Australian PC World articles from October 2003

Australian PC World archives from October 2003

What a blast! Windows XP has been spruiked as an easy-to-use OS for all. In the wake of the recent wide spread of Internet worms, Microsoft has finally realised that it needs an easy and pain-free way to deliver critical updates in order to encourage people to secure their PCs.(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... The assault on your PC went up a notch recently following the Blaster worm, which spread at the speed of wildfire, quickly followed by the virulent Sobig.F virus. Even if you battened down your Internet hatches, you were likely to be caught in...

Microsoft ordered to pay up in patent dispute.
October 1, 2003... A US jury has ordered Microsoft to pay $US520.6 million in damages to a technology company and the University of California after finding that Microsoft's Web browser infringed on a patent. In the case, Eolas Technologies and the university...

Iomega develops 1.5GB mini disk.
October 1, 2003... Iomega has developed a new magnetic storage disk for use in portable multimedia devices, which is the size of a large coin and can store 1.5GB of data. The Digital Capture Technology (DCT) system is still in the prototype stage and Iomega...

Long wait for Longhorn.(Analysis News)
October 1, 2003... Longhorn, the next major release of Windows, is "a bit scary", Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates said recently. Scary to computer users, that is, because Longhorn products will be very different from today's Microsoft...

Security boost for IM.(Analysis News)
October 1, 2003... Zone Labs is jumping into the instant messaging (IM) security fray, but unlike most vendors Zone Labs will first target consumers and wants to secure IM on the desktop instead of the server. The company, known for its ZoneAlarm firewall,...

4GB CF card launched.(Analysis News)
October 1, 2003... Lexar Media has begun shipping a 4GB CompactFlash card. It's the largest-capacity f ash memory card of any format currently available, but comes with seine potential compatibility problems. One of the problems lies in the physical size of...

Company claims lightest MP3 player yet.
October 1, 2003... A South Korean company has developed what is one of the smallest and lightest MP3 players to date. The circular EMP-Z is 42mm in diameter, 10mm thick and weighs a scant 15g. Its size means that the device is small enough and light enough...

ACCC support of chipping labelled 'ludicrous'.
October 1, 2003... Sony Australia managing director, Michael Ephraim, has taken a swipe at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after the government's consumer watchdog expressed disappointment following a court decision to ban the sale of...

Easier Linux battles XP.(Analysis News)
October 1, 2003... Linux, once viewed as an operating system only geeks could appreciate, is today a much more user-friendly software that companies, public administrations and consumers can master almost as easily as Microsoft's Windows XP. That's the finding of...

Telstra's Wi-Fi assault.(Analysis News)
October 1, 2003... Throwing its weight behind the increasingly popular wireless broadband movement, Telstra has launched its first national Wi-Fi service. Telstra Wireless Hotspots are now operating in 17 locations across the country, including Qantas Club...

Real to build open media player.
October 1, 2003... RealNetworks is launching a project to build an open source media player, offering to give Linux, UNIX and Solaris users the same media playback and support capabilities available from the company's RealOne Player for Windows and Mac systems....

AMD demos Alchemy-based PDA.
October 1, 2003... Chip maker AMD has recently been showing off a reference design for a PDA based on its Alchemy Au1100 processor running Linux. The Au1100-based PDA reference design runs Metrowerks's Linux-based OpenPDA suite of software. OpenPDA includes...

Consumers are confused.(Broadband)
October 1, 2003... Broadband service providers should take more responsibility for educating customers about the specifications of broadband products, industry representatives claim. Representatives from several service providers agree that although industry...

Small businesses jump at broadband.(Broadband Briefs)
October 1, 2003... Around 41 per cent of Australia's small businesses are connected to the Internet via a broadband connection, a new report claims. Pacific Internet's inaugural Barometer Business Broadband Report, released in July, found approximate]y...

BigPond pushes ISDN as ADSL alternative.(Broadband Briefs)
October 1, 2003... Telstra BigPond has unveiled a new ISBN home product as an alternative for those who can't get ADSL. The new volume-based BigPond ISDN plan gives consumers access to both 128Kbps download and upload speeds across their existing copper line...

Delving into dual booting.(Readers' Forum)
October 1, 2003... The August issue's In Depth article on Dual Booting Windows 98 and XP (page 133) is one of the best articles I have read on this subject. Can you please advise on suggested partition sizes for each partition recommended? I have an 80GB...

Sluggish dial-up.(Readers' Forum)
October 1, 2003... I have just purchased the September issue of your fine magazine and was drawn to the letter from Chris Mills included in your editorial--particularly the part "I regularly get connection speeds of as little as 16Kbps and often have trouble...

Radeon-killing notebook graphics performance.(Readers' Forum)
October 1, 2003... I'd just like to congratulate you on putting together the Best Buys section in PC World magazine. It has become an awesome reference point for value-for-money purchases. One quick question: any idea when you will be reviewing the Hi-Grade...

Missive of the month.(Readers' Forum)
October 1, 2003... Congratulations to Chris Adams! You are this month's winner of a copy of PublishPDF Pro software, from Mannacom. This great software--valued at $199.95 --is a fast and cost-effective way to create PDF files. We are pleased to receive your...

Dilbert[R].(Readers' Forum)
October 1, 2003... HELP ME INTERVIEW A CANDIDATE FOR ENGINEERING. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I THINK HE'S TERRIFIC! UH-OH [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ACCORDING TO YOUR RESUME, PAUL, YOU INVENTED E-COMMERCE. WOW! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Wireless PDA and more: Blackberry 7230.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... Research In Motion's BlackBerry is a PDA with a built-in GPRS modem, so there's no dialling in--e-mail is delivered to your handset automatically and sent when you press send. As well as being a handheld e-mail terminal, the BlackBerry is a...

Barebones PC: Slim PC.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... Based on Intel Pentium 4 technology and a small form factor ATX motherboard, this QDI barebones system (it ships with only case and motherboard) will accommodate 533MHz front side bus CPUs and up to 2GB of memory. This system is not as...

The black pearl: Desktop Board D865PERL.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... Few people are aware that Intel makes and sells motherboards for consumers. They are usually very plain boards focused on reliability rather than extravagance. With the release of the D865PERL, though, Intel has shipped a reliable board with...

Easy Web editing tool: Contribute 2.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... It doesn't seem very long ago that we first looked at Macromedia Contribute, the $226 desktop Web maintenance tool designed to make Web content updates easy for everyone. This second release adds a few new features, including greater security...

Stronger protection: ZoneAlarm Pro 4.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... Zone Labs ZoneAlarm has always been a reliable firewall, and the latest Pro version continues this tradition. In my informal testing, it easily fended off port scans while simultaneously keeping a close eye on Internet-enabled applications. ...

Minor evolution: PowerShot G5.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... With 5 megapixel cameras proliferating, Canon's popular PowerShot G series arrives at the party a bit late. Nonetheless, the $1599 PowerShot G5 keeps Canon's advanced model competitive with Nikon's 5000 series and Olympus's C-5050, both of...

See and be seen: Web camera.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... Apple has a gift for taking existing technologies and making them more simple and elegant to use--and that talent has never been more evident than with the company's new $259 iSight Web camera. I tested the unit with the beta version of the...

Server operating system: Windows Server 2003.(First Looks)
October 1, 2003... It may have been delayed, but Microsoft's latest server operating system has been well worth the wait. Some three years in the making, Windows Server 2003 is more an evolutionary than a revolutionary upgrade to its predecessor, Server 2000. The...

Slim and trim player.(Latest hard disk and CD MP3 players)
October 1, 2003... Two new though very different players will supply hours of audio playback--just decide if you prefer a CD-based unit (from iRiver) or a hard disk-based one (from Creative). At just 13.7mm thick and weighing 145g, the iMP-550 is touted as...

Sturdy and beefy player.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... If the 700MB capacity of the iRiver SlimX iMP-550 is not enough to meet your MP3 needs, then a hard disk-based player may be more to your liking. Creative's latest incarnation of the Nomad Jukebox, the Zen NX, holds a beefy 20GB of MP3...

Slim speakers, intriguing style.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... This sleekly styled 2.1 speaker system features two slim 9W satellite speakers and a 30W RMS wood-enclosed sub-woofer with side-mounted speaker and front bass port. Creative has opted to use two titanium micro drivers on the front of each...

A3 inkjet printer.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... Canon knows how to combine its own technology with great print quality and speedy delivery in its Bubble Jet printers, and the A3 i6500 is no exception. You won't get the best value for money in terms of running costs, but it's surprisingly...

PageManager 6: digitise your paper trail.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... In any small office, it's a never-ending task to manage the waves of paper documents that wash in each day as regularly and irresistibly as the tide. NewSoft's $US80 Presto PageManager 6 helps you keep your head above water, and has tools to...

Flat-panel display.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... The FlexScan L695 adds two new features to Eizo's line-up of flat-panel displays. ActiveRotation can display images in portrait or landscape mode with no need for extra software. The L695 uses a USB connection, so switching between modes can be...

DVD dual recorder drive.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... La Cie is covering every base with the release of its all-format DVD writer. It offers 12x4x2x (rewrite/write/read) facilities for bath DVD-RW and DVD+RW as well as 32x16x10x CD facilities. It also has duel connectivity options, so it can hook...

Compress and encrypt.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... Since its launch in 1991, WinZip has become one of the most popular programs for compressing and encrypting files for storage or sending. The latest version builds on the strengths of its predecessors by offering greater capacity, enhanced...

Compact and stylish personal digital assistant.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... Sony has once again updated its family of Clie handheld organisers. The SJ22 is the new entry-level model and, while it doesn't feature any new and exciting technology, it once again redefines this product category in terms of price. ...

Dual action gaming.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... Logitech's dual-action pad offers lightweight and easy controls for games enthusiasts. The device features two rubber capped analog joysticks which provide gamers with 360[degrees] action control, and the D-pad allows more precise movement...

USB 2.0 media reader & writer.(Quick Takes)
October 1, 2003... Using a USB 2.0 connection that is up to 40 times faster than its predecessor, the Belkin media writer allows users of flash memory-based devices--such as digital cameras and PDAs--to rapidly transfer data from a media card to their PC and vice...

Graphics with the GIMP.(LinuxWorld)
October 1, 2003... The GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP for short, is a high-quality 2D bitmap graphics creation and editing tool. The GIMP is included in most Linux distributions, and also can be downloaded from www.gimp.org. It is a part of Knoppix, the...

E-mail evolves: new products and Web services are designed to help you fight the battle of in-box overload.(Web & You)
October 1, 2003... THE E-MAIL PROGRAM you're using today hasn't changed much from the time when a handful of messages--not hundreds--was a full in-box. But now, after years of stagnation, e-mail technology has got a second wind. A flock of new programs and Web...

Pain-free windows tweaks: want to fix nagging Windows irritations and automate everyday tasks? With these surprisingly simple Registry and batch file tips, it's not brain surgery.
October 1, 2003... EVERYBODY'S GOT THEIR OWN WINDOWS PET PEEVE, whether it's the operating system's habit of shifting your desktop icons around or its proclivity for putting all the wrong files in your Recent Documents folder. While you can fix many Windows woes...

The entertainers: a PC in the lounge room? How about one that lets you watch DVD movies, view and record TV, and listen to digital music? We look at three home theatre PCs, and tell how you can make any system media-savvy.
October 1, 2003... Microsoft, a company famous for recognising a potential market, has launched a version of XP called Media Center. This OS is designed to help combine a PC with mainstream home entertainment components, and has prompted a surge of vendors to...

Music encoding guide: by now, most of us have a sizeable collection of MP3s cluttering our hard drives. You can claw back some disk space by shrinking file sizes but, as we show here, there's an art compressing tracks so they sound as good as the original.
October 1, 2003... You can hardly fail to have noticed that the computer industry is keen to have us believe the PC is the most exciting thing to enter the lounge room since the gramophone. We're as cynical as you about a PC being anywhere near as desirable as a...

Get with the program: these days, we generally rely on prepackaged software's built-in features to perform specific tasks. In this beginners' guide to programming, we provide a hands-on approach to telling your PC who's boss.
October 1, 2003... Today's PCs have more power than a supercomputer of the 1960s, are one-thousandth of the cost and sit happily on the corner of a desk. Alongside all this power, modern operating systems and applications hide many complexities, allowing us to...

Colour laser printers.(Over The Rainbow)
October 1, 2003... Lots of heavy lifting was the order of the day in the Test Centre this month as we looked at 12 colour laser printers from 12 vendors, all ranging between 20 and 40kg in weight and $1549 and $5489 in price. Many companies now offer personal...

Install a SATA drive on Windows XP.(Tech.Files)
October 1, 2003... This month we present a special Tech.Files on the subject of installing Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk drives into brand new Windows XP systems. This is an 'on request' article prompted by reader correspondence outlining frustrations when trying...

Up-and-coming DVD writers.(Sweet Spot)
October 1, 2003... DVD writers are set to pass CD writers as the standard optical drive for PC manufacturers, but don't expect the trend to hit for another 12 months, industry representatives say. Mitsubishi technical manager for peripherals Thaddeus du...

Over $3500.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... Plus Corporation Inspire P32 [1] Yet another powerful configuration from Plus Corporation, the Inspire P32 retains the number one position in the Over $3500 category. The Inspire P32 has dark styling across all components and some serious...

$1500-$3500.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... Infocom Gaming Beast 1.2 [1] Similar to the Gaming Beast that has been in charts, this Infocom system is targeted at gamers and LAN'ers. The Gaming Beast 1.2 bundles some excellent features for increased portability and good looks. A...

Sub-$1500.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... PC eXpress Avatar 2600 [1] The Avatar 2600 has an AMD Athlon XP 2600+ processor running at 333MHz front side bus speed. The motherboard featured in this system, an ASUS A7N8X, is based on the NVIDIA nForce2 chipset. Occupying one of the...

Best buys.
October 1, 2003... REAL VALUE SPEED WORLD MAKE/MODEL RATING RATING TESTS OVER $3500 (1) Plus Corporation 184 300 (a) 3m43s (e) ...

Over $4000.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... Hi-grade UltiNote M6600 [1] The UltiNote M6600's optical drive can write DVD-RW and DVD-R discs at 1x and rewrite at 1x, and write and rewrite CDs at 16x and 10x, respectively, in addition to reading DVDs at 8x and CDs at 24x. Weighing...

$2500-$4000.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... Dell Inspiron 8600 [1] NEW Equipped with a 15.4in widescreen display capable of 1280x800 and the first 1.7GHz Pentium M processor we've seen, the Inspiron 8600 also features an NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5650 graphics controller. Not only has...

Sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... Targa Visionary XP [1] For a 15in notebook (with a maximum resolution of 2048x1456), the Visionary XP is quite light at only 3.2kg without power supply. The Visionary XP's large graphic score is due to the notebook's 64MB DDR ATI Radeon...

Notebooks: over $4000, $2500-$4000, sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... VALUE BENCHMARK MAKE/MODEL RATING SCORE REAL WORLD TESTS OVER $4000 (1) Hi-Grade 105.5 216 (a) 2m7s (c) UltiNote 5346 (b) 4m27s (d) M6600 ...

Best buys.
October 1, 2003... The colour laser printer is one device that many consumers may have never even dreamed about owning due to their seemingly high price tags and large size. The reality is that the majority of these devices are new quite compact and relatively...

Brother HL-2600CN.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: The HL-2600CN shares the same body and engine type as the Tally printer and is a heavy unit with large dimensions and a well set-out control panel. It has network connectivity as standard along with parallel and USB 1.1 ports, and...

Canon LBP-2410.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: This printer relies on the PC's processing power and Windows operating system to process print jobs before they are ready for printing. It does not feature any of the standard laser printer languages such as PCL or PostScript,...

Epson Aculaser C4000.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: The Aculaser C4000 is the most expensive printer in this round-up, and also the most powerful. It features a 400MHz processor in conjunction with 192MB of memory fitted as standard, and it prints pages very quickly. It supports...

Fuji Xerox Phaser 8200DP.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: The Phaser 8200DP is one of the heavier machines in the review, which is odd as the solid ink ColorStix that it utilises are minuscule compared to the toner cartridges of other machines. It is also one of the loudest, probably due...

HP LaserJet 1500.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: The LaserJet 1500 is based on the same print engine as the Canon LBP-2410 and shares the same footprint dimensions. Unlike the Canon, however, HP ships this printer with a 250-sheet paper tray for its $1699 asking price, and an...

Kyocera-MITA FS-C5016N Ecosys.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: The Kyocera Ecosys FS-C5016N is not precisely a laser printer: it creates prints with an LED imaging system that has been refined to produce outstanding quality. It's a smaller (and lighter) unit than is usual for such high-volume...

Lanier LP020c.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: This printer has an easy-to-use control panel with a two-line LCD screen and is based on the same print engine as the Panasonic and Ricoh printers in the review. It has a large standard paper capacity of 630 sheets, but two extra...

Minolta-QMS Magicolour 2300DL.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: The Magicolour 2300DL has small dimensions and is a brisk, well featured, sub-S2000 printer. It ships with Ethernet connectivity as standard, in addition to Parallel and USB 1.1, and it is purely a Windows-based printer. It uses...

OKI C5300.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: Like the Kyocera, OKI's C5300 is not precisely a laser printer in that it uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to create images on the page. It prints in a single pass due to the implementation of four separate drum units for each...

Panasonic KX-CL500N.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: Using the same print engine as the Lanier and Ricoh machines, Panasonic's KX-CL500N is based on a slightly slower processing unit, but its print speeds were still very competitive. It has an option for a duplex unit, but manual...

Colour laser printers.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... COLOUR LASER PRINTERS BROTHER HL-26000N CANON LBP-2410 Price $3799 $1549 Warranty 1 year on-site 1 year RTB Phone (02) 9887 4344 1800 021...

Ricoh Aficio CL300DN.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: The CL3000DN is designed with small workgroups in mind and ships with a duplex unit, as well as USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectivity as standard. It has a standard paper handling capacity of 630 sheets, which, along with the Lanier...

Tally T8006e.(Best Buys)
October 1, 2003... DESCRIPTION: If you're thinking about buying a colour laser for the office, but aren't sure you tan afford the expense, check out Tally's Factory Sponsored Program--you don't have to buy the printer, just pay for the Tally consumables. Tally...

Something old, something new.(Best Of Both Worlds)
October 1, 2003... This month's Here's How section has something for everyone--whether you're in the market for some hot new gear or just keen to optimise the technology you already own. In Depth, for instance, focuses on improving your use of that old...

Improve your Outlook.(In Depth)
October 1, 2003... Everyone these days e-mails on overdrive and the application of choice for many for this task is Microsoft's Outlook. Outlook XP offers a best of improvements over earlier versions of the software, including enhanced scheduling and contact...

Plus! Digital Media Edition.(Windows XP Home)
October 1, 2003... With each successive release of Windows, Microsoft bundles yet more third-party functions. Audio, for instance, became an integral part of Windows 98 with the addition of Media Player. XP brought us a whole lot more: remote access, digital...

Enable next-generation networking.(Windows XP Pro)
October 1, 2003... Occasionally, something unusual and interesting pops up on Windows Update. Recently, it was the 817778 Recommended Update, or in more human-parseable terms, the Advanced Networking Pack (ANP) for Windows XP. The ANP contains a new stack...

Easy-to-use Knoppix 3.2.(Linux)
October 1, 2003... Have you considered trialling Linux, but you're unsure how to go about reorganising your hard drive to run if? Or are you already a Linux user who is frustrated by having to regularly use Windows on ether computers? Knoppix (www.knoppix.org) is...

From Mac to videophone.(MAC OS)
October 1, 2003... Whether you want to create video e-mail to send to loved ones or to facilitate video-conferencing with friends and colleagues, Internet cameras(also known as webcams) can be bath functional and great fun. Companies such as Logitech...

Sound cards explained.(Audio)
October 1, 2003... Whether you're a home theatre enthusiast, gamer or musician, selecting the right sound card for your needs should be an important consideration. Here's how to decide into which category your sound card needs fall, plus seine general...

Importing digital photographs with XP.(Graphics)
October 1, 2003... In the past, getting the images from your digital camera to a PC was frequently a nightmare. Each camera model was different and required its own set of drivers. Plus, some cameras connected via a serial port, while others needed a USB...

PHP file system functions.(PHP)
October 1, 2003... This month, we will look at the range of functions PHP provides for interacting with the file system. At their most basic level, file systems interface storage media--generally hard disk drives--with applications. The most popular file systems...

Improvements in Premiere Pro.(Digital Video)
October 1, 2003... Adobe Premiere continues to dominate the video editing market, particularly in the enthusiast to semi-professional arena. This month we take a look at a couple of the exciting new features to be found in Premiere Pro. Workflow changes ...

When a Windows update makes things worse.(Windows 98/Me/2000/XP)
October 1, 2003... Q A recent Windows Update has destabilised my system. Is there a way to undo these patches?--Bob Catanzano A Microsoft provides ways to undo disastrous updates, but they don't work with every patch. Let's hope that one of the solutions...

Error message on startup.(Windows Me)
October 1, 2003... Q When I startup Windows Me I receive the message "Error loading nvqtwk.dll. System cannot find the file". When I click OK everything works fine. Can I stop this message from appearing? I also see the outline of a window named Mixer Untitled on...

Missing Recycle Bin icon.(Windows 95, 98, Me)
October 1, 2003... Q I'm running Windows 98, which is fully updated. On several occasions I close Windows Explorer and notice that the Recycle Bin icon has been replaced by something else. This icon remains in place until I reboot. The Recycle Bin still works...

Take a crash course in emergency PC recovery.(Hardware)
October 1, 2003... TIP Sooner or later, a faltering hard disk, CPU or other component will bring your PC to its knees. If a dead machine means you can't do your job, the failure may bring you to your knees as well, begging your boss or an angry client for mercy....