Australian PC World articles from March 2007

Australian PC World archives from March 2007

Glitter and gadgets: four decades strong and the International CES continues to showcase the future of technology gadgetry and crazy doodads. This month PC World staff visit the City of Lights to bring you the best of 2007.(Consumer Electronics Show 2007)(Editorial)
March 1, 2007... The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary event and it is quite amazing what the exhibitors put on show--from the quirky and indispensable technology to gadgets that make you ask 'Are we really going to...

Trouble with Trimbles.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I have subscribed to PC World for about three years now and have managed to work out most problems regarding our PCs, but this problem over a GPS has us puzzled more than anything else. I have tried Trimble USA, unfortunately they no longer...

Game over.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I recently read the Worst 10 Games feature on PC World's site (www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php?id=1354110095). Man, that number 1 E.T. is just old and tired at this point. Have you actually played all of the Atari games? I have, and there are...

Moving to prime time.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I am a digital photography novice contemplating a digital SLR. In the December issue cover feature "Shoot like a Pro" you recommend the Canon EOS 400D. Your main negative comment in the review relates to the kit lens. You suggest that people...

Windows Home Server show starts.(Microsoft launched home server software)
March 1, 2007... Microsoft recently took the wraps off its highly anticipated home server software, the brains inside several products that are expected to ship this year. PC World sat down with a company representative to get a first look at what Microsoft...

CES: LG unveils combo HD players.(LG Electronics Inc. launched high defination DVD drive, "LG BH100")(Consumer Electronics Show 2007)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... LG took a big step at CES towards the end of the next-generation DVD format battle with the unveiling of a player and PC drive, which carry the "Super Multi Blue" brand, that support both the Blu-ray disc and HD-DVD formats. LG developed...

Macworld: iPhone faces uncertain market.(Apple's smart phone)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Apple's iPhone could be a hit in the high-end phone market, but the device that stunned Macworld Expo attendees is likely to have a narrow market, some analysts say. More a handheld computer than a phone, the iPhone runs Mac OS X and...

Picks and pans.(SWEET SPOT)
March 1, 2007... From the PC World team members who spent the week on Show Patrol in Las Vegas, here is our report on the great, the good, the bad and the horrible. WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL: Imagine a salad of MySpace, YouTube, Digg and Amazon's Marketplace...

CES: Intel debuts quad-core chips.(Intel Core 2 Quad micoprocessor)(Consumer Electronics Show 2007)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Seeking to build on its lead over rival AMD in the race to sell quad-core processors, Intel launched three at CES. One of the new chips, the Core 2 Quad, marks Intel's first attempt to spread the new technology to a wider market than large...

CES: ASUS boosts notebook graphics.(Asus Computer International, PCI-Express graphic cards)(Consumer Electronics Show 2007)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Notebook gamers rejoice! ASUS announced a first-of-its-kind device at CES that allows PCI-Express graphic cards from a desktop computer to be used with a notebook. The orange/grey toned docking station, dubbed the XG Station, connects into...

To the extreme: ASUS striker extreme.(motherboards)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... The first motherboard in ASUS' Republic of Gamers series was the Crosshair--built for AMD users. Now that Intel's Core 2 Duo has proven its superior performance to AMD's current CPUs, ASUS has released a board in the series that's ideal for...

Top-end performance: Gainward BLISS 8800GTS Golden Sample.(video cards)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... The Golden Sample distinction is an indicator that the card has faster than normal specifications. In the case of the BLISS 8800GTS Golden Sample--which uses NVIDIA's DirectX 10-ready GeForce 8800GTS chipset--the speeds of the memory and the...

Simple and small digital TV tuner: DVICO FusionHDTV DVB-T Home.(TV tuner cards)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... If you're after a simple digital TV tuner device for your PC, the FusionHDTV DVB-T Home is a solid choice. It's a half-height PCI device, which means it can fit into a regular tower PC case or a slimline media centre using the supplied...

Media-enabled notebook: Toshiba Qosmio G30 (PQG32A-01N003).(laptop computers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... The Toshiba Qosmio G30 is an excellent notebook that packs in some of the latest top-end hardware, including an HD-DVD player and an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU--although it is pricey. Its bulky chassis has a 17.1in LCD screen, and with the lid...

Affordable with security tools: Fujitsu Lifebook S6311.(laptop computers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Built with a certain air of class and constructed using quality hardware for a reasonable price, the Fujitsu Lifebook S6311 is a solid performer and shows you don't have to forego image for functionality. At only a resolution of 1024x768...

Great buy, colour laser: Fuji-Xerox Docuprint C2100.(color laser printers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Fuji-Xerox's DocuPrint C2100 is a colour laser printer with a retail price well under $1000, yet our tests reveal no performance compromise. The C2100 is aimed at the small to medium business market and it's also suitable for home office...

Wireless MFD: Lexmark X9350.(multifunction printers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Lexmark's new flagship multi-function device (MFD) can be used wirelessly. It comes with a built-in 802.11g adapter, which can run in ad-hoc mode or in infrastructure mode and is fairly easy to set up. When in ad-hoc mode, you can connect to...

Extra features for casual snappers: Canon Ixus 850 IS.(digital cameras)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... As we've come to expect from Canon's Ixus family of cameras, the 850 IS is beautifully constructed. The only slight blemish on the otherwise sumptuous exterior is the rather flimsy battery/SD card slot cover. That minor grumble aside, the Canon...

UMPC closer to the mark: ASUS R2H.(ultra mobile personal computers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... The first ultramobile PCs (UMPCs)--tablet-shaped, touch-screen handhelds that are larger than PDAs but smaller than notebooks--had limitations that detracted from their mainstream appeal. Judging by ASUS's R2H, however, UMPCs are starting to...

Get connected: Netgear HDXB101.(ethernet adapters)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Isn't it always the case that your TV ends up somewhere completely out of reach of your household network cabling? Now those problems are over, thanks to this pair of HDX101 Powerline adapters, bundled together as the Netgear HDXB101. The...

Sleek and portable storage device: Western Digital Passport (160GB).(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... External hard drives aren't exactly sexy, but the WD Passport with its glossy black finish gives it an appearance more akin to a desk ornament. Eye candy aside, the Passport is available in 80GB and 160GB sizes, using a relatively speedy...

First wireless Internet phone: Netgear SPH101.(smart phones)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... A revolutionary entry into the VoIP market, the Netgear SPH101, is the world's first wireless Internet phone. A fully-fledged Skype phone capable of connecting to a wireless network via Wi-Fi, the SPH101 comes pre-loaded with Skype on the...

Guard against online fraud: McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus, Symantec Norton Confidential.(network security software)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Many dangers threaten you on the Internet--even when you're just browsing the Web. McAfee's SiteAdvisor Plus, the fee-based sibling of the security software firm's free Site Advisor product, and Symantec's Norton Confidential focus on...

High-end PDF-creation program: Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.0.(portable document software)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Confusion reigns about Acrobat. Many people mistakenly believe that 'Acrobat' refers to the free PDF (portable document format) reader that's supplied with many applications. In fact, that product is known simply as Adobe Reader. It's easy to...

P2P file-share in complete secrecy: OnShare.(file sharing software)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Despite the scare stories about sharing copyrighted files, P2P (peer-to-peer) file-sharing has never been more popular. Indeed, OnShare expects file-sharing to constitute 65 per cent of all Web traffic in 2007. OnShare is different from other...

Office suite a worthy upgrade: Microsoft Office 2007.(business application suites)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... If you've followed Microsoft Office through its succession of lacklustre upgrades in recent years, you might be excused for yawning at the prospect of the 2007 version. Well, wake up: the 2007 Office System is easily the most compelling Office...

PC perk-ups.(43 HARDWARE SECRETS)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Add memory--and save Microsoft says Windows XP requires 64MB of RAM, which is plenty--if you're running simple programs such as Notepad. To run larger apps, Microsoft recommends 128MB of RAM, but your system will likely bog down without at...

Notebook helpers.(43 HARDWARE SECRETS)(Column)
March 1, 2007... Listen to music and take calls Using your notebook PC to listen to music or watch a movie in public may leave you tethered to the PC by the headphone cable. And when your mobile phone rings, you have to take the headphones off to get the...

Printer optimisers.
March 1, 2007... Stretch your ink budget Most printers let you extend your ink cartridges or toner by setting a draft mode that produces grey text, which is still perfectly readable. You'll also save by turning off colour printing; black ink and toner are...

Graphics enhancers.(43 HARDWARE SECRETS)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Wind up your graphics clock Hard-core gamers and PC power users squeeze every drop of performance out of their systems by pushing their CPU's clock frequency beyond the factory settings (see "Wring out more power" on page 37 for more on...

Wireless-network boosters.(43 HARDWARE SECRETS)
March 1, 2007... Set your peripherals free Any device with an Ethernet port can be untethered via a simple Wi-Fi-to-Ethernet bridge, which lets you move it around the house or place shared peripherals in a central location. The bridges cost about $50 to...

Digital-camera tweaks.(43 HARDWARE SECRETS)(Column)
March 1, 2007... Shoot the best quality Great photos start with the right camera settings. When you capture photos in JPEG mode, you can choose among several quality levels; the higher the quality, the fewer pictures you'll be able to fit on your camera's...

Media-player makeovers.(43 HARDWARE SECRETS)
March 1, 2007... Upgrade your acoustics There's no reason to punish your eardrums with the crummy set of ear buds that came with your portable media player. Laying out a few dollars for a pair of higher-end earphones can enhance your listening pleasure...

Top value PCs: our lab tests reveal some of the best bargains around, starting at $898.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... PC shopping has never been easier. There are plenty of systems for around $1500 that represent excellent value for money and you can even find a few under $1000 that are perfectly suited to running everyday applications at home or your small...

Digital photos: print them, share them, perfect them: you have more pictures than ever. These snapshot printers, photo sites, and free editing tools will help you make the most of your images.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... Snapping a shot is just the first step--afterward you want to edit it, make prints of it, and of course show it off. Find out which portable snapshot printer is tops for picture-printing portability, and which of the most popular online photo...

The next-gen gaming experiment: find the right console for you.(computer entertainment systems)(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2007... Which next-gen console offers the best overall experience? Well that depends on you, doesn't it. While the marketing campaigns for all three are in full effect preaching each of their killer features, technological superiorities and exclusive...

Test drive.
March 1, 2007... You don't need an expensive Blu-ray drive to boost your PO's optical storage, when there are loads of great-performing models at realistic prices. Of course, if you want to go cutting edge, we look at a high-definition heavyweight, too. ...

Best buys: PCs.(personal computers)(Buyers guide)(Table)
March 1, 2007... BEST BUYS PCs pc world TEST CENTRE FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS SUB-$1500 1 Plus Corporation Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 CPU (LGA775); Inspire 6400 DUO Intel 945G chipset;...

Best buys: notebooks.(laptop computers)(Buyers guide)(Table)
March 1, 2007... BEST BUYS NOTEBOOKS pc world TEST CENTRE FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS SUB-$2500 1 Acer Aspire 5634WLMi Intel T5600 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo CPU; Price: $1999 1GB 533MHz DDR2...

Best buys: ADSL2 modems.(asymmetric digital subscriber line)(wireless modems)(Buyers guide)(Table)
March 1, 2007... BEST BUYS ADSL2 MODEMS pc world TEST CENTRE ADSL2 MODEMS ADSL STANDARDS NETWORKING 1 Dynalink RTA1025W ADSL; ADSL2; ADSL2+ 4-port switch; DHCP Price: $179 ...

Best buys: graphics cards.(Buyers guide)(Table)
March 1, 2007... BEST BUYS GRAPHICS CARDS pc world TEST CENTRE MID-RANGE GRAPHICS CARDS SPECIFICATIONS 1 XpertVision 7600GT *** GeForce 7600GT chipset; Price: $209 12 pixel pipelines; vertex...

Best buys: tv turners.(TV tuner cards)(Buyers guide)(Table)
March 1, 2007... BEST BUYS TV TURNERS pc world TEST CENTRE MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Nebula DigiTV PCI PCI interface; SDTV, HDTV; DigiTV Price: $189 software, BDA driver in...

Best buys: motherboards.(Buyers guide)(Table)
March 1, 2007... BEST BUYS MOTHERBOARDS pc world TEST CENTRE CHIPSET MEMORY SLOTS AMD-BASED CPU SUPPORT MAXIMUM MEMORY MOTHERBOARDS CPU SOCKET PCI...

Best buys: inkjet-based multifunction devices.(Buyers guide)(Table)
March 1, 2007... BEST BUYS INKJET-BASED MULTIFUNCTION DEVICES pc world TEST CENTRE DIMENSIONS (WXDXH))/PAPER UNDER $150 ...

Upgrade or not?(upgrading the computers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Q My PC runs Windows Me (Millennium Edition) so I need to upgrade to XP or Vista. My system has an AMD Athlon 1.2GB processor, 256MB RAM and a 60MB hard drive. The simplest option is to buy the XP upgrade. But since my hard drive is six years...

Incomplete defrag.(disk defragmention on windows XP operating system)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Q When I run XP's defragmenter, it stops at 14 per cent and an error message says the defrag is complete, but some files could not be defragmented. The report shows 791 fragments with a size of 4.4GB that couldn't be defragmented. --Mal...

Strange icon.(external devices safety remove hardware message)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Q I use XP Home. A strange icon has appeared in my system tray. When I right-click it, the Safely Remove Hardware dialogue comes up. The only hardware connected to my PC can be unplugged by me without running any programs. Is it safe to...

Black screen.(graphics cards failure)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Q After a thunderstorm my PC will no longer show the desktop. It starts up XP and displays the message "Windows Loading", but then I get a blank screen. The same happens in Safe mode. --Sridhar Kunnavakkam A If you could start up in...

Frequency out of range.(graphics card failure)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Q I turned my PC on and it started to boot normally, but then displayed a black screen filled with horizontal lines. I received the error message: "Attention: Signal Frequency is out of range. Please change signal timing". I don't know why it...

Can't open document.(Microsoft Word 97)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Q I'm using Microsoft Word 97 on a Sony laptop that's running Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2). Whenever I click on a Word document to open it, I receive the message: "Word cannot open the document. Try one of the following: On the file menu,...

Mail blocked.(trouble sending e-mails to Canada and some UK locations using Outlook Express)
March 1, 2007... Q I am having trouble sending e-mails to Canada and some UK locations using Outlook Express. I can receive e-mail okay, but my e-mails are rejected and I receive the message: "This is the SMTP Server program at host me.freeserve.com. I'm sorry...

Perform a safe mode cleanup.(by removing all unnecessary drivers in Safe mode)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... If you have problems with conflicting devices, performing a cleanup by removing all unnecessary drivers in Safe mode may help. A cleanup will force Windows to reinstall drivers for the devices you use, reassigning the resources used and...

Hacked!(e-mail account)
March 1, 2007... Q I have been receiving hundreds of e-mails to notify me that e-mails I am supposed to have sent cannot be delivered. But I have not sent any e-mails and don't even recognise the addresses that they were sent to. Recently, my Internet banking...

Make windows search more powerful.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Do you find that Windows Search isn't much use? Does it fail to find files that you know are there? It searches only files with a known file type, so it won't look at documents with odd extensions. To change this behaviour, start the...

A cleaner PC: dirt and dust can damage your rig and hurt its performance. Fight back!
March 1, 2007... It's still a few months until you begin spring-cleaning, but if your PC's insides are dirty, that could make for a sluggish system. Here's how to whip things into shape. The Hassle: My PC overheats (the motherboard monitor beeps) toward...

Heat-monitoring apps protect your PC.(personal computer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Overheating is a sure sign your PC is dirty. But unless you have a tool to monitor your CPU, you won't have a clue if the system is nearing a meltdown. Here are a couple of programs I like. If one doesn't work, try the other. SpeedFan watches...

Agents run amok: plus: good-bye to Firefox 1.5 support; software incompatibilities with IE 7.(HERE'S HOW: BUGS & FIXES)
March 1, 2007... Microsoft's "cute" animations, like the infamous Office Clippy, have aroused more ire than grateful praise, but they didn't actually do any harm--until now. The part of Windows behind the animated yellow dog helper in Windows search, called...

Mozilla ending Firefox 1.5 support.(Mozilla Foundation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... You now have a deadline to upgrade your browser: Mozilla announced that it won't release any patches for Firefox 1.5 after April 24, 2007. That's a fast end-of-life given that Firefox 2.0 came out only at the end of October. The update to...

A month of bugs.
March 1, 2007... Expect more bug disclosures than ever: hackers embarked on an escapade to find and publicise one new bug in kernels (the heart of operating systems) every day during November. Online attackers had a months-long romp creating exploits for...

MySpace invaders: promote yourself and make friends online with your own MySpace.
March 1, 2007... Building a Web site used to be a complicated affair. Getting to grips with constructing a site was best left to the professionals. Thankfully, things have got a lot simpler and, these days, almost anyone can carve out their own slice of...

Seasonal shifts: control the seasonal look of your images using Photoshop.
March 1, 2007... The change from summer to autumn is a wonderful time for photographers. The most dramatic indication of the seasonal shift is the change seen in tree leaves. This can provide photographic opportunities as long as you have access to the right...

You shall have telly wherever you go: take mobile TV to the next level by watching pay and free-to-air TV wherever you like.
March 1, 2007... As Dorothy said, there's no place like home and one of home's great comforts is the familiarity of the TV programs--even the ads. Well, click your heels and you might just get your wish. Slingbox (www.slingmedia.com) is a nifty little...

Under lock and key: secure open ports to protect your files from prying eyes.
March 1, 2007... While most virus and security threats stem from the Internet, there is another, seemingly innocuous, carrier of infection. And many of us leave our PCs completely defenceless. These days, with sophisticated firewalls, antivirus and spyware...

Speed up tasks with customised menus: speed up tasks with customised menus.(HERE'S HOW: BUSINESS)
March 1, 2007... With the new version of Microsoft's Office suite released in January 2007, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for many companies to upgrade. Although Office 2007 is touted as having better workflow functionality, including much...

Music, the way you want it: give your old music collection a new lease of life.
March 1, 2007... The iPod has revolutionised my life. Ever since I forked out my hard-earned cash for this electronic saviour, I cannot think of a single minute when it hasn't come to my aid at appropriate times. Be it on the bus journey to and from work,...

Rainbow Six Vegas.(computer action games)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... In Tom Clancy's latest Rainbow Six game, a band of international terrorists have infiltrated the famous Las Vegas Strip and only you can stop them from blowing all the casinos to smithereens. Hmm... dilemmas... As with previous games in...

Bubble bag.(Belkin Corp. launched laptop computer bags)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The PocketTop is a bubble-shaped notebook bag designed solely for using around the house. To make life simpler, the bag is designed to save you from having to go back and forth to get all your gear just to set up your notebook in the next...

Need for Speed Carbon.(Electronic Arts Inc.'s new computer racing games)
March 1, 2007... Publishing juggernaut EA are strong believers in the 'if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it' approach to game design. Most of the sequels they release are really just minor revisions with a few superficial tweaks and enhancements thrown in. At first...

Music to my ears.
March 1, 2007... Astone's i-PODiUM is a portable speaker system that not only works with Apple's iPod range, but also with Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP), Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones and any other portable music player on the market. Astone's...

Cringely capable.(BYTESBACK)
March 1, 2007... Apple Computer is now Apple Inc: That was the news from Macworld Expo, where Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, not to be confused with the iPhone that Cisco's Linksys division has announced. I hear Jobs has challenged Cisco CEO John Chambers to a...