Personal Computer World articles from October 2007

Personal Computer World archives from October 2007

Christmas comes early By the slightly peculiar calendar of the publishing world, iti?1/2s December already, and in this monthi?1/2s Spreadsheets column youi?1/2ll find some tips on using Excel to create festive designs. For a more traditional approach to design, wei?1/2v.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Ken McMahon Christmas comes early By the slightly peculiar calendar of the publishing world, it's December already, and in this month's Spreadsheets column you'll find some tips on using Excel to create festive designs. For a...

Learning to love layers.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Ken McMahon Learning to love layers Discover why layers are useful graphical tools and how to get to grips with them If you've never bothered with layers you're missing out on one of image editing's big features. From...

Layer tips and tricks.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Ken McMahon Layer tips and tricks Blend mode tip 1 The Multiply blend mode can be used to boost contrast and reduce haze in landscape photos. Open an image and drag the background layer onto the new layer button in the...

Backup needni?1/2t be hard to do.(backing up data )
October 4, 2007... Byline: Gordon Laing Backup needn't be hard to do There are different options for keeping your important data safe and sound Everyone understands the importance of backup, but few of us implement a strategy that offers sufficient...

Scheduled Restart and Standby.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Gordon Laing Scheduled Restart and Standby In October's Hardware column (see www.pcw. co.uk/2195369), we explained how to schedule regular system restarts to improve the stability of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 PCs....

Command post.(understanding bash, the Unix shell)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Barry Shilliday Command post Advanced features of the shell explained In last month's column we looked at bash, the standard Unix shell found on Linux and OSX systems. Although it is often seen as old-fashioned, the shell...

Gutsy Gibbon.(Ubuntu Linux 7.10 code name)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Barry Shilliday Gutsy Gibbon leaps into view Regular readers will know that we always stay up to date with the latest release of Ubuntu Linux, and that time is drawing near again. Ubuntu follows a six-month release schedule,...

Adventures close to home.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Adventures close to home Essential tips and tricks that will help you connect with other PCs on your network This month I want to share a few useful networking tips that I use on a daily basis to make my life...

Finding the Run command in Vista.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Finding the Run command in Vista The Windows Run command is a useful troubleshooting tool. For example, you can use it to open the command window, start a diagnostic program manually or connect to a network share....

Glad to see you.(evaluating processors for high-definition video application)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Gordon Laing Glad to see you What processing power do you need to make the most of high-definition? The playback of high-definition video continues to present a challenge for all but the latest PC configurations. The...

Hands on Question Time.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Various Digital Imaging Picture this QI am putting together a website for a project to sell pictures and films online. Although I could write the whole thing in PHP, I would rather find a service that can host the...

Trouble with Feisty Fawn.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Various Trouble with Feisty Fawn Linux QI am running Ubuntu Linux (Feisty Fawn) and had no problems until I changed one of the partitions on my drive. Now when the system boots, it drops to a text screen and complains...

A query about queries.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Various A query about queries Databases QPreviously in your column you've mentioned that deciding whether to move queries when you upsize to SQL Server is complex. I may find myself in this situation soon and would benefit...

How to do what you want in Excel.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Stephen Wells How to do what you want in Excel You'd be contravening the software licence if you actually did hack into Excel, of course, but don't blame the authors of Excel Hacks for the misleading title. The subtitle is a...

You can Excel artistically.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Stephen Wells You can Excel artistically Celebrate 20 years of Excel for Windows by unleashing your creative talent If you've a mind to create your own Christmas cards, wrapping paper or table decorations this year, your...

Old-style Visual Basic and Vista.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Tim Anderson Old-style Visual Basic and Vista You don't have to throw away your old VB code when you upgrade to Vista Reader Alan Baker has a problem: "I have been writing some darn good Visual Basic programs over the...

Indices and mapping.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Indices and mapping How to control the way your site is indexed by search engines Last time round, I started exploring how search engines index your site, with a look at some of the more basic aspects A-...

Cheap hosting problems.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Cheap hosting problems Reader Steve Holmes is having problems with Google's webmaster tools, because the hosting he uses is actually a redirection, where a domain host provides an index file that effectively...

Outlook extras for power users.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Christoph Hoffman, Heiko Mergard Outlook extras for power users There are some things Outlook 2007 still won't do, and others it's just no good at. But the right add-ons can help you change that. Christoph Hoffmann and Heiko...

Startup options for Outlook.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Christoph Hoffman, Heiko Mergard Startup options for Outlook There are plenty of switches that can save time when you're launching Outlook. To avoid typing the complete path each time, why not create a desktop shortcut for each...

Tip: Work faster with hotkeys.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Tip: Work faster with hotkeys Outlook is quicker to use via keyboard shortcuts rather than the mouse. To see which keyboard shortcuts are available, press the Alt key when in a message window. Letters and...

Smartline Devicelock 6.2.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Smartline Devicelock 6.2 Protect against internal threats by locking down local ports and storage devices It's all very well deploying the latest firewall, anti-virus and email security products, but what...

Exclaimer Mail Utilities.(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Exclaimer Mail Utilities Comply with the latest email regulations and more with this Exchange add-on As of 1 January 2007 the Companies Act was amended to meet EU legislation requiring limited companies and...

Diamond Discovery Prelude.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Diamond Discovery Prelude All-in-one accounting for start-ups and other small businesses Diamond Discovery sells a range of integrated accounting solutions aimed at companies of all sizes. Prelude Professional...

Gordano Vanguard.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Gordano Vanguard Protect all your email servers with this vendor-neutral security tool Gordano has over the years built a host of security features into the Gordano Messaging Suite (GMS), its messaging and...

Softalk Share Server.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Author Softalk Share Server Share folders in Outlook without using Microsoft Exchange Outlook may be a very functional and popular email client but, by itself, it can't be used to share contacts, calendars or other...

OLM Work Together.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Author OLM Work Together Collaborative working and project management through a browser Although a variety of tools are available to make sure important projects keep to time and budget, most require investment in not just...

Linksys SPA962.(product evaluation of VoIP phone )(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Author Linksys SPA962 Six lines and a colour screen make this a capable business-class VoIP handset The latest member of the Linksys family of business-class Voice over IP (VoIP) handsets, the SPA962 is a robust and...

Lacie D2 Blu-ray.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Lacie D2 Blu-ray Price [pounds sterling]699 Contact Lacie www.lacie.com/uk Lacie's D2 Blu-ray is the only external BluA-ray device in this round-up. It's also the most expensive, and almost double the price...

Mio A501.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Mio A501 A fully functional PDA complete with phone and sat-nav capabilities Having launched its A701 PDA phone complete with GPS last year, Mio is no stranger to hybrid devices such as this. The A501 is...

Ipdrum IP Voicelink.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Ipdrum IP Voicelink Link your Skype account to a mobile phone Skype is one of the most popular internet voice services available, so it's hardly surprising that after waiting for a way to link it to your...

Crawler Spyware Terminator 2.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Chris Cain Crawler Spyware Terminator 2 Protect your PC from internet spies and data theft While most PC users now understand the importance of good anti-virus software, the threat from spyware is still largely ignored....

Toshiba Dynadock.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Clive Akass Toshiba Dynadock Universal docking station that requires just a single USB2 cable Docking stations have long been an expensive irritation. Most are tailored to particular notebooks, costing companies a fortune...

Serif Drawplus X2.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Cliff Joseph Serif Drawplus X2 Veteran illustration program gains improved animation and drawing tools Recent upgrades to Serif's veteran drawing program have moved away from traditional vector graphics tools, into areas...

Mobigater Pro.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Mobigater Pro Another way to make and receive Skype calls via your mobile Like the IP Voicelink (see review above), the Mobigater Pro by Eurodesign will allow you to use a mobile phone to access Skype via...

Oneforall PC Media Kit.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Oneforall PC Media Kit Price [pounds sterling]99.99 Contact www.oneforall-int.com Overall HHHHH This offers full audio and video streaming using RF technology rather than a wireless network. A transmitter...

Reach for the skies.(using personal computers in stargazing)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Whitehorn Reach for the skies Why ask for the moon, when you can have the stars A- on your PC? Mark Whitehorn shows you how Humans have studied the night sky since prehistoric times, asking questions such as,...

An introduction to using Skyscout.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Whitehorn An introduction to using Skyscout 1Skyscout is a neat handful, weighing 535g, including its two AA batteries, and measuring 19x10x6cm. It's mostly fresh air A- to sight, you look straight through its long axis A-...

Useful links.(Website list)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Whitehorn Useful links Suppliers www.scsastro.co.uk The Astronomy Shop A- very helpful www.telescopeplanet.co.uk Telescope Planet www.uk-telescopes.co.uk Evergreen Optics Seeing stars ...

Glossary.(Brief article)(Glossary)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Whitehorn Glossary Star catalogue A star catalogue (or catalog) is a list of data about stars. The earliest known was that of Chinese astronomer Gan De in the 4th century BC. There are many different ones available...

Lexmark C780n.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Lexmark C780n You'll get fast colour prints from this affordable general-purpose laser Colour laser printers keep getting faster and the new C780n from Lexmark is no exception, its A4 engine spitting out up to...

Listen, no hands.(using Vista's speech recognition)
October 4, 2007... Listen, no hands If you have trouble typing, why not speak to your word processor? What do Word XP and 2003 have that 2007 doesn't, apart from a customisable interface? The answer is speech recognition. Instead of pounding a keyboard...

Microsoft System Center Essentials.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Microsoft System Center Essentials Keep tabs on your Windows network with this integrated management solution Microsoft has been updating and rebranding its system management products under the System Center...

Pick of the crop Wei?1/2ve a special bumper selection of products in this monthi?1/2s Business section with nine pages of the latest and greatest hardware and software products. We start with System Center Essentials 2007, Microsofti?1/2s new small-business systems m.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Pick of the crop We've a special bumper selection of products in this month's Business section with nine pages of the latest and greatest hardware and software products. We start with System Center Essentials...

Alphabet soup.(drive letters assignment)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Alphabet soup Dealing with drive letters needn't be a hassle A- we show you some tricks We have, in previous columns, looked at some things you can do with drive letters in Windows XP, such as change them. This month we're going to go...

Toshiba Satellite A210-12U.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Toshiba Satellite A210-12U Price [pounds sterling]499 Contact Toshiba 0870 444 8944 www.computers.toshiba.com The notebooks in Toshiba's new Satellite range feature a long screen hinge connected to a curved...

PC Nextday Zoostorm 52-4201 Versatile.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen PC Nextday Zoostorm 52-4201 Versatile Price [pounds sterling]479.99 Contact PC Nextday 0870 609 0125 www.pcnextday.co.uk PC Nextday's Zoostorm 52-4201 Versatile is based on a rather bland chassis made by GTK,...

MSI M670-018UK.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen MSI M670-018UK Price [pounds sterling]459 Contact Mesh Computers 0844 736 0440 www.meshcomputers.com Dedicated number pads are a rarity on laptops, but MSI has squeezed one into the M670-018UK's chassis...

HP Compaq 6715s.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen HP Compaq 6715s Price [pounds sterling]492 Contact HP 0845 270 4222 www.hp.co.uk Since 2002, when HP acquired Compaq, the two brands have remained fairly separate: HP likes its consumer angle and Compaq designs...

Hi-Grade Notino W5700.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Hi-Grade Notino W5700 Price [pounds sterling]499 Contact Hi-Grade 020 8532 6111 www.higrade.com In a market where some manufacturers struggle to differentiate themselves, Hi-Grade has done a stunning job by...

Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pro V3515.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pro V3515 Price [pounds sterling]412 Contact Fujitsu-Siemens 0845 678 0172 www.fujitsu-siemens.co.uk Fujitsu-Siemens' Amilo Pro V3515 sits tall amid the other notebooks here, due to a...

Asus F5R-AP157P.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Asus F5R-AP157P Price [pounds sterling]499 Contact Asus http://uk.asus.com It's odd that the literature for the Asus F5R centres on the webcam included at the top of the screen, but at this price, it's a...

Advent K200.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Advent K200 Price [pounds sterling]499 Contact PC World 0870 242 0444 www.pcworld.co.uk PC World says its Advent K range is only for kids. That's because you can customise each notebook by changing the back of...

Acer Travelmate TM5520-5A1G12.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Acer Travelmate TM5520-5A1G12 Price [pounds sterling]499 Contact Acer 0870 853 1005 www.acer.co.uk AMD processors tend to be more prevalent than their Intel counterparts at the budget end of the notebook...

Big features, small price tag.(notebook computers)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Big features, small price tag Notebooks for less than [pounds sterling]500 are great news for those on a budget, and this performance-packing bunch could prove attractive for both work and play, writes Emil Larsen...

Upgrades and add-ons.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Upgrades and add-ons Desktop PCs offer a lot of peace of mind because if you need more Ram, a faster processor or a graphics card for the latest games, then it's easy and relatively cheap to replace what you already...

The second-hand alternative.(on buying refurbished laptops)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen The second-hand alternative The rate at which a computer's value depreciates can be severe, but as there's no regulated market for used hardware, there are no 'official' guides to second-hand value. Laptops...

December 2002.(I.T. news of the month)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen December 2002 December 2002's highlights were products, products and more products, starting with the Apple iPod for Windows PCs which, despite costing [pounds sterling]329, outclassed every other audio jukebox by a...

December 1992.(I.T. news of the month)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen December 1992 The big news a decade ago was Microsoft's launch of Encarta. The multimedia CD encyclopedia boasted 21,000 articles in 94 categories and remains a best-selling product today. However, the free online...

December 1982.(I.T. news of the month)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen December 1982 Epson made a big splash back in December 1982 with the launch of its first ever portable computer in the UK. Epson was well known for its printer products, but the HX20 was its first attempt to combine...

Any time, any place.(using mobile phones for data services)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Any time, any place Is it time to consider replacing your broadband modem with a mobile phone? Nigel Whitfield believes mobile operators are waking up to the possibilities of cheap data services At the...

Femtocells i?1/2 at home with 3G.(third generation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Femtocells A- at home with 3G In the not-too-distant future, mobile telephony needn't just be a tool to use when you're away from home, or beyond the reach of a Wifi network. Thanks to the femtocell A- a very...

Get value for money i?1/2 always read the small print.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Get value for money A- always read the small print While the dramatic reductions in prices for data usage are long overdue, as ever when it comes to mobile phone companies, it pays to check the small print...

Dell Inspiron 1720.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Dell Inspiron 1720 Dell adds a bit of colour to its notebook range Dell has recently refreshed its popular Inspiron range of notebooks to enable the product line to take advantage of the latest mobile...

Sapphire Radeon HD2600XT Ultimate.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Sapphire Radeon HD2600XT Ultimate A fast but silent graphics card ideal for quiet entertainment PCs Sapphire has taken the notion of passively cooled graphics cards seriously with its Ultimate range of cards,...

Shuttle SG33G5M.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Shuttle SG33G5M A slim, whisper-quiet design with a front LCD screen and remote control With their extra features, Shuttle's small form factor (SFF) case designs have grown bigger and bigger over the years. So...

Patriot Extreme Performance.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Patriot Extreme Performance Price [pounds sterling]62.10 Contact www.yoyotech.co.uk Overall HHHHH Patriot may be a new name to some, but it's been in the memory business since 1985. There are two product...

Lite-On LH-20A1S11C.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Lite-On LH-20A1S11C Price [pounds sterling]26.19 Contact www.yoyotech.co.uk Overall HHHHH There aren't many optical drives with Sata interfaces around, so any new model is always welcome, Lite-On's...

Hypertec Firestorm FSUV2-H80U2/5.(product evaluation of external hard drive )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Hypertec Firestorm FSUV2-H80U2/5 Price [pounds sterling]68 Contact www.hypertec.co.uk Overall HHHHH The Firestorm range of external hard drives covers both 3.5in and 2.5in drives. Our review model, the...

Gigabyte GA-P31 DS3L.(product evaluation of motherboard)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Gigabyte GA-P31 DS3L Price [pounds sterling]49.34 Contact www.scan.co.uk Overall HHHHH Despite its low price, Gigabyte's GA-P31 DS3L motherboard has enough features to keep most people happy; 1,333MHz FSB and...

Akasa AK-975CU.(cpu cooler)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Simon Crisp Akasa AK-975CU Price [pounds sterling]17.61 Contact www.overclockers.co.uk Overall HHHHH Akasa's AK-975CU is notable for the lack of packaging; it has none of the usual bubble wrap and instead comes in a plain...

Binatone Carrera X350.(product evaluation of GPS receiver)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Binatone Carrera X350 Telephony giant branches out into the navigation market Binatone Carrera is a new entrant into the GPS market, and its X350 is a rather basic, yet portable, navigation aide. The...

Compro Videomate E700.(product evaluation of TV tuner card)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Terry Relph-Knight Compro Videomate E700 Price [pounds sterling]69.99 Contact www.comprousa.com Overall HHHHH Compro's Videomate E700 is a dual DVB-T tuner card with power-up scheduling, SDTV and 1080i high-resolution...

Lenovo Thinkpad X61.(product evaluation of laptop computer)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Chris Cain Lenovo Thinkpad X61 A solid, security-conscious notebook Today's notebook PCs tend to fall into two categories; those you can carry around with you, and those likely to give you a hernia. Lenovo's Thinkpad X61...

Networking goodies.(use of a home network)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Networking goodies Once you've built your network there's a lot more you can do with it beyond sharing your broadband connection. A server is an obvious choice, but on a home network a network-attached storage...

Workshop: How to share files and printers.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Workshop: How to share files and printers 1 You'll probably need to turn on file and printer sharing on each PC, and configure the Windows firewall to allow the sharing protocols used. In Windows XP this can be...

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Will Stapley Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite HDMI and storage boost for the popular console Aside from the obvious switch to matt black, you'd be hard pushed to spot the difference between the new Xbox 360 Elite and the previous...

Acer P1265.(product evaluation of Digital Light Processing projector)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Acer P1265 A cheap and quiet unit that also looks good Most projectors around the [pounds sterling]500 mark tend to be restricted to an 800x600 resolution, so it's good to see the [pounds sterling]535 Acer...

Archos 605 Wifi.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Archos 605 Wifi The fifth generation of the popular media player has arrived Archos has a deservedly good reputation in the portable media field and has just released its fifth-generation line-up A- a series led...

Icron Wiranger.(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Paul Monckton Icron Wiranger A wireless USB extender with a built-in hub The Wiranger kit consists of two USB extender devices A- a local unit called the Lex and a remote unit known as the Rex. Both are small, well-made...

Lindy Data Dock.(product evaluation )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Will Stapley Lindy Data Dock Price [pounds sterling]49.99 Contact www.lindy.com/uk Overall HHHHH If you've a spare 3.5in bay on your desktop PC, Lindy's Data Dock will put it to good use. The Data Dock comes with three...

Format wars trump Star Wars.(HD DVD and Blu-ray format )
October 4, 2007... Byline: Gordon Laing Format wars trump Star Wars In the battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray technology, it could be a matter of personal film taste that decides the winner Have you bought into Blu-ray or HD DVD yet? Maybe you're...

Another one bites the dust.(printer and photo paper compatibility)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Barry Fox Another one bites the dust It's time to put a stop to the endless cycle of new printers that are incompatible with last year's bulk-bought consumables Aspokesman for Big Yellow told me at the end of August that...

Bioshock.(product evaluation)(Product/service evaluation)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Bioshock A creative and gripping plot makes this a top contender for game of the year Playing Bioshock is a bit like playing a movie. You are a passenger on board an aircraft in 1960 that crashes into the sea....