Australian PC World articles from July 2004

Australian PC World archives from July 2004

On the road again.(Editorial)
July 1, 2004... The mobile computing solution for you probably lies somewhere between the excessive marketing hype and the reality of getting your job done. Are we any closer to getting away from the office, without losing our sanity? This month we give real...

Next-gen VIA processor.(Analysis News)
July 1, 2004... VIA Technologies has revealed some of the features that will be offered with the company s upcoming next-generation processor core, called Esther. The first Esther-based processors are expected to be available during the second half of the...

WinXP update delayed.(Analysis News)
July 1, 2004... Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, originally planned to ship in the first half of this year, is now not expected until at least July because of its failure to meet Microsoft's testing standards. Since the beginning of this year, Microsoft has...

Visa toys with credit card screens.
July 1, 2004... Visa International is experimenting with credit cards that include a small display screen in which customers could view transactions, bank balances or currency exchange rates. About 10 per cent of Visa's 1.2 billion credit and debit cards in...

SMEs make money online.
July 1, 2004... Small to medium enterprises are increasingly using the Internet to raise revenue, according to a new Australian study. However, other studies show there is still a long way to go for Australian SMEs if they are to keep up with the dotcom world....

Ad guru opens Apple's iPod to the world.(Analysis News)
July 1, 2004... A quick-thinking Sydney developer is cashing in on the iPod and file-sharing phenomena, and has launched what he claims is the iPod's first Web server. The DOT-POD software, available in server and client versions, lets users share tracks...

Yahoo takes on Gmail.
July 1, 2004... Not to be outdone by Google's recent bold e-mail offering, Yahoo plans to dramatically raise the storage limit given to its free e-mail users and to bump its premium subscribers up to a "virtually unlimited" capacity. The storage hikes are in...

Blogger gets an update.
July 1, 2004... Google has released an updated version of its Blogger online self-publishing service. The new version features an enhanced dashboard, the ability to post blogs via e-mail, a shared comments function, and author profiles. Google entered the blog...

Seagate revamps drives.(Analysis News)
July 1, 2004... Seagate is preparing a major revamp of its disk drives, and is expected to introduce physically smaller and larger capacity drives. The new changes, which will be introduced in late June, will affect the entire range of 3.5in and sub-2.5in...

Transmeta targets Pentium M users.
July 1, 2004... Upcoming versions of Transmeta's Efficeon chips will support the NX (No Execute) feature enabled by Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 2 release, but Intel's Pentium M processor won't be ready for NX until 2005. NX is a security feature...

BigPond cable self-install kits.(Broadband Briefs)
July 1, 2004... BigPond has unveiled new self-install kits for fixed cable users and says it plans to release a similar kit for wireless cable users shortly. The fixed cable self-install kit is designed for users already subscribed to a pay TV service. The...

TPG's ADSL charges plummet.(Broadband Briefs)
July 1, 2004... TPG has introduced a new ADSL offering, promising customers broadband access at a speed of 1.5Mbps for just $29.95 a month. The plan, called Biz Broadband 1500, includes 200MB of downloads, as well as 20 e-mail addresses, free spam and...

Wireless ISP kicks off.(Broadband)
July 1, 2004... Wireless broadband provider Unwired is set to launch its Sydney-based service in July, promising consumers a new, portable way to access the Internet wirelessly. The cost of the service will be comparable to DSL. Unwired CEO David Spence said...

Services key in take-up.(Analysis News)
July 1, 2004... ISPs need to put more service into broadband and to reposition themselves in order for the market to expand, according to chairman of the Service Provider Industry Association (SPAN) John Kranenburg. Kranenburg said broadband had quickly...

NVIDIA hits back: GeForce 6800 ultra, Radeon X800 Pro.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... It's that time again when the two industry leaders in the graphics chips market, ATI and NVIDIA, unveil their latest creations. Since the release of the Radeon 9700 Pro, and moving onwards to the 9800XT series, ATI has maintained a firm grip on...

Slick and tough LCD: eView.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Panasonic's new eView LCD monitor is one of the best-looking 17in units currently on the market, and its build quality is very good. It's one of the few LCD monitors available to ship with a glass panel as a standard feature, which protects...

Fast backups for business: REV Drive.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Iomega's new REV Drive is aimed at the system administrator looking for faster backup and retrieval. It uses high-capacity cartridges and offers faster read/write speeds and random access than tape-based systems. Essentially a hard disk in...

Special FX: Athlon 64 FX-53.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... With the groundwork already laid by the innovative FX-51, there are no massive changes in the new FX-53. It's still a 0.13-micron Silicon On Insulator (SOI) die with an integrated 128-bit memory controller and Northbridge chipset, AMD's...

Professional digital camera: Coolpix 8700.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Nikon's 8Mp Coolpix 8700 combines high resolutions, long lenses and stacks of features for $1999. It is capable of delivering the same 3264x2448-pixel images as its 8Mp peers--around 25 per cent more than a 5Mp camera offers, and enough detail...

Boost your dial-up: Onspeed.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Web designers seem to work on the assumption that there's a broadband connection behind every browser. The reality is very different, of course, and anything that claims to make surfing faster merits a look. Onspeed's trick involves...

New office alternative: EIOffice 2004.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Have you heard the news on the street? Alternatives to Microsoft Office are greatly improving with every version release and cost just a fraction of the price commanded by the market dominator. StarOffice and Ability Office have been around for...

Beginner-friendly Linux OS: Desktop/LX.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Lycoris Desktop/LX is a distribution of Linux aimed firmly at desktop users, especially those migrating from Windows to Linux for the first time. The distribution fits on a single CD and includes all of the basic applications needed for...

Video editor tops for audio: Vegas 5.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Sonic Foundry's Vegas non-linear editor (NLE) now carries Sony's livery as well as a new version number. It's still a software-only NLE, so you'll need a powerful host system to see it at its best. Existing users will be happy with the...

DVD-authoring software: MyDVD Studio Deluxe 5.2.(First Looks)
July 1, 2004... Simplicity is the focus of this new and improved release--start up the app for the first time and it's virtually impossible to get in a muddle. Four buttons running down the left-hand side of the screen take you straight to capture video,...

An absolute bargain.(Quick Takes)
July 1, 2004... Although it may look like a standard DVD player, the Zensonic Z300 is equipped with the new MTK1389 chipset. This adds MPEG-4 to its list of supported file formats, including DivX and XviD coders with advanced encoding features like Qpel and...

Movies and music on the move.(Quick Takes)
July 1, 2004... If you want to watch movies on the road and either don't own a DVD-equipped notebook or find them too bulky, LG's compact DP5932P portable DVD player is one of the current picks of the alternatives. It's equipped with a crisp 7in widescreen...

Compact wireless projector.(Quick Takes)
July 1, 2004... At just 0.9kg, InFocus's LP120 is one of the lightest and smallest projectors we've ever tested. This DLP projector has a maximum resolution of 1024x768, a brightness rating of 1100 ANSI lumens, an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a respectable...

400GB serial ATA drive.(Quick Takes)
July 1, 2004... Hitachi's Deskstar 7K400 is the new king of big: the 7200rpm Serial ATA hard drive comes with an 8MB buffer and a staggering 400GB of storage. The drive also features improved digital-media handling capabilities and in our tests performed...

New Zires aim higher.(Quick Takes)
July 1, 2004... PalmOne has released a pair of new Zire handhelds designed to entice people who are holding out for high-end multimedia features at low-end to mid-range PDA (personal digital assistant) prices. The new models are the Zire 31 (pictured), which...

First OIS ultra-compact.(Quick Takes)
July 1, 2004... Panasonic's new slim aluminium Lumix DMC-FX1 comes in a range of colours and is responsive and easy to use, making it a suitable choice for the point-and-click photographer. The lens is a Leica F2.8, 3X optical zoom, twinned with a 3.2Mp CCD...

Uninterruptible power supply.(Quick Takes)
July 1, 2004... In the world of computing, there are few things less exciting or more necessary than backup, but the uninterruptible power supply is one of them. Just like backup, a UPS can save your data in the event of unexpected problems. A UPS is basically...

Play that funky beat.(Linux World)
July 1, 2004... Linux is not known as an operating system of choice for artistic pursuits. Artists have long preferred the Mac platform for creative work, but in recent times the Windows platform has made big inroads into this market. So, how does Linux stack...

Update headaches.(Reader's Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I have been using ZoneAlarm Pro firewall and PC-cillin 2002 antivirus for sometime now and have downloaded updates for both regularly. I was prompted by ZoneAlarm to download an update (to version 5.0) today. However, when I went to install the...

Buyer beware!(Reader's Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I thought your readers might appreciate the humour (and the warning) in this message. I just purchased a server with an OEM Version of Microsoft Small Business Server 2003, which contains Windows Server 2003, SQL Server, Exchange and Outlook....

Dilbert.(Readers' Forum)
July 1, 2004... I CALL MY INVENTION THE "EARGARETTE." IT'S A CIGARETTE FOR YOUR EAR! IT ALLOWS NON-SMOKERS TO TAKE SMOKING BREAKS. IS THERE ANY DOWNSIDE? WHAT? NEVERMIND. WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES STRAIGHT. I NEED AN...

Make the Web work for you: the story goes that the internet puts the world at your fingertips, but that very wealth of information can make finding things all the more difficult, PC World takes a look at online search engines and shows you how to make sure they get straight to the point.(Web & You)
July 1, 2004... If your local library expanded its collection of titles at breakneck speed without properly cataloguing them, you'd be pretty flummoxed when it came to finding something you wanted. That's how using the Web feels. It grows and grows until it's...

Outwardly mobile: working on the road isn't always what it's cracked up to be--but technology can help. David Braue rounds up the latest tools to help the road warrior stay in touch.
July 1, 2004... Mobility has become a way of life for millions. For them, the value of sitting face-to-face with customers, travelling extensively, or spending a few days working from home while supervising renovations or holiday-freed little ones is more than...

The trouble-free PC: tune it up. Back it up. Ramp it up. We test 16 utilities designed to keep your system running strong, today and tomorrow.
July 1, 2004... Accidents--mangled data, crashed hard drives, misplaced files--happen. Fortunately, system utilities can help you prevent problems and recover when disaster strikes. Utilities can identify and correct problems on your computer before crashes...

Simple guide to what to buy for your SOHO setup.
July 1, 2004... Establishing or expanding an existing office setup doesn't have to cost the earth. This month we help you identify the best buys for you, plus the right time to buy--to make sure you don't break the bottom line! Whether you are a home...

Hardware.(SOHO Setup)
July 1, 2004... When you start a home office from scratch, you have a multitude of options to consider. The basic setup of desktop PC, printer and scanner, and dial-up Internet may suffice for some. More creative solutions could include a wireless network and...

Desktop PCS.(Buying A Complete System Upgrade)
July 1, 2004... The most basic PC tasks for a small business may include e-mail, browsing the Web, word processing and spreadsheet work. Today, processor power has gone beyond what any of these tasks demand.. even the least-expensive, lowest-of-the-low-end PC...

Notebooks.(Buying A Complete System Upgrade)
July 1, 2004... The type of notebook you choose will depend on the kind of work you do--if your primary goal is to get some word processing or spreadsheet work done while staying on top of e-mail, a model costing $1500 to $2000 will be fine. However, if your...

Monitor.(Upgrading Key PC Components)
July 1, 2004... Is your home office getting a little cramped? It might be time to upgrade to an LCD. Or maybe you need a bigger viewing space but don't want to pay a bucket load--a CRT monitor will do the job at the right price. For CRTs, remember that...

Hard drive.(Upgrading Key PC Components)
July 1, 2004... If you need to expand the amount of data storage for your business, then you're in tuck, because the current market sweet spot--120GB for less than $200--should more than satisfy a small business's needs. When shopping for a new drive,...

Graphics card.(Upgrading Key PC Components)
July 1, 2004... Upgrading a graphics card may make a great deal of difference or none at all to your daily computing experience--it really depends on the type of work you do. For example, if you do a lot of graphics editing or video editing, then improved...

Motherboard, CPU and RAM.(Upgrading Key PC Components)
July 1, 2004... Except in some narrow circumstances, you won't be buying a motherboard without also buying a new CPU and some RAM. You'll want to consider the price and performance of those two components along with your motherboard when you're making a buying...

Printers.(Upgrading Key PC Components)
July 1, 2004... When choosing a printer for your business, consider how it will primarily be used. How frequently and how much will you print at any given time? What kind of print quality is required--do you print mostly for yourself or for others? Are...

Wireless Networking Gear.(SOHO Essentials)
July 1, 2004... Complete mobility and no messy cables: wireless networks offer obvious advantages over networking with wires for many small businesses. The latest Wi-Fi standard to look for in products is 54Mbps 802.11g, which is compatible with the older...

Digital Cameras.(SOHO Essentials)
July 1, 2004... Not only popular with consumers, digital cameras have become an important tool for many businesses, especially those working in visual display environments such as real estate or architecture. In choosing a digital camera for work, consider...

PDAs.(SOHO Essentials)
July 1, 2004... PDAs can be handy to keep track of your work schedule and business contacts while you're on the go, and inexpensive personal organisers will handle those tasks adequately. You'll pay more if you want a colour screen, increased on-board memory,...

Gaming gladiators: tonnes of new titles, games with more grunt, renewed online action, plus hot new handhelds were unveiled at this year's E3. Australian Gamepro Editor Stuart Clarke showcases the top titles for 2004!
July 1, 2004... Now in its 10th year, E3 (or Electronic Entertainment Expo, to give it the full title) confirmed beyond any doubt that this event is the king of game shows. More than 60,000 people and over 400 of the world's top interactive entertainment...

Colour me good.(Photo Printers)
July 1, 2004... Photo enthusiasts and digital camera owners will want to tune into the Photo Printer Best Buys this month, where we look at the inkjet models currently on the market from Canon, Epson and HP. Priced from $299 to over $1000, they have features...

Keeping your cool.(Tech.Files)
July 1, 2004... The purpose of any machine is to use energy to perform a particular task. In any real device, there is inefficiency, which results in part of the energy being converted into random motions of the atoms in and around the machine. This random...

Looking back.(Sweet Spot)
July 1, 2004... With the financial year coming to a close, we thought this would be a good time to recall the component shifts that have occurred over the last 12 months, as well as provide an analysis of the type of system into which the current Sweet Spot...

Over $3500.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... Plus Corporation Altera FX-530 pc world BEST BUYS * [1] NEW Always quick to bring the latest AMD CPUs to our attention, Plus Corporation went hell for leather this month and sent in its AMD Athlon 64 FX-53-based Altera FX-530 machine....

$1500-$3500.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... Infocom Gaming Beast 3.2 pc world BEST BUYS * [1] NEW Sitting pretty at the top of this month's charts, the Gaming Beast 3.2 is a Pentium 4-based system that is built to cater to the heavy gamer and multimedia user. Its Albatron...

Sub-$1500.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... Trinity International P4 Deluxe pc world BEST BUYS * [1] Trinity International continues to submit powerful configurations under the $1500 price point. Relinquishing certain high-end components in some areas but upping the ante in...

PCs: over $35000, $1500-$35000, sub-$15000.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... VALUE SPEED REAL MAKE/MODEL RATING RATING WORLD TESTS (1) Plus Corporation 211 327 2m11s 2m47s Altera FX-530 21124 2m40s ...

IBM ThinkPad T41p.(Over $4000)
July 1, 2004... pc world BEST BUYS * [1] Models in IBM's T series (starting at $2699) strive for a balance of performance and portability. The top-of-the-line $4799 T41p (2373 GEM) achieves this with a weight of just 2.5kg without power supply, a strong...

Over $4000.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... pc world BEST BUYS * [1] NEW If you're after a notebook that is powerful enough to replace your bulky desktop, then the Millennia 7200 is the one you should be looking at. It's a huge notebook with huge features, yet its price of $4299 is...

$2500-$4000.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... pc world BEST BUYS * [1] Billed as the ultimate desktop replacement, the 4.2kg (without power supply) 9100 is certainly geared to infrequent point to point use--say, from the office to the home at the end of each week. Our test machine...

Notebook raid.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... You may have noticed the narrowing gap between PC and notebook performance over the last 12 months, due in large part to improved CPU technology, 3D graphics adapters, huge LCD screens and mobile form factor DVD burners. These components have...

Sub--$2500.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... pc world BEST BUYS * [1] ModTech's well-built notebook is perfect for people seeking portability without forsaking performance. It features a 1.dGHz Intel Pentium M processor, 512MB of 266MHz DDR SDRAM, a 40GB 5400rpm Hitachi hard disk,...

Notebooks: over $4000, $2500-$4000, sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... BEST BUYS NOTEBOOKS: OVER $4000, $2500-$4000, SUB-$2500 BENCHMARK SCORES VALUE MAKE/MODEL RATING SYSMark 2001 3DMark 2001 OVER $4000 (1) IBM ThinkPad ...

Photo printers.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... Digital cameras turned the photography world on its head when they were introduced. The ability to review shots immediately after they have been taken and to discard the unwanted ones are great for photographers everywhere. Similarly, photo...

Canon CP-330.(Portable Printers)
July 1, 2004... pc world BEST BUYS * The Canon CP-330 is ideal for the photographer on the move: its bundled battery pack allows printing without connection to any power source. If the battery runs down, it can be recharged via an optional car charger...

HP Photosmart 245.(Photo Printers)
July 1, 2004... Another printer designed for people on the go, the HP 245 features a built-in multimedia card reader and supports all the major memory formats. You needn't even connect your camera to the printer: just pop your multimedia card into the slot....

Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock 6000.(Photo Printers)
July 1, 2004... If you own a Kodak digital camera that is compatible with the 6000 series printer dock, you are well advised to snap up this printer due to its high quality, functionality and convenience. The longevity and durability of images is extended by...

TCO: Total Cost of Ownership.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... Before rushing out and buying the first printer you lay eyes on, it's best to evaluate whether it is right for you. Some of the consumables such as paper or ink cartridges may cost an arm and a leg to replace, and a smart shopper should...

Canon i990.(A4 & A3 Printers)
July 1, 2004... The i990 has seven individual ink tanks and is aimed at the semi-professional photographer or even the home user. The additional colours add previously unobtainable vibrancy to photos. The four standard CMYK ink tanks have been joined by...

Canon i9950.(A4 & A3 Printers)
July 1, 2004... For true colour representation and borderless A3 printing, the i9950 is hard to beat. The bundled software, camera connection via PictBridge and printing of labels directly onto CD/DVD media all offer a strong and affordable printing solution....

Bluetooth printer connection setup.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... Our inexorable rise towards wireless utopia is one step closer thanks to the release of AmbiCom's Wireless Printer Kit. It offers wireless connectivity between PCs and most USB inkjet printers, getting rid of unsightly cables. If cable chaos...

Epson Stylus Photo R310.(A4 & A3 Printers)
July 1, 2004... pc world BEST BUYS * This inkjet printer is rich in features and ideal for digital camera users. A collection of favourite photos stored on memory cards can be viewed with an optional colour LCD preview panel. An integrated multimedia card...

HP Photosmart 7960.(A4 & A3 Printers)
July 1, 2004... The 7960 may be a little pricey for some people but it offers a lot of features for its $599 price tag. A built-in swivel mounted colour LCD preview panel enables users to view and edit photos, then print them. An HP-compliant digital camera...

HP Designjet 30n.(A4 & A3 Printers)
July 1, 2004... This large format inkjet printer is one of only two printers we tested that output full-size A3 prints. It is designed with professional users in mind, from photographers to proofing and graphic design artists. The Designjet 30n gives users the...

Med Photo Printers.(Best Buys)
July 1, 2004... Multi-function devices, also commonly called all-in-one printers, offer a wide range of features for the business user or SOHO setup. MFDs feature the ability to fax, scan, copy and photo-quality print without the need for additional devices....

Epson stylus photo RX510.(Med Photo Printers)
July 1, 2004... The dark grey and silver style of the RX510 is pleasing to the eye, and is pitched at the market more as a photo printer than an all-in-one device. Omitting fax capabilities, the RX510 is one of the first devices to offer support for the...

HP PSC 2510 photosmart.(Med Photo Printers)
July 1, 2004... The HP PSC 2510 is one sleek-looking unit. The smooth lines, small 2.5in pop-up LCD screen and sturdy input/output trays ooze class. The unit weighs only 8.7kg and has a footprint not much larger than conventional printers. The LCD panel...

That syncing feeling.(In Depth)
July 1, 2004... The ability to synchronise (sync) key data like contacts, e-mails, documents and calendar data from your PDA to a desktop PC, and vice versa, is a godsend, but why tie yourself up with USB cables and cradles? This month's In Depth shows you the...

Cutting out the middleman.(Upgrader)
July 1, 2004... In addition to its more obvious data- and Internet-sharing aspects, having a home network also means that you can share attached devices like printers. So, here's how to share your printer with the rest of your household--assuming that you want...

Restricted access.(Windows XP)
July 1, 2004... Hardly a day goes by without someone receiving the binary equivalent of a landmine in their e-mail, and idly clicking on it to see what happens. System administrators can't hold everyone's hand all the time, but Software Restriction Policies...

Take command of your OS.(Mac OS)
July 1, 2004... Tucked away inside your Utilities folder, which lives inside the Applications folder on your Mac, is OS X's terminal window. If you grew up using DOS machines, you'll find it somewhat familiar--there's a black and white screen, some arcane text...

Setting up an NFS share.(Linux)
July 1, 2004... NFS (Network File System)is a protocol used by UNIX/Linux computers to share disks across a network. Similar to the Common Internet File Services (CIFS) protocol used by Windows, NFS is older and more light-weight, and performs much more...

Error reporting: Part II.(PHP)
July 1, 2004... Last month we looked at PHP's extensive error reporting framework. This month, we'll be looking at customising error reporting, and providing much more information for developers. Customised user error reporting So far, we've focused...