Personal Computer World articles from July 2006

Personal Computer World archives from July 2006

Get help to solve Access problems.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Mark Whitehorn Get help to solve Access problems Fixing Access annoyances has the potential to be a very useful book: it is packed with information across a wide spectrum of 'annoyances' of interest to Access users of all...

Tidy up your text.(Microsoft Access)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Mark Whitehorn Tidy up your text Using text handling functions in Access to manipulate how data strings appear Patrick Wilmore has a problem with space: he has too much and he wants to get rid of it. He has two tables in...

Common Raid varieties.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Gordon Laing Common Raid varieties There are several types of Raid in use. Here are the most common. Raid 0 uses a technique called Striping, where data is interleaved across two or more disks. Since these disks can be read...

Get to grips with Raid.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Gordon Laing Get to grips with Raid Build a first line of defence with Raid and never fear disk failure again Disk failure is probably the greatest fear of any PC owner. After all, while the disk itself can be replaced,...

Raid performance explained.(Column)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Gordon Laing Raid performance explained Find out how different Raid arrays perform read and write actions Raid uses multiple hard disks to deliver various combinations of greater reliability, performance or capacity. For...

Transfer analogue to digital.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Ken Mcmahon Transfer analogue to digital Capture and archive analogue video so your VHS memories stay intact If you're old enough to vote, there's a good chance that you have some analogue video footage lying about. Whether...

Troubleshooting tips.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Ken Mcmahon Troubleshooting tips No video input Don't be surprised if, having connected everything up, you can't see anything in the preview window of your capture application. If you connect a TV to your VCR or camcorder...

Ubuntu 'Dapper Drake' waddles into sight.(Brief article)(Column)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Ubuntu 'Dapper Drake' waddles into sight Delayed by six weeks, version 6.06 of Ubuntu Linux, more commonly known as 'Dapper Drake', was released in June. This is the first release to be given the 'LTS' code,...

Let the Linux music play.(Squeezebox installation with the help of Amarok)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Let the Linux music play How to install the open-source Squeezebox, and use Amarok to manage your tunes With digital music formats becoming ever more popular, the demand for different ways to play music...

Wireless catch-up.(wireless communications)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Wireless catch-up Technologies, standards, products and setup options explained It has been a while since I covered wireless networking which, given the amount of activity in this particular market is perhaps a...

'A' is for alternative.(wireless networking equipment's standards)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens 'A' is for alternative 2.4GHz isn't the only frequency used to carry wireless networking signals, others are also available. Most notably 5GHz, as used by 802.11a, although there are several reasons it's not so...

The links effect.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Stephen Wells The links effect Useful ways to link from a spreadsheet to other cells, worksheets and applications No spreadsheet is an island, entire of itself, as John Donne might have said if there had been spreadsheets...

Doing the splits: separating names into columns.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Stephen Wells Doing the splits: separating names into columns A reader has a list of names in column A of an Excel worksheet. Regrettably the single column includes both first and surnames and he wants to separate them without...

Using the Hyperlink function.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Stephen Wells Using the Hyperlink function Apart from the techniques to create links described here, Excel offers a HYPERLINK function. The syntax is HYPERLINK(link location, friendly name). For example: ...

Content management is king.(Column)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Content management is king How browser-based editing offers a simple way to update content on your site In my last column (PCW July 2006, also available online at www.pcw.co.uk/2158197), I explained the...

Search me -- a mysterious default change.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Search me -- a mysterious default change A year or so ago, we had a small epidemic of queries stating that the default behaviour for XP folders -- Open -- had mysteriously changed to Search. Although it's possible...

Memory overload with Windows 98.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Memory overload with Windows 98 Now here's a strange thing. A reader had been trying to install Windows 98 onto a new computer. It had Windows XP Pro already installed, so he fitted another hard disk on which to...

Rename a batch of files.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Rename a batch of files Tips to give a selection of photos more friendly names; and fun with associations Renaming a file in any version of Windows isn't difficult -- one way is to select the file and press F2,...

Keeping in concordance.(Column)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Keeping in concordance Learn how to index words and their entries in a variety of programs If last month's column inspired you to try your hand at indexing in Open/Star Office or Word (see www.pcw.co.uk/2158709),...

Reader solutions to word processing problems.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Reader solutions to word processing problems Shortcuts redux In our July column on Word start-up switches, there is one caveat we neglected to mention. If you have the standard shortcuts created on installation of...

Coding for the desktop.(desktop utilities installation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Tim Anderson Coding for the desktop How to develop widgets for the Yahoo Widget Engine, formerly Konfabulator The Dashboard in Apple's OSX 10.4 lets you install mini applications called widgets, which run in the background...

Hands on question time.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Various hardware Partition query Q I have just purchased a Toshiba external hard drive with 298GB to back up data from two PCs. I'm thinking of using different partitions for each computer and maybe another for photo...

The hardware alternative.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Manuel Masiero The hardware alternative Soundcards from the Creative X-Fi series are equipped with the CMMS-3D (Creative Multi Speaker Surround) surround-sound virtualiser. The entry-level model, the Xtrememusic, costs about...

You're surrounded.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Manuel Masiero You're surrounded Free software tools and downloads are at last opening up the world of surround sound to music lovers who listen to mp3s, explains Manuel Masiero Surround sound is synonymous with the...

Linux resources.(Directory)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Linux resources Info on distributions http://distrowatch.com Pressed CD retailers/distributors: http://linuxiso.co.uk http://linuxexporium.co.uk www.tuxdiscs.co.uk ISO Recorder...

Is Linux really safer than Windows?(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Is Linux really safer than Windows? A common incentive to use Linux over Windows is the extra security. But does this really exist? Linux and Windows are architecturally very different. The way programs are run...

Common installation problems.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Common installation problems Problem: Windows takes up the whole disk and the installation program cannot resize the partition. Solution: Repartition the disk using Gparted or another 'live' CD....

Top 10 distributions.(linux operating system)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Top 10 distributions With so many distributions available, which one should you choose? Everybody has their own preferences as to what makes a good distribution, and a glance at the Linux-related websites will...

Specialised distributions.(linux installation)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Specialised distributions The major distributions are all geared around running Linux on a typical home or office PC or on a PC server, and come with a large selection of available applications and server...

Hardware support for Linux.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Hardware support for Linux Linux supports almost all types of hardware and peripherals you will find on a typical PC. These include all the standard things such as DVD writers, graphics, network and sound cards,...

Linux free, easy & secure.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Linux free, easy & secure It's free to modify and distribute, safer than other systems and easier than ever to use. Barry Shilliday gives the lowdown on getting, installing and using the open-source OS...

Watching TV on a PC.(personal computers)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Watching TV on a PC linux Q I have a small PC that I would like to use to record and play back television. I have no special hardware, just a plain system with a graphics card and a hard drive. I don't have...

Podcasting pitfalls.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Stephen Copestake Podcasting pitfalls Podcasting does have its share of obstacles. Success itself can be a problem. Mugglecast (www.mugglenet.com/mugglecast), a weekly podcast of Harry Potter-related news, attracts 300,000...

Distributing your podcasts.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Stephen Copestake Distributing your podcasts When your podcast is ready for distribution, you can upload it to a free or paid-for web hosting service. Free services are useful when you're just starting to distribute your...

Creating your own podcasts.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Stephen Copestake Creating your own podcasts Even if your PC has an internal microphone, it probably won't provide acceptable podcast quality. You'll need to buy an external mic and plug it into your PC. Now you'll require...

Podcast party.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Stephen Copestake Podcast party Find out why podcasting has made such an impact and Stephen Copestake explains how to create and distribute your own podcasts The term was 'podcast' was coined in February 2004 when...

PCW gets vocal.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor PCW gets vocal PCW (and many of our sister titles) offer regular podcasts. The PCW Product of the week podcasts are available at www.pcw.co.uk/podcasts and you can subscribe to these in your favouirite podcast...

Zybert Computing Z1 Gem.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Zybert Computing Z1 Gem A versatile small-business server with built-in backup and recovery features Take a relatively low-spec server, add Linux and a bunch of open-source applications and you just might end...

Seiko Instruments Smart Label Printer 450.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Seiko Instruments Smart Label Printer 450 Produce smart-looking labels on demand quickly and easily The latest addition to the Seiko Smart Label Printer range, the SLP 450 features a new 300dpi thermal printing...

Nortel BCM 50.(Nortel Business Communications Manager 50)(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Nortel BCM 50 A complete, converged telephony system in a box Nortel's Business Communications Manager (BCM) 50 is a self-contained telephony solution that stands out by virtue of its ability to support a mix...

HP Color Laserjet 2605dn.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens HP Color Laserjet 2605dn Affordable, small and fast printer that is ideal for small businesses Colour lasers used to be big, bulky and very slow. They could also be extremely messy to set up, as well as...

Business Solve Hotdesk Manager.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Business Solve Hotdesk Manager A simple, intuitive tool that can help reduce the hassle of managing hot desking Hot desking is a great way of maximising company resources, but it's time consuming and costly to...

Grandstream GXV-3000.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Grandstream GXV-3000 See who's calling you on this good-quality video phone Telephones with video screens are not new -- who can forget Amstrad's E3 Emailer? The Grandstream GXV-3000, however, is different,...

Business Objects Crystal Xcelsius.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Business Objects Crystal Xcelsius Transform dull presentations into interesting, interactive events Despite, or perhaps because of, the liberal use of applications such as Excel and Powerpoint, business...

Optoma EP747.(movie projector)(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Optoma EP747 A business-class projector that produces a bigger, brighter picture This mid-range EP747 DLP projector is ideal for larger meeting rooms and has a range of connectivity and configuration options....

Rise & Fall and an MSI Megabook notebook.(Midway Games Inc. marketing its Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War and MSI Megabook L725)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Anna Lagerkvist Rise & Fall and an MSI Megabook notebook In conjunction with the release of Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War, Midway is giving one PCW reader the chance to win a copy of the game and an MSI Megabook L725...

Show me files in alphabetical order.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Show me files in alphabetical order word processing Q I use Word 2003 under XP. For some time the folder of Document files available to use in Word has been shown by 'Modified', that is, date order, though the...

Useful resources.(Website list)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight Useful resources Disabling Adobe Gamma www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/ 321608.html Colour targets www.hutchcolor.com/ Images_and_targets.html Chromix Coloryhink www.chromix.com Color...

True colours.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight True colours In the second of our two-part series, Terry Relph-Knight gets his hands dirty with some calibration tools to ensure your PC, monitor and printer colour output is clear and crisp The process...

The VoIP question.(Voice over IP )
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens The VoIP question Voice over IP has its advantages for home users, but Alan Stevens finds out if it is worth investing in this technology and, if not, what the alternatives are for small businesses For home PC...

The small-business choices.(voice over IP)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens The small-business choices Do nothing Your business won't suffer if you don't implement VoIP and, although there are advantages, about 60 to 80 per cent of the PBX systems bought by small businesses are still...

A virtual PBX without the management overheads.(private branch exchanges)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens A virtual PBX without the management overheads Take VoIP to the extreme and you eliminate the need for a local PBX altogether. In fact, all you require is a broadband connection to the Internet, through which it is...

The DIY alternatives to installing a small-business PBX.(private branch exchanges)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens The DIY alternatives to installing a small-business PBX The easiest and quickest way of deploying a small-business PBX is to contact a dealer and get them to install suitable hardware for you. However, there are a...

benefits of ip telephony It's another bumper business section this month, starting with a feature on Voice over IP. Hot technology it may be, but it can be a major investment and, despite all the hype, conventional products still predominate in the small-.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens benefits of ip telephony It's another bumper business section this month, starting with a feature on Voice over IP. Hot technology it may be, but it can be a major investment and, despite all the hype, conventional...

Registry security tips to help keep threats at bay.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Meiko Hergard, Artur Hoffmann Registry security tips to help keep threats at bay You can use hidden system switches in the Windows Registry to help run your PC more securely. Force passwords to contain numerals In...

Set up Windows XP as a secure system in seven simple steps.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Meiko Hergard, Artur Hoffmann Set up Windows XP as a secure system in seven simple steps Comprehensive security requires you to create a new user whose privileges are restricted to a minimum and who is not allowed to modify the...

Top 10 security rules.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Meiko Hergard, Artur Hoffmann Top 10 security rules A healthy mistrust Don't just open attachments without thinking first. Don't trust people you don't know. Never react to tempting unsolicited emails. Don't just click on...

Improve XP security.(Microsoft Windows XP)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Meiko Hergard, Artur Hoffmann Improve XP security It is often said that Windows XP is fundamentally insecure. Now Artur Hoffmann and Heiko Mergard show you the professional way to make it watertight In Windows XP...

Searching questions.(search engines)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Paul Wardley Searching questions Using a few simple techniques you can get better targeted results from the four big search engines, explains Paul Wardley Before there were search engines there were web pages. Back in the...

The battle against web spam.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Paul Wardley The battle against web spam It's not easy to draw the line between reasonable efforts to get a site noticed by search engines, and the deliberate attempt to subvert search engine rankings by spamming. Typical...

Phones outpace 3G.(third generation wireless technology)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Phones outpace 3G UK mobile phone operators are beginning to roll out services that promise data rates three times faster than optimal 3G links. They use High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which tweaks...

HTC offers Blackberry rival.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass HTC offers Blackberry rival The first 3G mobiles to support Windows Mobile 5.0 have been launched by HTC. The HTC Tyn (pictured) and Meteor HTC are also the first to bear the manufacturer's own name, rather than be...

IP phones at home.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight IP phones at home It's becoming more affordable for home users to take advantage of Voice over IP technology. Terry Relph-Knight explains and reviews six IP phones that cost less than [pounds sterling]100 ...

Aastra 9112i.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight Aastra 9112i Price [pounds sterling]81.08 Contact www.aastra.com Like the ATL IP300S, the Aastra 9112i IP telephone has a clip-on plastic wedge for desktop use, which tilts it to an accessible angle. On...

ATL IP300S.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight ATL IP300S Price [pounds sterling]82.24 Contact www.atltelecom.com One of the bulkiest phones in this group review, the ATL IP300S, like the Aastra 9112i, has a clip-on plastic wedge that tilts it to a...

Alternatives to IP phones.(Buyers guide)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight Alternatives to IP phones There are a couple of alternatives to using an IP phone to access a VoIP service: VoIP adapters (ATA or Analogue Telephone Adapters); and VoIP gateway/router devices. Both these...

The trials of setting up an IP phone.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight The trials of setting up an IP phone To use an IP phone you will need to plug it into a network with an Internet gateway that, ideally, provides DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) and DNS (Domain Name...

VoIP group test editor's choice.(voice over IP)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight A telephone is one of those everyday objects we all expect to have a certain feel and familiarity. Out of the six IP phones reviewed here there's a range of variation in the feel of the keypads, clarity of...

Elmeg 290.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight Elmeg 290 Price [pounds sterling]99.86 Contact www.elmeg.com While the Elmeg 290 is the largest phone of the six here, it is also the most stylish. Although the body and handset are moulded in the same...

Grandstream Budgetone 101.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight Grandstream Budgetone 101 Price [pounds sterling]58.74 Contact www.grandstream.com The Budgetone 101, is Grandstream's entry-level IP phone. Compared to a basic landline phone the Budgetone 101 has quite...

Grandstream GXP-2000.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight Grandstream GXP-2000 Price [pounds sterling]88.11 Contact Grandstream www.grandstream.com Grandstream's current best-seller the GXP-2000 supports up to four Sip accounts. Four dedicated buttons with...

IPdialog Siptone III.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight IPdialog Siptone III Price [pounds sterling]88.11 Contact www.ipdialog.com An entry-level phone, IPdialog's Siptone III uses the almost standard configuration of handset rest on the left and keypad,...

Sony Vaio VGN-AR11M.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Sony Vaio VGN-AR11M Price [pounds sterling]1,599 Contact http://shop.sonystyle-europe.com You only have to take one look at the Sony to realise why people get excited whenever a new Vaio model is launched....

Rock Xtreme CTX T2500.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Rock Xtreme CTX T2500 Price [pounds sterling]1,526.33 Contact www.rockdirect.com A quick glance at the CTX T2500 and there's nothing to really distinguish it from Rock's less expensive models. The 4.3kg...

Portable [pounds sterling]1,599 powerhouses.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Portable [pounds sterling]1,599 powerhouses These days, laptops can more than compete with their desktop rivals, offering power and portability. Luke Peters checks out six of the latest models to see just what...

HP Compaq nx9420.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters HP Compaq nx9420 Price [pounds sterling]1,526.33 Contact www.hp.com/uk The HP nx9420 is the most workmanlike laptop here but manages to squeeze in some of the best hardware available for notebooks. First...

Evesham Quest Nemesis.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Evesham Quest Nemesis Price [pounds sterling]1,599 Contact www.evesham.com When spending the equivalent of a family holiday on a notebook computer, you should expect more than just the latest hardware...

1599 laptops editor's choice.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters If there's one thing we can take away from looking at the higher end of the laptop market, it's just how much the advancement in processor technology has enabled manufacturers to reduce the size of their machines. ...

How Vista will affect notebooks.(Microsoft Windows Vista)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters How Vista will affect notebooks Microsoft is signalling the arrival of Vista as the biggest change in operating system technology since Windows moved from 3.11 to 95. However, due to Vista's hardware demands,...

AJP D900K.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters AJP D900K Price [pounds sterling]1,599 Contact www.ajp.co.uk The award for most unappealing looks must go to the AJP D900K. While it's not the fattest, it's not going to charm anyone with its style. The...

Acer Aspire AS9802.(Product/service evaluation)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Acer Aspire AS9802 Price [pounds sterling]1,599 Contact www.acer.co.uk The stylish Acer Aspire notebook chassis sports pretty much the same design throughout the range, but the 7.85kg monster variant used in...

Slim drives USB flash drives the size and shape of a slightly thickened credit card, have been launched by Eupac to compete with the traditional thumb drives. The 3mm-thick drives come in capacities between 1GB and 8GB at prices between [pounds sterling]26 and [pounds sterling]109.90 e.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Slim drives USB flash drives the size and shape of a slightly thickened credit card, have been launched by Eupac to compete with the traditional thumb drives. The 3mm-thick drives come in capacities between 1GB...

Faster flash for hybrid drives.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Faster flash for hybrid drives Samsung has doubled the capacity of what it claims is the world's fastest flash memory chip, which promises to supersede the hard disk as mainstream working storage. The 2GB...

Averatec offers personalised notebook designs.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Averatec offers personalised notebook designs We confess to have been less than enthusiastic about an offer by Averatec to put any picture on the lid of its 1050 Individual notebook. In the absence of the taste...