Australian PC World articles from May 2007

Australian PC World archives from May 2007

Real world Vista.
May 1, 2007... Networking hassles between Vista and XP? Important software no longer working with the new OS? Or is everything running to plan? This month, as the Vista feedback starts to pour in, we give you the good oil from those in the know--people just...

Cop it sweet.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Bungling telcos, who's to blame? So read the heading of Gary Cameron's letter in the January issue. Personally, I believe we the voters are to blame for allowing our elected government to privatise Telstra. The government now owns a mere 17 per...

A dream media centre experience.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I am writing to give your excellent magazine credit where it is due, and hopefully benefit your readers. Last year you provided a review of the Pioneer Computers DreamVision ViiV Mini PC, and without that review I would not have known about or...

Beware scanner software.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I purchased a new HP notebook PC recently with Vista installed. After loading some software I found that Internet Explorer had stopped working. I contacted HP Service Centre and they went through the various checks, in the end we restored the...

Missive of the month.(READERS' FORUM)
May 1, 2007... Congratulations to Sasha Pazeski! You are this month's winner of a year's subscription to Australian PC World magazine--that's 12 months of all the best PC news, reviews, tutorials and opinions from Australia's leading magazine for PC...

Discount on Office Ultimate 2007.(STARTUP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)(Microsoft Proprietary Ltd.)
May 1, 2007... In a pilot marketing campaign called "It's Not Cheating" Microsoft is practically giving away its $1150 Office Ultimate 2007 suite to Australian university students for just $75. That is, if its Windows Live OneCare phishing warnings don't...

Return of the Commodore 64.(STARTUP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)(Commodore Australia introducing gaming PCs)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The brand responsible for the most famous computer of the 1980s--the C64--is back with a new range of gaming PCs. Proudly sporting the Commodore logo, these premium PCs will be tailor-made for garners with the highest specifications available....

$162m for broadband blackspots.(STARTUP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)(Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts of Australia announced Australian Broadband Guarantee)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Remote areas across Australia still without broadband Internet access are set to benefit from $162.5 million in additional funds. The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts announced the Australian Broadband...

AMD releases PC chipset with ATI graphics.(STARTUP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)(Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s 690)(Radeon X1250)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... AMD has announced the availability of its 690 chipset, the company's first integrated chipset for AMD processors that includes the ATI Radeon X1250 graphics processor. Integrating the Radeon X1250 graphics processor into the 690 chipset...

Living with Vista: first 30 days.(VISTA REPORT)
May 1, 2007... In PC World's recent online survey of nearly 1000 early Vista adopters, slightly more than a third said they were very satisfied with the new OS. Another third reported being satisfied overall, bat not exactly wowed; nearly one in four were...

Mind control for games.(STARTUP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)(Emotiv Systems' Project Epoc helmet)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Video game players might soon use their thoughts to control on-screen characters, if they wear a helmet being developed by Emotiv Systems. The "Project Epoc" headset detects brainwaves using technology similar to electroencephalography...

'3-D screen' launched.(STARTUP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)(io2Technology Heliodisplay)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Remember the Star Wars Princess Leia hologram? Now you can have your very own mid-air display. IO2 Technology's Heliodisplay technology can project a two-dimensional mid-air image with up to 1024x1024 resolution. The projected image appears...

Style and substance: Sony VAIO VGO-LA38G.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Sony has always been known for innovative style, which is why it's no surprise to see the VAIO label on this chic notebook. We were impressed by every facet of the design, especially the transparent frame, flip-up keyboard and half-screen...

Jack of all trades: Hewlett-Packard Pavilion a5060a.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... The HP Pavilion a5060a looks sleek and has an interesting new feature--a removable hard drive bay, which gives casual PC users some useful functionality, it runs fairly quietly, allows for some basic upgrades, and will handle a number of...

Extreme power: Altech NRG Tornado eXtreme.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... For serious gaming and power PC users, the Altech NRG Tornado eXtreme can't be ignored. Glowing with blue LEDs, and humming with some of the latest hardware, the Altech NRG Tornado eXtreme is far from being a discrete home PC. With two...

Entertaining in short bursts: LG W1 Pro Express Dual.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... The W1 Pro Express Dual Mobile Entertainer from LG is a sleek notebook PC with reasonable media centre functionality and plenty of power, but it falls down in some areas. The W1 Pro Express Dual Mobile Entertainer uses an Intel Core 2 Duo...

Easy to use tablet: Lenovo Thinkpad X60 Tablet.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... The Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet is a hybrid notebook/tablet PC that is easily converted by rotating the screen. The ultraportable X60 Tablet is very similar in build and performance to the X60 notebook, however, the new ThinkPad provides added...

Fast and user-friendly: ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus.(motherboard)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... The P5N32-E SLI Plus is a very fast board that has a good amount of connectivity and plenty of BIOS features to tinker with. Setting up the board proved to be a painless task, as all components have plenty of legroom for installation. The...

Tough all-rounder: Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4.(motherboard)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... With its solid capacitors, robust BIOS design and heat-pipe cooling solution, the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4 motherboard is 'ultra durable'. Despite the high-end components that went into the construction of this board, it's priced competitively...

Great value LCD: Viewsonic VX2235wm LCD monitor.(liquid crystal display)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... The VX2235wm is a 22in widescreen LCD monitor with a native resolution of 1680x1050 pixels. During our testing, we found no problems at all when it came to image quality, but the integrated speakers were well below average. When you take the...

Big on a budget: MAG Innovision XP2211W.(colour monitors)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... With a native resolution of 1680x1050, the MAG XP2211W is a decent widescreen monitor for those who want a larger display (22in) for a relatively cheap price. Its listed specifications are impressive considering its price point. The 22in...

Wire-free broadband: Unwired Wireless Card.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Unwired's Wireless Card is a good option for wireless broadband for the home, but unfortunately it can't be used while on the road. However, it provides good download speed and its PC Card form factor is convenient for notebook users. We...

Wirelessly reliable: Optus Wireless Connect Card.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... The Optus Wireless Connect card offers decent speeds and excellent mobile coverage. Using a PCMCIA data card, the package is easy to set up and includes effective software. Optus Wireless Connect allows users to access three different...

Pocket PC with Satnav: HP iPaq RX5700 Travel Companion.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Satnav, a feature that was once found only in the most expensive cars, is increasingly crammed on to the screens of smartphones and PDAs and hidden beneath the passenger seat of rusty bangers. The latest addition to HP's iPaq line-up runs...

Versatile all-rounder camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9600.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Compact cameras don't come much bigger than this. In fact, very few SLR (single lens reflex) digicams are larger than the Fujifilm FinePix S9600. Despite its bulk, the S9600 is quite a handsome piece of kit, with a chiselled, distinctly rugged...

Good all rounder: ASUS Digital Home D22.(media center PC)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Sporting a relatively slim design, a dual-core processor, two digital TV tuners and 250GB of storage, the ASUS Digital Home D22 is a fairly competent media centre PC. While we'd have really liked to see high-definition tuners on the device, it...

Migrate files from XP to Vista: Belkin Easy Transfer Cable and Laplink PCmover.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Moving tends to be stressful and migrating apps and files from a Windows XP PC to a Windows Vista system is no exception. Belkin's Easy Transfer Cable for Windows Vista ($79.95) and Laplink's PCmover for Windows Vista ($89) can do some (though...

Symantec rewrites antivirus code: Norton AntiVirus 2007.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... These days antivirus protection is a necessity for any PC user, and Norton has long been one of the most trusted apps. The latest release, which is part of the Internet Security suite reviewed in our January issue (page 36), does nothing to...

Animation and 3-D modeling: Poser 7.0.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Given Poser's background as a modelling program for illustrators, it's something of a surprise that it is animators who have most to gain from the arrival of Poser 7.0. Its most impressive new features, such as automatic lip-synching for models...

Clear away the clutter: Adobe Photoshop CS3.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Brimming with so many image-editing tools, the biggest challenge will be where to stuff them all. This latest version of Photoshop adds tools and enhancements, but notably it has an effective approach to organising palettes. I tried out...

Realistic digital art: Corel Painter X.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Corel's painter graphics program has always been about using technology to blur the line between art and reality. Painter's tools simulate real art supplies, from oil paints to felt-tip pens, and it can turn photos into gorgeous paintings....

Media editing made easy: CyberLink DVD Suite 5.0 Pro.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Formerly known as DVD Solution, DVD Suite 5.0 Pro is the latest software multitool from CyberLink. Boasting ten-in-one functionality, the suite allows users to play, author, burn, archive, copy and rip various media, in addition to editing...

Make the move to mobile.
May 1, 2007... Taking your business essentials on the road with you can be a daunting experience--especially when everything you use has been tailor-made for your office set-up. Frankly, size does matter and contrary to popular opinion, tiny tackle is best....

35 things every PC user should know: want to speed up your broadband connection? Diagnose mysterious crashes? Move massive files across the Internet? Sooner or later, you will--and you'll find step-by-step instructions for these and other common PC tasks right here.
May 1, 2007... Find out what your PC is really up to The Windows task Manager provides a good start when you try to discover what programs are running on your system, but it's only a first step. For more-detailed data, you need another tool. Your best...

Chatter boxes: want fast and easy to use VoIP with good sound quality? We review the latest VoIP gear to hand, plus discuss whether VoIP is right for your telephony needs.(TRENDnet Clearsky)(Philips VOIP433)(Philips VOIP321)(ASUS Ai Guru S1)(Sitecom IT-002)(voice over internet protocol)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... In recent years, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has become an attractive cost-cutting alternative to traditional landline services. Simply put, it is the cheapest method of telephony communication available to consumers. Although the...

Print & scan without wires: small office and home environments need space saving solutions that cut the cable clutter. The latest crop of do-it-all printers provide built-in wireless options so you can print from any device--even your mobile phone. We put the best to the test.(Belkin Wireless G All-In-One Print Server)(Brother MFC-665CW)(Canon Pixma MP600R)(HP Photosmart C7180)(Lexmark X9350)(Epson Stylus Photo RX590)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Having a multi-function device (MFD) with a built-in wireless networking adapter can make sharing your printer and scanner functions amongst many computers a simple and productive procedure. A small office environment can benefit greatly...

Wireless wonders.(BEST BUYS: TOP HARDWARE, REVIEWED AND RATED)(testing strategy)
May 1, 2007... There's no doubt that wireless networks have made our lives a lot easier when it comes to sharing data and accessing the Internet. With a wireless MFD you can also make printing and scanning functions easy to access across more than one...

PCs.(BEST BUYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
May 1, 2007... PCs [pc world TEST CENTRE] SUB-$1500 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Plus Corporation Inspire 6400 DUO Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 CPU Price: $1499 (LGA775); Intel 945G chipset;...

Notebooks.(BEST BUYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
May 1, 2007... NOTEBOOKS [pc world TEST CENTRE] SUB-$2500 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Acer Aspire 5634BWLMi Intel T5600 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo Price: $1999 CPU; 1GB 533MHz DDR2...

Graphics cards.(BEST BUYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
May 1, 2007... GRAPHICS CARDS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MID-RANGE GRAPHICS CARDS SPECIFICATIONS 1 PowerColor Radeon X1950 Pro Radeon X1950Pro chipset; Extreme 512MB 512MB GDDR3 memory; 594MHz Price: $300 ...

TV tuners.(BEST BUYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
May 1, 2007... TV TUNERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Nebula DigiTV PCI PCI interface; SDTV, HDTV; DigiTV Price: $175 software, BOA driver in...

DVD burners.(BEST BUYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
May 1, 2007... DVD BURNERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL CD SPEEDS DVD SPEEDS 1 ASUS DRW-1814BLT CD-ROM 48x DVD-ROM 16x, DVD-R 18x, Price: $79 CD-RW 32x DVD+R 18x, DVD-RW 6x,...

Motherboards.(BEST BUYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
May 1, 2007... MOTHERBOARDS [pc world TEST CENTRE CHIPSET MEMORY SLOTS AMD-BASED CPU SUPPORT MAXIMUM MEMORY MOTHERBOARDS CPU SOCKET ...

Inkjet-based multi-function devices.(BEST BUYS)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)
May 1, 2007... INKJET-BASED MULTI-FUNCTION DEVICES [pc world TEST CENTRE] DIMENSIONS (WXDSH)/ ...

Limitations.(PC user accounts)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q For security reasons, I set my PC up so that the working user accounts are limited accounts. Now I am experiencing several problems that do not occur when I am logged-in as Administrator. Photoshop Elements crashes if I try to connect to my...

Won't boot after update.(WINDOWS XP)(computers maintenance)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q After an Automatic Update finished, a message said "Updates installed. Restart Computer". I clicked on Restart Now and the PC shut down, but failed to restart. It still won't start from power up. I have tried the Last known good...

Salvage operation.(HARDWARE)(how to restore CDs after hard drive crash)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q I had a major hard drive crash on my Dell desktop PC. Reinstalling from the restore CD was unsuccessful, so I obtained a replacement hard drive. There is some data on the original drive that wasn't backed up. I have connected the drive using...

Avoid rogue anti-spyware.(TOP TIP)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Yon shouldn't trust everything you see on the Internet--and never is this more true than in the realm of troubleshooting and security software. Don't take it for granted that a product is anti-spyware just because it says it is. And don't...

Difficult starter.(HARDWARE)(to restart computer)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q MY home-built PC has run well for five years, but now won't start up when switched off at the mains. While unplugged, it won't restart and the fan doesn't run. If I leave it plugged-in overnight it will usually start up, but boot-up stops...

Missing NTLDR.(SYSTEM)(NT Loader, boot loader for Windows NT)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q When I try to boot my Toshiba notebook, I get the message "NTLDR is missing". --Mike Brown A This error message can occur because the computer is trying to boot from a nonbootable disk. Hopefully it is just trying to boot from a CD...

Lost the padlock.(INTERNET)(Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q I've just installed IE7, but I have discovered that on secure sites the padlock icon doesn't appear. Is this normal, or should I revert to Internet Explorer 6.0? --Kenneth Childs A A lot of people have been confused by the fact that...

Dangerous file?(ZoneAlarm)(SAService .exe)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q ZoneAlarm keeps telling me that SAService .exe is trying to connect to the Internet. I don't know what it is so I don't allow it. Is it dangerous? --Brian Prior A It's a pity ZoneAlarm couldn't have given you a bit more information...

Too much talk?(Skype application)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q I want to use Skype, but am worried that it will quickly eat into my 2GB download limit. Need I worry? --Frank Mallows A That's a good question, Frank. Many businesses have taken steps to block the use of Skype by users, because it...

ZoneAlarm shut down.(Microsoft Service Pack 2 for Windows XP)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Q When I shut down Windows XP SP2, a window appears to say that ZoneAlarm isn't responding before it closes. --Bill Harrison A Windows is in a bit too much of a hurry to shut down, Bill, but the way some programs are written means that...

How to get the security tab in Windows XP home.(operating systems)(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Windows XP Home Edition does not have a Security tab on the Properties page of files and folders. If you want to change the access permissions for files and folders, you have to use the command line utility CACLS, which is quite difficult....

A faster hard drive: defrag your hard drive the right way; remove big, useless files; find duplicates.(HERE'S HOW: HASSLE-FREE PC)(Microsoft Windows Disk Defragmenter)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Have you uncovered the secret to a faster drive yet? It's removing unnecessary files and defragging your drive. I've got the tools and tricks, so read on... The Hassle: I ran the Windows Disk Defragmenter, but when I tried another...

IE flaw resurfaces: plus: more office holes, and a major adobe problem that affects all browsers.(HERE'S HOW: BUGS & FIXES)
May 1, 2007... It's bad enough when crooks exploit bugs to ruin a home computer, but the consequences of a successful attack can be much worse. A substitute teacher in Norwich, Connecticut, found that out when a computer she was using in her classroom...

Early Vista bug.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Windows Vista may be much more secure than previous versions of Windows, but don't let your guard down just yet. Microsoft has acknowledged a privilege-escalation bug that affects XP and Vista alike. The problem, though not nearly as dangerous...

Adobe PDF bug eases way for thieves.(portable document software)(Acrobat and Reader)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Adobe has patched a new problem with cross-site scripting (or XSS) in its Acrobat and Reader browser plug-ins that, according to security researchers, gave criminals an incredibly simple way to enter your system. Adobe says attackers could...

Quicktime flaw.(Apple Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Apple has patched another critical hole in its popular media software that affects both the Mac OS X and Windows (XP and 2000) versions. First revealed by the "Month of Apple Bugs" online project, the flaw enables attacks that use poisoned...

Spread the fun: Vista makes it fun to store and use media files. Learn how in this column.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Windows Vista is already creating a lot of myths. Among other things, readers have expressed concern about whether buying an upgrade version of the operating system limits you to a single installation on a single PC. They also want to know...

Two OSes, one PC: not ready to drop windows for Linux quite yet? Why not dual-boot!(HERE'S HOW: LINUX)(operating system)
May 1, 2007... Linux rocks!" "No, it's lame--stick with Windows!" Visit any Web site or online forum where impassioned computer users debate the relative merits of operating systems, and you'll find endless disagreement. The only way to determine which...

Double (no) trouble.(HERE'S HOW: WINDOWS)(Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Despite Microsoft's latest attempts to preach to the converted, it's clear that their new OS (operating system) costs a lot more than its predecessor. It's also obvious that it's far less expensive to perform an upgrade than it is to buy...

Get web-protected: pummel online threats with pumped up security settings in IE.(internet explorer)
May 1, 2007... There's not much to compare with the purchase of a new computer, and since most now ship with the shiny new Vista operating system, the time is surely right to update that old beige box that's been sitting in the corner of your lounge for the...

Tweaks for free: free tools can be as good as expensive ones--we show you why.(HERE'S HOW: IMAGING)(GIMP 2.2)(Column)
May 1, 2007... I've always held firm to the belief that there's no such thing as a free lunch. But as evidenced by my headshot above, I'm more than happy to test this age-old theory. Then last year I was invited to a VIP football "freebie" with dinner...

Network evolution: not sure how networking works: under Vista? Fear not, we have everything you need to know.(HERE'S HOW: NETWORK)(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Column)
May 1, 2007... How times have changed. When Windows 95 was released 12 years ago, network support was a standard feature. The supported network standards were limited, however. You either used NetBEUI to set up a peer network or IPX to connect to a Novell...

Combat local crime: an encrypted hard drive ensures your data is protected from prying eyes and theft.(HERE'S HOW: SECURITY)
May 1, 2007... Whether it's the result of bitter experience, or scare stories in the press, most of us have finally latched on to the fact that we can't afford to be too laissez-faire with our personal information. And we generally know better than to go...

A problem sharing: you've got contact lists on your PC, but how do you sync them with your mobile phone?(HERE'S HOW: BUSINESS)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Working across multiple PCs can be a headache. All too often you'll be working from home and suddenly realise that a vital file is stored on your computer at work, or on a colleague's hard drive. Thankfully, the filesharing software market is...

PS3 launch games special.(AUSTRALIAN GAMEPRO)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... LAST MONTH, THE PLAYSTATION 3 FINALLY ENTERED AUSTRALIAN STORES IN ALL ITS SHINY BLACK GLORY. SINCE THEN, OUR TRUSTY GAME REVIEWERS HAVE BEEN PLAYING AND TESTING EVERY LAUNCH TITLE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW SYSTEM. IF YOU PLAN TO PICK UP A PS3--FOR...

Jade Empire: Special Edition.(computer role playing game)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... FOR FANS OF Kung Fu * Fable * RPG Jade Empire is a role-playing kung fu game based on ancient Chinese mythology. At first, the game doesn't appear to be any different from any other RPG, or very challenging, but as you progress further...

Europa Universalis III.(computer game)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... FOR FANS OF Europa Universalis II * History * Strategy The ambitious Europa Universalis series is famous for its grand scale--offering 350 years of historically flavoured gameplay. This time around, the developers have redesigned large...

Cringely capable.
May 1, 2007... Dell seeks clue! Apparently Dell is too big for even Michael D. to run by himself. So the company has created the Digg-like Dell Idea Storm (www. dellideastorm.com), where would-be CEOs can offer their 2 cents on how to run the show. At press...