Personal Computer World articles from February 2007

Personal Computer World archives from February 2007

Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro AGP.(graphics cards)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro AGP Give your AGP system a new lease of gaming life The AGP slot celebrates its 10th birthday this year and refuses to disappear, despite being superseded by PCI Express in 2004. The...

Simple templates with Perl.(web development software)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Simple templates with Perl How to create a professional-looking, user-friendly web-based search function in Perl Last month, we looked at the basics of Perl and saw how a very simple script could be used to...

Code for contact details template page.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Code for contact details template page #!/usr/bin/perl # # Emergency contacts script for PCW sub query_contacts { # routine to find the required name from the database local ($query) = @_...

Noise pollution.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Ken Mcmahon Noise pollution Effective image noise reduction programs and plug-ins can be found for little outlay This is not the first time I've covered dealing with digital noise, but it is the kind of problem that's...

Building your own Nas.(network attached storage)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Gordon Laing Building your own Nas If you fancy doing a bit of DIY, here's how to build a network-attached storage device Many people are realising the benefits of accessing their data over a network. Storing data on...

Macintosh support.(network attach storage)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Gordon Laing Macintosh support If you run both PCs and Macs, one of the nicest things about a Nas is having a single storage area that is accessible from both. As a dual-platform kind of guy, this was one of my goals for my DIY...

Linux disaster recovery.(backup methods)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Barry Shilliday Linux disaster recovery Quick and efficient backup methods -- and what to do when it all goes wrong The time you come to realise just how dependent you have become on your computer is when things go...

Recovery CDs to help retrieve data.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Barry Shilliday Recovery CDs to help retrieve data Performing system and data recovery is sometimes a critical task, so there are a few dedicated Linux distributions created for that purpose. These will boot from CD, or...

A question of power.(Power over Ethernet)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens A question of power How and when to use Power over Ethernet to support your peripheral devices This month's Network Hands on is all about Power over Ethernet (PoE), concentrating on how it works and what you...

Windows port filtering.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Windows port filtering Thanks to reader Geoffrey Smith who emailed to point out that I'd overlooked an easy-to-use port-filtering tool in a recent article on that subject (March 2007, see www.pcw.co.uk/2173555)....

Troubleshooting motherboards.(Column)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Gordon Laing Troubleshooting motherboards Our eventual DIY Nas success shows you shouldn't lose heart when projects go awry In the Hardware and Performance columns, we enjoy tweaking existing PCs and finding the best...

Advice from our experts.(managing personal computers)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Various Advice from our experts Take care of your computer problems and discover new ways to use your PC Databases Put a spell on you Q How do I stop Access trying to correct my spelling when I type words into...

Create your own add-in.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Stephen Wells Create your own add-in How to set up custom functions and store them in an add-in for easy access Do you have a formula you need every now and then, but can never remember where the reference is? It's a good...

XNA: the great gaming hope.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Tim Anderson XNA: the great gaming hope Quick and easy to use, XNA could bring the spontaneity back to games development XNA is Microsoft's gaming library for the .Net Framework, which I previewed in this column in...

Am I running on Vista?(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Tim Anderson Am I running on Vista? Now that Vista is out and about, it can be handy to check whether your code is running on Vista or an older version of Windows. In Windows Vista, the major version number of the operating...

A game of tag.(Microsoft Word)(Column)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Tim Nott A game of tag Rein in Smart Tags' random behaviour in Word and make them work for you Reader Ted Ashleigh has brought us an excellent example of Word weirdness. A document on a colleague's machine appeared with...

Wiki travel code.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Tim Nott Wiki travel code com:smarttags:list"> Wiki Travel City Lookup 1033,0 Looks up City Guides on Wiki 4 Travel false 10080 true com:office:smarttags#CityGuide"> Wiki City...

Tales from the crypt.(data encryption)(Column)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Tim Nott Tales from the crypt Encryption is an effective way to protect confidential data -- but handle with care Last month we looked at some of the advanced features of NTFS (www.pcw.co.uk) and here, as promised, is a...

Strong passwords are the key.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Tim Nott Strong passwords are the key Your security is only as good as your password, so make sure it's a good one. In general, passwords that are easy to remember are easy to crack. Follow these points for a good one: l...

Hands On introduction.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Something for everyone As ever, there's a wealth of information in Hands on, whatever you use your computer for. Linux users will find useful tips on disaster recovery, while in Windows, Tim Nott looks at...

Amicable separation.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Mark Whitehorn Amicable separation Why relational databases separate data and interface; Psion tools and more uses of '&'

Incomedia Website X5.(web development software)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Incomedia Website X5 Wizard-driven web page creation software that's simple to use Creating a good-looking website can take time, designing graphics, menus and so forth. Alternatively, you can use a package...

E-Frontier Anime Studio 5.(animation software)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Cliff Joseph E-Frontier Anime Studio 5 Budget animation software with some powerful tools The trailer for the new Simpsons movie describes it as "the movie that dares to be ugly", emphasising the fact that it's in 2D...

ECS N8800GTX-768MX.(graphics cards)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen ECS N8800GTX-768MX The fastest graphics card we've tested, but you'll need a similarly fast CPU The N8800GTX-768MX is based on Nvidia's fastest processor to date, the 8800GTX. Along with the 8800GTS, this GPU...

Mastering your music.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Mastering your music Is the music collection on your PC bursting at the seams? Does it take longer to find a track than it does to listen to it? Christian Lanzerath and Manuel Masiero show you how to store your...

Software round-up -- top mp3 tools.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Software round-up -- top mp3 tools DBPoweramp Music files that are already stored on your hard disk can be converted to other formats very easily using DBpoweramp. There are more than 40 codecs available for...

Other tag formats.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Other tag formats As well as ID3 there are several other tag formats used on music files. Apev2 -- developed for the Mpc and Ape audio formats -- allows you to add and fill as many data fields as you like, and...

Choosing the right audio format.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Choosing the right audio format Whether you want lossless copies of CDs or space-saving music files, there's a suitable audio format and conversion tool for every purpose. Despite the wide range of audio...

Bit rates explained.(data compression can make more efficient use of storage space)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Bit rates explained The bit rate of a recording isn't necessarily a mark of the quality of an audio file. It shows, instead, how much space it requires, expressed in kilobits per second (Kbits/sec). In a constant...

Backup media compared.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Backup media compared DVDs are the cheapest backup media, with 1GB of storage costing as little as four pence. External hard disks are more expensive, but faster and offering more capacity. And don't overlook...

Cardscan Executive.(business card scanner)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Cardscan Executive Turn business cards into valuable business data in seconds Like me you've probably got an extensive collection of business cards tucked away in an old box or drawer, just waiting to be put...

Neon Software Cybergauge 7.0.(network performance analysis software)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Neon Software Cybergauge 7.0 Find out how much bandwidth you're using -- the easy way Cybergauge is a deceptively simple, but nonetheless powerful bandwidth monitoring utility. Point it at a switch, router or...

Linksys SPA942.(Session Initiation Protocol IP phone)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Linksys SPA942 Business-quality handset for Sip-based IP telephony Originally from Sipura -- the VoIP specialist acquired by Linksys' parent Cisco in 2005 -- the SPA942 is a Sip-based (Session Initiation...

Swyx Swyxware Compact.(internet telephony software)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Swyx Swyxware Compact Everything you need to build an IP PBX on a Windows PC Swyxware is software that lets you build an IP PBX (private branch exchange) using an industry-standard PC running Microsoft Windows....

Vasco Digipass Smart Pack.(encryption software)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Vasco Digipass Smart Pack Get smart with your passwords Passwords can be a real pain to manage. If short, they're easy to remember but, similarly, easy to crack. Too long or complicated and they're promptly...

Flashback April 1982.(programming languages)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen April 1982 Many of us grew up learning to program in Basic, but in April 1982 the language received something of a PCW backlash. Not only did Guy Kewney berate it for teaching us bad practice and making it more...

Flashback April 1992.(Microsoft Windows NT)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen April 1992 Windows NT was on our minds in 1992 and we wondered whether it could take on OS/2, a joint-development between Microsoft and IBM. Our guess was that Microsoft would succeed. NT eventually formed the basis...

Flashback April 2002.(broadband, graphics cards)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen April 2002 Five years ago this month we were abuzz with broadband and the repercussions for just about everyone. Pipex gave broadband in Britain a shot in the arm when it offered an ADSL link for [pounds sterling]25...

Sony NW-S706.(mp3 players)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Sony NW-S706 Total audio control with breathtaking looks and undeniable quality Few mp3 players make you sit bolt upright in today's market, but Sony is a competitor that often manages to produce something that little bit special. ...

Goodbye XP, hello Vista.(Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Goodbye XP, hello Vista It's almost time. Vista is here at last, and many XP users are thinking of making the switch. Artur Hoffmann and JA[paragraph]rg Geiger explain the upgrade process Judging by the...

Troubleshooting Vista.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Troubleshooting Vista Problem solving The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is useful to run before performing a fresh installation of Vista. It will allow you to identify any applications that will not run, or...

Vista upgrade gotcha.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Vista upgrade gotcha There's an awful lot of confusion around the Vista retail upgrade versions, caused by Microsoft changing the way upgrades are performed. If you buy an upgrade version, which is much cheaper...

Vista power tips.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)(Column)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Vista power tips Quick access to commands Power users can customise the Start menu so that the Run command is always visible on the menu. Right-click on the Windows button, choose Properties from the...

Quick tips for a smooth transition.(to Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)(Column)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Quick tips for a smooth transition Incompatible programs It's pointless to copy program-specific files to Vista if the software needed to open them won't even run under the new operating system. You can use...

Vista on a virtual machine.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Manuel Masiero Vista on a virtual machine If you want to get a feel for Windows Vista without having to install it on a production machine, one option is to set it up on a virtual machine. Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004...

What's in a server?
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens What's in a server? A practical guide to small-business servers. Alan Stevens guides you through the options Here's a common scenario. You're starting out in business or looking to expand, and realise that a...

Drive mappings.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Drive mappings Put a file server or network-attached storage appliance on your Lan, and Windows Explorer will enable network users to browse the shared files. However, browsing is not the most efficient way to...

Storage options.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Storage options Server buyers are faced with a bewildering range of options, especially when it comes to storage, and not just in terms of capacity and performance, but resiliency, too -- an important consideration...

Tower, rack or blade: which should you choose?(servers)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Tower, rack or blade: which should you choose? Servers come in three general formats -- towers, rackmount servers and blades. Tower servers are where the bulk of the electronics -- the motherboard, processors,...

Harrissoft Properite.(real estate management software)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Harrissoft Properite A place for buy-to-let landlords to manage their property Aimed at the burgeoning buy-to-let housing market, Properite is a specialised application designed to equip landlords with all the...

Business intro.(servers)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens small business needs Want to share files or host your own web, email or database server? In this month's business section we look at the options available when it comes to small-business servers. We ask whether a...

The ultimate PC tune-up.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Jackson The ultimate PC tune-up Just like a car, your PC can benefit from a tune-up to keep it operating at peak performance. Peter Jackson explains the fundamentals of keeping your system in tip-top condition ...

Vista heralds change.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Jackson Vista heralds change Windows Vista includes new features that are meant to save users from having to clean up and maintain their own systems. Boot times have been improved by loading more services and login...

Tune-up -- step by step.(Microsoft Disk Cleanup)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Jackson Tune-up -- step by step To start clearing up your disk, turn to Microsoft's own Disk Cleanup utility. You can access it from the Start button, under Programs, Accessories, System Tools, or by right-clicking on the...

Some helpful tools.(systems management software)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Jackson Some helpful tools While most Windows users will be able to clean up their own systems manually, there are some well-rated free or shareware software tools that can help automate the process. While these are not...

AVM Fritzbox Fon WLAN 7140.(routers)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton AVM Fritzbox Fon WLAN 7140 Save money on your phone bills with this easy-to-use device Not content with housing an 802.11g wireless and an ADSL2+ modem and router, the Fritzbox Fon WLAN 7140 also connects to...

Fujifilm Finepix F31fd.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Will Stapley Fujifilm Finepix F31fd Prevent blurred faces easily at the touch of a button While the Finepix F31fd isn't as compact as Canon's Ixus range (see our review at www.pcw.co.uk/2166382), its slightly chunkier...

iHome iH19.(iPod accessories)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester iHome iH19 Speakers suited to iPod owners, although not the most portable solution around There are more than a few portable speakers available that provide extra security for your mp3 player in the form of a...

UFO Afterlight.(computer strategy games)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn UFO Afterlight Work, rest and play with this Mars-based strategy title Is there life on Mars? Apparently there is, if UFO Afterlight is anything to go by. In fact, the third title in developer Altar's...

Race: The WTCC Game.(computer sports games)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Race: The WTCC Game This highly detailed driving game is sure to turn some petrol heads Games consoles such as Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 have got top-notch racing titles coming out of their ears and, while...

Physical clean-up.(dust cleaning for computer systems)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Jackson Physical clean-up However clean you think your house or office is, your PC will show a different story. Users are often shocked by the amount of dust and fluff that builds up inside a PC's case, and there are two...

Viamichelin X-980T.(navigation system)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Viamichelin X-980T A solid set of features, but not the easiest to use Viamichelin's latest entry into the GPS market is the X-980T, the most feature-packed in its range. In addition to standard navigation, you...

Another flick on the wall.(DLP projectors)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Another flick on the wall The latest projectors involve a wide range of technologies to deliver different features. Paul Monckton takes a look at five models that will help you make the most of your wall space ...

Samsung SP-H710AE.(DLP projectors)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Samsung SP-H710AE Price [pounds sterling]2,700 Contact www.samsumg.co.uk Despite specifications that might suggest otherwise, Samsung's SP-H710AE turned out to be an excellent projector that's capable of...

Optoma HD73.(DLP projectors)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Optoma HD73 Price [pounds sterling]1,499 Contact www.optoma.co.uk Optoma's HD73 is the newest projector in this round-up and the only one with Texas Instruments' latest DarkChip 3 processor. Sharing the...

Infocus IN76.(DLP projectors)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Infocus IN76 Price [pounds sterling]1,499 Contact www.infocus.com The radical design of the IN76 from Infocus is aimed squarely at home users who know that if your projector is going to be seen, it's going...

Group Test: Projectors Editor's choice.(Acer PH730)(Benq PE7700)(Infocus IN76)(Samsung SP-H710AE)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Picking our Editor's Choice from this selection of projectors is not easy. All five are single-chip DLP models with a native resolution of at least 1,280x720 pixels, but outside these constraints there are huge...

Choose the right screen for your projector.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Choose the right screen for your projector The cheapest and simplest form of screen is your wall. If you have a large, bare wall that's close to white and not too glossy, you'll probably find it's a...

Benq PE7700.(DLP projectors)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Benq PE7700 Price [pounds sterling]1,126 Contact www.benq.co.uk Although it features a similar physical layout to Acer's PH730, the PE7700 from Benq is most definitely a home cinema projector through and...

Acer PH730.(DLP projectors)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Acer PH730 Price [pounds sterling]1,149 Contact www.acer.co.uk Finished in several shades of dull grey, the Acer PH730's only concession to domestic harmony is its shiny 'piano-black' side panels, which also...

Hi-Grade Notino W5600.(laptop computer)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Hi-Grade Notino W5600 A sub-[pounds sterling]500 portable that doesn't show Vista in its best light At first glance, a Vista laptop for less than [pounds sterling]500 seems like a terrific bargain. The most...

Evesham Solar Eclipse.(desktop computer)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Will Stapley Evesham Solar Eclipse A fast system that will show off Microsoft's new operating system well Microsoft's Vista operating system is now upon us and Evesham's Solar Creation aims to appeal to those who want to...

CMS ABSplus Notebook Backup.(hard disk drive)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp CMS ABSplus Notebook Backup Price [pounds sterling]124.95 Contact www.expansys.com Overall HHHHH The ABSplus range of backup drives from CMS is available in a choice of sizes. The device we looked at is a 40GB...

Antec Fusion.(closures)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Antec Fusion Price [pounds sterling]126.07 Contact www.overclock.co.uk Overall HHHHH With its big volume control and cold-rolled steel chassis, this new Antec case resembles large hi-fi amplifiers from the...

Europa Universalis III.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Europa Universalis III Make history with this epic Euro-strategy game In the real world, having an empire is generally something that's frowned upon these days, so it's nice that Paradox Interactive has...

Asus Silent Knight.(computer cooling fans)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Asus Silent Knight Price [pounds sterling]44.97 Contact www.vadim.co.uk Overall HHHHH The Silent Knight fan supports a wide range of CPUs, from Intel's sockets 478 and 775 and AMD's AM2, 939, 940 and 754...

How we tested.(projectors)(Editorial)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton How we tested We evaluated the projectors by setting them up in a darkened room and using a Panoview pull-up screen from Optoma (pictured right). We chose a PC as our video source, from which we played a...

Packard Bell iPower 7650.(desktop computers)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Packard Bell iPower 7650 A snazzy case and SLI graphics, but ultimately let down by outdated components If anyone thought the acquisition of Packard Bell by Emachines founder Lap Shun Hui (www.pcw.co.uk/ ...

We have done it too, claims AMD's partner IBM.(Advanced Micro Devices Inc.)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Clive Akass We have done it too, claims AMD's partner IBM IBM claims to have developed, with partners AMD, Toshiba and Sony, a similar technology to that used in Intel's Penryn, which will allow it to start shipping 45nm...

Intel 45nm chips beat clock rate cap.(developing Penryn)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Clive Akass Intel 45nm chips beat clock rate cap Intel has made a breakthrough in processor miniaturisation and will start manufacturing processors with smallest-yet 45nm features in the second half of this year. The new...

How they shrank processors to 45nm without springing a leak.(Intel Corp. developing Penryn processors)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Clive Akass How they shrank processors to 45nm without springing a leak Each transistor in a processor consists of source and drain electrodes sitting in a silicon substrate with a tiny gap between them. Above this gap is a...

School's out.(use of information technology in education)(Column)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor School's out I have read with interest the various letters and articles concerning the Government's and society's demand for children to have increased use of IT in education on the grounds that it will help them...

HP beats Moore's Law.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Clive Akass HP beats Moore's Law The density of transistors in field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips, used for network switches and other specialist applications, could increase up to eightfold, thanks to a new HP...

PCI Express data rates double.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Clive Akass PCI Express data rates double Data rates on the next generation PCI Express bus have been doubled to give up to 16Gbytes/sec on a 16-lane slot. The PCIe 2.0 spec, published in January, means that board makers...