Australian PC World articles from March 2004

Australian PC World archives from March 2004

Best in show: televisions are getting larger and thinner than ever, DVD players are taking over the world, and PC technology is moving past the living room and into the kitchen. All this plus a 3D notebook that doesn't need shades!(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has fast become one of the highly anticipated shows each year, in a time when traditional trade shows have had difficulty drumming up attendance from sponsors and delegates alike. So, what made an outing...

HP to sell its own iPod in deal with Apple.
March 1, 2004... HP plans to release a digital music player later this year based on Apple Computer's iPod in a partnership between the companies announced in January. Carly Fiorina, HP's chairman and chief executive, showed the device for the first time...

Linksys launches wireless DVD player.
March 1, 2004... Two of the hottest consumer technology trends will come together early this year in a combined DVD player and wireless multimedia adapter from Cisco Systems' Linksys division, introduced at the CES Show. The Linksys DVD Player with...

The PC's changing face.(Analysis)
March 1, 2004... The standard tower PC is so 20th century. A handful of hardware vendors are touting systems that not only have unique shapes and styles, but also function in interesting ways. Several gave a preview at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. ...

Notebooks shrink at CES.(Analysis)
March 1, 2004... A pocket-sized computer packing the power of a notebook was demonstrated by OQO at the Consumer Electronics Show. Weighing about 363g and measuring 12.4x8.6x2.3cm, the Ultra Personal Computer (UPC) comes with all the bells and whistles usually...

Intel's entertaining plan.(Analysis)
March 1, 2004... Intel is stepping deeper into the consumer electronics market, hoping to put an Intel chip inside a plethora of home entertainment devices including televisions, portable media players and PCs designed for the living room, said Paul Otellini,...

Toshiba unveils sub-2.5cm hard disk drive.
March 1, 2004... Toshiba has unveiled a prototype hard disk drive that's smaller than any currently on the market and that could start appearing in devices such as mobile telephones and digital music players before the end of this year. The drive is the...

Sony aiming for November launch of PSP.
March 1, 2004... Sony has provided a little more detail into the launch schedule of its much-anticipated PSP handbeld game device. The company had previously said that it plans to launch the device worldwide in the fourth quarter of this year. However,...

Intel, IBM pony up for Linux lawsuit fund.
March 1, 2004... Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) aims to establish a $US10 million defence fund to pay the legal fees of Linux users sued by SCO, plus those of OSDL employees, including Linus Torvalds. Torvalds is the Finnish creator of the Linux operating...

Snowboard jacket with MP3, Bluetooth to hit slopes.
March 1, 2004... The snowboarding, gadget-loving crowd have something to celebrate: the European division of sports gear retailer O'Neill will sell a snowboarding jacket with integrated MP3 player and Bluetooth module, for those all-important mountaintop mobile...

Microsoft extends support for Windows.(Analysis)
March 1, 2004... Microsoft, days before it was to end support for Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), has decided to extend the life of the products until 30 June 2006. The software vendor also extended until 30 June 2006 support for Windows...

Study downplays mobile phone radiation.(Analysis)
March 1, 2004... Tests on several of the world's most popular second-generation mobile phone models revealed no health hazards, with radiation levels recorded well below agreed limits, according to data published by a Finnish agency. Suppliers of the tested...

OzEmail to go wireless.(Broadband Briefs)
March 1, 2004... Following Personal Broadband's commercial release of its wholesale iBurst wireless broadband product, ISP OzEmail has revealed it is putting the finishing touches on its own iBurst service, with plans to launch a product this year. OzEmail...

Home broadband network in the works.(Broadband Briefs)
March 1, 2004... Eight companies, including some of the largest names in electronics, are planning jointly to develop technology that allows multimedia content to be sent around the home over standard TV antenna cabling. Companies participating in the...

iBurst ready for action.(Broadband)
March 1, 2004... The long-awaited commercial launch of Personal Broadband Australia's (PBBA) iBurst wireless service has been announced, with wholesale distributor SecureTel and broadband resellers Mobile Broadband and Veritel launching new broadband products...

Linux 2.6.0: new kernel.(Linuxworld)
March 1, 2004... After three years of development the next stable Linux kernel series, version 2.6, is available. This version is not a revolution, although all components of the kernel have been tweaked to improve stability, compatibility and performance. The...

Edit surfing history.(Reader's Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... In the February 2004 issue of PC World Here's How Helpscreen (page 127) a reader had a question headed "Edit surfing history". I believe that another solution is available, in the form of a small program (about 285KB) called IE5 Address Bar...

Easier ways to slay spam.(Reader's Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I was reading Tom Spring's "Spare slayer: Ten tips and tricks" (www.pcworld.idg.com, au/index.php?id=836867239) and I think this guy doesn't know how to use Netscape/ Mozilla mail. Under the subheading "Delete mystery spam" he says: ...

Installing Knoppix.(Reader's Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Knoppix 3.2 was included with the October edition of PC World as a bootable CD. It worked fine, so I decided to install. On asking around, discovered that the CD is also an installable distribution. Alastair Cousins did not mention this in...

Dilbert[R].
March 1, 2004... MY NEW DESIGN WILL MEER ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS' CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THAT'S NO GOOD; THEY'LL NEVER NEED TO UPGRADE. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PLEASE DON'T ASK ME TO PUT FLAWS IN MY DESIGN. ...

Wireless music player: SoundBlaster Wireless Music.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... The SoundBlaster Wireless Music combines an MP3 player with a wireless network, allowing you to listen to your tunes wherever you want. No matter how big your music collection, an MP3 player gives you access to any track you want at a push of a...

Mobile presentation server: WPG-1000 Wireless Projector Server.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... This compact device is a great tool for presentations on the go. It's a small server that can be connected to a projector to view image slide shows, PowerPoint presentations or video, and controlled using the bundled remote. The ability to make...

Gigabit networking: SMC8508T 8-port Auto-Sensing Switch.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... Gigabit networking is an improvement over existing 100Mbps networking infrastructure and, based on our tests, it offers transfer rates that are approximately twice as fast. While many home users may not necessarily need a switch for their...

Beginner digital camera: Digital Ixus i.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... This is a sexy little camera. The Ixus i is not much bigger than a small pack of cigarettes and is available in a range of colours that includes Classic Bronze and Piano Black. The Ixus's 4Mp CCD produces some very decent images, despite...

Small player, big features: IHP-120.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... iRiver's iHP-120 packs a lot into a small space. About the size of a deck of cards, the 20GB hard drive-based MP3 player is the most feature-rich I've ever seen. In addition to playing MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, and WAV files (but not the AAC...

CD encyclopedias: Encarta 2004 Premium Suite CD and Britannica Reference Suite 2004 CD.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... Encyclopedias have always been about heft. Although many of us have passed the era of multi-tomed print editions, this fact remains true in the multimedia arena. Take Encarta, for example. This latest version offers over 130,000 articles and...

DVD authoring software: Creator 2.0 Platinum.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... DVD authoring is becoming increasingly popular as many new PCs are coming with built-in DVD burners. The trouble with this trend is that the software bundled with most drives tends to be pretty inadequate. This package from WinDVD is an...

Business manager for SMEs: NetSuite.(Fist Looks)
March 1, 2004... Technology hasn't been a faithful servant to the small and medium businesses that are the backbone of the Australian economy. Staffed with anywhere between three and 300 people, SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises/ Businesses) have been left to...

Monitor kids' online habits: Net Nanny Suite.(First Looks)
March 1, 2004... Net Nanny specialises in content filtering and monitoring software designed to make Web surfing safer for the whole family. The core of this new suite is Net Nanny 5 ($89.95 separately), which provides monitored Web access for the young and...

New PDAs pack a punch.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... After a spate of announcements focusing on Palm products (not to mention Palm's buyout of Handspring), we're now seeing some movement in the Pocket PC-based PDA market. Starting with the most initially striking, the iPAQ h4350 brings an...

Sharp's 3D displays.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... PC World recently experienced first hand the 3D nature of Sharp's only Actius RD3D notebook in the country (pictured here as a mockup because cameras can't capture the 3D effect). Released in the US last September (with no plans for a local...

Colour laser printer.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... The 6250 proves itself to be one of the best colour laser printers on the market for the small- to medium-sized business, with initial outlay and running costs that are very reasonable (20 cents per colour print) and performance that is super...

Internet blocking software.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... As the Web permeates the workplace it brings a number of problems with the benefits. Time-wasting, bandwidth hogging and the potential spread of viruses are some of the biggest issues. BrowseControl is an easy-to-use Internet access...

Wireless network PC Card.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... The Sony Ericsson GC79 PC Card gives mobile notebook users the best of both worlds--fast Internet access when in a Wi-Fi hotspot and not-quite-so-fast Web access when elsewhere. The GC79 also supports a new authentication standard, EAP-SIM,...

Fix broken windows.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... If viruses, faulty patches, or botched software installations have ever crashed your Windows PC to the point of no return, you know that the road to recovery can be as long as it is frustrating. While Microsoft Windows' System Restore...

Macworld San Francisco 2004.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... This year's event again saw Apple make some major announcements, including new cut-down iPod MP3 players (pictured), the iLife '04 multimedia software bundle, and XServe rack servers with G5 processors. Microsoft also attended, showcasing its...

Small and large capacity MP3 players.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... Creative looks to be taking Apple's new MP3 player line-up (as seen at left) head on with two of its own similar and attention-grabbing products. The $699 compact NOMAD Mu[Vo.sup.2] (pictured) will take on Apple's iPod mini with its similar...

Not your average webcam.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... In addition to the included 23cm stalk mount, the Logitech QuickCam Orbit features a pair of motors that can tilt and pan the lens head remotely. Add the face-tracking software and you have a product that can spot your ugly mug in the frame and...

Restore LPs and tapes.(Quick Takes)
March 1, 2004... Interested in easily converting your old LPs or cassettes to CDs or MP3s? In the box you'll find the install CD as well as a lead with stereo phono plugs on one end and a headphone mini-jack on the other for connecting your hi-fi to your PC....

Take the privacy test: even savvy Web users can do more to safeguard their privacy and data. Take the quiz and find out how vulnerable you are; then use our tips to improve your score.(Web & You)
March 1, 2004... IT STARTS OUT INNOCENTLY ENOUGH. You're browsing the Web, dreaming of the weekend and your next golf game, and you happen across a great-looking site that promises to drop your handicap in three easy lessons. Sounds good, but you've got a...

Helpscreen to the rescue.
March 1, 2004... GENERAL Q I want to buy an external USB 2.0 hard drive. The trouble is that my computer only has USB 1.1. Will Windows recognise the hard drive? What about transfer rates? A USB 2.0 is backward-compatible with USB 1.1. This means that...

The fabulous 50 utilities and add-ons for just about everything! you may think that big is beautiful, but often it's the little things that make the real difference. Here, we guide you through those modest applications that can make using your PC so much sweeter.
March 1, 2004... With each new release, the Windows behemoth accumulates more and more useful widgets and gadgets. Yet there always seems to be some overlooked area, some trick or tool that you need--possibly even on a daily basis--that is not provided by your...

Vinyl tap: add your collection of vinyl records and tapes to your MP3 hoard with our tips for bringing them into the digital age.
March 1, 2004... Cliff Richard was (and maybe still is) Wired for Sound. He liked both tall speakers and small speakers and knew the "power from the needle to the plastic" made him "feel so ecstatic". This month we look at reharnessing the power of the needle...

Goodbye VHS, hello DVD: we review products to help you turn old videotapes into digital disc.
March 1, 2004... TECHNOLOGY FAVOURS THE NEW, the powerful, and the fast. So where does that leave that pile of old VHS videocassettes you have lying around? Fortunately, converting your old tapes to digital form allows you to edit them, add music or narration,...

Disco inferno.(CD-RW Drives)
March 1, 2004... If you are one of those users still struggling with a slow and outdated 4x or 8x CD burner, or if you don't even have a burner in your system, flip to page 103, where we have reviewed nine of the fastest and latest CD-RW drives on the market....

Back in a flash.(Tech.Files)
March 1, 2004... Flash memory is becoming increasingly important in the digital world. Not only in the obvious places--the portable storage cards that are used in digital cameras and MP3 players--but also in almost any digital hardware that contains some sort...

Video card wars to continue through 2004.(Sweet Spot)
March 1, 2004... Following the dominance of graphics cards across the components market last year, 2004 is shaping up to be yet another clash between the video card manufacturers, resellers claim. Altech Computers marketing manager Scott Emerson said he...

Over $3500.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... Altech Computers GameForce Commander [pc world BEST BUYS *] [1] NEW The GameForce Commander from Altech has entered the Over $3500 Best Buys chart in the number one position, stripping the title from the Inspire P32 Plus Corporation system....

$1500-$3500.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... Altech Computers GameForce Mercenary [pc world BEST BUYS *] [1] NEW Another well-built Altech system arrived in the Test Centre this month, also gaining the number one position in its category. This good-looking system is targeted at gamers...

Sub-$1500.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... Altech Computers GameForce Sniper [pc world BEST BUYS *] [1] NEW Rounding out its sweep of the Best Buys number one positions, Altech proves itself a force to be reckoned with. Don't assume that this system is a slouch because of the low...

PCs: over $35,000, $1500-$3500, sub-$1500.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... VALUE SPEED REAL WORLD MAKE/MODEL RATING RATING TESTS OVER $3500 (1) Altech 208 338 (a) 3m32s (e) Computers 21009 (b) 3m30s (f) ...

Over $4000.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... Pioneer Power Athlon64 8355. [pc world BEST BUYS *] [1] NEW The 8355 is the second notebook using AMD's 3200+ 64-bit processor for notebooks to have come through the Test Centre. At a touch over $4000, it charges into the number one...

$2500-$4000.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... Pioneer Power D470 [pc world BEST BUYS *] [1] NEW This notebook is similar to the Millennia 7100 in the Over $4000 chart (with identical worst case scenario battery lives), with slightly different casework and specifications. Pioneer...

Sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... Mitac MiNote 8080 [pc world BEST BUYS *] [1] Although recording a SYSMark 2001 productivity benchmark score of 190, which is lower than its peers, in addition to just 1808 in 3DMark 2001, the MiNote 8080 more than offsets this with a...

Notebooks: over $4000, $2500-$4000, sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... MAKE/MODEL VALUE BENCHMARK REAL WORLD RATING SCORES TESTS OVER $4000 (1) Pioneer Power 106 296 (a) 30s (c) Athlon64 8355 9812 (b) 4m42s (d) ...

CD-RW drives.(Best Buys)
March 1, 2004... CD-RW drives have been falling rapidly in price over the last year and they are the perfect drive for the system builder or upgrader who wants an inexpensive configuration. CD-RW drives are essential for backing up and archiving data, and with...

Hardware tips and creative hints.(Marching On)
March 1, 2004... Here at PC World we want to make our readers' lives as easy as possible, showing you what the best value products are and how to install them, and also offering tips on how to fix common problems that occur with popular products. This month is...

CD-RW installation.(Upgrader)
March 1, 2004... In association with this month's CD-RW drive Best Buys round-up, we provide a step-by-step guide to installing the drive. All the drives in our Best Buys review have an IDE interface, so this will be used for our installation guide. All...

Printer troubleshooting.(In Depth)
March 1, 2004... As dreams of a paperless office continue to fade, printing problems remain a major nightmare for many of us. From faulty cables, inadequate drivers and inferior network connections to patchy printouts and half-finished pages, printer niggles...

Getting started with Windows Management Instrumentation.(Windows XP)
March 1, 2004... Most people are accustomed to managing Windows XP Professional the point-and-click way. However, thanks to the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) technology, Microsoft's implementation of the Web Based Enterprise Management (WBEM)...

Create a movie DVD.(Linux)
March 1, 2004... Last month's column discussed burning data DVDs in Linux using cdrecord-ProDVD. This month we will show you how to create a movie DVD (from your collection of home videos, for example) that is playable on most set-top DVD players, using the...

Guide to plug-in instruments.(Audio)
March 1, 2004... This month we cover the basics of virtual instruments: what they are, how they work and how to load them. We've even put some of the best free offerings on the cover CD to help you get started. To use the plug-ins, you will need some...

Understanding selection tools: Part I.(Graphics)
March 1, 2004... Ask any two people how to highlight part of an image and you are bound to get a dozen answers. Like many aspects of computing, some of the answers are likely to be absurdly complicated, while others may be crude and ineffective. Among the...

OS X and ported software.(Mac OS)
March 1, 2004... Have you considered taking advantage of free open-source software that may not otherwise be available as a native OS X application? This month we give you an introductory guide to finding, installing and running UNIX/Linux software that has...

Pattern matching with PHP: Part III.(PHP)
March 1, 2004... Building on last month's look at pattern matching with regular expressions (REs), this month we will investigate substitutions and back references. Substitutions and REs PHP provides a framework for matching strings with REs and also...

Using still images in video.(Digital Video)
March 1, 2004... This month we look at how to use still images to enhance your video project, as well as how to prepare images from sources such as scanned photos and digital still cameras. There are many ways to incorporate still photos into a video, the...

Is your old PC ready for a Windows XP upgrade?(Windows)
March 1, 2004... When it comes to PCs, procrastination isn't always a bad thing. Wait a while and you'll likely pay less for new technology and experience fewer problems. However, if you've been putting off your upgrade to Windows XP, you've waited long enough:...

Recover lost files that aren't in the Recycle Bin.(Windows)
March 1, 2004... Q Sometimes I empty Windows' Recycle Bin before I realise that I shouldn't have deleted a particular file. And if I delete a file through the command line or if the deleted file is too big, the files might never get to the Recycle Bin. How do I...

SCSI replacement?(Hardware)
March 1, 2004... Q The SCSI card for my scanner has turned up its toes. Since I bought the device I have added FireWire and USB cards to my PC. Can I use one of these for the scanner? It also has a Centronics port. --Allan Johnson A USB-to-parallel...

Burning MP3 CDs.(Hardware)
March 1, 2004... Q I am considering investing in an MP3-compatible CD player so I can carry my whole music collection on a couple of CDs. Do I make MP3 CDs just by burning MP3 files on a data CD, or is there another way? --Andrew Martin A Yes, that's...

Time to upgrade Outlook Express.(Internet)
March 1, 2004... Q I note with interest your remarks that Outlook Express 5.0 is at risk of attack from outside sources. I have been using it happily along with Norton AntiVirus and ZoneAlarm without any problems. I suppose that I ought to upgrade to version...

What's .dat in my e-mail?(Internet)
March 1, 2004... Q People have received e-mail from me with an attachment named winmail. dat. Is this a virus? --Brian Zoriki A No, it's not. Outlook uses a Microsoft Exchange format called Rich Text that can't be read by other e-mail software--even...

Bulky e-mails won't send.(Internet)
March 1, 2004... Q I recently tried to send an e-mail with a photo attachment to two e-mail addresses. After a while I received an error message saying "file too large". Now, every time I start Outlook Express, it tries to send these messages plus five others I...

Save time and paper with PrintMagic.(Miscellaneous)
March 1, 2004... [TIP] If you print an entire document or Web page just to keep a hard copy of a few lines, you're wasting paper and ink. PrintMagic simplifies printing text extracts from word processors, Acrobat Reader, Web browsers and almost any other...

RealOne security too tight.(Miscellaneous)
March 1, 2004... Q BI recently decided to upgrade my computer. The old system had a lot of music files that were recorded using RealOne. I was hoping to listen to these tracks on my new computer using Windows Media Player. However, WMP cannot play them. I...

How Computers Work, Seventh Edition.
March 1, 2004... Publisher: Que (Pearson Education) Price: $56.95 Phone: (02) 9454 2222 URL: www.pearsoned.com.au ISBN: 0789730332 BY RON WHITE If you can do some basic troubleshooting of your PC's problems but still feel mystified by what is actually going...

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots.
March 1, 2004... BY GARETH BRANWYN Publisher: Que (Pearson Education) Price: $39.95 Phone: (02) 9454 2222 URL: www.pearsoned.com.au ISBN: 0789729717 If the feature in last month's PC World on building robots whetted your appetite for creating your own...

Photoshop Elements 2 Hands-On Training.
March 1, 2004... BY SHANE REBENSCHIED Publisher: Peachpit Press (Pearson Education) Price: $66.95 Phone: (02) 9454 2222 URL: www.pearsoned.com.au ISBN: 0321203003 Adobe's Photoshop Elements' growing popularity--tied to the rise in digital photography and...

What's in store.(Skills)
March 1, 2004... The local Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA) affiliate was launched in 2003 and one of its aims is to establish education and training programs that span all vendors' products. With storage accounting for around 50 per cent of an...

Scratch MP3s with turntables and Windows.(Gadgets & Gizmos)
March 1, 2004... As always, the first of this year's International Music Products Association conventions (the Winter NAMM show, held around the same time as CES) brought with it a barrage of new musical product announcements. One of the more interesting...

Epson merges TV, printer.(Gadgets & Gizmos)
March 1, 2004... In one of the most unusual product combinations, Epson unveiled at CES a big-screen LCD projection TV with a built-in colour photo printer. The 47in Epson Livingstation LS47P1 will carry an estimated retail price of $US3499 and the 57in...

Wired for sound (and video).(Gadgets & Gizmos)
March 1, 2004... Two of the hottest consumer technology trends will come together this year in a combined DVD player and wireless multimedia adapter from Cisco Systems' Linksys division, introduced at CES. The Linksys DVD Player with Wireless-G Media Link...

TV anywhere.(Gadgets & Gizmos)
March 1, 2004... Sony showed off a host of new technologies at CES, including a touchscreen display that will let users wirelessly access video content around their homes--under the banner of LocationFree TV. The 12in portable display, to be introduced later...

1GB SD cards for the storage hungry.(Gadgets & Gizmos)
March 1, 2004... SanDisk has begun production of SD memory cards with a 1GB capacity. SD cards are widely used in devices such as digital still cameras and the higher capacity will mean users with large data storage requirements won't have to carry around as...