Australian PC World articles from June 2002

Australian PC World archives from June 2002

Substance and style. (Editorial).
June 1, 2002... We know you want more than technology snapshots and one-off reviews, which is why PC World continues to provide essential information to help you make the most of your PC. This month don't miss our new Buying Guides, new Here's How sections,...

Apache, take two. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... After three years in the making, the leading server software for delivering Web pages to a browser has graduated to its next version. The Apache Software Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the popular open source Web server Apache, has...

Microsoft sticks by Mac. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... Microsoft still loves Apple's Macintosh. The software giant has reaffirmed its commitment to develop Macintosh software after a five-year-old technology agreement between the two companies expires in August. Microsoft's plan is to remain...

Microsoft offers free tool for security checks.
June 1, 2002... In the midst of an effort to beef up the security of its software, Microsoft has made available a free tool designed to search out security vulnerabilities hiding in Windows-based computers. Called the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer...

Xbox struggles, challenged by ... PS1.
June 1, 2002... Despite a strong Australian launch in March and solid first week of trading, sales of Microsoft's Xbox gaming console have gone pear shaped, with recent figures putting rival PlayStation 2 (PS2) ahead by nearly four to one. According to...

D-Link to go off the shelf.
June 1, 2002... Broadband vendor D-Link says it has finalised deals with Harris Technology, Dick Smith Electronics (including its Tandy stores) and the Leading Edge Group to start selling "off the shelf" broadband bundles. D-Link's marketing manager...

GameCube arrives. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... Although the third major instalment in the Australian gaming console market is about to arrive, don't expect GameCube to topple the dominance of Sony or even Xbox, say insiders. The GameCube is set for release in Australia on 17 May. ...

Generic names delayed. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... Companies wanting to secure a generic domain name from the .au Domain Administration (auDA) are up for an indefinite wait, with the Australian Internet regulator citing massive volumes of applications as the primary cause for delay, auDA had...

Handheld market to be steady in 2002.
June 1, 2002... The worldwide handheld computer market should grow this year at about the same rate as it did last year, with both years well behind growth in 2000, according to a recent report. About 15.5 million handhelds will ship this year, approximately...

Vesereo takes Big Blue ribbon at Consensus.
June 1, 2002... Nine finalists of 18 walked away winners at the recently held Consensus Software Awards. Collaborative software developer Vesereo took home the coveted IBM Global Potential award, which will see the company head over to Big Blue's...

Rivals join up to fight for competition.
June 1, 2002... A decade of deregulation has failed to deliver sustainable competition in the telecommunications sector, leaving a framework that could cripple Australia's ability to compete in a modern information economy. So said the founding members of the...

Mozilla browser coming. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... It's been more than four years since Web browser vendor Netscape Communications released its source code in early 1998 and created the Mozilla.org open source community to work on the development of future browsers. Now, The Mozilla...

MPEG-4 picks up pace. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... The MPEG-4 multimedia-coding standard is gaining momentum as the number of companies testing MPEG-4 products grows. A total of 29 vendors, including Philips, Samsung, Apple and IBM, successfully concluded a third round of interoperability...

Projector technologies Tech.Files [right arrow] LCD vs. DLP. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... Data projectors are a popular tool in today's business environment and are also beginning to filter into people's lounge rooms as part of the home theatre experience. LCD LCD (Liquid Crystal Displays) are an older technology dating...

IBM, Toshiba and Sony tie on SOI chip development. (Tech News).
June 1, 2002... IBM, Sony, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI) and Toshiba have agreed to work together on development of advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology that is expected to enable a new generation of computer chips several magnitudes mere...

Mobile AMD Athlon XP to hit streets in May. (Tech News).
June 1, 2002... By the time you read this, the first notebooks based on the mobile Athlon XP processor from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will have begun shipping. AMD began shipments of the 1400+ and 1500+ versions of the processor during the first...

Am I being watched? Alt.net [right arrow] spygames. (Analysis News).
June 1, 2002... Is your PC safe? Your latest firewall may be keeping hackers at bay, but your computer could still betray you. Recent discoveries have shown that the familiar flashing lights of a modem can reveal information about the data you are sending...

Sex searching shows signs of limpness. (Online News).
June 1, 2002... The Internet has become mere than just an entertainment resource as sex on the Net goes into relative decline. Surfers are getting more serious about their surfing habits, according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the US....

ACA calls for comment on draft ISP guidelines. (Online News).
June 1, 2002... A draft guideline from the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) has been designed to standardise the information made available to consumers by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The ACA wants ISPs to provide information so that consumers...

Ask Jeeves offers challenge to Google. (Online News).
June 1, 2002... A new search engine, Teoma.com, is expected to provide a serious challenge to Google's dominance of the market. Teoma (pronounced tay-o-ma), which uses a different search method to Google's, will give users a different feel in terms of...

Excite e-mail fails to excite Optus. (Online News).
June 1, 2002... The Excite free e-mail service has fallen by the wayside, shutting up shop and leaving its users to find another e-mail service provider. Excite account holders were notified of the decision by direct e-mails to their accounts, and told that...

Creative Nomad Jukebox 3: MP3 player. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 ***** Worth the hefty price tag, the capabilities of Nomad Jukebox 3 go far beyond portable audio technology as we know it. Price: $999 Phone: (02) 9666 1600 URL:...

Sony Net MD Walkman MZ-N1: portable music device. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Sony Net MD Walkman MZ-N1 ****1/2 The first portable MiniDisc player that employs fast recording (up to 32x). It's slight in build, which makes it extremely portable, and sounds great. Price: $899 Phone: 1300...

Adobe Photoshop 7: image editing software. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Photoshop 7 **** The supreme leader of imaging applications gets valuable new tools, but it's not a critical upgrade unless your OS is very new. Price: $1799; upgrade $339 Phone: 1300 550 305 URL:...

JVC GR-DV3000: digital video camcorder. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: JVC GR-DV3000 **** This all-rounder offers great value with a bevy of features aimed at both video and Web enthusiasts. Price: $3299 Phone: 1300 728 225 URL: www.jvc-australia.com With the GR-DV3000,...

NewTek video toaster 2: video editing software. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: NewTek Video Toaster 2 **** Powerful, complex and expensive, but worth the price for people who need this level of sophistication. Price: $7699 Distributor: New Magic Phone: (03) 9885 5888 URL:...

Terapin TX0002: CD video recorder. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Terapin TX0002 ***1/2 The Terapin ships with one blank CD-RW and 10 CD-R discs, two audio RCA cables and the AC power adapter -- everything you should need to get started, minus the video or TV. Price: $1499...

Lexmark Z56: inkjet printer. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Lexmark Z56 ***1/2 Ideal for the home or small business user, novice or experienced, the Z56 is able to produce clear sharp black text and images. Photo-quality printouts are magnificent. Price: $599 Phone:...

Adobe GoLive 6.0: Web design software. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Adobe GoLive 6.0 ***1/2 The addition of server software will increase GoLive's appeal in mixed-media production environments. Price: $1049; $1169 bundled with LiveMotion 2.0 Phone: 1300 550 205 URL:...

Nokia 5210: Mobile phone. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: **** Nokia 5210 This Nokia would benefit from being more than just splash resistant -- perhaps water resistant, considering Australians' love for all things aqua. Nonetheless, it is a solid mobile device. Price:...

Handspring Treo 180 and 180g: combo PDA/phones. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Handspring Treo 180 and 180g ***1/2 People familiar with Palm PDAs will welcome the inclusion of a phone in such a small device, but it's probably a much larger phone than you're used to. Price: $1399 (cheaper on a...

Canon S900: colour photo printer. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Canon S900 *** An expensive unit, but excels in its purpose -- realistic, albeit slow, photo reproduction. Price: $899 Phone: (02) 9805 2896 URL: www.canon.com.au The S900 is designed specifically for...

Kodak DX4900: digital camera. (First Looks).
June 1, 2002... IN BRIEF: Kodak DX4900 ***1/2 This versatile camera is capable of capturing images at a gigantic resolution of 2448x1632 and can produce huge printouts. Price: $1299 Phone: 1300 130 674 URL: www.kodak.com.au The...

K Desktop Environment 3.0. (LinuxWorld).
June 1, 2002... The K Desktop Environment is currently the most feature rich graphical user interface for Linux. In this month's LinuxWorld column we take a look at the latest release of KDE, version 3.0, and its companion office suite, KOffice. The first...

From woe to go. (Readers' Forum).
June 1, 2002... I am writing to thank your magazine for all the help it has given me in the past six months. I am a novice at computers but with your help I have just partitioned my hard drive, even though I had doubts I could do it. With the help of March...

Fine print. (Readers' Forum).
June 1, 2002... Thank you for an excellent magazine. I look forward to receiving it each month as I learn so much from it. You recently reviewed and recommended (along with other commentators) Power Quest PartitionMagic 7, which I acquired to use on my laptop,...

How fast is your processor? (Readers' Forum).
June 1, 2002... Two readers provided additional advice for the HelpScreen question below published under Hardware, page 141 May 2002 issue. Q I recently finished building a new computer. The system works well, however, when I run the Windows XP system...

Dilbert.
June 1, 2002... I'M GROSSLY UNDERPAID. I WANT A RAISE. OH, DILBERT, DILBERT, DILBERT. WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? PEOPLE DON'T WORK HERE FOR THE MONEY. THEY WORK HERE FOR THE CHALLENGE! IF CHALLENGES ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN MONEY......

Video violence. (Readers' Forum).
June 1, 2002... I am a student at Exmouth District High School. In my spare time I am usually playing the computer. So, as a result I am compiling a report on the effects of violent video games. Technology today is able to support more detailed graphics and...

Customer care. (Readers' Forum).
June 1, 2002... I have been a long-term subscriber to your magazine and it is by far the best I have read. I have recently had a problem with an Australian store online, EStore. I ordered one black and two colour cartridges on the Internet for my Epson...

Service and slackness. (Readers' Forum).
June 1, 2002... I am writing in regard to the review of the new Sony Vaio in the March 2002 issue, Backbytes Gadgets & Gizmos, page 157. After reading the review I e-mailed Sony to see if they could send me more information on the computer. It took a couple of...

Sites for small businesses: these destinations on the web offer smaller companies a helping hand.
June 1, 2002... One of the first lessons owners of small businesses learn is that they are required to be a jack of all trades. Alongside your main line of work, you also need to take care of all the other little details that go into managing your company --...

Best free stuff on the Web; think all the goodies are gone? Our annual round-up uncovers surprising treasures -- from must-have tools to unique new services.
June 1, 2002... Okay, admit it: you took one look at this story and thought, "There can't possibly any new free stuff on the Web -- at least not anything worth the effort of opening a browser for." But if you think the only thing free on the Net these days is...

Fee vs. free software: do you get what you pay for? We pit the leading free applications against for-a-price alternatives.
June 1, 2002... Though great free services are getting tougher to find on the Web, free software has never been better or more abundant. These days you can net everything from office suites to e-mail apps to firewalls without spending a cent. And while "free"...

Unpacking the new Linux distributions: we take a look at the latest Linux distributions -- in case you want to make that first step towards open source nirvana, or just want to update the version you already have.
June 1, 2002... The Linux operating system has undergone significant change and development in the two years since we last took a look at each of the major distributions on the market. If you're new to Linux, this article will help explain what each...

Smart storage: from high-speed hard drives to CD-RW to pocketable disks, today's storage options give you a place for everything.
June 1, 2002... If your PC's hard drive is approaching its limit and a CD-RW drive doesn't meet all your storage needs, you are not alone. Nowadays, Windows XP eats up 1.5GB all by itself, and many garden-variety applications hog even more space. Add to that...

When disaster strikes: Hackers! Floods! Thieves! Take action now and you could save the heartache and hassle that comes after a security breach or disastrous data loss.
June 1, 2002... Computer networks are hacked to gain access to commercially-sensitive information. Computers are stolen, along with valuable data stored on them. Natural disasters take their toll -- companies suffer losses due to fires, storms and floods; even...

The big picture: in focus. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Portable projectors This month's Best Buys hardware special looks at the portable data projectors market, reviewing products from a large sample of manufacturers. The projectors selected for review are all portable devices and use either...

Over $4000 home. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Altech Computers Home P4 2.2GHz. [1] NEW For an enthusiast, it probably doesn't get any better than this. Altech Computers serves up a full-tower configuration stuffed with the latest and greatest that the PC component world has to offer....

Over $4000 business. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Plus Corporation Stealth G14. [1] NEW Housed in a stealth black full tower case that offers plenty of opportunity for expansion (and requires a floor position), the Stealth G14 is a powerhouse machine for the professional user and is well...

$2001-$4000 home. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Altech Computers Home P4 2GHz. [1] In this industry it is generally a matter of products getting smaller and more compact, but the fact remains that, with computer systems, sometimes you have to go big to meet your needs. Altech has done...

$2001 - $4000 business. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Acer Veriton 7200 [1] This machine contains a vast feature set and is very generous in connectivity and storage. An ATA100 Seagate hard drive is installed with a total capacity of 80GB. A CD-ReWriter is installed and DVDs can be read by...

Sub-$2000 home. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Infocom Multimedia System [1] This neat little system from Infocom is perfect for people who want an all-round system for day-to-day activities. It features an AMD Athlon XP 1700+ processor, which was reported by Windows XP Home to be...

Sub-$2000 business. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... [1] This simply-configured machine from IPS Intelligent Systems performed consistently in our 2D and 3D tests, which is indicative of a reliable platform, something all businesses crave. It utilises AMD Athlon XP 1700+ CPU power, which...

Adding value. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... The introduction for this month's Best Buys (page 95) begins to explain the current state of the market in Sub-$3000 notebooks. As mentioned, notebooks are offering more value for money. Although these two notebooks didn't quite make the grade...

Over $6000. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Toshiba Satellite 5100 [1] While large in size and ideally a desktop replacement, the multimedia powerhouse that is the 5100 features the most elegant design of all the notebooks in this month's charts. The curved blue lid casing has been...

$3001 - $6000. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Dell Inspiron 8200 [1] Designed for users seeking a mobile desktop replacement, the 8200 boasts a swag of new performance and multimedia technologies in its arsenal. Another new inclusion in the 8200, and one that you can expect to...

Sub-$3000. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Digital Star PowerNote 240MDT [1] Featuring an Intel Pentium III 1GHz processor, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard disk, a 14.1in display and an SiS 630 graphics chipset (which can share a maximum of 64MB with main memory), the 240MDT also has an...

Portable projectors. (Best Buys).
June 1, 2002... Digital data projectors are now finally coming within reach of people with average incomes. For this you can thank technological advances in manufacturing as well as advances in projector technology. When the invitation went out to...

New sections: all systems go. (Here's How).
June 1, 2002... As well as introducing a new look and feel to your favourite Here's How sections, this month we introduced new tutorial topics, to help you to get the most out of your PC. In Depth To say that the PC World team gets inundated with...

Care and feeding of the windows registry. (Upgrader).
June 1, 2002... THE TOP DOWN Benefits: Customise and optimise Windows features Cost: Free Expertise level: Intermediate-expert Time required: Varies The Registry is the essential part of Windows -- a big, complex database that stores all...

Disaster proofing your data. (In Depth).
June 1, 2002... Recently, the PC World team decided that it would be a great idea to share some of the ways that we tackle our own computer problems or solve issues that probably affect all users. Our approaches will appear from time to time in this...

Set up an ISP account. (Windows XP Home).
June 1, 2002... Inevitably, the one task most users will have to perform is setting up their own Internet account details. In Windows XP, this not as tricky as it might seem and can be accomplished within minutes, as long as you have all the details your ISP...

Put the fast boot into Windows XP. (Windows XP Pro).
June 1, 2002... One of the more attractive features of Windows XP is how quickly it boots up. Microsoft claims that some parts of the bootup process are four to five times faster than under Windows 2000, and has set design goals that sees the system resume...

Setting up the AirPort Base Station under OS X. (Mac OS).
June 1, 2002... If you're the proud owner of more than one Mac, be it in a home, work or school environment, chances are you've already got them networked or are looking to do so. Apple's $699 AirPort Base Station allows the wireless connection of up to 50...

Using Linux as a firewall. (Linux).
June 1, 2002... This month we discuss how to secure an Internet gateway (or any Linux computer connected to the Internet, for that matter) using a firewall. A firewall is essentially a barrier between a computer and the network to which it is connected: it...

Using your PC as an answering machine. (Audio).
June 1, 2002... For a number of years, many modems have been able to do more than just simply dial up to the Internet. Feature-rich modems also boast voice and fax abilities and quite often you should find that your modem (or computer) came bundled with...

Exploring 602photo. (Graphics).
June 1, 2002... Most office suites are crammed with so many programs that many users often overlook the extra graphics tools included in the package. One such program is 602Photo, which is installed with the 602Pro office suite. It is suitable for basic...

Tuning your system for video. (Digital Video).
June 1, 2002... In a new column, we investigate the relevant issues affecting PC users working with digital video and multimedia. Michael Schumacher's Formula One Ferrari, Valentino Rossi's 500cc Honda and Colin McRae's Rally Bred Ford are all performance...

Advanced frames. (HTML).
June 1, 2002... Following from last month's introduction to frames, we look at some frame properties that can change the look and functionality of your pages. Borders If you don't insert a border reference in the FRAMESET command, a default border...

PHP & PostgreSQL, Part II. (PHP).
June 1, 2002... Since PostgreSQL is based on a client/server principle, applications must first connect or `bind' to the server before being able to interact with it. <? $conn = pg_connect("user=postgres dbname=phphh"); ?> This short script...

Windows 98/ME: windows' little helper. (Operating Systems).
June 1, 2002... If you need to replace a missing or corrupted Windows system file, it's easiest to do it from Windows using SFC (System File Checker) in Windows 98, or Msconfig in Windows Me. These utilities know where system files are supposed to go, and...

Windows (all versions): where are the windows installation files? (Operating Systems).
June 1, 2002... Q While maintaining my computer, I'm often prompted to insert the Windows CD-ROM. If I happen to be stuck with a vendor's System Restore disc, how do I extract the files I need? -- Ernest Wiatrek A If you're using tire version of...

Windows (all versions except XP): keep multiple desktops. (Operating Systems).
June 1, 2002... Q Is there any program that will let you configure your desktop into "pages" with different icons, programs, and other elements? -- Don Boudreaux A There are several programs that let you create, alter, and switch between multiple...

Outlook: find Outlook messages quickly. (Office Applications).
June 1, 2002... For me, Outlook is sort of like a giant database for my personal correspondence. I'm pretty good at deleting unnecessary messages, but I do keep a lot of old stuff neatly tucked away into folders. When I need to refer to an old message, I can...

Word: controlling widows and orphans. (Office Applications).
June 1, 2002... Reader Larry Dreifke wrote in search of a way to turn off Word's default widow and orphan control. While the definitions differ somewhat depending upon which design religion you practise, widow and orphan are two printing terms for text left...

Word 97, Outlook 98: addressing incompatibilities. (Office Applications).
June 1, 2002... Q My PC has Word 97 and Outlook 98 installed on it. When addressing envelopes in Word using Tools-Envelopes and Labels, I find that the address appears in the delivery address window without the title -- for example, Mr or Mrs -- of the...

CD-RW between a PC and Mac. (Hardware).
June 1, 2002... Q My PC and my friend's Mac both have CD-ReWritable drives. Can I use these drives to move files between the two systems? -- Frank Noble A Yes. The one important rule is to write to the disc -- on either computer -- in the ISO 9660...

Printer won't speak XP. (Hardware).
June 1, 2002... Q My HP DeskJet 890c works fine on Windows 98 PC but, when it is connected to my Windows XP machine, after a portion of a page has printed the Desk Jet gives up and starts feeding blank pages through. Sometimes the blank pages have one or two...

Why won't that page open? (Internet).
June 1, 2002... Q There are some Web sites I just can't access. I've checked with friends, and they can access these sites. Any idea why I can't? -- Dan Tran A First, be patient. Many browser problems are temporary. Wait a few minutes and try...

Kill the content advisor. (Internet).
June 1, 2002... Here's a frequently asked question (and answer) you may want to tuck away for future reference, especially if you have kids: how do you disable Internet Explorer's Content Advisor censorware when you've forgotten the password? It's easy....

Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online. (Backbytes Books).
June 1, 2002... BY GARY BAHADUR, WILLIAM CHAN AND CHRIS WEBER Publisher: Que (Pearson) Price: $74 Phone: (02) 9454 2222 URL: www.pearsoned.com.au ISBN: 078972605X Coming in at almost 700 pages, Privacy Defended attempts to thoroughly cover the issue...

XP Files: Windows' Hidden Tools for Secure Sharing, Communication and Collaboration. (Backbytes Books).
June 1, 2002... BY GUY HART-DAVIS Publisher: Osborne (McGraw Hill) Price: $47 Phone: (02) 9454 2222 URL: www.mcgraw-hill.com.au ISBN: 0072224010 It pays to know about the hidden strengths within XP so you can make an informed choice and get your...

Build Your Own Combat Robot. (On The Shelf).
June 1, 2002... BY PETE MILES AND TOM CARROLL This book is worth buying for the title alone. Without fail, everyone who saw the review copy wanted to look through its contents. At first glance, it doesn't disappoint. If you are fascinated with the...