Australian PC World articles from September 2004

Australian PC World archives from September 2004

Spend wisely.(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... If you think technology is all about an endless cycle of needless upgrades and costly outlays, think again. You can still get the technology you want and need--without maxing out your credit cards--by becoming a smart technology shopper. Hey,...

US DoJ watches Longhorn.(Analysis News)
September 1, 2004... US antitrust enforcers have started to track Microsoft's development work on Longhorn, the successor to Windows XP, in a move to ensure that the vender won't violate the final judgment in the US Government's antitrust case. The US Department of...

Sony launches Connect music service.
September 1, 2004... Sony is taking on Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store with the launch of its Sony Connect download service. The consumer electronics giant has chosen to match Apple on price and, like Apple, it has initially opened for business in the UK,...

Sensis works overtime on SMB search engine.
September 1, 2004... Popular search engines Google, Yahoo and ninemsn now have a new rival: Telstra's Sensis. com. Sensis search general manager Greg Ellis said the Sensis search strategy differs from its competitors in that it will be direct, deep, locally...

Movie piracy plague.(Analysis News)
September 1, 2004... The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has warned against a "growing global epidemic" of movie piracy over the Internet, citing a survey of Internet users in which nearly one in four respondents had illegally downloaded a movie...

Countries battle spam.(Analysis News)
September 1, 2004... Australia, the US and UK have joined forces in the fight against spam with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Washington. The participants to the MoU are the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and the Australian...

Technology park opens in Melbourne.
September 1, 2004... The first stage of a $300 million technology park in Melbourne was officially opened by Prime Minister John Howard in July. Known as Digital Harbour, the park is located in Melbourne's Docklands and is set to be a hub of high technology for the...

Judge sets date for KaZaA trial.
September 1, 2004... File-sharing application KaZaA could be outlawed by the end of the year, after a US Federal Court judge set a 'preliminary' trial date of 29 November for Sharman Networks. Senior counsel for Sharman, Robert Ellicot, warned that the case might...

No-contract broadband.(Analysis News)
September 1, 2004... OzEmail is now offering a new 'no-contract' broadband plan at under $30 in an attempt to attract new customers in the competitive broadband arena. In a continuing bid to remain competitive it is now offering broadband plans that are free...

IE loses market share.(Analysis News)
September 1, 2004... A series of highly publicised security vulnerabilities found in Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser may be having an effect on the browser's market share, according to data compiled by WebSideStory, a Web metrics company. Internet...

Scamseek launched.
September 1, 2004... Illegal scams and schemes promoted on the Internet will now catch the eye of Scamseek, an Internet-document classification system developed with the assistance of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Scamseek is...

Yahoo buys Oddpost.
September 1, 2004... Yahoo has acquired Web-based e-mail company Oddpost, and plans to use its technology to spruce up Yahoo Mail and other Yahoo services. Like other Web-based e-mail, Oddpost uses a standard Web browser, but its interface functions more like that...

Test drive a Mini today: iPod Mini.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... Apple's iPod MP3 player--or, more correctly, digital audio player, as it plays more than just MP3 files--has become the digital device to be seen with, thanks to Apple's typically careful eye for blending style and technology. Now Apple has...

Movies, music and photos in your pocket: Zen Portable Media Center.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... Handheld Portable Media Center (PMC) devices like Creative's new Zen, that allow you to enjoy pre-recorded TV shows, movies, music and photos on the move, are about to bit Australian shores. Creative, iRiver, Samsung, Sanyo and ViewSonic...

Streaming music at home: MP101.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... The problem with devices allowing you to stream music from your PC to a receiver somewhere in your home is that they're often expensive or too hard to use. This makes Netgear's 10/100 Ethernet and wireless (802.11b)equipped MP101 seem like a...

What's the p@s$w0rd? Password Manager 2004.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... Password management is a fairly niche area but, as it falls under the broader umbrella of Internet security, Symantec has released a product to take care of all password management needs. Norton Password Manager 2004 acts as a central...

PCI Express graphics: extreme AX 600XT.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... Mid-range PCI Express graphics cards currently comprise NVIDIA's GeForce PCX 5750 and ATI's Radeon X600 series of graphics chips. This month we tested the ASUS Extreme AX 600XT card, based on the Radeon X600 XT chip and having 128MB of 128-bit...

Super compact ultra-zoom: Camedia C-770UZ.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... Olympus was among the first vendors to release a digital camera with a lens above the typical 3X optical zoom, and this trend continues with the new Camedia C-770UZ. Dubbed an ultra-zoom, this camera's most obvious attraction is the F2.8-3.7,...

Free 1GB web mail: GMail.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... Google's tilt at the free-mail space isn't about taking down HotMail or Yahoo. It's more: Google wants to manage your brain for you. Sound ludicrous? Look at it this way. You're trawling the Web and find something of interest. Instead of...

Budget broadcasting: visual communicator studio.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... One of the biggest challenges you'll face in amateur video production is making your work look more professional than the equipment you used to shoot it. This is where Visual Communicator Studio comes in. Designed to provide everything you...

Affordable productivity: WordPerfect Office 12.(First Looks)
September 1, 2004... If you can't beat Microsoft Office, mimic it--at a lower price. That's the philosophy behind WordPerfect Office 12. This minor upgrade to Corel's venerable, capable suite adds tweaks aimed at keeping cost-conscious small businesses and home...

Handheld voice guidance.
September 1, 2004... Global positioning systems are a valuable asset for anyone who is constantly on the move. Lost time spent trying to backtrack, or pinpointing your position with cumbersome street directories or foldout maps, can be avoided with a simple GPS...

Touch up and archive your photos.(Quick Takes)
September 1, 2004... Jasc offers both beginning and advanced digital photographers an easy way to organise their photos with its new Paint Shop Photo Album 5 Deluxe. The program's simple, Windows Explorer-like interface and its easy-to-decipher toolbar let every...

Axims easy on the pocket.
September 1, 2004... Although not the most stylish PDA, Dell's Axims provide bargain-priced, cutting-edge PDA technology. The new Axim X30 adds Intel's latest mobile chip, Bluetooth, and better security to the already impressive feature list of the Axim X3--all at...

Look before you click.
September 1, 2004... Like several other Internet Explorer toolbars, the Viewpoint bar is a plug-in that helps you quickly search for items on the Web using Yahoo as a search engine. Viewpoint adds a visual element to the search results, letting you see a...

Free Internet calls handset.
September 1, 2004... The Swedish-designed Phonette freephone is a hardware interface for software that enables you to talk to anyone in the world using a broadband Internet connection. Free call software includes Skype (see page 124, April 2004 issue for detailed...

AMD bang for buck CPU.(Quick Takes)
September 1, 2004... AMD's new 32-bit Sempron processors have hit the market. Set to compete in the budget sector against Intel's Celeron processor line, the Sempron provides a larger cache memory capacity: 128KB Level 1; 256KB Level 2--a boon if you want...

VoIP gateway.(Quick Takes)
September 1, 2004... This niche product from Network Broadband Solutions (NBS) is targeted at small-to-medium businesses or even larger companies wishing to cut down on costs associated with phone and fax charges. The 4400A is a stand-alone Voice over IP (VoIP)...

Give Linux a fair go.(Readers' Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... The May 2004 letter titled 'Hot and cold on Linux' (Jeff Hansman) made me laugh. One and a half hours to get online with his modem? The question is, what sort of modem? Is it one of the infamous 'winmodems'--modems designed to only work under...

DVD burner queries.(Readers' Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I just read your latest issue and as always it is very informative, but can I please ask you two questions? In the Verdict section of the DVD Burner Best Buys (August 2004 issue on page 121) it states that the Sony burner has the convenience of...

Missive of the month.(Readers' Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Congratulations D.W. Pastern! You are this month's winner of a copy of Trend Micro Internet Security 2004 software, distributed by Manaccom. This great software--valued at $99.95--provides comprehensive and easy-to-use protection from viruses,...

Dilbert.(Readers' Forum)
September 1, 2004... JIMMY WILL EXPLAIN OUR NEW MARKETING STRATEGY. A STUDY OF PAST CUSTOMERS SHOWS THAT 96% OF THEM HAVE FLU SYMPTOMS. APPARENTLY, SICK PEOPLE ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO BUY FROM US. WE DON'T KNOW WHY. SO WE REDESIGNED OUR AD CAMPAIGN TO...

A grown-up's guide to instant messaging: most people believe instant messaging is something kids use to chat online, yet this medium is also proving a useful communication tool in the business sphere. If you've shied away from this internet phenomenon, read on--you may want to give it another look!(Web & You)
September 1, 2004... AS IF YOU DIDN'T ALREADY SPEND ENOUGH TIME BLOCKING SPAM, battling pop-up ads and replying to every single e-mail message you receive, another Internet communication medium is competing for a chunk of your brain: instant messaging. ...

The best free software: 90 tools and sites that help you work smarter, communicate better and have more fun--all great and all gratis.
September 1, 2004... In the world of Windows software, free has almost become a bad word. Most programs offered as a free download bring along unwelcome companions for the ride: intrusive spyware, embedded advertising and frustrating restrictions. With most (or...

Be a part of the digital audience: as digital TV gains momentum in Australia, Laurence Grayson tells you everything you need to know before you become a part of the digital audience.
September 1, 2004... As most of us were probably nursing hangovers from the night before, or possibly even still out partying, 1 January 2001 most likely meant nothing more than a headache and a lot of festive clearing up to do. But, while we were busy filling...

Digital home alone: a simple guide to creating your own digital home setup.
September 1, 2004... The long-awaited dream of the digital home is closer than you think, thanks to the boom in technologies for entertainment, home networking and automation. But the diversity of products available, especially in home cinema and multimedia,...

Make a, media-savvy PC: the new world of personal tech--for the living room and beyond. Here's how to custom-design a machine to handle TV and music with aplomb--or just make your current system more entertaining.(music)
September 1, 2004... Intrigued by the idea of using a computer to enjoy movies, music, and television, but unimpressed with the Media Center PCs from big-box vendors like Dell and Acer? Build your own. True, Microsoft can't sell you its Windows XP Media Center...

Channel surfing on your PC: digital TV tuners.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... Digital TV tuner devices are available in two flavours: internal PCI cards and external USB boxes. They allow you to watch standard definition and high definition digital television on your computer. In this issue we reviewed eight...

Double the fun.(Tech.Files)
September 1, 2004... Until a couple of years ago, the major type of memory used in most PCs was SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory). In SDRAM the main memory core (which actually stores the data) and the memory data bus (which carries the data)...

PC parts: warranting attention.(Sweet Spot)
September 1, 2004... It's easy enough to purchase PC components, but what happens when the product is faulty? Every vendor maintains its own warranty terms, which depend on the product. On top of that, retailers also have varying conditions--such as onsite or...

CPU musical chairs.(Sweet Spot)
September 1, 2004... When building a new computer or updating an old one, it is always important to know which individual PC components provide the best performance for the least money. These components sit in what is called the sweet spot. The rule that we use to...

Over $3500.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... Plus Corporation Altera A38 [pc world BEST BUYS] [1] NEW Last month we looked at this system from Plus Corporation very briefly (August PC World, page 88) due to its late arrival. We were eager to see the full system in all its glory and...

$1500-$3500.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... Infocom Gaming Beast 3.2 [pc world BEST BUYS] [1] Sitting pretty at the top of this month's charts, the Gaming Beast 3.2 is a Pentium 4-based system for the heavy gamer and multimedia user. Its Albatron PX865PE Pro II motherboard holds the...

Sub-$1500.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... i-Tech AMD Athlon XP Award series [pc world BEST BUYS] [1] A full PC package for under $1500 is a reality: fast, reliable systems can be used for business or at home, and the Athlon XP Award series from i-Tech is a good example. ...

PCs: sub-$1500.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... VALUE REAL WORLD MAKE/MODEL RATING SPEED RATING TESTS OVER $3500 (1) Plus Corporation 98 (A) 379 (E) 3m38s Altera A38 ...

Over $4000.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... ITC Millennia 7200 [pc world BEST BUYS *] [1] This is a huge notebook with huge features, yet its price of $4099 is very competitive. Its widescreen display is a sweeping 17in, which makes it perfect for watching movies and for lining up...

$2500-$4000.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... Dell Inspiron 9100 [pc world BEST BUYS] [1] Billed as the ultimate desktop replacement, the 4.2kg 9100 is certainly geared to infrequent point-to-point use--say, from the office to the home at the end of each week. Our $3999 test machine...

Sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... Optima Centoris G595 [pc world BEST BUYS] [1] multi-format (-/+) DVD writer, wireless networking, 4-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Smart Media) and a great worst-case scenario battery life of 98 minutes--all for a shade under...

Notebooks: over $4000, $2500-$4000, sub-$2500.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... VALUE BENCHMARK REAL WORLD MAKE/MODEL RATING SCORES TESTS OVER $4000 (1) ITC Millennia 73 (A) 306 (E) 21s 7200 (B) 11643 (F)...

Digital TV tuners devices.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... Watching TV on your computer system is a capability that has existed for many years via PCI TV tuner cards and, more recently, USB devices. While we are now entering the digital age of broadcast TV, the market for digital TV tuners is starting...

AverMedia AverTV DVB-T 771.(Internal PCI Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... CARD: This inexpensive, half height card has an S-Video-in port on its bracket in addition to its antenna port. The antenna port does not protrude externally of the bracket, as it does with all the other cards in the review, so care should be...

DVICO FusionHDTV DVB-T.(Internal PCI Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... CARD: With the ability to capture analog video signals in addition to high definition TV broadcasts, this card is certainly one of the best value options in the review. It should be considered if you also want to digitise old videotapes or even...

DVICO FusionHDTV DVB-T Lite.(Internal PCI Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... CARD: The Lite version of the FusionHDTV DVB-T card is half the height of the regular version and ships with a half-sized (as well as full-sized) mounting bracket, which makes it perfect for users who want to install it in a slim PC case. It...

Internal digital TV tuner devices.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... INTERNAL DIGITAL TV TUNER DEVICES MODEL AVERMEDIA AVERTV DVB-T 771 Price $165 Warranty 1 year Distributor Altech Computers Phone (02) 9735...

Hauppauge WinTV NOVA-T.(Internal PCI Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... [pc world BEST BUYS] CARD: The Hauppauge WinTV NOVA-T is a digital TV tuner card that relies on your system's CPU power to process the digital streams it receives. This is unlike all the other PCI cards in the review, which use the DxVA API for...

Pioneer DreamVision.(Internal PCI Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... CARD: Based on the TwinHan VisionPlus DVB-T model, this inexpensive card is capable of displaying standard and high definition digital programming. Our test card installed without any problems and its software also installed without a hitch. We...

Hit-Videolab DVB-T USB.(External USB Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... BOX: This tiny unit attaches to your PC via a USB port and provides an easy solution for watching standard definition digital television on your PC of notebook Its installation was as per the supplied instructions, and we had no problems...

K-World DTV DVB-T USB.(External USB Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... BOX: Small and well styled, this standard definition digital TV tuner has a hardwired USB cord that plugs into a free USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 port in your PC or notebook. It ships with a small stand that allows the unit to be orientated vertically...

Nebula DigiTV USB.(External USB Digital TV Tuners)
September 1, 2004... [pc world RECOMMENDS] BOX: The Nebula DigiTV USB is an external digital TV tuner that is capable of displaying high definition broadcasts on your PC or notebook via a USB 2.0 connection. This feature alone makes it unique amongst the other USB...

External digital TV tuner devices.(Best Buys)
September 1, 2004... EXTERNAL DIGITAL TV TUNER DEVICES MODEL HIT-VIDEOLAB DVB-T USB Price $250 Warranty 1 year Distributor Peridyme Phone (02) 9737 8809 URL...

Unwanted guests.(All Windows)
September 1, 2004... [Q] Other family members keep installing software--some of it undesirable --on the PC that all of us share. How do I stop them? --Daniel Otten [A] Short of disabling your CD drive and Internet link, or keeping your PC to yourself,...

Spool sample.(Windows 98/Me)
September 1, 2004... [Q] MY computer runs Windows 98 SE. About one time in seven at bootup, I receive a notification that 'Spool32 has performed an illegal operation'. Sometimes I can continue, other times I have to reset the computer. What is Spool32 and what can...

Peaking interest.(Windows 98/Me)
September 1, 2004... [Q] My PC has an AMD Athlon 1100 processor with 512MB of RAM and Windows 98 SE installed. Every 15 seconds, the kernel processor usage spikes from 30 per cent to 100 per cent and stays there for around 10 seconds before dropping back. By...

Back to backup.(Windows XP)
September 1, 2004... [Q] I have a Fujitsu-Siemens PC with Windows XP Home Edition preinstalled. My problem is, I can't find the Windows backup program. I have looked at the Add/Remove Programs wizard, but I still can't find it. --Pete Burgon [A] The...

Run and hide.(Windows XP)
September 1, 2004... [Q] When describing the solution to a problem, you often give the instructions "click Start-Run, type a program name and click OK". On my Start menu there is no Run option. What should I do? --Darren James [A] Right-click the Start...

Expansion contraction.(Microsoft Office)
September 1, 2004... [Q] I'm fed up with having to expand the drop-down menus in Microsoft Word to find the tool I want to use. I've looked in the Options section, but it doesn't seem to have it there. I'm sure I've seen you print the answer to this one before, but...

Ironic error message.(Hardware)
September 1, 2004... [Q] During the powerup tests my PC, with a 5EMA + v1.0-1CA2 motherboard, reports 'Keyboard error or no keyboard present. Press F1 to continue, Del to enter Setup'. As the keyboard isn't being detected, pressing either key has no effect. I tried...

Zero to hero.(Hardware)
September 1, 2004... [Q] I have two identical drives and want to configure them as a RAID 0 setup. Can you tell me? --Ian Rayfield [A] This depends upon your system. If your BIOS supports RAID, you simply need to find the IDE configuration option and...

BIOS blues.(Hardware)
September 1, 2004... [Q] I upgraded my system's BIOS and it seemed to go well. I also went into the BIOS setup, but only to disable a logo. When I tried to boot up, Windows hung. I tried reinstalling Windows, but when the system rebooted after installation, it hung...

Sound advice.(Hardware)
September 1, 2004... [Q] The sound has stopped working on my Windows XP system. If I try to open the NVIDIA icon in Control Panel, I receive a message that 'SndStorm.exe has encountered an error and needs to close'. --Bryan Reed [A] Check that the loss of...

Violated system.(Security)
September 1, 2004... [Q] Some program has installed itself on my computer, bringing up unwanted pornography. I have tried to remove it, but it keeps on reappearing. What can I do? --Teng Beng Koay [A] First, check Windows' System Configuration Utility to...

Essential tools.(Windows XP)
September 1, 2004... Time again to share with PC World readers the little things that bump up the usability of Windows XP. Microsoft's offerings Of the Power Toys, TweakUI, Power Calculator, Virtual Desktop Manager and Open Command Window Here are worth...

Mac Office.(Mac OS)
September 1, 2004... There are still some people who claim that Word 5.1 was the best all-round Macintosh word processor. It was fast, simple and left a relatively small footprint on your system which was a good thing considering that the state of the art back in...

Hot and streamy.(Linux)
September 1, 2004... Not all digital TV cards are supported by Linux, but the Hauppauge NOVA-T is. What's more, it's the only one to allow digital TV streaming across a network. Installation Building and installing the drivers is quite a challenge. I...

PHP 5: new iterations.(PHP)
September 1, 2004... An iterator is a mechanism by which you can traverse the values in some programmatic construct, the most basic being the for() and while() loops. The concept behind these constructs does not map directly to objects, however, as they store a...

The power of 10.(Audio)
September 1, 2004... It's still in beta (www.microsoft. Com/windows/windowsmedia/ Mp10/), and it has one or two problems that need to be ironed out before final release, but Windows Media Player 10 is just around the corner. Here's what you can expect. ...

The clearer picture: part II.(Graphics)
September 1, 2004... It's a sad fact that blurring sometimes will creep into photographs which cannot be retaken. The problem can be knocked back with a graphics editor but, unfortunately, the more drastic blurs can't be fixed--and some repairs may introduce...

DV or not DV?(Digital Video)
September 1, 2004... That is the question. And it seems that there's a considerable amount of confusion about the answer, so this month I'll be taking a quick look at the two main digital video recording formats, what they are, and what they're good for. Put...

Das boot.(CD & DVD)
September 1, 2004... When your computer first powers up, it automatically looks for a boot device which contains special system files. Usually, the boot device is a hard drive, floppy drive, or CD-ROM drive that contains the files which allow the computer to begin...

Project Arcade: Build Your Own Arcade Machine.
September 1, 2004... Project Arcade: Build Your Own Arcade Machine BY JOHN ST. CLAIR Based on previous experience from building my own arcade cabinet (June 2004 issue, pages 68-78), recreation of a classic arcade system can be a tricky affair. A great deal...

Google--The Missing Manual.
September 1, 2004... Google--The Missing Manual BY SARAH MILSTEIN AND RAEL DORNFEST Publisher: O'Reilly (distributed by Woodslane) Price: $39.95 Phone: (02) 9970 5111 URL: www.woodslane.com.au ISBN: 0596006136 Google is one of the most powerful and...

eBay PowerUser's Bible.
September 1, 2004... eBay PowerUser's Bible BY GREG HOLDEN Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Price: $46.95 Phone: 1800 777 474 URL: www.wiley.com ISBN: 0764559427 Targeted at new and experienced eBay users alike, this book by Greg Holden is the ultimate...

Innovative digital pen service.(Gadgets & Gizmos)
September 1, 2004... The ability to have a digital copy of written forms, orders, invoices and the like e-mailed (almost instantly) from field staff could improve productivity and reduce processing delays. Destiny Wireless's service involves first choosing a $500...

Stream MP3s to your stereo.(Gadgets & Gizmos)
September 1, 2004... The MP3Anyware is an MP3 decoder with built-in USB port that can read directly from any USB thumb drive storing MP3 files before wirelessly (using FM) transmitting a stereo signal to a home or car radio (using a choice of 14 frequency presets)....