] panoramic images. (Better, more sophisticated programs typically cost hundreds...

Go online, offline. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... WinHTTrack Website Copier 3.21-6, 2.4MB, free ***1/2 Whether you want to preserve a copy of some research information or back up your own Web site, this handy utility can do the trick. WinHTTrack Website Copier (www.httrack.com) lets you...

Log me in, please. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... AI RoboForm, 609KB, free *** If you find yourself writing down all your log-in names and passwords on little pieces of paper so you won't forget them, AI RoboForm (www.rebaform.com) can put your house in order. In your browser, RoboForm...

Play music your way. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... MP3 WAV Converter 2.65, 2.6MB, $US20 ****1/2 When it comes to digital music, sometimes you want the compactness of MP3s, and sometimes you want the quality of a CD. MP3 WAV Converter (www.americanshareware.com) makes it easy to have both....

The dark side of downloading. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... Many downloaded programs contain elements that can be harmful to your PC. Fortunately, you can take a few measures to protect yourself and ensure that the programs you download aren't performing tasks of which you're unaware. Adware and...

Mood music. (Utilities/ADD-ONS).
January 1, 2003... MoodLogic 2.0, 3MB, $US30 ***1/2 It doesn't take much to throw your MP3 collection into disarray. MoodLogic (www.moodlogic.com) automates the process of fixing ID3 tags and organising digital music (MP3, WMA, and WAV) in bulk. Once the...

File finder. (Palm OS downloads).
January 1, 2003... FilePoint, 894KB, $US30 **** The more applications, documents, and games you add to your Palm OS PDA, the more you realise that it desperately needs a good file management tool. FilePoint (www.bachmannsoftware. com) lets you organise and...

Let's make a date. (Palm OS downloads).
January 1, 2003... Palm DualDate, 282KB, free ***1/2 The palm date book that comes standard on Palm OS handhelds is a single calendar for tracking appointments and reminders only. Palm DualDate (www.palm.com/support/dualdate) expands on those solo...

A gem of a game. (Palm OS downloads).
January 1, 2003... Bejeweled, 68KB, $US15 ****1/2 Ultimately, simple games wind up being the most popular--like Bejeweled for the Palm. Bejeweled (www.astraware.com) is addictive, combining the beguiling style of classic Tetris with its own unique puzzle....

Tap once to remember. (Pocket PC downloads).
January 1, 2003... Pocket Informant, 2.6MB, $US20 **** Pocket PC PDAs come with built-in applications for scheduling appointments and maintaining contacts and to-do lists. Pocket Informant (www.pocketinformant.com) improves on these tasks by integrating them....

Burst your bubble. (Pocket PC downloads).
January 1, 2003... Bubblets, 82KB, $US15 **** In this seemingly simple game (www.oopdreams.com/ce/bubblets), five colours of `bubbles' are randomly placed on a grid. You play by clicking on a bubble; it and every adjacent bubble of the same colour pops. The...

Tactics for trouble-free computing: we're dreaming of the day of disaster-free PCs, but in the meantime here's some advice on how to recover from a crash--plus steps to stop serious problems before they happen.
January 1, 2003... It could never happen to me. That's what Isabel Robertson, a freelance writer, thought. Having spent days researching and writing an article for a key client, four hours before the deadline she tried to open the file from a floppy disk to send...

Test your metal: this month PC World delivers a bumper selection of over 30 must-play games for the PC, PS2 and Xbox! Plus, we pick the hottest PC titles for 2003.
January 1, 2003... After a hard year of slogging it out, now's the time for a little respite and relaxation. Thankfully, the New Year is the period when tonnes of quality games head our way. In fact, with so many games coming onto the market, it is hard to sort...

Summer heatwave: hot new CD-RWs. (Best Buys).
January 1, 2003... CD-RW drives In the crowded internal CD-ReWritable drive market, many players try to distinguish themselves by offering drives with new and unique features to capture the eye of the keen consumer, whether it be faster burning speeds or...

Chill out.
January 1, 2003... This large cooling contraption from Thermaltake is suitable for either AMD Athlon/Duron- or Intel Pentium 4-based systems. Features of the Volcano 7+ include a copper heatsink, which is used to draw heat away from the CPU, and a 70mm ducted...

Multi-tasking with Hyper-Threading. (Best Buys).
January 1, 2003... As mentioned in last month's Tech.Files, the new Pentium 4 3.06GHz CPU contains a technology called Hyper-Threading--essentially a multi-threading feature that makes the operating system think two processors are installed. Multi-threading...

ASUS V9280S/TVD. (AGP 8X Graphics Cards).
January 1, 2003... This solid AGP 8X offering from ASUS has heavy-duty specifications, software bundle and video capturing capabilities. It is based on NVIDIA's GeForee4 4200-8X chip, which runs at 250MHz and has 128MB of 600MHz DDR memory. Adorning the main...

Gigabyte Maya II R9500. (AGP 8X Graphics Cards).
January 1, 2003... As one of the vendors that is usually first to market with the latest technology, it was no surprise that Gigabyte offered us our first look at the new Radeon 9500 chip, courtesy of its Maya II R9500 graphics card. This card is based on a...

Leadtek K7NCR18D PRO.
January 1, 2003... This board is one of the latest for the AMD platform and uses NVIDIA's nForce2 chipset, which gives it support for AGP 8X and up to 400MHz DDR SDRAM speeds. I tested these capabilities with a Gigabyte Radeon 9500 AGP 8X-enabled graphics adapter...