Australian PC World articles from June 2004

Australian PC World archives from June 2004

High score.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... The retro gaming movement has been brewing for a while, and many die-hard fans will tell you it has been underground for yonks. Arcade machines have moved from the backrooms of roadside diners (the ones you drop into to grab a burger as you...

Notebooks hit supermarket shelves.(Analysis News)
June 1, 2004... At Australia's newest supermarket chain, Aldi, amidst the milk, bread, meat and washing powder, customers can find cheap computing equipment, including notebooks, as 'surprise buys'. Are the leading notebook vendors concerned? Aldi...

Lindows changes OS name to Linspire.
June 1, 2004... Embattled Linux-based software vendor Lindows.com has formally changed the name of its desktop operating system from LindowsOS to Linspire after a two-year trademark dispute with Microsoft. The company said it renamed its OS product in an...

Acer, Dell reject poor product label.
June 1, 2004... Acer has rejected the claim that cheap may mean nasty after the release of a survey by market analyst IDC that rates the low-cost producer bottom for product quality. The survey of large enterprise users of PCs stated that vendors must...

New NVIDIA, ATI chips.(Analysis News)
June 1, 2004... The promise of cinematic computing is coming closer to reality with the announcement of a new graphics chip from industry leaders NVIDIA. Its GeForce 6800 chips are "the biggest graphics generational gap we've ever done", according to Dan...

Intel to reclassify chips.(Analysis News)
June 1, 2004... Processor giant Intel has said it will begin including a new numbering system in the branding of its processors in order to provide the retail market with greater clarity on the functionality of its products. The three-digit system, to be...

New DVD copying program debuts.
June 1, 2004... In the wake of a US federal judge's ruling that 321 Studios LLC can no longer manufacture and sell some of its DVD-copying software, the company has released DVDExtreme, a suite of DVD and CD authoring and backup tools that will copy DVD movies...

Longhorn beta likely to slip into 2005.
June 1, 2004... A first beta release of the next version of Windows will probably be delayed until next year because Microsoft is concentrating first on a security-focused update to Windows XP. Microsoft had said it would deliver a beta version of Longhorn...

Dual-layer DVD arrives.(Analysis News)
June 1, 2004... The advent of higher-capacity DVD media is approaching, following Sony's decision to commence global shipping in June PC of drives based on new DVD dual-layer technology. Called DVD-Rec DL (double-layer) or DVD-9, the new dual-layer...

Free e-mail from Google.(Analysis News)
June 1, 2004... Google plans to use its search technology and a large amount of data storage to launch a free e-mail service that lets customers keep about 1GB of messages. The service is similar to Microsoft's MSN Hotmail and Yahoo's Yahoo Mail, although its...

Iomega debuts versatile backup drive.
June 1, 2004... Iomega is releasing a new all-round backup solution: it uses hard drive technology, but is packaged in removable cartridges so you can buy one drive yet swap media. The Iomega REV 35GB/90GB drive is available as an external USB drive and an...

Lycos offers tool for Web and desktop search.
June 1, 2004... Terra Lycos is aiming to heat up the search market with its HotBot Desktop application, which allows users to search the Web and their browser history, as well as their e-mail and files. The free download works as an Internet browser...

AOLI7 revamp.(Broadband Briefs)
June 1, 2004... New AOLI7 owner Primus has overhauled the ISP business, renaming the service provider Primus-AOL and introducing a range of lower-priced broadband and dial-up Internet products for its customers. Primus acquired the AOLI7 business from America...

iBurst wireless broadband lifts off.(Broadband Briefs)
June 1, 2004... Wireless broadband wholesaler Personal Broadband Australia (PBBA) has officially launched its iBurst wireless network in Sydney, following three years of development, testing and trials. The iBurst technology, which was originally developed by...

Fibre comes to homes.(Broadband)
June 1, 2004... In June, Telstra will begin a commercial pilot of a new Fibre To The Premise (FTTP) offering in Queensland. Officially launched in April by Telstra managing director Dr Ziggy Switkowski and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, the trial will take...

ISPs lose ADSL access.(Analysis News)
June 1, 2004... Wholesale broadband provider Comindico has dumped its unlimited ADSL policy, forcing several of its ISP customers to introduce download usage caps across their residential broadband plans. Under its new Fair Use Policy (FUP), Comindico will be...

GIMP overhaul.(Linux World)
June 1, 2004... It has taken over five years of development to reach version 2.0 of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) (www.gimp.org). In this time, the application has undergone some major revisions and improvements. The old user interface has been...

Linux bouquets.(Readers' Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... As a Linux user, I know most hackers are looking for the most clueless Windows users, but not for me. I yawn every time the latest Microsoft-targeting worm makes its rounds: I know my PC will not be turned into a zombie spammer, and spyware and...

Windows brickbats.(Readers' Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Here is some food for thought. How far have we really progressed in Windows computing as far as productivity is concerned? As software developers like Microsoft continually churn out new versions of Windows, Microsoft Office, etc., loaded with...

Dilbert.
June 1, 2004... THIS IS DOGBERT'S TECH SUPPORT. HOW MAY I ABUSE YOU? FINALLY!! IT TOOK ME I AN HOUR TO PENETRATE YOUR INSCRUTABLE AUDIO MENU SYSTEM! THEN I WAITED IN QUEUE FOR FORTY MINUTES! MY PROBLEM IS THAT MY COMPUTER KEEPS FREEZING... ...

Faster graphics cards.(Readers' Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... On page 64 of the May edition of PC World ('Supercharge your PC'), you had a topic on overclocking the CPU (with the AGP, PCI and memory). I've always felt that overclocking graphics cards is of more use than a 4GHz processor. What software...

Missive of the month.
June 1, 2004... Congratulations to Walter Eigner! 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...

New P4 designs: Northwood and Prescott CPUs.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... Intel has shipped what will be the last upgrade to the Northwood line of the Pentium 4 CPU. Running at a speed of 3.4GHz, and with the same particulars that you're used to (including 512KB Level 2 cache, 800MHz front side bus and...

4Mp beginners' camera: EasyShare CX7430.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... If simplicity is a virtue when it comes to digital cameras, then Kodak's EasyShare CX7430 outclasses most of its competition. Kodak gave this camera just the few controls needed for basic snapshot photography, and added text-based help prompts...

LCD doubles as TV: SyncMaster 510MP.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... Most of us can't wait to chuck out our bulky old displays in favour of something slimmer. If you want more than just a monitor, Samsung's SyncMaster 510MP appears to fit the bill because it includes built-in television capabilities. The...

Digital media adapter: ShowCenter.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... After being unimpressed with the SMC Networks EZ-Stream (May 2004, page 32), we were curious to see how Pinnacle's ShowCenter would match up. Although they're both designed for the same task--transporting media files from your PC to wherever...

Fastest mobile broadband: NetConnect Card.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... 3 is boasting that its new wireless broadband service is bigger, better and faster than that of its competitors. The PC card has been developed by Lucent Technologies and Novatel Wireless. When you are within one of 3's 'video zones'...

Sun's office alternative: StarOffice 7.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... When my hard drive died last year and my Office 2000 CDs were inexplicably missing, I turned to OpenOffice--a free download--and it's served me well. Twelve months later and with fewer crashes, hangs and errors, I am now an alternative office...

Semi-pro DVD authoring: Ulead DVD Workshop 2.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... Ulead has been supporting the DVD authoring market for a couple of years, with strong products such as MovieFactory proving popular among new users. However, Ulead's professional level DVD Workshop 1 and 1.3 have been unable to reach the same...

Roxio's friendly new look: Easy Media Creator 7.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... Roxio's Easy Media Creator (formerly Easy CD/DVD Creator), a set of programs that assist you in burning digital files to discs, has undergone an impressive makeover in Easy Media Creator 7. Gone is the hodgepodge of graphical user interfaces...

Protect yourself online: VirusScan 8.0 and Virus Control 5.7.(First Looks)
June 1, 2004... The continuing appearance of Internet worms like Sobig and Trojan programs such as those that lead to worst case scenarios like bank account scams point to the need for better protection against these nasties and their relatives, viruses. So...

Tomorrow's TV today.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... As the Government pushes broadcasters to shift from current analog transmissions to a completely digital service by 2008, most free-to-air channels are already broadcast simultaneously in both formats. To avoid being left out, you'll need...

VisionPlus VisionDTV Ter.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... The VisionDTV Ter might be attractive to people looking for an inexpensive, no-frills product. The box contains the usual hardware--PCI tuner card, remote control and infrared sensor--plus software for TV viewing, timeshift and program...

Hauppauge WinTV NUVA-t.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Although the end result is the same, the WinTV NOVA-t gets there a little differently. Instead of using a typical video driver, this card is listed as a network adapter, complete with an assigned private IP address that it uses for the MPEG2...

DViCO FusionHDTV DVB-T.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Of the three DTV tuners here, DViCO's FusionHDTV DVB-T is the only one to offer more than just the typical DTV functions. With a Conexant CX23881 chipset on board, plus composite and S-video ports at the rear, you can hook up external analog...

Great Internet Explorer alternative.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... The Mozilla Foundation's new free Firefox 0.8 Web browser, once known as Firebird, is a solid alternative for people who long for a change of pace from Microsoft's Internet Explorer. I tried a free preview release of the browser and was...

Zipping gets better.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... WinZip has long set the standard for file compression utilities, and recent versions uphold its strong reputation. Most computer users are familiar with the program's drag-and-drop interface, which lets you create and compress ZIP files. The...

30GB hard disk MP3 player.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... If we mentioned an MP3 player offering gigabytes of storage, all wrapped up in a small white case with matching white headphones and white cabling, you'd think we were talking about Apple's iPod. You'd be wrong. Creative's styling is...

FileMaker Pro 7.0 preview.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... FileMaker Pro 7.0 is aimed at the small business and mid-range corporate markets as well as single users or small workgroups. It provides all the features you'd require from a relational database package including a database engine, ad hoc...

Outlook CRM tool.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Prophet 2004 brings customer relationship management (CRM) techniques to Microsoft Outlook. Unlike Act 6, GoldMine 6.5, and even Microsoft's own Business Contact Manager for Outlook 2003, this plug-in works directly inside Outlook. Not only...

Next-generation mobile Pentium 4 CPU.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Dell is always very quick to provide its customers with the latest in CPU technology for their computing products, and this month it continues that trend by incorporating Intel's newest Pentium M CPU into its Latitude D600 notebook. ...

Beginner digital camera.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Continuing the trend for ultra-light, ultra-portable and downright sexy media devices, Panasonic presents the SV-AS10. Part of the D-Snap range, the SV-AS10 is a digital still camera but has features like audio/video recording and media...

Versatile projector.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Home theatre projectors are generally used in darkened rooms, so they don't need to put out a lot of light; colour accuracy, clean images, and low fan noise matter most. Business projectors, on the other hand, need to display razor-sharp text...

Creative happy snaps.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... This 3.2Mp camera is a small and sturdy unit that is perfect for point-and-click situations, and more. It has a built-in flash and a 1.6in LCD viewfinder, and you can even take MPEG4 videos, with audio, until the memory runs out. The camera...

Cheap hits: the wait is over. You can finally access music online legally, locally and cheaply--but there is still a long way to go before the full potential of downloading music is realised.(Web & You)
June 1, 2004... A handful of Australia-based paid music download services recently launched, with the intention of bringing legal music downloads to your PC. Following the success of US-based offerings, many music download fans have been waiting patiently for...

Home is where the network is: is your home or small office crowded with PCs and peripherals? Now's the time to hook 'em up and share the love! Here are your options for wireless and wired networks. Plus, in this month's best buys we review wireless network gear.
June 1, 2004... There are several motives for installing a network at home. Playing games with friends or other members of the family is one, while using an older computer to store backup files and information is another. These familiar reasons have been...

Movie masterclass: want your home movies to be the hit of the neighbourhood rather than something your friends and family endure? Here's how to avoid common mistakes and achieve professional-looking, entertaining results.
June 1, 2004... Take out the video camera at a family get together and the best you can hope for is your mum bellowing, "Don't point that bloody thing at me!" If you're lucky, a witty uncle will throw himself over a stool in the kitchen, saying, "Send that to...

Interface face off: USB versus FireWire: which should you choose? Connectivity is the key to getting the most out of your PC, but which peripheral interface will best suit your computing needs? PC World checks out the differences between USB 2.0 and FireWire.
June 1, 2004... It's no great secret that modern computers are cornerstones of connectivity. Anyone who's ever taken a peek around a PC's derriere will bear witness to the dozen or more ports, sockets, jacks and other couplings designed to connect to and...

Build your own classic arcade machine.
June 1, 2004... Anyone with a passion for gaming will have nothing but fond memories of hours wiled away in the local games parlour, battling it out on the arcade systems of old. You may have noticed that these classic systems are making a comeback in groovy...

Simple guide to tax savings for your soho setup: this month PC World asks small business tax experts to advise what can be claimed on your tax return, when is the right time to buy, and what you need to watch out for.
June 1, 2004... Working from home is becoming a popular choice for people from many walks of life. As the end of the financial year approaches, such people start to consider their business setups and may think the time is right to buy equipment and supplies....

How to choose a laser printer.(Special Promotion)
June 1, 2004... Printing hard copies of documents has long been an unavoidable part of office life. Since the days of large and expensive page printers attached to mainframes, no office has been able to do without a printer. As printers became far more...

Roam free: wireless networking.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... With the proliferation of wireless networking equipment in the PC market, consumers are benefiting from lower prices and are taking to these products in a big way. No longer the domain of just corporate users, networking without wires at home...

DVD diversity.(Tech.Files)
June 1, 2004... As the prices of DVD writers drop below $200, the stage is set for the ubiquitous CD writer to be replaced by drives that can deal more easily with today's enormous data storage needs. A single-sided, single-layer writable DVD (digital...

Memory prices on the rise.(Sweet Spot)
June 1, 2004... A shortage of DRAM memory in the PC channel is dramatically pushing up the cost of individual DDR and SDRAM modules in the wholesale market--and it's consumers who'll be left footing the bill. Memory prices for both OEMs (original equipment...

Over $3500.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... Altech Computers GameForce Commander [pc world BEST BUYS*] [1] An excellent configuration, included components and attention to detail make this system a sure-fire winner. Definitely targeted at garners or performance jockeys, this system...

$1500-$3500.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... i-Tech AMD Athlon 64 Award series [pc world BEST BUYS*][1] Ideal for gaming, digital video editing or DVD creation, this system is excellent value for money. The case housing all the components, an Antec P160, is made of aluminium and...

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

PCs: Over $3500, $1500-$3500, sub-$1500.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... VALUE REAL WORLD MAKE/MODEL RATING SPEED RATING TESTS OVER $3500 (1) Altech Computers 208 (A) 338 (E) 3m32s Game Force...

Over $4000.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... IBM ThinkPad T41p [pc world BEST BUYS*] [1] NEW Models in IBM's T series (starting at $2699) strive for a balance of performance and portability. The top-of-the-line $4699 T41p (2373 GEM) achieves this with a weight of just 2.5kg without...

$2500-$4000.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... QDI Alacritas W730-K8 [pc world BEST BUYS*] [1] With solid, smooth casework incorporating a 15.4in wide-aspect display (capable of just 1280x800), the W730-K8 is a desktop replacement made a little more portable with a weight of 3.6kg...

Sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... Mitac MiNote 8060B [pc world BEST BUYS*] [1] A price drop brings the MiNote 8060B from the $2500-$4000 charts into first place in the Sub-$2500 chart. The 8060B runs from a 1.4GHz Intel Pentium M processor coupled with 512MB of DDR SDRAM....

Notebooks: over $4000, $2500-$4000, sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... BEST BUYS NOTEBOOKS: OVER $4000, $2500-$4000, SUB-$2500 VALUE MAKE/MODEL RATING BENCHMARK SCORES REAL WORLD TESTS OVER $4000 (1) IBM Thinkpad 112 (A) 250 (C)...

Wireless networking products.(Best Buys)
June 1, 2004... The market for wireless products has grown significantly over the last 12 months, as more people discover the benefits of home networking and resource sharing. Prior to wireless networking products becoming available at affordable prices, many...

ASUS.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... WL-500g WLAN Router: This comprehensive router has a number of functions for wired and wireless networking and also provides parallel and USB ports for its built-in print server. It has one removable aerial for wireless connectivity and a...

Belkin.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... 54g Wireless Cable/DSL Gateway Router: This router has two fixed aerials on its rear as well as a four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch. It can be used to distribute a cable Internet connection very easily. The unit does feel very clumsily built,...

Draytek.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... Vigor 2600Ge ADSL Router: This all-in-one unit from Draytek is an ADSL modem router with built-in wireless capabilities. It has a four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch on its rear and a single removable aerial for its 802.11b or 802.11g wireless...

Dynalink.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... RTW026 Wireless Router: Unlike the other products in this review, this router sticks to the older 802.11b standard and does not offer 802.11g connectivity. It has a built-in four-port, 10/100 Ethernet switch and no external aerials. The...

Minitar.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... Residential Gateway 54g: The MSI wireless products (next entry) are identical to the Minitar ones, and like that router the Minitar Residential Gateway has a very clean and professional-looking Web interface. A slew of features supports wired...

Best buys: wireless networking products.
June 1, 2004... ASUS WL-100G BELKIN 54G WIRELESS PCMCIA CARDS CARDBUS NOTEBOOK CARD Price $125 $150 Distributor Ingram Micro Belkin Warranty...

MSI.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... Wireless Gateway (RG54GS): The RG54GS is a fully-featured router with a four-port 10/100 network switch and a built-in USB printer server. A built-in firewall, NAT routing and DHCP services make this unit perfect for all home or small office...

NetComm.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... [pc world BEST BUYS *] Wireless Firewall Router (NB5540): Small in stature and tough in build, this router contains a host of features that will please you if you are looking for advanced functionality, it has a four-port 10/100 network switch...

Peabird.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... G54 ADSL Router: Small and sturdy in construction, this wireless router has a built-in four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch. It has a DHCP server, NAT functionality, firewall features, and a small aerial on its rear. Installation is...

Surecom.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... 108Mbps SuperG Wireless Access Point: This tiny dual-aerial unit is a basic access point that can be set up on an existing network via a router in order to share broadband resources. It does not have a DHCP server for its wireless networking...

Zyxel.(Wireless Networking Products)
June 1, 2004... Zyxel did not submit an access point or a wireless router for this review, but did provide a PCMCIA card in addition to a PCI card. We tested them with the Minitar 54g Wireless Gateway. ZyAIR G-100 PCMCIA Card: Installation of this card's...

Back up and survive.(In Depth)
June 1, 2004... Why, when backups are easily made and can be our saviours in time of Windows woes or reboot rejections, do so many of us find excuses not to perform them? Here's a hassle-free guide to saving your system and data, How you decide to back up...

Building a secure wireless network.(Upgrader)
June 1, 2004... The era of the unconnected PC has largely passed into history. Beyond the home office and children's rooms, PCs are popping up in such formerly unconventional locations as the kitchen counter or a shelf in the living room. A network will let...

Prepare for Service Pack 2.(Windows XP)
June 1, 2004... As I write this, Microsoft's Service Pack 2 (SP2) for all versions of Windows XP is at the release candidate stage, and should be available to customers in June. Having run the beta and release candidates of SP2 for the past two months, I...

Taking up the Slack.(Linux)
June 1, 2004... ZipSlack is a tiny Linux distribution designed to fit on a single 100MB Zip disk and is based on one of the oldest Linux distributions, Slackware Linux. It feels a lot like an older version of UNIX, which means that it is missing the...

Best free audio software.(Audio)
June 1, 2004... These days, PC audio enthusiasts can benefit from a development community offering free alternatives that often rival the more established commercial offerings. However, sifting through them in an effort to stay current can be time-consuming,...

OS X in a Windows world.(Mac OS)
June 1, 2004... Your chances of running a Mac officially in the workplace, unless your job description warrants it, are pretty close to zero. That doesn't mean it can't be done. A little sleuthing, a little know-how, and your colleagues will be asking why your...

Understanding selection tools: Part IV.(Graphics)
June 1, 2004... Knowing how to use a selection tool is only a small part of the entire image editing process. Understanding when to use a certain tool--or combination of tools--is what makes editing more an art form and less an exercise in engineering. In this...

Error reporting in PHP: Part I.(PHP)
June 1, 2004... By default, PHP generates a lot of helpful information for developers when an error occurs in the execution of a script. This information is much less useful to users, however. In fact, telling users the line number of the error, the function...

Working with old video and film.(Digital Video)
June 1, 2004... Digital video allows PC users to produce high-quality movies with ease. But what about all that archived analog video that you shot on 8mm or VHS tape, or even 8mm film reels? Analog to digital A wide range of products is available to...

CD and DVD images.(CDs & DVDs)
June 1, 2004... If you have ever lost a valuable CD or DVD because of a scratch or general wear and tear, you'll know the importance of creating a backup copy. Depending on the type of content you are backing up, there is a way to both back up your discs and...