Personal Computer World articles from August 2005

Personal Computer World archives from August 2005

Watford Provision 2001.(notebook computer)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Watford Provision 2001 The Provision 2001 has much in common with Asus' A6 range of notebooks. It uses the same chassis and is aimed at users who require strong multimedia capabilities. Its most noticeable asset...

Stop press: HP NX6125 According to HP, the NX6125 is aimed at cost-conscious professionals who require a highly portable notebook with strong connectivity options and a long battery life. Our pre-production sample arrived too late to be tested with the r.(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Stop press: HP NX6125 According to HP, the NX6125 is aimed at cost-conscious professionals who require a highly portable notebook with strong connectivity options and a long battery life. Our pre-production...

Toshiba Satellite L10 114.(celeron-based notebook)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Toshiba Satellite L10 114 At first glance, 'budget notebook' is the last term you'd associate with the Satellite L10 114. Its chassis feels very well constructed, and its stylish design makes many of its rivals seem...

MV Mobeus 1.4 Celeron.(celeron-based notebook)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid MV Mobeus 1.4 Celeron If portability is your primary concern, the Mobeus 1.4 Celeron should definitely be towards the top of your list. It is the smallest notebook here by some margin and, at 2.1kg, it is also the...

Mesh Pegasus 15in PCW.(notebook computer)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Mesh Pegasus 15in PCW If you're after a notebook with plenty of extras, the Pegasus 15in is an attractive prospect. Like the submissions from MV and HP, it comes with a multimedia card reader, but is the only notebook...

HP Pavilion ZE2001EA.(pentium-based notebook)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid HP Pavilion ZE2001EA Compared to the rest of the group, the Pavilion ZE2001EA is a relatively old notebook. But as it will soon be superseded, HP has been able to substantially drop its price. First impressions...

Evesham Quest T28.(notebook computer)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Evesham Quest T28 Last month, Evesham impressed us with its Quest Roma (September, page 56) -- a notebook that uses the AMD Turion 64 processor. Evesham has tried to emulate the same success in the budget market with...

QUESTION TIME.(word processing software)(tips for Excel worksheet)(DVD players)(Column)
August 18, 2005... Spreadsheets Q I have a spreadsheet with my fellow golf players' names in column A and their most recent scores in column B. Without re-sorting the players, I want to give their ranking in column C. The player with the lowest score will be...

Chips with potential.(microprocessors)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: glaing Chips with potential Maximise your processor's power and understand its limitations Virtually every processor can be overclocked by modest degrees, but to achieve significant improvements, you'll need specific models...

BT takes Ethernet to its heart.(British Telecommunications PLC is introducing BT Enterprise Ethernet, point-to-point private circuits, BT EVLan)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Dave Bailey BT takes Ethernet to its heart Telecoms giant launches three new services to fight competition This summer BT is launching three new Ethernet services nationally, which it claims will put the technology at the...

ARM chips at code Chip design company ARM is boosting the performance of Java applications in future mobile devices using its Jazelle Runtime Compiler Target (RCT). This set of hardware features, enable compilers to greatly reduce code size, and cut proce.(Extreme Networks Inc. introduced WLAN system)(Foundry Networks Inc. introduced Server Iron GT C-series application switches )(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... ARM chips at code Chip design company ARM is boosting the performance of Java applications in future mobile devices using its Jazelle Runtime Compiler Target (RCT). This set of hardware features, enable compilers to greatly reduce code...

UPE means none shall Ipass.(Universal Policy Enforcement from iPass Inc.)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Daniel Robinson UPE means none shall Ipass Connectivity services company Ipass has unveiled some tools to increase connection options for remote staff and lockdown laptops used to access company networks. With Universal...

Active participation Even if you aren't a programmer, you can get involved in the open-source software development process. Most projects have their own discussion forums and mailing lists. If you have a good idea for a new feature or option, or find a bu.
August 18, 2005... Active participation Even if you aren't a programmer, you can get involved in the open-source software development process. Most projects have their own discussion forums and mailing lists. If you have a good idea for a new feature or...

The source for open-source software The search for open-source software is not as easy as it might seem, because a lot of download portals offer both freeware and open-source software without differentiation and just describe things as 'free'. The most re.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... The source for open-source software The search for open-source software is not as easy as it might seem, because a lot of download portals offer both freeware and open-source software without differentiation and just describe things as...

Cricket 2005.(sports game)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Will Stapley Cricket 2005 EA delivers googlies, yorkers and more With Cricket 2005, EA promises a 'no-holds-barred cricket explosion'. Considering even most die-hard cricket fans admit the game is a tad slow, it's a...

Earth 2160.(strategy game)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Earth 2160 Ambitious realtime space combat Earth 2160 is the sequel to the hugely ambitious Earth 2150. The game tells the story of a long-running feud between three factions; the European Dynasty, the Union of...

Battlefield 2.(wargame)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Battlefield 2 War, what is it good for? Well, it makes for a great shoot-'em-up According to James Brown, war is good for absolutely nothing. However there are hordes of gamers who'd beg to differ, as the...

Make sure you're in command.(search commands)(Bourne Again Shell)
August 18, 2005... Make sure you're in command Text-based commands are very powerful. Here's a walkthrough of some essential ones Many newcomers to Linux expect to be bogged down by complicated text-based commands to do the simplest of tasks. At one...

Broadcast your own show.(creating own podcast)
August 18, 2005... Broadcast your own show Fancy having a go at your very own radio programme? It's easy with a podcast Every once in a while the web throws up a new trend that creates so much excitement you're slightly disappointed when you discover it...

On the media centre case.(computer cases)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: glaing On the media centre case Find out what makes the ideal housing for your home-built media centre PC Building your own media PC has become one of the most popular subjects in the Hands on Hardware mailbox in recent...

Restorative advice.(System Restore feature in Windows XP)(Microsoft Windows XP)(Microsoft Time Zone utility)
August 18, 2005... Restorative advice Iron out System Restore problems, get a time zone utility and edit user profiles The System Restore feature in Windows XP and ME is a great idea -- when it works properly. Unfortunately it can behave in mysterious...

Banish the Reviewing toolbar.(default of Microsoft Outlook)
August 18, 2005... Banish the Reviewing toolbar Disable unwelcome functions and remove potentially embarrassing 'hidden' data Have you ever been puzzled by the unbidden appearance of Word's Reviewing toolbar, even if you never, ever use it? This most...

Best laid plans.(interior design using Excel software)
August 18, 2005... Best laid plans Why waste time learning a dedicated interior design program when Excel can do the job? The problem with interior design software is not its purchase cost. Such packages are often inexpensive. It's the time it takes to...

A shot in the dark.(low light digital photography)
August 18, 2005... A shot in the dark Even when there's limited natural lighting available, you can still take great videos This being the October issue of PCW, you'll doubtless be reading it some time in late August. Already the days are getting...

An easy way to display your data.
August 18, 2005... An easy way to display your data How to use custom grouping to improve the way your information is shown I had an interesting query about custom grouping from reader Patrick Pearson. He works for the NHS and collects data as shown in...

Get with the program.(Microsoft SQL Server 2005)
August 18, 2005... Get with the program How SQL Server 2005 changes database programming for Visual Basic developers Most applications need a database, and for many Windows developers that means Microsoft Access, or its underlying database engine which...

Lay down the law.
August 18, 2005... Byline: Paul Allen Lay down the law Many of us have bought a faulty product and have been refunded accordingly. But when a retailer refuses to budge, make the law work to your advantage Consumers in the UK are protected by a set...

55 Windows tools for free.(open source software)
August 18, 2005... 55 Windows tools for free Open-source programs offer security and versatility a and they won't cost you a penny. What's more, they are worthy rivals to paid-for products Open-source software is fashionable, a fact borne out by 25...

HO INTRO.
August 18, 2005... Podcasting is a bit of a buzzword these days, with Steve Jobs getting in on the act by adding podcast support to Apple's Itunes. The term describes a method of delivering broadcast audio content via RSS syndication that allows you to...

Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI Royal.(motherboard)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Simon Crisp Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI Royal A great combination of Nvidia and Intel Nvidia has finally joined forces with Intel to provide Nforce chipset support for its processors. The first result of this new agreement is the...

October 2000.
August 18, 2005... By the time of our October 2000 issue, the whole business model for flat-rate unmetered dial-up Internet access was starting to come apart at the seams. Like the NHS had discovered many years before, a free service can generate infinite demand...

October 1995.
August 18, 2005... Computing on the move gave us our cover story 10 years ago, when we put 15 notebooks equipped with a docking station to the test. With 20 per cent of business users favouring the dockable notebook at that time, PCW decided to test which...

October 1985.
August 18, 2005... Back in our October 1985 issue, Geoff Simmons was dreaming of a future where AI (artificial intelligence) was commonplace. Indeed, some people argued that computers could be regarded as emerging life-forms. Energy intake occurs through...

October 1990.
August 18, 2005... In this issue, we finally managed to secure an interview with Sir Clive Sinclair. Among other things, he revealed plans to build a super-bike, designed to revolutionise city commuting. Unfortunately, the wafer-like bike never made it past the...

Gigabyte GV-NX78X256V-B.(graphics accelerator/display board)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Gigabyte GV-NX78X256V-B The GV-NX78X256 V-B from Gigabyte is a standard-speed Geforce 7800GTX product bundled with two multimedia packages and a brace of current games. Clocked at the reference 430MHz core and 1,200MHz memory...

Gainward Ultra/350PCX.(graphics accelerator/display board)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Gainward Ultra/350PCX Possessing the fastest clock speeds of any Geforce 7800GTX we've seen so far, the Gainward Ultra/350PCX Golden Sample is a card for serious gamers. Most of the cards we've reviewed here are likely to overclock...

Aopen Aeolus 7800GTX.(graphics accelerator/display board)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Aopen Aeolus 7800GTX Based on a by-the book reference design, the Aeolus 7800GTX is as standard as you can get, bar the red graphic that will adorn the cooler on the retail versions. Configured with slightly boosted core and memory...

When a sweet spot proves not so hot.
August 18, 2005... When a sweet spot proves not so hot If you're thinking of buying a 42in TV and connecting your PC, Gordon Laing suggests you think twice very product range has a sweet spot where a particular model delivers especially good value....

One screen gives two views.(Sharp Microelectronics Group develops new pc screens)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Byline: akass One screen gives two views Two people can share one LCD monitor at the same time to perform separate tasks using technology announced by Sharp. The twin view is produced by superimposing what is called a parallax...

Use the Geforce.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Use the Geforce With Nvidia currently ahead of ATI in the ever-changing graphics card market, we've rounded up seven 7800GTX cards to see how they perform With the release of Nvidia's Geforce 7800GTX, we are called again to...

graphics card box.
August 18, 2005... The 7800GTX is just more of the same, but better. With the Geforce 7800GTX Nvidia achieves a new level of performance, not by simply increasing processor and memory speeds, but by redesigning the card's hardware from the ground up. But there...

7800 at a glance Here's a rundown of the main technical features of the 7800GTX (comparable figures for the 6800 Ultra are in brackets). a[euro]cents Number of PCI Express slots required: 1 (2) a[euro]cents Number of transistors: 304m (220m) a[euro]cents Number of vertex shader units.(Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... 7800 at a glance Here's a rundown of the main technical features of the 7800GTX (comparable figures for the 6800 Ultra are in brackets). acents Number of PCI Express slots required: 1 (2) acents Number of transistors: 304m (220m)...

XFX Geforce 7800GTX.(graphics accelerator/display board)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... XFX Geforce 7800GTX With three top games and enhanced performance, the XFX Geforce 7800GTX is a strong contender, but at a price. No DVD or multimedia software is included, but for your [pounds sterling]416.80 you get Far Cry, Ultimate...

MSI NX7800GTX.(graphics accelerator/display board)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... MSI NX7800GTX MSI's NX7800GTX is one of three cards here running at Nvidia's standard recommended core and memory speeds. A a result, its performance is relatively unexciting. However, the company's commendable web support and...

Galaxy Geforce 7800GTX.(graphics accelerator/display board)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Galaxy Geforce 7800GTX Galaxy's Geforce 7800GTX takes a similar approach to Aopen's Aeolus 7800GTX by bundling only a single game and no multimedia applications with the card. You get a copy of Codemasters' Second Sight game, which is...

Asus EN7800GTX.(graphics accelerator/display board)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Asus EN7800GTX In a market where, so far, all manufacturers are basing their products on Nvidia's reference design, it can be difficult to differentiate your product from your competitors. One method is to offer so-called...

Cyberlink Powerbackup 1.(backup software)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Cyberlink Powerbackup 1 Take the hassle out of backups When was the last time you backed up your most valuable files? For most people, it has been longer than they would like to admit, partly because the process is too much of a...

Editor's Choice.(award goes of graphic cards goes to Aopen Aeolus 7800GTX)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Editor's Choice Although the differences between the 7800GTX graphics cards in this group test are quite small, there are still enough to make your buying decision tricky. All of the cards come with bundled software, some more than...

Belkin Wireless Pre (2).(wireless router)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... belkin wireless mimo networking Bring your network up to speed with the new Belkin wireless Pre-N Mimo router. This exclusive special offer for readers of PCW will rid your network of poor coverage, signal degradation and slow transfer...

What are online firms so afraid of?(customer service)(Column)
August 18, 2005... What are online firms so afraid of? Gives us a telephone number a don't hide behind anonymous email addresses, demands Guy Kewney ecently, a friend ordered a book from Amazon. It didn't arrive. Complaints to an email address produced...

Cyberlink Powerdirector 2.55.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Cyberlink Powerdirector 2.55 No matter how skilled you are on a camcorder, the initial results will be less than impressive. There are times you start filming too soon or bits where you can't hear the audio track, and sometimes bits of...

Cyberlink CDS Gold and 2 Canon cameras.
August 18, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid Cyberlink CDS Gold and 2 Canon cameras To coincide with the release of its CDS Gold software, Cyberlink is giving 12 PCW readers the chance to win a copy of the application. CDS Gold (Cyberlink DVD Solution Gold) is...

LP Recorder 5.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... LP Recorder 5 LPs, tapes and other analogue recordings aren't exactly the most convenient audio format by modern standards, but that's easy to fix. Install LP Recorder and you'll be able to record your LPs in digital wav format on your...

LP Recorder 5 upgrade.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... The latest LP Recorder has an Auto Start option to begin recordings when the stylus is lowered on an LP or a tape player is started. The player function may now play back your recording from any starting point using the track bar slider....

CyberLink PowerDir 141C upgrade.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... If you want to save your videos in full DVD format, then Powerdirector 4 can help. It adds more video, transition and title effects, many new intelligent editing features, a Picture-in-Picture function, support for lots more input and...

CyberLink PowerBackup upgrade.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... The retail version of Powerbackup includes all the standard backup features you see here, but adds a scheduler for unattended backups, along with differential and incremental options that can improve your backup speed and let you back up only...

CyberLink PowerBackup wrkshp.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Backing up your most important files made easy 1Powerbackup is a wizard-driven program where your whole backup is carried out in four simple steps. For the first, Select Source, choose the files you'd like to be saved. Check the box next to...

Roxio MyDVD SlideShow upgrade.(Roxio Easy Media Creator)(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Roxio Easy Media Creator includes MyDVD Slideshow and a huge range of other utilities: CD and DVD authoring, disc copying, audio capturing and CD or DVD label design, photo organising, graphics and video editing, a DVD player, system backup and...

Roxio MyDVD SlideShow wrkshp.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Create a stylish, professional slideshow 1 Launch MyDVD Slideshow, then click 'Create or Modify a Video CD Project' and select Add Slideshow. Locate the images you want and drag them into the bottom of the filmstrip box, or click Get...

ConceptDraw V Persona Upgrade.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... The Standard version of Conceptdraw V adds more wizards, chart templates and libraries of shapes. It lets you create multi-page documents and can export them in HTML, Powerpoint and other formats. The Professional version offers extended...

Conceptdraw V PE.
August 18, 2005... Conceptdraw V PE Flowcharts, business diagrams, maps and form design libraries mean Conceptdraw covers all your business charting needs Effective graphics are a vital part of any business document, so there is a wide range of programs...

Key features.
August 18, 2005... Key features acents Hundreds of pre-drawn symbols, organised into 70 separate libraries acents 11 chart template categories acents Directly import graphics, Powerpoint slides and XML for Visio files acents Add hyperlinks to...

ConceptDraw V Persona wkshop.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... If you need quality business diagrams in a hurry, here's the secret 1 Conceptdraw can produce many different types of chart, as you'll see from the Template Gallery displayed when the program is first launched. A common application...

BT's dual answer to Skype.(British Telecommunications PLC's BT Fusion package)
August 18, 2005... Byline: akass BT's dual answer to Skype A phone to be launched next month epitomises the cataclysmic changes and baffling economics that characterise telephony today. The Motorola V560 can act as a standard quad-band GSM phone using...

Roxio MyDVD Slideshow.(Brief article)
August 18, 2005... Roxio MyDVD Slideshow This VCD edition lets you show off your photos After taking loads of great photos on holiday or at a family event, you'll want to show them to others. That's not easy, of course: there are too many to email in a...

next month.
August 18, 2005... Don't miss November's PCW... Inkjet photo paper Modern inkjet printers are capable of printing stunning photos but, according to the vendors, only if you use the right type of paper. In the first of our two-part look at inkjet photo...

What's in store now Time's up.
August 18, 2005... What's in store now Time's up Kelvyn Taylor considers the implications after the collapse of one of the IT industry's biggest brands he recent high-profile demise of the Granville Technology Group and the associated Time and Tiny...

Microsoft unveils Vista.
August 18, 2005... Byline: akass Microsoft unveils Vista Microsoft has released new beta code of the operating system it expects to run on PCs for the next decade -- and revealed that it will be called Windows Vista. It is set for release late next...

Symbiant Easygen 2.2.(web development software)(Product/service evaluation)
August 18, 2005... Byline: Paul Monckton Symbiant Easygen 2.2 Take the hassle out of creating a database-driven website Building your own website is never an easy task and there could be a lot riding on the design and functionality, especially if...